Ofsted requirements with keeping records of childerns work once they have moved on

[Ember Harpur]

How long do you need to keep childrens learning journeys and profiles after the children move on to another nursery or childminder? I was told 3 years is this correct? Is this to show evidence of what I have done with the children for Ofsted as the parents want their childs learning journeys on leaving my setting.

[samb]

No you don't keep this at all you pass it on to the parents the day they leave your setting. Ofsted are only interested in the children currently in attendance not he ones who have left.

[bunyip]

I don't think you necessarily need to keep learning records, but neither do I see any reason not to, if you so wish.

Unless you've suggested otherwise to the client, the LJ is your property, not theirs.

Samb is correct: inspectres will usually only look at records for current mindees. I am aware of exceptions to this. A CM friend of mine kept copies of records from a previous child as it was superb evidence of 'special needs experience' and how she had worked with other settings/agencies to support the family, and her inspectre took it into account.

I'll be doing something similar this year. My oldest EY children all start school soon, leaving me with a 2yo as my oldest child in day care. The LJs belonging to the 4yo's are my best evidence of preparing children for school, teaching literacy, transition and partnership-working. I'm well aware that a by-the-book inspectre might refuse to look at them, but a reasonable, sensible one just might. If there's a chance my hard work might be considered, I see no reason to deny myself that chance.

[Maza]

I agree with Bunyip - my inspector did look at the LJ of a mindee who had left the month before. I kept it because the children I had with me at the time of my inspection were only in their second or third week with me and so I hardly had any evidence of anything.

[Simona]

Agree with Maza

If you have no funded children when you are inspected you need some kind of evidence of how you observe and assess.
Most records are online...the LJ may be handwritten but that has to go with the child but it is best to keep some backed up data.

How long we keep records is to do with the EYFS not Ofsted.

Oftsed have to follow the framework and do not set the requirements within the EYFS
the lines are getting truly blurred between the legislator=the DfE...and the regulator and assessor of Standards in Education which is Ofsted!

[bunyip]

Agree with Maza

If you have no funded children when you are inspected you need some kind of evidence of how you observe and assess.
Most records are online...the LJ may be handwritten but that has to go with the child but it is best to keep some backed up data.

How long we keep records is to do with the EYFS not Ofsted.

Oftsed have to follow the framework and do not set the requirements within the EYFS
the lines are getting truly blurred between the legislator=the DfE...and the regulator and assessor of Standards in Education which is Ofsted!

I largely agree with this, particularly the last point.

But, I'm not sure I agree that "the LJ.....has to go with the child." Where are you getting that from? I'm not aware of it being a regulation/requirement other than another piece of so-called "best practice" made up by the largely extinct species of development officers with too much time on their hands and their noses stuck deeply into the business of every unsuspecting CM.

I would argue, first and foremost, the LJ is the IP of its author (the CM) and does not 'belong' to the subject child or client parent.

Even if a CM wanted to send the LJ with the child, not all settings are at interested or will accept an LJ. Certainly my village school ill only accept the standard county 'All about me' form (a summative assessment) and then only from what the school regards as the main setting (and the school's definition of this has nothing to do with hours attended, but its own perceived 'pecking order' in which a nursery trumps a pre-school, which in turn trumps a CM and so on.....)

[Simona]

I largely agree with this, particularly the last point.

But, I'm not sure I agree that "the LJ.....has to go with the child." Where are you getting that from? I'm not aware of it being a regulation/requirement other than another piece of so-called "best practice" made up by the largely extinct species of development officers with too much time on their hands and their noses stuck deeply into the business of every unsuspecting CM.

I would argue, first and foremost, the LJ is the IP of its author (the CM) and does not 'belong' to the subject child or client parent.

Even if a CM wanted to send the LJ with the child, not all settings are at interested or will accept an LJ. Certainly my village school ill only accept the standard county 'All about me' form (a summative assessment) and then only from what the school regards as the main setting (and the school's definition of this has nothing to do with hours attended, but its own perceived 'pecking order' in which a nursery trumps a pre-school, which in turn trumps a CM and so on.....)

The LJ is certainly done by the provider and I assume it will contain photos and assessments of progress and much more
I would also assume we all keep a 'back up' copy of this document so I am unsure why we would keep the original?
If so what would we give the parents? The back up copy?

All about me is a 'starting points' document which we then extend to the progress children make....this is apparently the one the CIF will concentrate on.
It sounds to me as if there are different requirements as to what the next setting will allow.
If we hand the LJ to the next setting they can look at it and then hand back to parents the original file? That would be their starting points and the whole process will start again.

This may not be clear but, as far as I am concerned, I am happy to keep the 'back copy' for Tribal/prospects and allow the parents to have the original as something they may want to treasure.
I am not too sure about this 'all about me' docs introduced by our LAs...I have never used it as I have my own version.

My understanding is that the LJ belongs to the parents...I will try to look at the original source of this information.
Also forget about 'best practice'...it's what suits you, that is best practice to me!
Do nurseries trump up CMs...not in my book!