Obs & Planning help?

[JoJo*]

Hi,
I had my Ofsted inspection last week and was graded good (very pleased as only started to mind in August).
One reccomendation was how to file my observations and planning? this is so i do not miss any planned activities to progress the child on what we have been doing.
At the mo i have all obs in one file for each child -
The ofsted inspector suggested i sorted them into the diff areas of learning -but most are linked to more than one? All the ways i can think of im going to end up with tons of diff folders and its getting all too confusing?
Can anyone suggest anything?
The one way i thought of was once id done the "next steps" move to a completed folder - but this is still not placing in the areas of learning???
?????

[jumping j]

I've just had this chat with my college tutor as all my obs. cover more than one area of learning, I explained this and she said it was fine to keep all obs. in the front of the child's lj!
I have Ofsted coming on tuesday so we'll see what they say bout it!!!

[tracey36]

its hard to put any one thing into just one area of learning as a lot of things cover several in the front of my learning journeys i have a info leaflet for parents explaining the different areas then on each ob i tick the different areas each ob has covered

[rosebud]

My LJs are chronological, the oldest stuff at the back and most recent at the front. If I do an obs or print off photos they just go into the front of the folder. Nice and easy. When the child and I (or parents) are looking through them we usually start at the back so they can see how much they have grown up and then we talk about the more recent stuff and what they would like to do next. I have a 4 year old after school who has been with me since he was 6 months old and he loves looking at his baby photos and if we have prospective parents to visit he shows them all his photos. I've never even thought of arranging it by area of learning, it just wouldn't work. (For me)

[mama2three]

mine are chronological too , they cover so many areas that dividing them this way wouldnt work for me. I do make a note of the next steps on each childs individual planning though - maybe this would show you wouldnt miss them?

[JoJo*]

Thanks for your replies -
This is what i was thinking? (they all link to more than one area)
I have each observation and also tick a list off at the bottom which areas they are linked to and have a bit which has next steps for planning....
I think the Ofsted inspector wants somthing in place to ensure these planned next steps are not missed - but im just fininding it hard to organise without making a mountain of folders????

[sarah707]

My obs are in date order so that I can look back and see what a child did and when and see where s/he is going next.

I can't see how it would work the other way for me as I have 4 in Eyfs and I would be constantly flicking through their files... plus children do not learn in one area of learning and development at a time.

Hopefully you can show over the next few years before your next inspection that your way works for you!

[Sarahforster]

I have my Ofsted inspection coming up and I am very ashamed to say I have neglected written planning and observations and I am now desperately trying to catch up. Everytime I start to do it I end feeling like this - very confused and stressed! Where do I start??? I have tons of pics and observation sheets printed out ready to go!

[Kezzle]

Thanks for your replies -
This is what i was thinking? (they all link to more than one area)
I have each observation and also tick a list off at the bottom which areas they are linked to and have a bit which has next steps for planning....
I think the Ofsted inspector wants somthing in place to ensure these planned next steps are not missed - but im just fininding it hard to organise without making a mountain of folders????

Erm, how about something like a list with each learning and development heading on it with a couple of sentences outlining the childs next steps for each child in the front of their LJ... then you can tick them off once achieved and make a new list? If that makes sense? Then all the obs stay in one folder in chronological order just date/number everything so you can match the lists up to the correct obs/planning.

Sorry if i added to the confusion.