Printable View
I've been reading some of Sarah707's advice on recent inspections and one of the things the inspectors look for is that you have done a good starting assessment for each child
Where do you record this assessment? In a learning journey? On a normal sheet of paper or the ones's where the 7 area's are abbreviated?
I have done an All About Me form but not assessments and I have a child starting soon and want to do things the right way...could you possibly help? I'd appreciate it so much
Each child has a file - usually called a 'learning journey' but you can call it what you want.
It contains 'all about me' information from parents - and a copy of Early Years Outcomes - to start with - plus some information about the Eyfs for parents.
Over the first few weeks you note what the child can do - I usually put a date and SP (starting points) on Early Years Outcomes in the general area linked to what the child is doing.
Ask parents for input and invite them to a settling in meeting to chat about your thoughts - where their child is up to and might be going next - and to get their input.
Then you just carry on - observations, asessments using EYO, next steps individual planning, input from parents etc etc.
Hth :D
Ahhh from the lady herself! Thanks so much Sarah, so do I actually have to write anything down about where I think they are?
I have got a learning journey document so the SP would be the first assessment/assessments in there as well as the EYO highlights?
(When I next see my LA advisor who's coming around in a week, I'm going to tell her I think they need to cover this aspect in much more detail at the course we do, as none of this was covered).
Thanks so much Sarah!
May I ask you one more thing I'm confused about if you're still around?
I'm confused over what we base our assessments/obs on? Is it the EYFS book with all the development matters in it or just the EYO small document?
Good advice from Sarah, this is what I've just done :)
Can I just ask though (Sarah) I've done about 8 "getting to know you" observations per child documenting what I feel are their most important obs during their first few week, and I've added next steps to them and pictures. (I've also done lots of other obs by dating EYO and doing a tracker) do you think this is okay? Or too much?
Your child's Starting points will give an additional idea of whether what the parents have said in 'All about me' he/she is actually doing...or...if the child has come from another setting their hand-over assessment of learning rings true....can the child do what they have assessed for?
To build a portrait of the child you need to observe for a short time...say a couple of weeks in the appropriate areas...that will give you scope for an initial assessment and then you are able to plan the Next Steps
By all means use EYO but also DM...there is confusion on which to use but the EYO is based on what the children should achieve...DM helps you to support their learning via EE and PR
Inspectors Use EYO at inspection but there is nothing preventing us using DM for effective planning...it is a vital document...after 20 years of practice I would not even think of just using EYO...combining the 2 is very effective to get things right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Simona
Wow- Thanks so much Simona for that, I can't tell you how helpful it is to newbies like me!
We were told st a training course we should have starting points done on day 1. Best she said to do at settling days. I had always given a few weeks to learn what the child can do
Thanks this is really helpful. I've had my first EY child start a few weeks ago and me and mum sat down and chatted through starting points on his second session. It's really hard tho as he's autistic so obviously he's all over the place in terms of what he can and can't do (eg Does he play with toys for example a farm? Yes, but he doesn't play "farms", he will sit and study each thing and probably name everything he finds but there's no interest in "play").
I'm not sure what to do now I've done the starting points - I've done next steps so I guess do some official planning to try to encorporate what I've identified?
Jx
During settling in it is good practice to gather as much info as we can from the parents and, if we use it, ask them to do an 'All about me' formQuote:
Originally Posted by jackie 7
If we do home visits that is also an additional way to gather info
The minute our child starts ...so yes from day 1...we start observing what they can actually do in our setting
It will take a little while to gather as much info from the observations to be sure of their starting points...then on to next steps
If your child has been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum then you should ask and are entitled to have info from the team around the ChildQuote:
Originally Posted by teacakepenguin
They would advice you what to plan for him according to his specific needs as autism varies
If the child has not been diagnosed then your observations of the starting points will show you the 'gaps', where he needs support and where you need to plan carefully for him
It does not surprise me he does not 'play' farm...play is something that comes later for some children with autism...they are so varied according to the spectrum they are in
This may help
Play
Sorry that I seem to go on about starting points...I am worried about how other settings collate these from providers whose child has been with them a while and then starts with another...what I am finding is really worrying and looks like there is little universal understanding of this to the point I contacted my EY team and suggested some shared training session so this could be a shared strategy for good practice
I am also interested in the way we collate and present starting points as I think these will be important in the new ofsted inspections to help show the progress children have made with me. Mine are currently notes taken on visits, all about me ( though I have found that you find out more by talking to the parents) obs completed on visits ...then I summarise with a pen portrait that parents read and add to...then next steps on reverse of PP... And I am away!Quote:
Originally Posted by Simona
But as I am new to this each child's is a little different as I reflect, evaluate and improve...one day I may get the formula right!
Sarah 707's latest blog around planning is really good reading around this aspect too.
I am in the process of handing over my assessment of a child to another provider who will look after my child one day a week against my 3 daysQuote:
Originally Posted by FloraDora
All is ready for them to look at when we can get together and I can show my child's portfolio
As I do not intend leaving that with them I have offered to meet before the child started...this has been a bit difficult but I understand their practice is different
My portfolio will give them their starting points but while I collected all the info at the start of care they seem to have none...no home visit...or simple questions as to what the child does
where I am coming from is what will Ofsted see when I evidence how I have done my info sharing with another provider...all clear and evidenced
But when they look at theirs they may say 'where is your evidence' from the CM and it may look as if I have not tried my handover...sorry it may be confusing but will know a bit more soon.
I have never experienced that before because it has always been a smooth info sharing...a new learning curve hence the reason for suggesting shared training which the DO said would be useful
I can see your point and joint thinking in areas will definately help, but not all CM attend meetings, and some only do what is necessary for them and don't think of ofsted's view.Quote:
Originally Posted by Simona
Unfortunately, if we were tied into an agency or children's centre transition documents could be similar ......but I really don't want to admit this as a positive!! Currently the LA's should be organising liaison and standard transition info then all the CM's in their authority would come out with high inspection grades in this area ...which would then look good for them in justifying their role...but they are all busy trialling agency projects!!
So glad I asked, honestly I don't know how I would cope without this forum.
It's so nice to 'listen' to more experienced ones, there's so much info to gather it's fantastic.
Hi SimonaQuote:
Originally Posted by Simona
Yes he's diagnosed and I've met with the area SENCO already and am meeting her again soon. However I haven't been given any information about how best to do EYFS with him and where he is etc. At the moment I'm just concentrating on getting to know him and him getting to know me and my house but I suspect a call from Ofsted will come sooner than I'm ready for.
I'll check out what that link says, thanks.
Sorry to derail!
Jx