Help Assessing Fs1 Children

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

 

We have set up a new Foundation Stage Unit in our school this year which is working really well. We have a key worker system in place and the FS1 children really seem to look up to and learn from the FS2 children.A long time has been spent sorting out planning and timetables and seems to be working well.

 

HOWEVER.... I feel like I am drowning under all the assessment. We assess the children on the development matters 30-50, 40-60 statements and the FS2 children on the Profile points also. We aim to collect 3 bits of evidence for each, showing the child is able to achieve the objective both adult led and independently in a range of contexts. I feel there are so many points to be collecting evidence for and they seem to repeat themselves. I think the FS2 profile is great and is do-able having one sheet per child in the front of their profiles, but as we are a unit we seem to be collecting so much evidence as we are collecting for the development matters statements too!!!

 

I wonder if anyone is having similar issues, and how they get around assessing FS1 and FS2 children together. It would be great if the government could produce a points scale similar to the FS2 one for FS1 children, ending with the points 1,2, and 3 as they can be achieved in the FS1 year. Does anyone know of a similar sort of document???

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Guest]

Hi RebeccaReading, congratulations on your first of many posts!

 

I also run a foundation unit, and it sounds like we are observing in similar ways.

However, don't forget that not every single point of the development matters has to be observed for the F1.

When planning, I generally find a statement that is relevant for F1 and F2, just F2 is often a little more advanced, if you know what I mean!

 

Not much help I know, but don't get too involved in writing down observations on everything, we usually know our children very well, therefore know what they are capable of,

 

Jackie.

[Guest]

Hi both

 

Rebecca do you like reading or are you from Reading?!! I only ask as I am about to go to the final phase of a partnership Foundation Stage Unit in Lower Earley, Wokingham, and if you are in Reading, I'd love to come along and see your unit!!!

 

For F1 we are not expected to have evidence for every development matters statement, so I would try not to get too bogged down with treating it exactly the same as the Profile Points.

 

I'd love to hear from both of you how you manage you timetabling for full and part time, and how you manage adult led/initiated time with such differentiation (eg we have some F1 children who can only sit for a much shorter time than that of the F2 children who will soon be going to Yr 1.) My task for next term before we launch in September is to sort out our planning/timetabling so that my p.m F1 children will have the same opportunities as the a.m F1 children. Any input from you would be much appreciated :-)

 

Sorry to hijack your thread Rebecca!

 

Clare x

[Guest]

Thank you both for your replies,

 

We have 4 keyworker groups in our unit, mixed FS1 and FS2 children. When the children come in in the morning they go to their keyworker corner where we share news and take the register. During this session we hear readers, each child reads their book (the majority of FS1 have a picture book they share) in front of the group. They love their reading day and feel very proud of themselves. We then go into free flow. One adult is doing an activity outside, one doing an activity inside, one is a safeguarder, so they can flow between areas making sure everything is okay and sorting out any arguments or accidents, the last person is on observing duty, with a camera and post it pad. We plan 8 activities over a 2 week rota - 4 inside and 4 outside, and then we have a timetable where groups of children are called to the activities. These groups are according to ability and so can be mixed FS1 and FS2. Half way through the morning we have a snack time and singing time where the children go to their keyworker groups and have some fruit and drink and can socialise with eachother. The whole unit then gets together in one room for a mass singing session, again they love this time, before going back into their free flow choosing time. We have the same structure in the afternoon. This way the children are choosing what to 'play' with all the time, except for when they are pulled out for their adult led activites.

 

Between the morning and afternoon nursery sessions the FS2 children have a half an hour input with a teacher, either phonics or maths, we split them into 2 ability groups, and then of course they have their lunch.

 

On a friday we work off timetable and the children integrate into the main school having PE in the hall and we have a PSED circle time, in small cohort groups. They also visit the library on this day.

 

We have found the unit tough work, and are still trying to get things right, hence my original post. But the parents are very happy, the children enjoy coming. The FS2 look after the FS1 and the FS1 look up to the FS2. Each child is a part of a keyworker group having a clsoe bond with one adult but yet has contact with other adults in the setting too.

 

I hope this helps a bit, let me know if I have confised you at all.

[Guest]

Hi Rebecca

I just wondered how many children you have in the unit and how many children your key workers are responsible for.

Thanks Anne

[Guest]

Hi Rebecca

I just wondered how many children you have in the unit and how many children your key workers are responsible for.

Thanks Anne

 

 

Hi Zambonie,

 

We have 63 children in our unit, 2 teachers a nursery nurse and a T.A - so 4 keyworkers.

 

30 of the children are FS2 the rest FS1, some come in the morning and some in the afternoon. We have 26 morning and 26 afternoon spaces so still aren't full yet.