Do I need to have an extra planning sheet just for outdoors?

[AnonyMouse_39521]

Hi can any one out there answer my questions please. In my nursery we spend more time doing paper work - Mainly planning and observation than spending time with the children. We are a small setting 34 children 3 rooms.

As we are expecting Ofsted any time, a discussion at staff meeting a from a EYP new member of staff brought up a "great idea" of another planning sheet for outdoors... Great more paperwork!

Her point was that it is an "EYFS/Ofsted requirement" that we need to cover DAILY the 7 areas of learning outdoors as well as indoors... Is it correct? Where can I find this information as I could not find it anywhere?

Do I need to cover daily the 7 areas of learning outdoors? and have it written in planning sheets?

At the moment we have one planning sheet per room covering the 7 areas of learning - one activity per area of learning per day - of those 7 activities 1 must to be outdoors per room per day. What makes 3 different planned activities "outdoors" per day. We take the children together outside 2 times a day am/pm in our own not massive but just right garden.

 

Thanks all... any thoughts to share would be very great full!!!

[Guest]

I have never heard this!

 

We are a one room nursery with free flow outdoor area and we mark on the planning which activities are outdoors.

 

We have a colour code, so green dot for outdoors but blue dot alongside it would mean child initiated outdoors.

Like a red and green dot would mean outdoor focused activity.

 

Sorry I can't help but in my opinion that sounds like planning for planning s sake!

[AnonyMouse_19762]

Crikey anabel82 - if that's true - I am sunk! :blink:

 

I am confident that our continuous provision (indoors) + use of an outdoor area (not able to free-flow) covers all seven areas - but absolutely no way Jose am I going to start writing (complicated) planning sheets for this :blink:

 

Just a little tip (if you don't mind) when someone tells me something with 'great authority' - I say "well thank you for telling me, where can I find that written down" - this delivered with the sweetest of smiles :1b

 

If the staff member can tell you where to find this - please come back and share - I will have some planning to do!

[Guest griffclan]

I agree with everyone else's comments I don't think you need this extra planning sheet. Like Sunnyday we have CP planning for inside and outside that covers all 7 areas...this is the basics that are always out/accessible, this is reviewed each half term and adjusted if necessary to meet children's needs/stage of dev. We then do a weekly plan which shows any enhancements to CP noting if outside and we plan weekly focused/adult led activities too, making sure one is an outside activity to provide a balance.

We don't have free flow either so plan to go out during morning and afternoon sessions

[AnonyMouse_5970]

Nope, never heard this either.

You seem to be doing a lot of planning too. One activity per area of learning per day. Does that mean you're planning 35 activities a week? Not a criticism, it just seems a lot! :1b

[AnonyMouse_39521]

Thanks for the lovely advice Sunnyday - It was my gut reaction, but sadly this came from a new but well qualified member of staff and I felt bad to question her perspective...

​Thank you all for the replies :1b