AnonyMouse_44476 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Not sure if this is the right place for this and sorry if not I wasn't sure where to post. Just wondering how you go about asking parents for suggestions/ input into the provision you provide? And whether anyone had any template questionnaires? Each child has a progress book which goes home at least termly and parents are encouraged to write things in relating to the eyfs points and also about anything they want relating to the nursery. There is a page in the front for them to do this although hardly anyone writes anything in, they just sign and date leaving the comments bit blank!! We do lots of liaising with parents via Facebook group, email etc but struggle when it comes to getting them to talk and suggest anything relating to resources/ provision etc! Any suggestions greatly received :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Something I did was to have a large whiteboard at the entrance to the setting, parents were encouraged to write comments each week about their child's interests etc. Parents were told this was to inform planning, a lot of the parents really took to the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_44476 Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Thanks safiyya that sounds like a really good idea! We struggle more with getting them to talk about more generic things rather than about their children. As a result of our last inspection our one point was: -further develop a culture of reflective practice, self-evaluation and informed discussion which includes the views of parents and staff in identifying the setting's strengths and priorities for development that will continue to improve the quality of provision for all children Think the staff bit is fine and we have become a lot better at documenting our reflective practice and sef we just really struggle on how to document the parental input?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 have you thought about having a parent forum, a fancy way of saying a parent coffee morning. Make sure you minute the forum so you have evidence of parent's views. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Parental input is something we tend to struggle with too. We have had a suggestion box in the past, but it gets ignored. We currently have a "learning tree" in the entrance way that has gift tags and a pen with it, where parents can write down wow moments and hang them on the tree for staff to use in their folders. Would sending out a questionnaire work for your setting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I need to acknowledge that this is not my work - downloaded many moons ago from this forum :1b We find parents return these full of useful info ALL_ABOUT_ME_1_.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_44476 Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 Thank you both! We struggle with times to do coffee mornings etc and in past have have had poor turnout but may be worth another go! I think I'm going to go down the questionnaire route initially and stress the importance of it. I don't know if it's just with us but I think parents are so busy sometimes they don't bring anything back!!! The tree idea sounds lovely, do you have a lot of parents input into it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_44476 Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 And to be honest if we ask for parents input in a range of accessible ways and they still don't give it, at least we've tried as best as we can :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 We really struggle with this too. We have join in sessions every month which are first thing in the morning when the parents are dropping the children off. We have join in sessions of different topics e.g. reading and number and show parents how we teach these in class. We usually have a reasonably good turn out and we leave out post its for parents to write observations and comments for learning journeys and parent can look at children's work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngrisers Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 we use our learning Journeys for feedback from parents and our unique child document which I am uploading for you adapt it if you wish. we still have some parents who do not write a thing so obviously they are very happy with us? Think some parents just cannot be bothered to take any interest in what adventures their child is busy with on a weekly basis either at home or with us so now we hold a parents open week and evening so we can get verbal feedback too. That pleases OFSTED too... Unique child 1 document.docx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 We're also trying harder for parents to give us more information. On entry we give out an All About Me and starting point form (which I found on this forum :1b ) which the majority of parents fill in ... and then we struggle to get more. We have now introduced a whiteboard in the entrance where parents are encouraged to stick photos, write on post-its for News etc which we can leave up for a week and then remove for placing in the child's LJ. This is working ok, always seems to be the most actively involved parents using this though, as usual. We also have an information slip for when we change a child's next steps and this has a comment tear-off slip and the bottom, we have been known to get one or two filled in ! Look forward to hearing of other ideas you all may have that I can steal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_390 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 I love the 2 stars and a wish idea I got from this forum. Basically it's an a4 sheet with 3 rows, 2 with stars on and then I do a magic wand picture - the parents then write 2 things they like about the setting and then a wish! My parents liked it and we had some great feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_44476 Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 That sounds good Laura I'll try that! On a separate note we had our annual Easter Egg Hunt yesterday (free of charge) we have 57 children - anyone like to guess how many people turned up!!?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 That sounds good Laura I'll try that! On a separate note we had our annual Easter Egg Hunt yesterday (free of charge) we have 57 children - anyone like to guess how many people turned up!!?? Tell us....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 i reckon about 3! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 That sounds good Laura I'll try that! On a separate note we had our annual Easter Egg Hunt yesterday (free of charge) we have 57 children - anyone like to guess how many people turned up! If you're committee run I would hope at least the children of those parents! So my guess is 5?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_44476 Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 Nope not committee run, private! 2 children but they are twins so technically 1 family!! Makes you wonder why you bother sometimes. At least we had the children that were here anyway, still Easter holidays for us so that was only 10!x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Nope not committee run, private! 2 children but they are twins so technically 1 family!! Makes you wonder why you bother sometimes. At least we had the children that were here anyway, still Easter holidays for us so that was only 10!x That's all - no it's not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 We also have a sheet that parents write on at parents evenings. We've just revamped it, but basically we write the children's next steps on it as well as some of their big achievements and the parents fill in any comments they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Nope not committee run, private! 2 children but they are twins so technically 1 family!! Makes you wonder why you bother sometimes. At least we had the children that were here anyway, still Easter holidays for us so that was only 10!x So sad, all the hard work that staff put in towards these activities, and usually in their own unpaid time We used to have fantastic parental input but for about the last 3 years it has dwindled to virtually non-existent, I feel so sorry for my one proper committee parent who tries so hard and gets nowhere Oh well back to work for me tomorrow - onwards & upwards :1b 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Hi, I'm new to this so don't know if this is much help. We have introduced home link slips which the parent keeps at home and when they make observations on their child during a normal day, they fill them in and bring them in. We can then put them in their learning Journey in the relevant area. Obviously not all parents will bother but so far i've had some back which is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngrisers Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 We send out a parental questionnaire twice a year and feed back the results we always hold a parent feedback evening /agm so they can hear how their child is doing with their progress and make this a social occasion. We hold fundraising evenings and events and recently did a curry and quiz evening locally with yummy food and a great table quiz of 6 rounds where we filled the restaurant and ate far too much lovely Indian cuisine. Think some parents are great others find anything there child does a hardship...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngrisers Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Ps if I knew how to post onto this forum I could send the questionnaire to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_51737 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 we have used Survey Monkey a free online questionair that you design and parents can access easily, we found parents bringing paperwork back was minimal so we looked at the option of a quick online survey - this works really well and can be annoymous too which sometimes helps we always offer the online option on the hard copy so its completly parental choice as to which means they select. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_44476 Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Well I sent a questionnaire out (Laura's two stars and a wish idea :-)) about a month ago and had two back so far!! I didn't know that was free Rochelle, will definitely look into that, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_48339 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 We have a questionnaire set up on survey monkey and it is posted to our Facebook and our website! not sure how many responses we have had back yet though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_37203 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 If the questionnaire is quite snappy could you hand out on clipboards at collection? Some will dash off as usual, but some might feel obliged to participate, particularly if they suspect they won't get their child back until they've done it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_46159 Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 We have a stay and play session once a month where parents can spend the afternoon in nursery with their children playing and having fun,this works really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Apart from feedback comments on the bottom of reports I use 2 stars and a wish - it is more 'open' and general. I always put one in with the report and learning journey and the majority are returned. Two Stars and a Wish.docx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_46692 Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Apart from feedback comments on the bottom of reports I use 2 stars and a wish - it is more 'open' and general. I always put one in with the report and learning journey and the majority are returned. Thats lovely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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