balance across the curriculum

[Guest]

Dear All,

 

I am in a Pre-school setting and our planning is led by the chldren's interests and their next step needs as identified through observations and tracking outcomes.

 

We have a planning system which details what we are doing each day and we highlight what is planning for next steps and what is planning for a balance across the curriculum, we also have a planning sheet which identifies that all areas of the EYFS are covered...but does anyone have a good technique or idea for how they make sure they are not leaving any area out or not covering it thoroughly?

 

I've attached a blank template for our daily planning.

 

Daily Plan.docx

Thank you very much in advance.

[AnonyMouse_19782]

Hi Lucy,

 

I like your planner and it sounds to me that you are covering all areas already our own system has the EYFS areas across the top and in each box we write what we are doing, It is typed on to A4 sized paper but I blow it up on the photocopier to give us more room to write.

 

Whichever system we adopt, it still takes time and people effort, we have kept our current system for at least 3 years now I'm done with changing it now; it's a working document, by the end of the week it looks a complete mess - but in our opinion it should, that means we've been busy. I dont stress about coverage - of the curriculum and I don't think by the look of your system you need to either.

[AnonyMouse_8282]

but I blow it up

 

 

 

My thoughts exactly Panders............ :lol: :lol: :lol:

[AnonyMouse_8282]

Hi Lucy,

 

Ours is very similar to yours - however when we had our Ofsted earlier this year - she looked at it and said 'you really are making work for yourself aren't you ?'

 

Obviously not sure of your set up- We are a pack-away but we have continuous provision out- therefore the inspector said the puzzles are all available so why are you writing which ones are on a table? (fair point really).

 

Not quite as straight forward as that, but that was her main point. She liked the fact we had the child initials all over it, and said they were the only boxes that actually needed filling in - Therefore it might read 'number puzzle for JD otherwise the box is left blank.

 

We have now simplified our sheet. - but have added each child's initials to top, staff then insure each child has is placed on the sheet and crosses off their initials. Sounds a lot more complicated than it is - but it just ensures every child has been thought about. Sometimes one box may have lots of initials in - it's not one box per child.

 

That said - we do still quickly add things to empty boxes as we go along, when we get ideas from watching the children and perhaps adding relevant provocations/ changing the direction of play.

 

 

Gosh.......... I've just properly engaged my work brain since mid July! :lol:

[Guest]

Thank you so much for your replies.

We do the same thing with the initials too.. maybe I'm over worrying!

Thanks again

[AnonyMouse_30128]

ofsted didn't even look at my planning!

[AnonyMouse_8282]

ofsted didn't even look at my planning!

 

To be fair she didn't really look at ours as such - she just looked (or I may have shoved it under her nose) to see how we plan for our key-children - Hence her comment about making work for ourselves :lol: :lol:

 

I actually think our sheet has now become more of a 'set-up' document for those setting up each morning.

[AnonyMouse_67152]

Do you use Tapestry as the reports do illustrate balance or not across the curriculum - if not your tracking should pinpoint if your plans aren't addressing all areas in that there would be obvious gaps when you complete your ageing and staging! If this is done termly (6 weekly) it offers evidence to show that you are not only tracking each child's progress but also the effectiveness of your provision as a whole.

 

You can also show how you are addressing each area via provision mapping - very simple abbreviations next to your continuous provision/routines of the areas of learning covered during say snack time, welcome time etc does highlight the ones that you need to target another way if that makes sense at all!

[FSFRebecca]

If you use the 'Thoroughness' pickers in Tapestry you will be able to see coverage of EYFS areas