Striding Through The Stepping Stones

[Guest DeborahF]

I work in an LEA 120 place nursery. Three days into the new term, the head has decided that our current system of record keeping - "Striding Through the Stepping Stones" - is not working for us; it's too time consuming, too focussed on the top age of the Foundation Stage, i.e. Reception Year, and not giving us a lot of useful information to inform our planning or to pass on to Reception teachers at the end of the year. We have a very high proportion of EAL and SEN children, for whom we are able to apply for different sources of funding and regularly have to provide comprehensive statistics, based on assessments, to show that the money invested is having a real beneficial effect. So, rightly or wrongly, we need a system that allows us to draw out that kind of information easily.

 

We have a great system of ongoing observations and assessments in the nursery, carried out by very dedicated and skilled staff, but this system of record keeping isn't producing the results of this information in a very useful/friendly format.

 

What are anybody else's experiences, either of this system or an alternative one that you are happy with? We are keen to look around and examine some viable alternatives ASAP. We're also wondering whether it's worth having a huge revamp now, with the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage on the horizon - will we be changing everything again in 12 months time?!?

[Guest]

I wouldn't worry too much about the EYFS yet as it won't be in until 2008, plus it is still being revamped.

I don't know about the current system you use so can't really comment on that. What sort of figures does your funding providers require? I suppose it is a type of system that shows childrens progress as measurable in terms of percentages, added value.

Can you put your heads together and decide a way to measure progress against planning, ie: You aimed to enable .................( whatever plans say), then evaluate the success of your plans by stating 20% didn't respond ( maybe give reasons), 30% achieved some of the planned outcomes, 50% achieved all the planned outcomes. This could be recorded on an excel format with childrens name and score them red for no response, yellow for some achievement and blue for all plans achieved. Then get the excel to make a pie chart to show percentage of each colour.

 

I don't mean you should state specific outcomes to achieve at specific times, just the percentage of children who achieved their individual planned goals, within maybe a specific timescale of half a term. Does that make sense.

 

Good luck.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

I've done a quick example of a pie chart format you could possibly use.

 

 

Peggy

PIE_EXAMPLE.xls

[Guest]

Peggy how do you manage to be such a wizz on the computer?? (I'm dead envious!)

[Guest]

Peggy how do you manage to be such a wizz on the computer?? (I'm dead envious!)

 

 

self taught, messing about avoiding 'proper admin work'

 

Peggy

[Guest]

I'm impressed!

[Guest DeborahF]

Thanks for that Peggy, I agree - I.T. skills to die for!

 

We haven't got so much of a problem with presenting the facts and figures at the end of the process, it's the ongoing recording of our observations and assessments that we're more unhappy with. Striding through the Stepping Stones is very comprehensive and links in well to the Foundation Stage Profile when we liaise with the Reception staff, but it doesn't include enough information about progress made in the very early stages of the Foundation Stage - and maybe we need something in which we can record the children's progress and starting points prior to achieving the very first stepping stones.

 

Many of our children have extremely poor PSE and CLL skills when they join us and we're finding that although WE know they are developing and progressing well during their time with us, this is not reflected when we transfer our evidence into the "Striding" scheme because the statements in the scheme very much concentrate on the blue and green bands of stepping stones and "yellow" statements are rarely referred to. We also need something relating to stages prior to the yellow statements as well. Are you with me?!? We need a record keeping scheme in which we can record much earlier stages of progress so that development fron the children's true "starting point" can be seen and measured. This all sounds very mathematical and "cold" I know, and we're not like that at all really, but that's how I can best describe what we're after. That's why I wondered if the introdcution of the Early Years FS might throw up some useful schemes as the transition between B23 and FS becomes smoother in everyone's eyes.

 

Does anyone use a record keeping scheme that they feel does all this? I know lots of authorities are devising their own schemes but we haven't got one yet and I'm not aware of one being developed at the moment.

[Guest]

I understand what you are explaining, Sally Featherstone has a chart that links BTTM to the FSC, showing pre yellow achievements.

There was a topic on this quite a while age, try a search using the words Sally featherstone, and I'm sure you will find a weblink to the publishers site.

Good luck.

 

Peggy

 

p.s. as I have started this reply, I don't think I can do a sear and get back to this reply box, if you know what I mean. If you can't find it let me know and I'll try and find the web address ( my favourites list is very, very, long)

 

I understand what you are explaining, Sally Featherstone has a chart that links BTTM to the FSC, showing pre yellow achievements.

There was a topic on this quite a while age, try a search using the words Sally featherstone, and I'm sure you will find a weblink to the publishers site.

Good luck.

 

Peggy

 

p.s. as I have started this reply, I don't think I can do a sear and get back to this reply box, if you know what I mean. If you can't find it let me know and I'll try and find the web address ( my favourites list is very, very, long)

 

 

typo should be search not sear

[Guest DeborahF]

Yes, we've got that chart already, thanks Peggy - I think the answer is going to be to devise some kind of system of our own, which is going to be very time consuming but probably the only way that we can get what we need!

 

I just wondered if there were any more commercial schemes out there that we haven't come across and which other people rate highly. Or any schemes developed by individual authorities that it might be worth us having a look at for ideas?

[Guest]

Good luck Deborah, I hope you work something out without to much difficulty or find what you are looking for from others.

 

peggy

[Guest DeborahF]

Many thanks for all your help and suggestions Peggy!