Ofsted Recommendations

[Guest]

We've just had feedback from our latest Ofsted inspection. It was okay except her recommendation was : "Make sure the assessment of children's progress is evaluated effectively to ensure sufficient challenge for individual children"

She said "the assessments do not currently detail how individual children are challenged"

It has left me unsure what to do next...

We have always used the children's assessment files to focus on what each child can do NOT what they can't .

We use the planning sheets to record what went well and which children needed more practise or moving on etc etc.

Does she mean we need to put targets on each child's assessment file?

[Guest Wolfie]

I think what she means is that there should be evidence that you are using your assessments of individual children to plan future activities/experiences, etc. for them to meet their individual needs. Your approach to the assessments of the children - focussing on the positive steps that each child is making - is absolutely right, you don't need to change that at all. Maybe what she didn't see was evidence that you use your knowledge of each child's developmental stage to plan future learning opportunities to keep moving them forward?

 

How about a "next steps" column or something similar where you can just note what you think you need to provide to help a child consolidate/practice/extend their skills in a particular area, based on your assessments of what they have achieved so far? Just something very simple that you find easy to use, not reams and reams of extra paperwork!

 

I hope I've made sense, I'm sure you'll get lots of other valuable suggestions from people - do what suits you best!

Edited March 22, 2007 by Wolfie

[Guest]

We use the next steps sheet which shows what the children have been learing and how we will plan for their future learning if i could figure out how to attatch something then i would

[Guest]

Here is what we use for our next steps hope this helps

[Guest]

Thanks dmbz 2000.

That looks like just the sort of format we could use.

Can I ask how often you fill in the identified needs part?

We plan "focus" activities each week based on the ELGs and Birth to 3,..so would you relate these needs to the "focus" activities or would it be what you generally observe their needs to be?

 

Dfordi

[Guest]

No next steps planning is completely separate from adult led planning and focus activities although if an activity co-incides with a need then you could use it.

 

Next steps planning is how we use their Assessment sheets to ensure that they are moving on and progressing through the steps. We see where they are and what they need to be doing next to move on. We concentrate on one or two children per week per group so we are realistically writing out one of these sheets per half term per child. Obviously they will be moving through the steps in between from other observations that we make during the focussed activities or spontaneous observations but next steps sheets are used to really concentrate on that child for the week and to show how they are progressing.

 

Does that make sense or have I waffled?

 

Deb

[Guest]

Oh I see,.... It makes perfect sense now.

Thanks very much for your quick reply. I feel much happier that we can put it into practise.

[Guest]

Let me know if you you want any other stuff. I have also posted some stuff i general nursery issues under medium term planning

 

Deb

[Guest]

dmbz 2000 should there be an attachment showing how you show your next steps? if so i can't see it. Would you mind posting how you show next steps please. Thanks Star

[Guest]

Yes I removed them all some how I am not sure how

 

Here is my next step stuff

 

Deb

Next_Steps_Planning.doc