CM Club - EYFS Obs for a nearly 5 year old ADHOC mindee..............

[looneytune]

HELP!!!

Mindee who was not supposed to come back after my maternity leave (change of circumstances as started school) has been coming on an adhoc basis, a couple of times a week since she started school mid Sept. Now doing a short term contract so feel I should be doing the obs etc.

Questions....

1. Am I right that these need doing until 31 August AFTER her 5th birthday?
2. If so, how much do they expect me to do as I only have her for about an hour in my home? (after pickup its play in playground then journey home and she's usually picked up an hour earlier than contract)
3. Am I expected to speak to her teacher at school? If so, what sort of thing do I need to do?

Sorry, just trying to get my head around the schoolies

I believe if you work with any under 5's you need to go on the EYFS course (it's only two days and is useless but Ofstead'll look for it)

Also, nobody knows what they are doing, so don't feel alone in not having a clue.

I believe the idea is that you do it for the whole of their reception year, so until 31st aug. Having got no clear answer about how often we should do obs, we settled on once a week, because we're still building up a picture of them and how they're progressing, without them being constantly monitored. If something v interesting happens obviously note that down as well. We don't speak to their teachers, but would if we felt every strongly that they needed to be informed of something and would expect to be informed if they feel the need to tell us anything, especially accidents at school.

Sorry you're having to deal with this! It's so frustrating how little guidance is available.

We were told at our EYFS training that if a child was attending school, then it is the schools duty to cover the observations.

law - I've done the training, just that my I happen to come back from maternity leave on 1st sept so tad behind in getting systems sorted etc (all on post its so far).

Tas - you're right, I remember now that it's the setting that has most responsibility. As this is not for long and only 2 days a week, term time only, I presume I don't need to bother?!

Sorry, don't think you're off the hook here. Nor am I with my mindee who attends 10-20 mins a day (booked for before school but always arrives late).

At my training it was said that it is the schools responsibility to submit the profile, but we still have to follow EYFS for everything else up until 31 Aug after 5th birthday. I can't find anything in EYFS to say we don't have to do this once they start school. If anyone can prove me wrong please post the page & para. from EYFS.

I have one mindee in reception class who comes to me only before school and in reality is only in my house for about 10 mins a day. I asked about how much of EYFS I was expected to deliver. The impression I get is still have to do it but in reality there really is very little I can do. I have made him a folder and have made a few notes about interesting conversations we have had on the way to school but that is all I can do with him. I certainly don't plan any activities for the 10 mins he is in my house. Well I guess I do always make sure there is something age appropriate out for him to play with while I get everyone ready but that is it. What else could I physicaly, possibly do.... nothing so that will have to be good enough.

Hi, I went on a EYFS course last night and one of the suggestions which OFsted seem to like very much is that the after schoolies give them a scrap book/journal of their own and let them do there own obs, like get them to draw/paint a picture of what they've been upto that day, or maybe stick photos of what they do at your house and make the odd note. This could even be something they've learnt at school today/or some interesting fact they've told you. But for after schoolies it sounds like it should be very much child led.

Saz, do you mean like the journals at our school? If so, I'll try but she usually just wants to play with the toys after a day at school, tried to do this sort of stuff before and she's not interested. I'll try though, thanks