CM - Themed Planning

[SillyMillysMummy]

I am using the themed planning type sheets, i.e choose a theme and then link an activity based on each of the areas of learning and development, as the basis for my yearly planning. Does anybody feel like sharing any of theirs its late and I am drawing blanks

Still stuck

what is your chosen topic?

For under 3s I think that the latest advice is that themes/topics are not recommended as it's fairly meaningless to them - however if they've got a special interest (based on your observations) this can be worked with.

why do they change the goalposts then? and where is the long term planning guidance?

You can't plan long term - just their next steps. You can use tracker books or similar to see if any areas of learning are behind average for their age group.

allthatglisters can you tell me if that advice is written anywhere? Am worried about abandoning and changing and then inspector expecting long term plans, makes sense and would be far easier though

Long-term planning

This concerns the overall guidance for the children contained in the EYFS Framework Document.

Long-term planning provides a structure which helps you:
*Ensure that you cover all the areas of Learning and Development and the Principles in the EYFS Framework.
*Identify the links between the different areas of Learning and Development and the Principles.
*Think about how you balance activities both indoors and outdoors with quiet times and quiet spaces throughout the day.
*Identify the key areas for supporting babies and young children.

For older children, think about the balance of opportunities for supporting children to benefit from a wide range of freely-chosen play opportunities and well-planned interesting adult-led activities.

Long-term planning informs or helps you focus on your medium-term planning.

oh god, as ever eyfs is as clear as mud

i do a daily dairy, i write in observations every day, some with pics and then choose one of the six areas to link it to.

i also do formal observations sheets, where i record observations, link them then next steps

i was going to have my long term planning as theme based activities related to the theme and linked to the areas of learning and development, medium term planning was deciding which activities each child would benefit from and would be unwritten planning

do i now scrap that and do as i do at the minute and basically wing it and do what the kids enjoy

Look at the 'events' you can mark during the year - we had St David's day on 1st March and had daffodils, yellow, Wales, etc, which all branched out into loads of other stuff. Whenever I am stuck for an idea, looking at these kinds of dates to mark always sets me off with a new idea.

but allthatglisters has said not allowed to plan or am i missing something? surely if i am marking the noteable events and thinking of activities around that, thats planning?

HSMM, how do you evidence your planning? or dont you?

I think what allthatglisters was getting at is that there is no point doing fortnightly topics ie vehicles then squares then colours, whcih I know a lot of CMs used to do pre-EYFS; I do a yearly spreadsheet of festvials, celebrations, notable events,yadda yadda and take it from there, a bit like HSMM, weaving it into each child's current interests and development stage and making sure that all areas of learning are visited

Sounds a bit woolly and haphazard but works really well

ok well that sounds like less work on your spreadsheet do you note activities for each area of l+d? How do you note/evidence that they are reaching developmental goals? I beleive that ofsted dont like trackers?

I have more sheets that link to each child

Not a tracker, more like:

this worked because blah blah

or

this didn't work because blah blah

then a bit of analysis, referring to the development overview

then I put in each child's eyfs file

sillymillymussy, sorry if I have confused you. The thing with EYFS is that it's guidance and practitioners interpret it differently.

I do long term planning, each month we look at different (age appropriate) topics. So this month it's Easter. We wont be doing Easter stuff every day but once a week/fornight we will be. I have an 'overview sheet' of how one aspect of learning and development will be met by the topic, ie. Decoarting eggs = creative development.

I do observations, (ie child is pulling up onto chairs) and individual child planning (that child now needs help and encouragement to walk etc).

You don't HAVE to do planning it's in the practice guidance not in the statutory framework (I think?)

You can still use themed planning, but in a different way. The reason themes got heavy criticism was because some childcare providers threw out topics one after the other with no regard for the children's needs or interests. EYFS is all about knowing each child as an individual, knowing their needs, interests and stage of development. So you might dig out a prepared theme on pets if one child is interested in cats and another is getting a new dog at home. Or do airports if a child is interested in planes or flight and another is going on holiday by plane. Themes are fine as long as they are relevant to at least one minded child IMO.

IMO Long term planning includes personal goals & training, self assessments, reviewing your policies, doing risk assessments as well as festivals & seasonal/nature activities.

AFIK You don't have to do written planning, Ofsted expect you to know each child as an individual. They didn't read my children's files but pointed to a child and asked me questions about what they like etc. Some people find it easier to answer Ofsted's questions if they have lots written down to show & use as prompts. Its easy to forget things if you're nervous about the inspection.

hmmmmm ok, so i continue with my observations just in their diaries, do as i am doing at the minute and do activities around their interests, and keep something in their files that provides 'next steps' relating to the age related practice guidance? that sound ok?

If yes, then how do i show that i have cross referenced?

I didn't have a written plan about St David's Day. I do however have a list of festivals up on the wall as a reminder. I planned in the sense that I got out some modelling stuff that the children could make daffodils with and pulled out some yellow toys, paint, pencils, etc and remembered to find my coat so we could go out hunting for signs of spring. My evidence is in the children's diary notes (I use a duplicate book) and photos. If I felt the need to do a specific observation on a child, then I would have referenced that to EYFS. All very free and flexible and works around the children (not around EYFS).

HSMM, I thought we had to link observations to eyfs and provide next steps (written)?

Navy is right, also include (in your longterm plan) seasons and festivals/cultural celebrations. So Silly you can still have a list of themes based around those but be ready to include child led/interest such as Transport or Babies etc, but it must be in response to the childrens current interest.

At the moment all the children are under 3 so my short-term planning is to respond to whatever a child plays/is interested in today or yesterday, or planning based on 'next step'.

Sillymilly - do you insure with Morton Michel as they gave out online some useful EYFS guidance? Having just glanced at it I take it back about not planning long term (!) but as navyeyelash says it is more about looking at things overall and having in mind long-term learning objectives e.g. the early learning goals.
Personally I have been using tracker books (order online from QEd about £5 each) (was ok for my ofsted inspection but perhaps not the best thing as they are a bit tick-box like), but our council have now provided us with EYFS learning and Development Record packs (actually 1 for us to copy ourselves) and training to use them, so it might be worth looking out for this.
Although I like the principles of the EYFS - outside play etc, the planning seems very cumbersome.

ok, well tbh it looks like I am already doing what i need to be, so will do a 2010 festivals type thing and leave it at that thanks girls