Nursery reports for private school assessment at 4+ - any nursery managers or prep school admissions folk out there?

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The prep school I'm looking at for ds asks applicants nurseries for a report. Has anyone got any idea how this works? Are the reports typically open-ended or do they have specific questions e.g. has x ever been disruptive/ aggressive etc.

If open-ended surely all nurseries will just say nice things as they have no reason to be honest?

What sort of questions would they be asking if it isn't open-ended?

Just curious really.

Anyone?
Am also interested in what tends to happen at the assessments at this age.

Is it a one of the academic, over subscribed London type of prep school? Or a less stressful one?

DD's nursery just needed to send a report but it was basically just a summary of how Dd was at nursery - sical side, and thn linked to her development (using that grid thing nurseries have for ticking off when children achieve milestones - ca't remember name!). Was pretty informal. DD's teacher-to-be visited DD at nursery to hat to her and the nursery teachers, and to observe DD at play.

The assessment took place in the Autumn term before she started in the following September - so Dd was about 3.5y when it took place. The preprep teacher took DD off whilst me and Dh went to chat with the headteacher. PP teacher and Dd then came back to joinus a little while later to go over things - all very positive and informal.

From what we could gather the assessment was very relaxed, one to one stuff. DD drew a picture of a person and talked abut it, they talked about some recent holidays, they talked about the things DD liked to do, and they played a game withsome boxes - lots of boxes within one another until getting to last one with a toy inside. Lasted about 20 minutes max.

After acceptance, int he summer before she started there was also a group day wheere the children joining got to play together and interac. However we were on holiday and missed this, so DD went in on her own and joined te current PP1 class for an hour instead.

Sorry, the report:

was based on the foundation stage early year gols which covers 6 areas:
Personal, social and emotional development
Communication, language and literacy
Mathematical development
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Physical development
Creative development

They wouldn't be expected to have covered all elements in all 6 areas though, as they will continue with this in PP1 (first year of school is the last/second year of foundation stage).

Thanks - very useful.
I must catch up with nursery before as whenever they show me those forms they fill in they have a very different view of what ds can do to what I have....e.g. some things I know he does all the time they haven't noticed and occcasionally they think he can do something that I didn't think he can.

I'd say it's in the middle as schools go - not ridiculously pushy and the assessment itself is more about behavioural issues than what they know.

Our assessment seemed to mainly focus on readiness for school so they were assessed on whether they could toilet independently, what they were like in the playground, could they sit and listen to a story in groups and take turns to answer, could they share a toy, how easily did they settle without their parent.

Repoart from nursery was basiclaly the same as Hula's. They chose to use the Early Years goals or whatever as nursery staff would be used to and trained in assessing to that.

Did any of you have the opportunity to discuss the report with the nursery before they filled it in?

I wish I could help you with what happens at the assessments - DS (just 3) recently went for one. He went off with the nice lady for about 45 mins, came back cheerful, but any attempt by me to get the slightest inkling of what went on has been met by a smirk and "that's secret, mummy", or "some secret school stuff". Can't imagine how she managed to swear him to secrecy - he's usually rubbish at keeping things secret. It's driving me mad

Yes I did get to see it before they sent it. With ds1 the assessment took place at the school, but with ds2 they changed the procedure so that you could have them assessed at their nursery/playgroup which is what I opted for. So I could get some feedback from the staff there as well.

Gosh legal it sounds like some kind of freemason's initiation ceremony!!

I guess in theory we have a right to see the report under the Data Protection Act.