Application/Interview help for Early Years

[1000Stars]

Hi
Hope it's lovely and sunny where you are.
I left teaching about 3 years ago on maternity leave and haven't been back.
I'm looking to return to teaching ideally for an EYFS co-ord role as this is what I did before I left.
Has a lot changed in 3 years? Hoping someone can fill me in on any major changes or current buzzwords or things than I can research. Feel completely lost!
Thanks

Although the curriculum hasn't changed I think the expectations from SLT etc have gone up. We were moderated 3 years in a row due to a clerical error and in the first year we were 'allowed' 8 children 'Exceeding' in Literacy then in the 2nd year only 6 then most recently only 3, this is despite the children being of a comparable level but that's possibly due to poor moderators?
Obviously the new baseline test is a huge issue at the moment as well.
I'd also recommend the Keeping Early Years Unique FB page, there is a lot of advice on there on 'in the moment planning' which I would love to follow but in reality I don't think most schools allow their foundation teachers the flexibility to do so.

In the moment planning is great, but in terms of what my SLT want to see it just doesn't work so I use Objective Led Planning which is worth looking into. I think it was developed by Alistair Bryce Clegg (found a link here abcdoes.com/abc-does-a-blog/2012/07/01/objective-led-planning/) It's not calling children over to do focus groups (which I hate in early years) but working on a specific objective with them in situ according to their play.

Yeah I was trying to introduce OLP but even that wasn't good enough for our SLT I went to visit a school who were doing ITMP and it was amazing, there aren't any in my area doing it as far as I can tell though.

Thanks so much for your replies. I have just bought Alistair's book so will go through it for ideas. I like the idea of objective lead planning but don't know how that would work in reality, especially with SMT wanting everyone writing at their tables. Anyone have ideas of how they do writing this way?
@Mistofolees...is it the moderators or SMT that are limiting how many children can be exceeding? Thanks for that facebook group Ive already joined and it's been really helpful.

It was the moderators, SMT made me put a child at Expected even though she clearly wasn't

Writing in OLP? I think there are just opportunities for children to write in all areas of the environment and children are encouraged by adults who are facilitating in continuous provision.

In my ideal classroom it'd be set up like the Early Excellence centre, I'd have an early years trained TA (or even better, a nursery nurse), I'd be using in the moment planning as detailed by Anna Ephgrave and do 'Helicopter Stories' (book by Trisha Lee) Unfortunately I've never had SMT/colleagues who've trusted me/understood early years enough to let go of the formal sitting at tables activities.

Whatttt you do formal sitting at the table activities?!
I know this is the prevailing trend but I still find it outrageous

@AprilShowerz I'm in a new school in nursery now but even here there's an expectation that all children will do particular activities that require calling them to a table and in reception their day is very structured, continuous provision is nearly never supported by adults because they're all too busy doing sitting at a table writing/maths or hearing readers. It breaks my heart sometimes and I'm trying to change things but the slow pace I'm able to do that makes it seem like an impossible task.

That's awful. Are you committed to staying there?
There are schools out there that aren't like this!

I moved from my old school because amongst various gripes about the school the commute was too far. I don't think there are any in my area who are following the way things I would like to (and if there are they're not looking for staff) as I had been looking for 2 years before finding this job, admittedly if I'd known just quite how formal it was (and the fact they weren't committed to maintaining the staff numbers they had in nursery) it would have made me think twice about applying.