EYPS Support: Observation, reflection and evaluation
EYP student Martina Cooper focused on outdoor play to evidence Standard 10: Use close, informed observation and other strategies to monitor children's activity, development and progress systematically and carefully, and use this information to inform, plan and improve practice and provision; and Standard 38: Reflect on and evaluate the impact of practice, modifying approaches where necessary, and take responsibility for identifying and meeting their professional development needs. Marjorie Jack, an EYP and tutor with Edge Hill University, explains how.
Standard 10 requires the candidate to demonstrate that they observe what children can do and show how they use observations to make a positive impact on practice, provision and outcomes for children. Standard 38 requires the candidate to demonstrate that they reflect upon and evaluate their practice and use research and other sources to inform and improve their own and others' practice.
Martina Cooper is a qualified teacher working for the Jack and Jill Day Nursery in Oxton, Wirral. Martina is usually with pre-school children in the Foundation Stage, but as part of her EYP course spent time working with babies and toddlers.
To evidence standards 10 and 38, Martina observed the staff over a period of time as they played with the children in the outdoor areas. She found that although the staff provided various challenging activities, they were still missing some development opportunities by not varying the equipment or using different or more challenging pieces. She involved her colleagues in sharing her observations and they then matched the children's stage of development to the Birth to Three Matters framework.
Martina then led colleagues in devising ways to adapt some of the equipment, using her observations of each child, to give the children different experiences. They planned, using Birth to Three Matters, to ensure the children received the necessary support and encouragement to enable them to rely on their own abilities and feel confident to choose an activity - independently but under a watchful presence.
When they carried out the activities under her direction, the staff members were engaged with the children for the whole time. They encouraged and praised them for their efforts and achievements and gave a lot of positive reinforcement. Martina subsequently led a meeting in which observations and findings were shared. These were used to inform future planning.
