Getting Creative in Blackpool

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Blackpool today. Heads in the morning, EYFS practitioners in the afternoon! With heads we were looking at how to recognise attainment in FS and with practitioners, how to show challenge in the environment and continuous provision. I really enjoyed the day but a really weird thing happened at the end of the day. First my left ear went bright red and then my right one. They are still a bit hot and luminescent. What does that mean? Have I got red ear disease? I hope not! For all of you who were there today – thanks for a great day and here are the documents we looked at (all in one place) Came home to the first ' real ' … Read More

Recording Attainment in Continuous Provision and other stuff

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 Training heads and EYFS coordinators today – looking at what excellent FS might look like and how you would know, especially if you were not an EYFS expert. I think the only word for the day would be organic. When the delegates had \outlined their ideal expectations of the day they were not the outline of the the course that had been advertised. But, in the spirit of all I talk about with EYFS teaching, you have to respond to the identified assessment need and change your plan. So that is what I did. It just meant a good bit of copying from one laptop to another before flashing it on the screen. My pen drive was ' smokin '!! … Read More

Back from the mountain!

abc doesMark Making2 Comments

 Had a great birthday and holiday in Snowdonia – even managed to find a sheep's skull and some random bones that are bound to come in handy in a 'talk box' somewhere along the line! I mentioned in a previous post that I had discovered some ace books by Tracy Gallup who is a doll maker who poses her sculptures in, on and around natural products.  I have used the images a great deal in training with both practitioners and children and absolutely love them. My gorgeous wife commissioned one for my birthday as a surprise, so I now have my very own Gallup original! It is fab. The heart shaped stone is a piece of genius but I especially … Read More

Den Making Take Two!

abc doesChild Initiated Learning, Creativity, Planning and Assessment3 Comments

We had another great morning making dens with the Y5/6 children. Some were coming to help for the second time and you could really see that they had learned a great deal from working with the children yesterday.     I put out Art Straws and various joining items in the afternoon and was chuffed to see that a number of children replicated their dens in straws!  When we had finished working this morning I asked the Y5/6 if they wanted to stay and play with the children  – which of course they did! When I say play ' with ' that is a bit of an over statement! We ended up with Y6 in the water tray, the compost and in full … Read More