Sharing Information Between Early Years Settings

“For children who attend more than one setting, practitioners must ensure effective continuity and progression by sharing relevant information with each other and parents.”

Practice Guidance for Early Years Foundation Stage, Page 6, 1.13

“Transition should be seen as a process, not an event, and should be planned for and discussed with children and parents. Settings should communicate information which will secure continuity of experience for the child between settings.”

Practice Guidance for Early Years Foundation Stage, Page 10, 1.30

“When children attend several settings ensure that practitioners from each setting regularly share the children’s development and learning records and any other relevant information”

EYFS Enabling Environments card, 3.4 The Wider Context, Effective Practice

“Transitions & continuity:-

  • Children may move between several different settings in the course of a day, a week, a month or a year
  • Children’s social, emotional and educational needs are central to any transition between one setting and another or within one setting
  • Some children and their parents will find transition times stressful while others will enjoy the experience
  • Effective communication between settings is key to ensuring that children’s needs are met and there is continuity in their learning”

EYFS Enabling Environments card, 3.4 The Wider Context, Transitions & continuity

The effectiveness of partnerships

(Taken from “Using the early years evaluation schedule - Guidance for inspectors of registered early years settings required to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage” - July 2010)

Inspectors should evaluate:

the extent and effectiveness of the setting’s partnerships with other providers, organisations and services to promote learning and well-being for the children attending.

Outline guidance

Inspectors should take account of the following:

the extent to which the setting liaises with external agencies or services to ensure a child gets the support he or she needs

the extent to which the setting liaises with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage for a child or group of children to ensure progression and continuity of learning and care.

The effectiveness of partnerships: grade descriptors

Outstanding
(1) / The setting is highly committed to working in partnership with others and takes a lead role in establishing effective working relationships. Partnerships are at least good and exemplary in significant respects. There are well-established channels of communications between all partners involved with individual children, which successfully promotes their learning, development and welfare.
Good
(2) / Partnerships are well established and make a strong contribution to children’s achievement and well-being. Communication takes place between providers and partners supporting individual children on a regular basis to ensure information is regularly shared and used to promote children’s achievement and well-being.
Satisfactory
(3) / Partnerships are at least satisfactory and may be good in some respects. The setting communicates with other providers and partners supporting children, although this information is not always used effectively to fully support children’s achievements and well-being.
Inadequate
(4) / The setting does not work well in partnership with others to meet the needs of individual children or groups of children. Those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are not fully supported and integrated
and/or
The provider is reluctant to overcome perceived obstacles to liaising with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to the children. Any channels of communication that do take place are ineffective or poorly developed.

Effective practice:-

  • Identify children with shared settings – send letter
  • Commence communication record
  • Agree form of communication between settings for information sharing e.g. communication book/page, learning diary etc
  • Monitor the communication between settings
  • Keep evidence for Ofsted/QI by setting who has child’s majority attendance

Sharing Information Between Early Years Settings

Letter example

From

Telephone:

Email:

Date:

To

Dear …………………………………………..

The parents/carers of ……………………………………………have informed us that he/she will be attending your setting as well as ours. As you are aware, the Early Years Foundation Stage requires us to exchange information on the child’s learning and developing interests.

This child’s key person in our setting is:

……………………………………………………………………

We would welcome the opportunity to meet/speak with you to discuss effective ways of sharing this information.

We look forward to making contact with you in the next month.

Yours sincerely,

Manager/Supervisor

cc.parents/carers

child’s file

Sharing Information Between Early Years Settings

Example Record Keeping Form

Child’s Name
Name of Key Person
Names of Early Years settings child attends: / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thur / Fri
Tel no: / AM / PM / AM / PM / AM / PM / AM / PM / AM / PM
Andy Pandy’s Pre-school / 01934 123456 /  /  / 
Jack in the Box Nursery / 01275 987654 /  / 
Communication Record:
Date: / Notes of child’s learning / Staff signature
26/07/11 / Ring pre-school to inform of X’s interest in tractors. / A Smith
01/09/11 / Sent communication to pre-school via parents / A Smith
24/09/11 / Pre-school visited us and met key person. Shared X’s interest in ‘space’ / V Patel

Sharing Information Between Early Years Settings

Record Keeping Form

Child’s Name
Name of Key Person
Names of Early Years settings child attends: / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thur / Fri
Tel no: / AM / PM / AM / PM / AM / PM / AM / PM / AM / PM
Communication Record:
Date: / Notes of child’s learning / Staff signature
Continued overleaf…
Date: / Notes of child’s learning / Staff signature

Z:\Early Years\Early Years Foundation Stage\Training+CPD\CLuster meetings\2011-2012\Autumn 2011\SharingInfoBetweenEYSettings.doc