Childminders are now using the ‘Evidence for Learning’ app to make collecting evidence a pleasure rather than a chore!

Becky Iredale, is just one of many childminders that have recently chosen to use the ‘Evidence for Learning’ app to improve the way they capture, document and share observation evidence.

Childminders have such a lot of paperwork and other responsibilities to keep up with that gadgets such as the ‘Evidence for Learning’ app which make our lives easier should be wholeheartedly embraced!
 Becky Iredale
Childminder

All children have a ‘Physical’ Learner Journey shared with parents

Like other child minders, Becky is required to record children observations to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and also link each child’s observations together to form a coherent record of their learning and progress. According to Becky, I need to be able to record evidence/observations (written and photographic) whilst I care for minded children in my own home as well as when I am out and about in local parks, at toddler groups, the library, or on the school run. Becky then prints out individual records and files them into a ring-binder to form a ‘physical’ learning journey which she shares with the parents on a regular basis to show them how their child is progressing, and with Ofsted during inspections. Learner journeys are also passed on to other settings if the child moves on from Becky’s care, and can also be kept as a momento/keepsake of the child’s achievements and experiences even once the child has grown up.

I would often get behind with filing evidence...

Finding the time to create this ‘physical’ learning journey for each child was proving to be big challenge, which led Becky to look at how she could make use of her iPhone to improve this process. Before I started using apps on my iPhone for recording observations I would very often get behind with filing and linking them to the EYFS. When the whole process was done by hand it took a very long time, and was not very efficient or systematic

Becky also wanted to use the observation records to help plan new experiences for that child based on where she would like to help them to progress next. I like to have a portable/digital record of my observations so that I can easily see (even when I’m out and about with the children) where the children are within the EYFS without having to get their whole printed folder out in the middle of the garden!

Although Becky had tried to use a number of different iPhone apps to record observations, unfortunately she had experienced multiple issues which prevented their adoption, including: I almost wanted to try to design my own app for recording observations and charting progress and then "Hallelujah!" I found the Evidence for Learning app!! It allows me to do exactly what I wanted to be able to do.

Free Trial

One of the other reasons Becky chose to use the ‘Evidence for Learning’ app was due to the ability to take advantage of a free trial, allowing her to try in her environment.

What makes the ‘Evidence for Learning’ app so great to use?

‘Evidence for Learning’ allows Becky to quickly record daily observations, tag them to individual or groups of children, and then map these to the EYFS statutory framework. It even allows me to record backdated observations if I come across photos or remember things the children have said at a later date.

Easily Produces Personalised Reports
The ‘Evidence for Learning’ app also enables Becky to easily produce personalised reports on demand that can be sent either to a printer, email, a cloud-services provider such as GoogleDrive, Dropbox or SkyDrive, or directly to other Apps. I currently share these printed reports with parents on a termly basis, although parents are very welcome to access the folders whenever they come to drop-off or collect their children. I am just starting to look into sharing electronically with parents in order to ensure they are kept constantly up-to-date.

Helps with planning
The ‘Evidence for Learning’ app even allows Becky to quickly check a child’s progress and identify which areas of the EYFS are still to be achieved, allowing her to plan useful, relevant activities right there and then.

I might be at a fellow childminders house and she’ll ask me what toys/activities I’d like to set up for my children. I can quickly check their progress using my records on the app and identify which areas of the EYFS are still to be achieved and I can then plan useful, relevant activities right there and then. Other apps that I have used in the past do not allow me to link each individual child’s observations and do not act as a record of the children’s progress. This meant I had to print each observation and then refer back to the printed copies each time I wanted to check a child’s progress….not very handy for a childminder who goes out and about to toddler groups, local shops, library, and the park for play dates.

Portable Digital Record of Assessment
Inputting observations onto the ‘Evidence for Learning’ app gives Becky a portable record of all the assessment points within the EYFS that the children have already achieved. If I see Child A balancing on one leg for example, I can quickly check if I have recorded that achievement and I don’t waste my time repeating an observation if it has already been recorded. I have an A4 lever arch file of printed observations for each child and there is no way I could cart them about with me all day to check up on their progress, having it all neatly on the Evidence for Learning app is the perfect solution.

Instant Return on Investment...
Becky has already seen an instant return in her investment from the ‘Evidence for Learning’ app. According to Becky: It really does do everything that I could want it to do and it has made collecting observations a pleasure rather than the chore it used to be.

About Becky...

Becky Irdale is a registered childminder based in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire. Becky has two children of her own (aged 7 and 9) and additionally cares for 6 children within the EYFS age-group and another 5 school aged children.

Before Becky registered as a childminder she would often find her house full of friends and neighbour’s children, so it felt like a very natural step to become ‘official’.

Becky strives to provide children with the warm, friendly and stimulating environment that she would want for her own children, and hopes to make them feel safe, secure and confident.

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