Evaluation is a hot topic at the moment. We are all being encouraged to assess what we do on so many levels, from the Ofsted self-evaluation form, to evaluation of activities delivered, to evaluation of staff against job roles and also evaluation of individual children against EYFS profiles. Evaluation is vital because you are measuring the effectiveness of what you are undertaking. I am keen to build evaluation in to as many aspects of our service as possible.
Simply by being a reflective practitioner, you are evaluating your own personal performance. The key is to be objective. There is no point in being overly critical or unjustifiably positive. It helps to have some additional measures of effectiveness. That is why I incorporate many types of evaluation into our practice and the service we deliver.
Some examples of the ways we evaluate are: parent questionnaires; staff questionnaires on a general level and individual review at appraisals; our operational plan with targets for the year; team meetings to review the success of topics; staff evaluating the way their key children engage in focus activities.
We also ask our pre-school children to evaluate their time at nursery. Their key person sits with them and goes through all the activities and routines and asks them to evaluate whether they like or dislike them. The children reflect their answers on a chart by using a sticker with a smiley or sad face, and those who are able give reasons for their answers, which are recorded by the key person.
The key thing about evaluation is what you do with the information you have gathered. There is no point in asking how well you are doing, if you do not respond to the answers you get. People welcome the opportunity to give feedback, and they appreciate even more seeing that feedback acted upon. Positive feedback should encourage you to continue along the same path.
The healthy process of evaluation is the product of reflective practitioners always seeking to 'be the best they can be'.
