Qualification: NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator
Unit: Unit 3.15: Use longitudinal studies to observe, assess and plan for children’s needs
Learning outcome: Be able to use observations to assess and plan for the developmental needs of children in line with current frameworks
Assessment criteria: Maintain records of observation, assessment and planning
When conducting your longitudinal study, it is imperative that you keep accurate records of your observations, assessments and planning.
This is critical for statutory compliance and you will need to refer back to your notes when you are writing up your evaluation. It also provides an evidence base for your own assessor to evaluate your work.
Your employer will have policies and procedures relating to how observations, assessments and planning should be recorded in the setting and you will need to follow them. They are likely to have standard forms that you can use to record information.
You will also need to follow organisational policies and procedures for the storage of these records. This could be, for example, a locked cabinet or a password-protected computer system. This ensures that information remains secure and is not accessible to unauthorised persons.