Observations, made proportionate
There is no required number, no required format and no required frequency. Which raises a better question than “how many should I do?” — namely, what is an observation actually for?
In short
- No required number or format. None. Ofsted has said inspectors will not ask to see internal tracking or assessment records.
- An observation earns its place if it changes what you do next. If it does not, it is a diary entry.
- Write what you saw, not what you concluded. Evidence first, interpretation second.
- Next steps should be doable this week, by you, with what you have.
- Most childminders do too many, too thin. A handful of good ones beats forty photographs.
- You know these children better than any folder can record. The folder is a tool, not the point.
Check your own obligations.
Nothing here overrides a requirement from your local authority, childminder agency or a funding agreement. The one written record the EYFS genuinely requires around assessment is the progress check at age 2. See also the paperwork you can safely stop doing.
What an observation is actually for
Three legitimate reasons to write something down. If a piece of recording serves none of them, it is costing you an evening for nothing.
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To notice something you would otherwise miss
Writing forces attention. You see more when you are looking properly, and patterns emerge across weeks that no single day reveals.
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To decide what to do next
An observation that ends in a genuine change — a resource you put out, a conversation you have, a way you adjust the routine — has done its job.
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To hand to someone else
A parent, a health visitor, a speech therapist, an EHC needs assessment. This is where written records become genuinely powerful, and where vague ones are useless.
The reason that is not on the list
“In case Ofsted asks.” They have said they will not ask for tracking or assessment records, and inspectors do not need documents produced specially for an inspection. If that is the only reason a piece of paperwork exists, stop doing it and put the time into the children.
What makes one useful
The difference between a useful observation and a useless one is almost entirely about specificity.
Not useful
“Amira enjoyed playing in the water tray today. She had lots of fun and was engaged. Next steps: continue to support her exploration.”
Nothing here could not be written about any child on any day. It records that a morning happened.
Useful
“14 May. Amira (2y7m) spent about 20 minutes at the water tray filling a jug and pouring it into a narrow bottle. She spilled it repeatedly, and each time adjusted how she held the jug rather than giving up. When it finally went in she looked straight at me and said ‘did it!’
Noticed: real persistence, and she is now sharing achievements with an adult, which she was not doing in March. Two-word phrases are becoming more frequent.
Next: put out funnels and narrower bottles this week. Tell mum about ‘did it!’ — she asked whether Amira was combining words yet.”
What makes the second one work:
- Dated, with the child’s age. Age matters for interpretation later.
- What actually happened, in enough detail that someone else could picture it.
- Their words, verbatim. Always worth capturing exactly.
- A comparison over time — “which she was not doing in March”. This is where progress lives.
- Interpretation kept separate from what was seen.
- A next step you could do on Monday.
Noticing how they learn, not just what
The characteristics of effective learning are about how a child engages, and for under-fives they often matter more than what they can do.
exploring
learning
thinking critically
In Amira’s observation, the valuable bit is not the water. It is that she adjusted her grip instead of giving up. That is the kind of thing worth noticing, because it transfers to everything.
Next steps that change something
Most next steps fail one of three tests. A good one passes all three.
The three tests
- Specific. “Put out funnels and narrow bottles”, not “support water play”.
- Doable this week, by you, with what you already have. A next step requiring a trip and a budget will not happen.
- Actually followed up. If nobody ever checks whether it happened, it was decoration.
Two more worth including where they fit: something the parent could do at home, and anything you want to watch rather than act on yet. “Keep an eye on whether she does this with other children too” is a legitimate next step.
How many is enough
The honest answer: enough that you could talk about each child properly, and not one more.
A workable rhythm
- One decent written observation per child, per month, is plenty for most childminders. Twelve rich ones a year tells a real story.
- More when something is emerging — a new concern, a new child settling, a child you are gathering evidence for.
- Less when everything is steady. A child sailing along does not need weekly documentation.
- Photographs are for parents, not for you. Lovely, and not evidence of anything on their own.
The test is simple: could you sit down with a parent, or an inspector, and talk for five minutes about where that child is, what you have noticed and what you are doing? If yes, you are doing enough recording. If no, more paperwork is not the answer — more attention is.
Sharing with parents
This is where observations earn their keep commercially, and most childminders undersell it badly.
- Tell them the story at pick-up. Thirty seconds of “she said ‘did it!’ today” is worth more than a beautiful document they skim in the car.
- Ask what they see at home. Their observations are as valid as yours, and often different.
- Send the occasional written one — a photo and three sentences. Parents keep those.
- Use them to raise things gently. An observation is a much easier way into a difficult conversation than a meeting.
When observations really matter
All of the above is proportionate for a child developing typically. There is one situation where you should record considerably more, and in more detail.
When you have a concern, write more
Once you are worried about a child’s development, your observations stop being a record of learning and become evidence — for the parent, the health visitor, the speech therapist, and potentially for an EHC needs assessment.
Then you want: dates, frequency, exact language used, what triggered a difficulty, what you tried, and whether it helped. “Left the room during group singing on 4, 11 and 18 March; stayed for two minutes on 25 March after we moved to a smaller group” is worth a hundred generic entries.
This is also what makes the graduated approach demonstrable rather than asserted.
The summary
Observe less, notice more, and write it down properly when it matters. The childminder who can describe a child vividly from memory is doing the job. The one with the thickest folder may or may not be.