Policies

[Guest]

Can i just ask how do you check your policies are ok and will be acceptable when Ofsted comes?

[Guest]

You could check them against the EYFS welfare requirements. If they fit in with what the requirements state then you should be okay. I think there are some policies to look at in the "resources" section if you want to compare. I bought a book of policies from The Preschool Learning Alliance but I have tweaked them a bit to fit in with my setting.

[Cait]

Me too - I think that's the general idea - but there were few things I didn't agree with too - the most obvious being their statement that children over a certain age must be in pull-ups - not nappies. I found this very non-inclusive and it made me a bit angry, to be honest! I mean - who are we to dictate whether children have pull-ups or nappies. Surely that's personal parental choice, and a bit like saying they can only come if they are wearing 'Baby GAP'. Not all parents can afford pull-ups, and some might ant to use the kinder to the environment things - it's just not up to us to make this decision, I don't think - and what are we meant to do - turn them away at the door after a peek inside their trousers!!!!!

[Beau]

Diane is right, you need to be checking that you are meeting the requirements of EYFS, but also any other statutory requirements need to be met as well. If you look in the Statutory Framework for the EYFS document it has this paragraph:

 

Other legal duties

4.1 The EYFS requirements sit alongside other legal obligations and do not supersede or replace

any other legislation which providers must still meet. For example, where provision is taking

place in maintained schools there is a range of education legislation in place with which

headteachers, teachers and other practitioners must comply. Providers should ensure that they

are aware of the requirements of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (which creates

offences) and any guidance issued under this Act which lays the foundation for the introduction

of a new vetting and barring scheme from autumn 2008. Other duties on providers include:

■■ employment laws;

■■ anti-discriminatory legislation;

■■ health and safety legislation;

■■ data collection regulations;

■■ duty of care.

 

Getting the policy pack from the PSLA would ensure that you have the correct information about your duties regarding these bits of legislation. However, if you are confident that you have covered these bits then it isn't necessary to follow the PSLA ones. Nor should you just get them and adopt them wholesale. Policies should reflect what you actually do in your setting, and this will be very different in some aspects to other settings.