Guest Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Help! We are restructuring staffing within the Early Years. I had always thought that we had to have a minimum of two members of staff in the nursery no matter how small the group of children. Is this correct or could we be asked by SMT to have 1 member of staff only if their are less than 13 children? Do the same rules apply to reception class? Thanks Annie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I am assuming this is a school nursery, sorry unable to help as they are different to PVI settings, sure someone will be along to help. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Reception class can be one teacher for up to 30 children, some even have more than that, although it is technically illegal to go over 30 it still happens. Sorry don't know about situation in school nurseries, what does it say in the EYFS guidance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heleng Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 The ratio for a school nursery is 1:13, so yes if there are less then 13 children an adult can be alone with them and be within ratio however it is good practice to have 2 adults. In Reception the ratio is 1:30 and an adult can be left alone with 30 of them and still be within ratio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam1985 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 However if you have an outside area you should have for 13 children. I am reception teacher of 15 but checked and I need two adults if using outside this came from ofsted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I am reception teacher of 15 Gosh! Teachers are getting younger and younger these days! In pre-school the minimum staffing ratios are set in stone - but the situation in schools always seems a bit more fluid. Or is it just that I don't understand? Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heleng Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 However if you have an outside area you should have for 13 children. I am reception teacher of 15 but checked and I need two adults if using outside this came from ofsted. Don't know why OFSTED told you this, as the legal statutory ratio for Reception is 1:30 even with an outside area. I have a class of 30 (now 28) reception children, with an outside area and there are times when I am alone with those children. It is good practice to have a second adult but not a legal requirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heleng Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Gosh! Teachers are getting younger and younger these days! In pre-school the minimum staffing ratios are set in stone - but the situation in schools always seems a bit more fluid. Or is it just that I don't understand? Maz The minimum ratios are set in stone for schools as well but as they are so high - or is it low?- at 1:13 for nursery and 1:30 for Reception that if there is money available the school can fund additional support for Early Years, if you are lucky and your head understands how EYFS works and sees the need for additional adult support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam1985 Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 We could not get a straight answer from anyone and birth to five& EYFS referred us to OFSTED they said this. After all its them we need to please and answer to and if there is an accident we have done the best we could. Just wonder then when a child has an accident how can you deal with it if you need to go outside classroom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heleng Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 We have a red card system and we have to send for another adult- all the red cards have the class name on and if an adult gets one they respond immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam1985 Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 thats where our problem is we have minimum staff as in 1 teacher in each class in a morning and 1 extra who is a 1:1 I think she would never get any thing done with her 1:1 child. Good idea though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Appendix 2 of EYFS states There must be at least two adults on duty in a setting at any time when children are present. which seems to contradict the 1-30 ratio but no one will give a definitive answer to which is correct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 In the past I have been in a setting which said - OK!! 2 adults in building - Off you go, we're OK. Obviously wrong (well I was beyond reasonable reach of another adult) but I really feel this should be applied in Rooms/Sections, whatever you call the different areas of setting. Am I making sense? Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 The minimum ratios are set in stone for schools as well but as they are so high - or is it low?- I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with whether a 'higher' or 'lower' ratio is the best - I guess it depends whether you put adult to child or child to adult? To get round this I tend to say "better than minimum ratios" so I don't cause too much confusion! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gezabel Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with whether a 'higher' or 'lower' ratio is the best - I guess it depends whether you put adult to child or child to adult? Maz I have always struggled with this too until recently when I decided to 'deal' with it by thinking of it in terms of how many adults we need for the number/ages of children attending. Therefore I would say that the adult:child ratio for under 3's is higher than that required for over 3's as we need more adults for the younger children............. err well I think that's what I think but having written it down not so sure now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 We have a red card system and we have to send for another adult- all the red cards have the class name on and if an adult gets one they respond immediately. Who takes the red card? Is it one of the children? It was good to have such a response to my question. Thanks everyone. How anyone can think that it is possible to teach a class of 30, 4-5 year olds with a single teacher is, quite honestly, beyond me....how do you do it? Annie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heleng Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Yes. one of the children take the red card to another adult. I have to say Annie that it is bloomin hard work, luckily I am not by myself very often but in that time I tend to do planned obs or very short adult focused activities. There must be at least two adults on duty in a setting at any time when children are present- I'm guessing they say that there are other teachers and staff within the school so there are two adults on duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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