Guest Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 Please can anyone advise me on Ofsted guidelines on the ratio of staff to children in reception? I will have 20 reception children but have to send them outside to get to the toilets (NOT ideal!) Also, if the teacher is alone with the class and say, someone wets themselves and another bumps their head and needs help all at once, how do they manage being unable to leave the children and get help? I am going to be teaching in the school hall which is away from the main building- I have been thinking I may have to use my mobile phone to call the office for assistance at such times (Ha!) (and borrow an LSA from the child they are supporting ) Some of the kids are only 3 at the moment and are about to turn 4 in August... so i am expecting some accidents (wet ones).... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jan Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Sorry no advice but just want to raise the point that as the owner/manager of a pre-school I (and others) are really ........very 'cross' at the different standards and regulations that apply between pre-schools/playgroups/nurseries etc and "schools". Not to mention funding.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jan Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 PS - 3 year olds should not be in Reception! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Hi Jan, yes i am working in preschool at the moment and there is a one to 8 ratio which is strictly adhered too. In reception I haven't found anything out yet- is there no regulation from Ofsted? I think you may have misread my message- all the children will be 4 come September but some will have their birthdays in August therefore are 3 at present Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Hi Jan, yes i am working in preschool at the moment and there is a one to 8 ratio which is strictly adhered too. In reception I haven't found anything out yet- is there no regulation from Ofsted? I think you may have misread my message- all the children will be 4 come September but some will have their birthdays in August therefore are 3 at present Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Ofsted quidelines are just that 'guidelines' and not law unfortunately. Under fives (nursery class in schools) - one teacher and one qualified assistant to 26 children. As reception are under 5 it should be the same but because it is classed as school, school rules apply and that is one teacher to 30 children. We are fortunate to have one teacher and one Nursery Nurse in our reception class for precisely the reasons you state. and personally I think this should be the case all over but alas it is not. The guidelines are under the day care section of the childrens act, it does clearly state under 5's, it may be worth printing it off and giving to head in the hope that can afford at least some part-time help for you, other than that I can only wish you all the luck there is to reduce some of the stress, especially if the children have to go out of the building to use the loo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Sorry Mharhi, I hadnt picked up this query. What a rotten situation you are in. Makessensetome is correct about the guidelines, but you should have support at the beginning of the year if most of your children are still under 5. Furthermore from a health and safety angle you should have support as you say the toilets are outside (do you mean outside the building or outside the Hall). How has this set up been organised that it is the youngest children in this situation where you are more likely to need support? Is this a first for the school? Do you have a coordinator you can go to or failing that, an adviser who could gently remind the Head that this situation is ridiculous and unsafe. I do hope you are not letting your concerns spoil your holiday.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Thanks for your replies, yes, it is outside as in out of the building, the children will have to cross the playground (going down some outside steps) from the hall to enter the main building go past the school office and then use the (one) adult sized loo. I have asked about TA assistance and been told by the head that the children should all be taken to the loo first thing then again at break and should not need to go otherwise. The reception children are in this situation for the first time this year and apparently the Year 2 teacher was asked to use the hall and wouldn't so that is why i have to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 I am unsure but I have a feeling the Year 2 teacher is the co-ordinator. I am an NQT so am supposed to have a mentor but don't know who that will be yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jan Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Hi Mharhi - Sorry if I misunderstood your message. I sympathise with the fact that your concern is for the children. The guidelines for under 5's in pre-school/nursery settings seems very clear cut as set out in the Daycare Standards but from other messages I have read, either on this page or other early years forums, it is not so with mainstream schools. You are not alone in not knowing where you stand re outdoor play or letting the children go to the toilet outdoors. Perhaps you should write to Margaret Hodge (Minister for Children) and OFSTED to voice your concerns. It's all very well for us to voice our problems on these message boards but until the "POWERS THAT BE" get to know our difficulties nothing will change. Good Luck Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 2, 2003 Share Posted August 2, 2003 Mharhi I could guess that this was the situation since any residing teacher would have put in objections long ago. However the y2 teacher is not being helpful nor understanding. It would be lovely to have a permanent TA for reception but this does not happen in every school .I have had a TA for half of each day this past year and it was incredibly stressful in the afternoons for the first half term while the children were settling in - I had 1 with celebral palsy who had had his first epileptic fit just as he started school, 1 boy with apergers who had definite ideas about where and what he should be doing,and 1 boy who was really not ready for school and who cried and tried to run away ( scarily he got as far as the open front door before he was stopped ) . I complained loud and long about health and safety regs and was given some extra time -plus a bolt for that door!! Could you ask for some help for the first weeks -until you have got some sort of routine sorted out ? Personally I would be very tempted to take the whole class over to the 1 (!!!??)adult toilet every time 1 of the children wanted to go outside of the 'permitted' times. What do the parents think of this set-up I wonder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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