Changing Children In Nursery And Reception Classes Advice.

[narnia]

My apologies in advance if I offend anyone with this, not my intention, but, as one who has been working in childcare for almost 40 years, I have seen many, many changes and I certainly think it's true that younger children are entering the school system these days and in many cases, it was certainly to do with the money at least initially.Of course, that is also due to the shift from two or three entries a year to single entry. We have two children who will be 4 the week before school goes back in september. Both of them are very 'young' and each of them would benefit by staying in the group for a while longer........but our LEA sends out posters which suggest that children MUST start school when they are four...... 'will your child be 4 before 31st August? Then you MUST apply for a school place by.....'............and the school tells parents that if they don't send them in September, then they can't be guaranteed a pace the following year and if there IS a place, it will be in year 1, not Reception and that frightens parents. Prior to schools being able to claim the grant, our LEA absolutely made no exceptions for children under the age of five attending school, and the argument was always the same: no matter how bright, intelligent,forward, whatever, they are simply not ready for school. This changed immediately schools became eligible to receive grant. So, I reckon if the LEA wants the schools to take very young children in, they take them nappies and all. I simply don't understand any argument against changing nappies, or worse, to expect parents will come in to change them. I also don't understand why two people are expected to be present when nappies are changed......we don't use this system in preschool, why should teaching staff be any less trustworthy, or more fearful of accusations? However, I do agree that many children are still in nappies for much longer than they used to be: it was unusual for a three year old to be in nappies when I started working in playgroup many years ago, but it's not at all unusual now. I really do blame disposable nappies, most mums I knew hated washing, boiling and cleaning real nappies and got their children out of them asap. But there's the other issue......time.......most parents nowadays seem to have very little time to deal with toilet training, they are either working or dashing off to this or that club and the whole nappy/toilet issue is often left to us to deal with. Maybe disposables should be banned??

[Panders]

Hi

I wonder if anyone can advise me, I run a small pre-school and our changing unit is in the main room, close to the door to the bathroom area. We were lucky enough to be able to purchase a Community Playthings unit, with steps so the children can climb up themselves (which most think is great). My problem at the moment, is a suggestion that the unit is not discreet enough for the children as its in the main room, that it could be overlooked from outside - its on the opposite wall to the windows, most panes of glass are obsecure and the lowest window is at adult chest height. I have had a number of "Professionals" into the setting and not one has commented on the location of the unit.

Is there some legislation on the positioning of a changing unit, I cant find anything.

The other problem is our bathroom area isnt big enough to put the unit into anyway.

If anyone could help me it would really help clear this up.

Many thanks.

 

 

On TarasMum's behalf, can I please bring the debate back to the question she has tacked onto the end of a thread which was first posted back in 2010, as you will see she needs advice NOT on the readiness of children to go to school with/or without nappies but the positioning of a changing unit in her setting!

[catma]

will your child be 4 before 31st August? Then you MUST apply for a school place by.....'............and the school tells parents that if they don't send them in September, then they can't be guaranteed a pace the following year and if there IS a place, it will be in year 1, not Reception

 

But this is pretty much the situation - you need toapply for your school place otherwise you will not necessarily have a place where you want and you will, if your child isn't 5 until the summer birth dates have to put them into Yr1. It's just a fact!! Noone is scaremongering in LAs, but they have to get the message through somehow that if you want a school place you have to apply when that round of applications is being done. If you don't have a place you can't choose to defer taking it up!! And the school only has to retain the place if it is deferred for the reception year so if yr 1 is full because another child's situation takes precedence the parent risks no school place. School starting ages and points are defined in law so no LA can pick and choose when a child starts. It's not up to them. They don't have to start in the school in sept but if they don't apply for a place they run the risk of not getting one at all when the parent wants one later.

 

 

We have two children who will be 4 the week before school goes back in september. Both of them are very 'young' and each of them would benefit by staying in the group for a while longer...

The parents can defer entry (if they have a place) so the 4 year olds can wait until they are statutory school age if wanted. There is still the option to stay in the nursery place, in this case until the summer term and the funding goes there until they change and the funding follows them. However they would go stratight into year 1 because they will have completed their reception year in nursery provision.

Edited January 22, 2012 by catma

[narnia]

apologies to Panders and Catma...........I stand corrected!

[Lyanne]

Could this be because more children with additional needs are educated in mainstream classes these days?

 

That's certainly true - my younger son has a child in his class who attends mainstream once a week & school for children with physical disabilities 4 days a week. The whole year group from the special school came to spend a day at the mainstream school the other week & my son commented that they all (all 5 of them!) used wheelchairs all the time, as he knows children in the Early Years at the special school who are not wheelchair users all the time. I tried to explain that it's because a child of his age who doesn't use a wheelchair all the time will be very likely in mainstream school.

[Guest]

Tarasmum, our changing unit is also in a open position between the washroom and the entrance to the nursery, we over came this by putting a shower rail across with a shower crutain that could be pulled across when we are changing children. This allows other children entry to the washroom but we can give the child privacy from anyone entering the setting. Can you set something up like this?

[Panders]

apologies to Panders and Catma...........I stand corrected!

 

 

Absolutely no apology necessary Narnia, I think it is confusing for all when effectively a new post is added onto such an old thread, just felt that as tarasmum although having been a member for a long time had not made many posts, she needed a little helping hand.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Panders

[Rea]

We had some cardboard screens from Hope I think. It was years ago but I do remember they lasted really well and that was with them being used in the role play areas. They were tri folded and had a different shaped window on each side, light weight and easy to store.

[catma]

Absolutely no apology necessary Narnia,

 

Ditto - I just wanted to put a perspective re the situation of LAs and regulations really.

Cx

[laura]

Ooh you could make it like a little bathroom with a shower curtain coming round, yellow ducks hanging down, mirrors on the wall, natural sponges for them to explore while they are being changed.... I've just been on a course that reminded us to think about the language they hear at home, so bathroom as opposed to a changing area, bedroom not sleeproom etc, and to try to make these areas like they would find at home.

[Susan]

On TarasMum's behalf, can I please bring the debate back to the question she has tacked onto the end of a thread which was first posted back in 2010, as you will see she needs advice NOT on the readiness of children to go to school with/or without nappies but the positioning of a changing unit in her setting!

 

Thank you for turning this around yesterday, Panders.

[Panders]

Thank you for turning this around yesterday, Panders.

 

 

[HappyMaz]

I was in a setting recently that used screens around a dedicated area within the main room to ensure staff are always in ratio, and to avoid the need to have two members of staff present when changing children. It worked well for them: staff could ask for any help they needed easily, and children's dignity was maintained.

 

I love your suggestions about turning the area into a 'bathroom' laura - how lovely!

[TarasMum]

Many thanks for your suggestions, and thank you for your advice. I will certainly look at the screen suggestion, and hope that there may be something available reasonably (finance as ever is a problem).

I apologise for not replying sooner, time really does fly!!