Need Your Help For Meeting Tonight

[Guest]

Sorry this is a bit short notice - but I know someone will help - you always do!

We are a pre school (pack away - church hall) and are extending our hours in September from 5 mornings and 2 afternoons to 2 full days per week and 3 mornings where the full day provision will be 9.15-3.15 (with packed lunch). Some children will be staying all day and some wish to remain as they are now - either attend morning or afternoon.

 

I have a lovely informal meeting (and curry) planned for tonight with staff to discuss changes to routines etc. and was wondering how other people operate during the full day? Do you do 2 of everything (eg circle times etc?) never thought to come on here and ask sooner- sorry, but could do with some ideas to throw around tonight please.

 

It is a bit of an odd situation as I personally won't be involved in implementing this in Sept due to my job change. I have arranged a more formal meeting for the new manager (when appointed) and staff to meet together to look at the way forward - but am concious time is moving on and staff are getting a bit twitchy and asked could we chat things through - hence tonight's meeting.

Any thoughts on what works well, and what to avoid doing would be really very much appreciated.

Thank you

Edited May 18, 2010 by Guest

[Inge]

we didnt have 2 of everything, but had mostly free play all day, apart form a morning and afternoon story/song time, where we had different ones each time so not a repeat of the morning one..

 

circle time we had sometimes morning or afternoon, depending on mix of children attending, they all had at least one a day usually, not always possible.. this could be a slightly extended story time or in place of..

 

Any focus activities were set up for the full day but we usually found they became extended in the afternoon by those in all day or taken in a different direction by children who joined lunch time.

 

we liked the way some children were all day, some came and joined for lunch then stayed afternoon, some left after lunch, others came for just afternoon.. endless permutations which all need factoring into numbers at any one time.. bit once used to it it did work really well.

 

the children benefited by having a new / different friends in afternoon to morning so often play would naturally change over the day.

 

the biggest thing for us was the planning as the morning and afternoon would often have different interests so we found it did change over the day, and we had to be very flexible and on the ball to cater for all children

 

Staff took breaks in shifts one at a time, and sat with children for lunch, so we were always well staffed.

 

we had to ensure a quiet area for naps.. surprising how many needed it, or would go there when in all day, often those we least expected to need it.

 

It took a few weeks for us to get used to the change and we often changed our ideas as time went on, experimenting with what was best for us and the children..

 

Inge

[Guest]

aww thanks that is so helpful.

It is the lunch and snack times which I think might enter into lively discussion tonight.

[HappyMaz]

It took a few weeks for us to get used to the change and we often changed our ideas as time went on, experimenting with what was best for us and the children..

I agree with this bit - although we aren't going to full day but we are adjusting to having half as many children as last term and it is taking us some time to get to grips with what our session should look like now. We find that each day we're tweaking something or other - fortunately the children don't seem to be too put out by minor changes once the 'big stuff' has been sorted!

 

Good luck with your meeting!

 

Maz

[SueJ]

Pretty much as Inge describes it - we do 9am to 2pm for the children (also a church hall pack away) HOWEVER we only have one child who joins us in the afternoons once a week so do sometimes double up on stories and focus activities that afternoon to make sure child is included.