Annoying woman!

[Guest]

Elizabeth Truss in a speech at a nursery world conference said:

 

There are various myths about practice. I want to point out that these things are not required by Ofsted, but most settings think they are. Firstly, free-flow play between indoors and outdoors is not a requirement and not something Ofsted will be looking for. It is not a requirement to have a certain amount of child-led activity.. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What!!!!!!

 

She then talks (again) about how nurseries are not taking advantage of employing graduates and having 1:13 ratios to raise quality,

Please,please could someone shut this woman up and how on earth does this raise quality. Am I missing something? Has this woman got the first clue of what it's like to work in a setting?

[Rea]

I tweeted my MP yesterday 'a bribe for a Friday afternoon, if I promise to vote labour, will you promise to give education to someone who understands it?' I'm getting really fed up of all of them.

[eyfs1966]

have any of you signed the get Gove sacked petition? However, I would add Truss and Wiltshire to the "please sack" campaign. Just stop flipping meedling with us!! NONE of them have any experience of Early Years AT ALL!!!!!!!!

[finleysmaid]

our fist aid advisor has also just had an argument with Miss Truss and she is due to relax the rules on first aid so that ANYONE can teach it....they need have no qulaifications or experience...apparently (according to miss Truss) it doesn't matter! :angry:

[Rea]

I signed a campaign yesterday calling on Mr Gove to spend a term teaching in a secondary school, I hadnt seen the one asking for him to be sacked but its an excellent idea, maybe Ms Truss can carry his bags <_<

[Guest]

Elizabeth Truss in a speech at a nursery world conference said:

 

There are various myths about practice. I want to point out that these things are not required by Ofsted, but most settings think they are. Firstly, free-flow play between indoors and outdoors is not a requirement and not something Ofsted will be looking for. It is not a requirement to have a certain amount of child-led activity.. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What!!!!!!

 

...errrrrmmmmmm so how come OFSTED are flagging up providers who don't free flow!! I've lost count how many times I've read this on report actions - left and right hand not conversing me thinks - silly woman!

[finleysmaid]

bit more info here...

 

http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/News/MostRead/1179282/EYFS-not-straitjacket-says-Elizabeth-Truss/

[Rea]

To be fair, and believe me, I dont like to do this, there is actually nothing in the EYFS that says, freeflow or recommends outdoor play. I looked last year when I was trying to convince parents of why we had to go outside no matter what the weather did.

 

I'm very happy to proved wrong though

[apple]

Do you mean this petition?

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-coalition-government-sack-michael-gove

[dreamgirl]

Am a bit confused. I thought that's exactly what the EYFS said--it is a requirement that all children should have daily opportunities to play outside and best practice is at a time of their choosing ie free flow? Also I thought at least 50% of a child's time should be spent in child initiated activities in the most effective settings, as evidenced in the EPPE project. Am now very worried that if this seemingly ill informed minister is saying that OFSTED will think it acceptable that here is no free flow and an increasing amount of adult led activities is also ok, what impact is that going to have on our practice? Or have I got hold of the wrong end of the stick? Feeling gobsmacked at the moment. Someone come along and reassure me!!!!!

[Stargrower]

I think free flow is purely a practical issue isn't it? Before my setting moved premises we couldn't do it because of our building set up. Now we can, and its fantastic but lots of places can't do it because of the constraints of their building.

By the way, I'm NOT defending the idiotic remarks made by Truss!!

[Guest]

Truss says OFSTED aren't looking for free flow (which is fair comment as EYFS just says 'daily opportunities)....BUT OFSTED don't seem to have got her memo - taken from a recent report:

 

"Free access to outdoor play varies across the nursery. Babies and young children are unable to freely access outdoor play so opportunities to extend learning, for fresh air and exercise are not fully explored"

 

 

 

(from EYFS: 3.57 Providers must provide access to an outdoor play area or, if that is not possible, ensure that outdoor activities are planned and taken on a daily basis (unless circumstances make this inappropriate, for example unsafe weather conditions))

[Guest]

...and I also love this bit of the EYFS:

 

III. The EYFS seeks to provide:

• quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind; - agree - but surely we can only provide this if WE get consistent messages and guidance from the powers that be!

They are removing LA advisors to avoid us having conflicting messages but I think Truss has just taken over their role!

[dreamgirl]

Has Ms Truss got children herself?

[finleysmaid]

Has Ms Truss got children herself?

yes two...one at least has been to nursery ...as she moans in one of her posts about not being able to get a place....i've tried to find out how old they are and what sort of provision they went to but as yet have been unable to.

[Rea]

Poor things, I bet she buys work sheets and flash cards

[Pimms o'clock?]

yes two...one at least has been to nursery ...as she moans in one of her posts about not being able to get a place....i've tried to find out how old they are and what sort of provision they went to but as yet have been unable to

 

I don't think any nursery/pre-school would take her children given what she expects!!!

[Pimms o'clock?]

Why am I getting underlining of the odd word in my posts?

[Rea]

Why am I getting underlining of the odd word in my posts?

 

I don't see any underlining Pimms

[Stargrower]

I wonder if Ms Truss keeps her back door open so her children can access free flow play?

[HappyMaz]

 

i've tried to find out how old they are and what sort of provision they went to but as yet have been unable to

 

Why? (have you tried to find out, not why haven't you been able to!). How does it inform the argument?

[catma]

I suppose to be fair the EYFS statutory framework does not prescribe an approach to free flow, it just requires access to an outdoor play area or to plan for outdoor activities on a daily basis - but that could be when it is possible, rather than all the time. Think of childminders who are in a flat for example.

 

Equally para 1.9 is basically what she would have been referring to re the balance of CI/AD activity - it is for practitioners to decide for themselves what "mix" is needed.

 

I don't like the Gove-ernment; but she is only saying there what is written in the EYFS!!

 

Cx

[finleysmaid]

Why? (have you tried to find out, not why haven't you been able to!). How does it inform the argument?

because i'm nosey!!! and because i am writing to her and wanted to find out her personal experience . Although i realise she is only doing the governments bidding her thought processess and her arguments will be influenced by her personal judgement....what is it the army say.... Know your enemy???!!!

[Pimms o'clock?]

"Why? (have you tried to find out, not why haven't you been able to!). How does it inform the argument?"

 

I haven't tried to find out how old her children are and I'm not interested, I just said that no nursery would take her children given her expectations and quoted the question of ages by another poster.

 

Looks like the quotation marks are being missed off when we quote others which may be the reason for this.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Pimms o'clock?

[HappyMaz]

I think you're right about the quotation marks: I confused myself, let alone you! :huh:

 

I don't think it is right to say that no nursery would take her children: after all we're the most inclusive part of the education system and we welcome all and strive to meet all the needs of the children we care for. If that involves educating parents about what we do and why, then that's all part of our job too.

 

I think we are at risk of making this too personal, however. I think we need to be careful to separate the arguments Ms Truss is making from her personality, level of intellect or how she chooses to bring up her children. So much of what I have seen by way of criticism (not in your post, I hasten to add, but just about everywhere on t'internet) has been couched in fairly unpleasant language, calling her stupid or idiotic or whatever.

 

We need to tackle her on the substance of what she is saying, be ready with our arguments to support the way we do things and remain professional. I honestly don't know what her motives are for saying these things out loud, but like just about everyone whose opinion I respect in early years I don't think I have ever felt such a rising sense of panic as I do now.

 

I haven't tried to find out how old her children are and I'm not interested, I just said that no nursery would take her children given her expectations and quoted the question of ages by another poster.

[SueFinanceManager]

I think the scary thing is that because of the position of power and the amount of media coverage these people get their voice and opinion carries a great deal of weight in swaying the public. The views she made will be supported by some people especially those who do not have children in EY education or work in it or have some experience of it so you get an badly informed minister generating a head of steam supported by other ill informed folk.

 

There are elements in society that think all of today's youth are bad mannered and chaotic so she has just reinforced their prejudices :(

[Guest]

There are elements in society that think all of today's youth are bad mannered and chaotic so she has just reinforced their prejudices :(

Oh, yes! Just had to wander off from a conversation with my dear dad about this. "Well don't you think children should be taught manners, then?" "Yes dad, just that there's ways and means of teaching them, and sat down at tables isn't really it, just as saying good morning to an adult who walks into the room doesn't demonstrate them having been learned".

 

I had to tell my sister that if I turn into him she is to shoot me - I'm sure he wasn't like this when I was younger!