Phone call from department of education

[Guest]

Had phone call weeks ago but not heard anything since...... :1b

[sunnyday]

Had phone call weeks ago but not heard anything since...... :1b

Yes me too - makes me wish even more that I had, as Panders did, politely tell them to 'get lost'! :rolleyes:

[gillpen]

I got the call this week too. Ridiculous that they have to continue with a long winded question about a part of provision you have already told them you don't have...several of them, in fact! :huh:

[eyfs1966]

BUT, has anyone actually recieved a follow up survey as was suggested in the phone call? If not, then what on earth is this all about????

[AliceinWonderland]

I've still not received anything! wish i'd told them where to go!

[BroadOaks]

You won't get a follow up call or anything else until they want something else from you. They simply wanted your email address and consent, to spam you more than likely or at least they complete surveys on your behalf somehow to make money.. how can i put this, we have been hood-winked!

[sunnyday]

BUT, has anyone actually recieved a follow up survey as was suggested in the phone call? If not, then what on earth is this all about????

Soooooo - yes I have now - got a survey/questionnaire through just a couple of days ago - haven't looked at it - and then blow me if they haven't followed up with a phone call this afternoon.........I told them (ever so nicely) that I couldn't possibly deal with this until after our Easter break :rolleyes: sadly they reckon they will ring back then :blink:

[Rafa]

Yes I've had the survey (nothing new) but not the follow up call..........I can wait.

[Panders]

Soooooo - yes I have now - got a survey/questionnaire through just a couple of days ago - haven't looked at it - and then blow me if they haven't followed up with a phone call this afternoon.........I told them (ever so nicely) that I couldn't possibly deal with this until after our Easter break :rolleyes: sadly they reckon they will ring back then :blink:

ooooooooooo excitement levels will begin to rise!

[AliceinWonderland]

I got the survey through a couple of days ago, nothing different on it from the original phone call, but no follow up call yet.

[finleysmaid]

I got the survey through a couple of days ago, nothing different on it from the original phone call, but no follow up call yet.

oh they didn't ask me the financial stuff in the first phone call...was a bit surprised by the detail in the survey! I have been VERY careful about my answers as this is the government we are talking about ....they'll accuse me of not using my vast income properly!!!!!

[eyfs1966]

I finally got my questionnaire, read that it was voluntary and then filed safely in the dustbin.....shame on me!

[AliceinWonderland]

got the phone call yesterday, right in the middle of lunch, so politely told them I was busy. They phoned back this morning and were very insistent that I should have completed the form, I said I hadn't due to it being the same as the questions I had already answered, she was then very unsure what to do, said it sounded as though they had mistakenly phone me twice and said she would look into it. I won't be answering anything else! they couldn't organise a **** up in a brewery!

 

oh they didn't ask me the financial stuff in the first phone call...was a bit surprised by the detail in the survey! I have been VERY careful about my answers as this is the government we are talking about ....they'll accuse me of not using my vast income properly!!!!!

 

there wasn't any financial questions on mine, it was all questions that they should know anyway through either our registration with Ofsted or from local government, it was all about how many spaces we had really, which is info that we have to give to our LA each term. I'm assuming they've sent different ones to different people!

[narnia]

what phone number are they calling from??

[lynned55]

Every January we get a 'census' from the DofE. It asks us how many children on roll, how many 2/3/4 year olds etc, etc. However it comes with our Spring Term funding stuff and is distributed by our LA. Is this what you are talking about? I thought it was compulsory for all settings to complete, certainly it is a condition of our funding.

[sunnyday]

No this is a completely different survey.......

[AliceinWonderland]

what phone number are they calling from??

 

Haven't got a clue, sorry.

 

Every January we get a 'census' from the DofE. It asks us how many children on roll, how many 2/3/4 year olds etc, etc. However it comes with our Spring Term funding stuff and is distributed by our LA. Is this what you are talking about? I thought it was compulsory for all settings to complete, certainly it is a condition of our funding.

 

We just have a termly one but I believe it is a requirement for the LA to provide details to central government so I suppose they all do it their own way.

[SueJ]

I've had the survey through but not the phone call - however with regard to the financials this survey will only tell them that we are clever at staying within our v. tight budgets (let's face it its that or go bust) so I have decided that they can have some more realistic figures to play with !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rafa]

I finally got my questionnaire, read that it was voluntary and then filed safely in the dustbin.....shame on me!

Beginning to think that the response 'No Comment' is probably the one that might get our view listened to!!!

 

Every other consultation/survey that has asked for our opinion/information has been met with disdain or ridicule - yes you Sam Gymiah!

 

So eyfs1966 I think maybe the dustbin could be our act of protest!!

 

As SueJ says - we MAKE it work because we have to - low wages, fundraising, charity shop buys! Lets not let them think its THEIR success!!

FREE childcare is only 'free' because we subsidise It!

[finleysmaid]

now it may only be me but I would be very careful of not telling them your views...especially as the government have already had a 'go' at us about not giving the right information!

 

This is not the normal dfe annual survey. We had a phone call asking for some info...then we were sent a survey (which I have duly filled out with realistic monetary values!) then they are supposed to phone back for the info (still waiting for this!)

 

what I will ask when they ring is what the information is going to be used for!

[Masha]

I had the phone call for this research today and some of the questions were very odd. They ask you about numbers of children booked in on the most recent Tuesday in term time, but they only asked me some of the questions on the form they had sent out in advance, and a lot of extra ones.

 

The ones I found really odd were:

 

"What ratio of children to adults did you choose to work with on that day for 2 year olds?" (and the other age groups)

 

Hmm, I don't really have a choice of ratios, they are statutory. Unless she meant was I working on a higher adult:child ratio than required?

 

And also

 

"For parents who are accessing only their free hours, do you allow them to use their hours flexibly, for example more than 15 hours in one week and fewer the next, or do you impose restrictions on how they can use them?"

 

As far as I am aware we're not allowed to let parents use more than 15 hours in a week, or use a different amount of hours in different weeks. Or is that just my LA? As for the restrictions I had to point out to her that the restrictions were not imposed by me, but by my LA (who tell me they come from central government).

 

Overall it was very confusing

[Rafa]

now it may only be me but I would be very careful of not telling them your views...especially as the government have already had a 'go' at us about not giving the right information!

 

This is not the normal dfe annual survey. We had a phone call asking for some info...then we were sent a survey (which I have duly filled out with realistic monetary values!) then they are supposed to phone back for the info (still waiting for this!)

 

what I will ask when they ring is what the information is going to be used for!

Well, your right finleysmaid - the voice of reason, but quite frankly I have lost all faith in 'The Government' ( I have my own personal battle with our LA , making - I think - radicle changes without consultation) . I actually think this is another 'we'll ask the little people what they think' and then do what we want! Whatever we say will put in the mixer and made to fit their criteria for offering the ruddy 30 hours - on the cheap!

[eyfs1966]

Just to be clear, our setting is closing next term, so a questionnaire from the Dept of ed was not my top priority!

[finleysmaid]

Just to be clear, our setting is closing next term, so a questionnaire from the Dept of ed was not my top priority!

 

But perhaps you are just the person to give em what for......tell them how it really is!

(of course I understand your stance completely its really sad that all these good settings are closing...we have had three in our neighbourhood close down recently.....children are being absorbed into our multinationals ....just like the government wants. The problem with this model of course is that it only works where the population is large...they still needs schools to cover the smaller areas so that they can get rid of us little people.

[sunnyday]

what phone number are they calling from??

02084334496

 

Have just had a quick look at the survey - hmmmm - think I may just not answer any calls from that number

[LKeyteach]

I had call. Then survey form which never got round to completing then call for me to answer questions from survey. But I had few complications. Such as offering full days for preschool aged children jut only afternoons for 2 year old. And breakfast and afterschool for reception to year 6.

Decided on being flexible rather than fixed. But some questions had not featured on survey form. One question I regret answering was to how many children registered with ofsted. I explained there is no number so I stick with 40. Questioner persisted with how many I fell into trap that according to my rough measuring could take 42.

I felt bias of questions was to staffing.

 

Sorry to have let you all down. Should have gone with the no comment.

[finleysmaid]

now call me suspicious ....but I don't suppose this has anything to do with the fact the DFE cannot supply the psla with information from the funding survey? Are they trying to get the information from other means...and perhaps trying to skew it at the same time????? :ph34r:

[BroadOaks]

Surprise surprise no survey either emailed to me or posted as of yet?! maybe they could tell i was on to them over the phone call! "Survey on behalf of the DfE" my **** - don't say i didn't warn you

[sunnyday]

now call me suspicious ....but I don't suppose this has anything to do with the fact the DFE cannot supply the psla with information from the funding survey? Are they trying to get the information from other means...and perhaps trying to skew it at the same time????? :ph34r:

Hello suspicious

 

Yes I wouldn't be at all surprised if that is the case - I have decided I am not going to play ball

[thumperrabbit]

I just had another call but as I never recieved the questionnaire after the first call they've said they'll email it (im sure it will end up in spam where it will stay!)

But can I ask you all do you always include your fundraising when being asked for financial information?

We fundraise constantly and it manages to keep us afloat plus a bit extra which is there for those low occupancy years (which next year looks like it will be again) BUT it would be wonderful if we didn't have to fundraise and could just survive on funding/fees