Coronavirus

[Candela]

Hi, us anyone using tapestry as a way of communicating with their parents and uploading observation in case of a school closure? If so, how are you doing it?

[Mouseketeer]

Hi Candela and welcome, not yet but will be posting ideas to do at home if it comes to it....my first challenge will be ‘toilet training for the over 3’s”’ ...if we are closed down and they are all self-isolating at home it will be the perfect time ;-) 

[lynned55]

Brilliant idea about the toilet training! We still have 2 or 3 -4 year olds in nappies

[finleysmaid]

14 minutes ago, lynned55 said:

Brilliant idea about the toilet training! We still have 2 or 3 -4 year olds in nappies

WHYYYYYYY???!!!   .....well to be honest there's a shortage of nappies around here so they may not have a choice

(that is a moan at their parents NOT you BTW!)

Edited March 21, 2020 by finleysmaid

[zigzag]

On 12/03/2020 at 20:26, Mouseketeer said:

Hi Candela and welcome, not yet but will be posting ideas to do at home if it comes to it....my first challenge will be ‘toilet training for the over 3’s”’ ...if we are closed down and they are all self-isolating at home it will be the perfect time ;-) 

Exactly what I said yesterday!!

[louby loo]

We were saying this, think we'll be going back to days when children were nearly always clean by 2.5 unless issue.

My daughter was clean at 2.. but she had Terry nappies!!

[Mouseketeer]

I told one of my parents they’d either have to cut up a couple of bath towels or get on with toilet training when she was saying she couldn’t get the usual nappies 

[louby loo]

I've actually found a brand knew packet of 12 Terry nappies that I shall gift to my daughter   They must be 36yrs old.

(I really need to stop all this hoading......)

[SueFinanceManager]

On 3/12/2020 at 10:22, Candela said:

Hi, us anyone using tapestry as a way of communicating with their parents and uploading observation in case of a school closure? If so, how are you doing it?

If you are using Tapestry during this difficult time this page has loads of info about how Tapestry can help

https://tapestry.info/coronavirus-info.html

[hopeytg]

People used to boast that their child was potty trained, the earlier the better, now it almost seems the opposite.  

We are using Tapestry very successfully, we always did a daily blog anyway so I am just keeping that up and adding suggestions of activities.  Getting some great parent/family feedback so at least Ofsted will be happy after this chaos   

[SueFinanceManager]

More content has been added to our coronavirus support page here https://tapestry.info/coronavirus-info.html

If you have time to listen there is a podcast between Ben in our Education team and a teacher working in Italy. She talks through her current experience living in lockdown due to the current coronovirus pandemic and also some strategies she is using to stay in contact with her children and aid learning from home.

[lynned55]

I cannot thank the Tapestry team enough for the info they have shared and delivered for us. The weekly sheets have generated so many comments/feedback and obs from our parents ( as Mousie says- Ofsted will be delighted- or should be!) I love the How & Whys of Observations for relatives. I've emailed to all our parents this morning and think we will probably steal it for new parents (if we have any!) in September. 

This is all in addition to the new features they've added.

 

[EmilyTapestrySupport]

Hi lynned55, 

Speaking on behalf of the Tapestry team (hopefully they are all okay with that.....), thank you!

Sue shared your lovely message with us and I know everyone is really pleased that you are finding our new resources and features helpful.

We completely understand what a horrible and stressful time this is for settings and I'm just happy if we're able to help or relieve some pressure in any way. 

Hope you are all staying well and safe. 

Emily

[Mouseketeer]

Is anyone else in the situation where they are intending to furlough staff? I’m worried now that staff won’t be able to carry on using tapestry with their parents even voluntarily because of the trail it will leave showing they were working whilst furloughed, we have some fab stuff going on, a couple of staff have really stepped up with video sending and it will be such a shame to stop this now ....could they ‘voluntarily’ ask me to add stuff for them? Surely this is a good thing for our children and families to know we still care and think about them at this awful time, Am I overthinking this? 

[finleysmaid]

As long as they are not getting paid for a job (and it's going through PAYE) it should be fine. They are allowed to volunteer to do jobs. They could be volunteering for you. We have also had the same situation as my deputy is in charge of a vunerable family's care and needs to contact them regularly. I think in this current climate that the governement are not going to be worried about things like this. but i have also had the same thoughts!

[Mouseketeer]

It’s all so confusing isn’t it? It’s those 2 statements in the guidance ‘not offering a service’ and not ‘generating income’ that have us all questioning (I am not being furloughed). I’m also disappointed in the EYA, the DfE and themselves had confirmed you could claim the job retention scheme whilst still in receipt of EEF funding but have now said they are looking into this due the ‘public money’ paragraph in the Job retention guidance just cause more confusion and concern ...why not look into then put out something saying ‘we’ve looked into this and .....) 🤷‍♀️

[zigzag]

I wish they would hurry up and clarify the situation.   If we can receive funding and still  furlough staff, I am going to be the only one not furloughed as I still need to input wages to payroll etc.  We thought this would be the safest bet.

[zigzag]

Myself and my deputy are still adding stuff to Tapestry for families, I really don’t think that the government will be that strict to say we can’t do that, will they? You have me worried now!

[Mouseketeer]

2 hours ago, zigzag said:

Myself and my deputy are still adding stuff to Tapestry for families, I really don’t think that the government will be that strict to say we can’t do that, will they? You have me worried now!

I thought it would be ok to...I wouldn’t be asking them to do it or any assessments or progress tracking (that is still all up to date)  but rather if they ‘wanted to on a voluntary basis’ they could carry adding their story telling &  reply to the things that their key parents add, the staff want to do it, I think it will be good for the children to still see them and keep the connection but then I read others saying it will be classed as ‘work’ :-/ 

[playgroup1]

I'm planning to furlough staff and top up their wages to 100% so surely that will cover the little bit of Tapestry work they are doing.

[finleysmaid]

3 hours ago, playgroup1 said:

I'm planning to furlough staff and top up their wages to 100% so surely that will cover the little bit of Tapestry work they are doing.

i would say so! Certainly fits with what i'm doing so far 

[nomski100]

There a couple of things that I can’t find the answer to😒

I have 4 new children due to start in April.. I wonder if I can add them to the head count for next term?

Will SENIF still be paid if I applied at the beginning of March? 

Will we receive EHCP funds for summer term if the EHCP final has only just come out 2 days ago. 

I have a practitioner that we employed for one of these children as he needed a one on one. 

So many questions but unfortunately not enough answers😟.

 

 

 

 

[playgroup1]

When putting my claim in for Summer term, I added children going onto 3 year funding and increased hours where I had evidence that parents had asked for it before being closed.

The LA confirmed that they will pay any new SEN funding for summer term as they acknowledge that settings will have pre arranged staffing relying on that funding being paid.

Best to try and get in touch with your LA, any way you can. Good luck.

[zigzag]

I put all children either new or moving onto funding onto my headcount.  Does anyone know if there has been absolute clarification yet about furloughing whilst still in receipt of funding? I know the EYA we’re onto it but haven’t heard anymore.

[helench]

It looks like it’s been confirmed as being allowed 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures?fbclid=IwAR0oOzDWOTFhxSbgafDEoZ3lmMlqy64YNBfqsEIHHkn4DGW9q0jFsv7F9Vw

Edited April 2, 2020 by helench
Correction

[playgroup1]

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures

This was updated yesterday

"The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme means that for employees who are not working but kept on payroll, the government will contribute 80% of each worker’s wages of up to £2,500, backdated to 1 March 2020. Settings can access this scheme while continuing to be paid the early entitlements funding via local authorities."

 

 

[zigzag]

Thank you for sharing that. Much appreciated.