Ratios

[Rea]

Hi, I was left working with 3x2yr olds, 2x3 yr olds and 1x4yr old yesterday. Can you clarify that this wasnt right? Ammunition may be needed

[Beau]

Rea,

I would love to help you but our ratio's are different to yours so I won't be much help. I'm sure the others will be able to though.

[Guest]

Hi Rea.

 

There was a thread a little while ago about ratios which you can find here!

 

Hope this helps!

[Guest]

In my peschool this would be wrong.

 

Children 2yrs ratio is 1-4, this remains even though there are only 3 children ( or even 1 or 2 children at this age )

Children 3/4 yrs ratio is 1-8.

Therefore in your example 3 x 2 yr olds = 1 staff mamber

3 x 3/4 yr olds = 1 staff member.

 

Were you in a room on your own with this group?

 

I ask because I like to split my younger 2 yr olds from my 3/4 yr olds into seperate rooms for story time, etc. However ,our EYAT says we can't have a lone member of staff in a room with a group of children, even if ratio is correct, the staff member is qualified level 3 and the adjoining door is left open. Her rationalle is safety for staff against accusations of abuse.

This obviously affects how I deploy my staff and children, or means I must have at least 4 staff present each session if I want to split the age groups.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

HI

 

justa slight question in response to what peggy mentioned about splitting her groups.

 

In our nursery staff are regularily left alone with chidlren in the room (in babies this only occurs if there's only 3 babies, thus the 1 - 3 ratio applies) but that staff member is alone all day. (with additional staff popping in at key times ie meals etc to aid staff in getting the meals ready and babies seated)

 

In toddler room (1 - 2 years) one member of staff is left alone for an hour whilst children are all sleeping (could be up to 9 children) this room is next to tweenie room (has one window which looks between the two rooms, and one door that can connect both rooms) in the tweenie room (2- 3 years) we also have one member of staff in the room with up to 12 children sleeping. and in pre-school we also have one member of staff alone with up to 12 children, some whom may be asleep but most are awake.

 

it kind of worries me that we are left alone with children, but its necessary otherwise our lunches would not be covered.... all staff that are left alone are either qualified or training to NVQ level 3, and all are police checked... but surely its still wrong to be leaving us alone in these situatiosn because we are clearly over ratio.

 

I wonder how other nurseries cope with covering ratios at times of the day when staff need lunches.

 

Dawn

[Inge]

Hi rea,

As most have said

 

With 3x 2yr olds you could have had oone oleder child but no more to sustain ratios

 

for back up or evidence refer to the national standards for daycare

2.7 which states ratios as 1:4 children aged 2 yrs and 1:8 children aged 3-7 years

2.12 that the ratio refers to staff time available to work directly with the children. additional staff and management resources may be needed to undertake tasks ie prepare meals or management duties.

 

Inge

[Guest]

In our nursery we are often left only with more children than we should over lunch, however the magority ofthem are sleeping, there is always theright amount of staffon the premises and all staff have walkie talkies, so if anything happens, e.g an accdent or children waking up then we cancall to the staff room for help, this rarely happens, so staff usually manage an uninteruppted lunch break

[Guest]

yeah, in our setting though most staff go of premises on lunch so we are normally 2 staff down within the building at any lunch period (ie 12 - 1 and then 1 -2 )... which probably won't go down too well with ofsted when then come

 

our nursery is only small(ish) we only need to open our door and shout and someone should hear us, but again its probably not ideal... but then again find me a setting that is!!!....

 

Dawn

 

 

In our nursery we are often left only with more children than we should over lunch, however the magority ofthem are sleeping, there is always theright amount of staffon the premises and all staff have walkie talkies, so if anything happens, e.g an accdent or children waking up then we cancall to the staff room for help, this rarely happens, so staff usually manage an uninteruppted lunch break

57615[/snapback]

[Rea]

Thanks, I was working alone. All the rooms open onto a central area but you cant see the rooms from the room you're in. It is the 2-3 room, the 4 yr old was there I think because he has delayed development. There are usually 2 staff in the room with upto 10 children I think, I've not been there long so I'm trying to remember the register. The ammunition may be needed because I couldnt get to tell a member of staff from another room that a child of hers had had a bump to the head in the playground. She spoke to me like I'd never set foot in a nursery. I also dont believe I should push the boundaries in things like ratios or any of the standards. As supply, I dont want to be associated with any sort of bad practice. I understand that with staff having lunches it can be difficult and always try to be accomodating but there are limits.