Nneb's Retraining

[Lou]

I have been following this thread and totally understand the points of view but i work with senior staff like Sandra has. My boss has the PLA foundation has not done any top up courses and has no intention of doing any. Ofsed have asked her to do APEL but not because she hasn't done any top up courses. So this question is just out of interest what do you think ofsted should do about people who wont top up and scrape by on out of date knowledge. There are some people out there that work with children and get away with it.

[Guest]

The lady who is having the visit from her MP has said you are free to e.mail her with your questions and comments. If you want her e.mail address please private message me and I will give it to you. She is also saying she is thinking about calling in the local paper to coincide with the visit to help our campaign.

[Guest]

That is a difficult one Lou because I also know of people that refuse to top up. What I think is unfair is that people who show willing and do update are being penalised because of the minority. OFSTED should treat each case individually and ensure that people who are trying to get away with not going on training actually do so while supporting those that do and recognising that as long as they are updating that their qualification remains valid.

[Lou]

Hi Hotgoss

I sent you a message before i read your last one.

[Guest]

Right I've faxed my MP again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he better reply this time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gezabel]

I phoned Ofsted and guess what!!!! they DON'T KNOW!!

I queried how we could possibly have National Standards with Inpectors in different areas saying completely different things with reference to qualifications. I was given the local area number and they told me to put it all in writing and they will look into it. They did say that it seemed ludicrous we had been marked down by the inspector and this could be overturned!

 

I am going to see my MP at his surgery on Saturday morning!!!

[Guest valletta]

I phoned Ofsted and guess what!!!! they DON'T KNOW!!

I queried how we could possibly have National Standards with Inpectors in different areas saying completely different things with reference to qualifications. I was given the local area number and they told me to put it all in writing and they will look into it. They did say that it seemed ludicrous we had been marked down by the inspector and this could be overturned!

 

I am going to see my MP at his surgery on Saturday morning!!!

hi geraldine

 

valletta here......

 

yes - just faxed my m.p. again - told me that I would be hearing froim charles clarke sec of Education about me being forced to do the level 3 after all these years at pre school (15years).... but I am still updating on new courses, so still in the know about things

 

anyone else finding this trouble

[Guest]

hello , yes I qualified 20 years ago and have been told that I have to retrain . I have rung the department for education and they have told me that as long as I have had no long career breaks and kept up to date with current issues then I am ok and can be known as a level 3 trouble is I don't get the same response from PLA or OFSTED , let us know how you get on with the MP

Have you looked at my website

www.freewebs.com/fedupnnebs

[Guest]

Geraldine is it this Saturday morning your MP holds his surgery ?????

[Guest]

Well I am still awaiting my return call from Ofsted re this subject.

[Guest valletta]

I have been in my pre school for 15years now.

 

I too have been asked by Ofsted to retrain so I went into all this and applied to do the fast track level 3

 

This course is £495.... we are a small pre school and even with help (funding) it is a lot of money.

 

I am 56years this August, if I do the level 3 that is recommended by Ofsted I will be 58yrs when I complete this, by this time I would have either cut back my days ... as I supervise all week mon-fri and wed and fri all day, or either semi retired.

 

This is the point I was making to my M>P> - I am not against retraining, I am always updating on courses and always eager to learn more - but not to the extent of a complete course of 2years etc.... for a piece of paper to say I an do the job after being in the same postion, for 15years - do you see my point.. I know that anon or hotgoss understands and many others in my poslition.

 

Am waiting for a reply from my M.P. and Charles Clarke sec of Education where my Fax was redirected to.

[hali]

Hi Valletta

 

We are all in the same boat (although my inspector said she knew nothing of all this nonsence of re training).

My MP Thesea May is also taking my letter supposidly to The dept of Education and skills and says she will reply when she has a responce.

I am going to email her again next week, an my inspector also said she would take query back to Ofsted and let me know.

[bubblejack]

hali,

I hope Ofsted answer you quicker than they did me. I still haven't had a reply back from them to say what they recommend and that was 3 years ago. The ofsted inspector said my qualifications were fine by her but I would have to confirm with my main Ofsted office in Harlow. They told me that they would look into the matter and advised me to also to ask my Early Years team.I did this and they came up with the APEL. They are funding this. It has taken me about 6 months mainly because the tutor has been off sick since January. I hope to finish it in the Easter Hols. It hasn't taken me too long but I haven't gained anything from doing it because it is just a reflection on all my practices. I shall probably find out soon that it wasn't necessary to do it at all.

[Guest]

I must admit that OFSTED told me that I had to APEL but when I rang the department for education they told me I didn't have to !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They all need to get their act together and quickly.

[Gezabel]

Hi

Yes it WAS this morning! It's an open surgery with no appointment system so it's pot luck! Today was the day lots of people obviously had thngs to discuss and I ran out of time without seeing him!!! I had to leave at 11:45 to get to an OU tutorial and there were still 2 in front of me!! Never mind I handed in another letter raising more points since my fax.

 

My employer is contacting her MP (who happens to be a personal friend ) and I KNOW he

will do all he can on behalf of us all.

[Guest valletta]

hali,

I hope Ofsted answer you quicker than they did me. I still haven't had a reply back from them to say what they recommend and that was 3 years ago. The ofsted inspector said my qualifications were fine by her but I would have to confirm with my main Ofsted office in Harlow. They told me that they would look into the matter and advised me to also to ask my Early Years team.I did this and they came up with the APEL. They are funding this. It has taken me about 6 months mainly because the tutor has been off sick since January. I hope to finish it in the Easter Hols. It hasn't taken me too long but I haven't gained anything from doing it because it is just a reflection on all my practices. I shall probably find out soon that it wasn't necessary to do it at all.

hello bubblejack,

 

I am in your position at the moment...... so it took 6 months the APEL course

 

Is it hard to do? Do you have to attend any classes outside of your setting - difficult for me asI am in a setting all week mon to Fri and all day wed & fri

 

are you saying that at the end of it, it was not of any use to you - if this is correct then I am not keen on doing this as It may be a waste of time

 

we have a Ofsted lady coming in after Easte and I will show her the letter I received from my M.P. saying that he is passing this on to the ed sec for comment and that he was concerned that I had to retrain after years of experience -

 

what did the education dept say about you doing a level 3

[Guest valletta]

I must admit that OFSTED told me that I had to APEL but when I rang the department for education they told me I didn't have to !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They all need to get their act together and quickly.

hotgoss

 

anon/valletta/maureen.... must get my names right!! here again!! from underfive website

 

could you get that in writing froim the ed dept that you did not have to do the level 3-if this is so..... why is Ofsted so hot on it it is a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing dont you think

[Guest valletta]

to bubblejack and hotgoss questions

 

if ed deplt say you dont fhave to do the level 3 and ofsted said you do - who is right!!

 

I am having a ofsted lady in after easter so will show her the letter I received from my M.P. together with the fax to the M.P. - then see what she says ok

[Guest valletta]

for geraldine and others

 

congratulatiions and good news that you had a letter from the House of Commons saying the same as was in my letter.

 

like you waiting for a response.

 

will be seeing a ofsted lady in our setting after easter - so am going to show her the letter I faxed to my M.P. and the M.P. response to me re@ sec of educatioin reply.

[Guest]

I have an e.mail from the department for education listing the areas in which I have to top up. When I rang the OFSTED helpline the man I spoke to was quite rude and insisted I had to do APEL when I spoke to my actual OFSTED inspector she wasn't really sure but agreed that it seemed unfair that I had to retrain.

My main concern is that I have busily been e.mailing day nurseries , nursery schools , pre-schools etc etc to drum up support for my campaign but the majority of people that are replying are saying that they recognise the NNEB as a level 3 qualification equivalant to an NVQ 3 if that is the case why is no one recognising mine ?? Why did I have to fight to be recognised as a level 3 at my pre-school, I have e.mailed the DFE saying that this is very unfair and am waiting for a reply.

On a good note practical pre-school magazine are going to print details of my website in next months magazine , I will soon be too famous to come on here ha ha ha ha ha ha

Hotgoss for prime minister

[bubblejack]

Apel is not hard to do because we are all doing these things everyday anyway and we all have policies. I am not learning anything new as it is a reflective account on all my policies and practises. I have seen my tutor 3 times for a total time of 2 hours. I have also spoken to her on the phone briefly. I have spent many hours collating all the information on the way I run my group!!!!

[Guest]

I've heard rumours that APEL only lasts for five years is that true ????

[Gezabel]

Hotgoss

 

Suffering from brain fade tonight?? Have you got the email for DfEs I would love to send them a few words!!

 

Let me know when you are running for PM - will you have a big campaign bus and please can I come

 

By the way is it me or are the timings wrong on the messages? I mean on the list on the right hand side of main page. I am posting this at 23:13 but think it will say an hour earlier on the list???

[Gezabel]

No Hotgoss, according to Nursery World the APEL has "no time limit on its validity"

Hope that helps

[Guest]

Yeah the time is wrong , I will get information about department for education and send it to you tomorrow, shout at me if i forget my memories not what it used to be lol.

The lady I have been dealing with has been absolutely brilliant and is the only person who has kept me going.

[Guest]

They probably said the NNEB had no time limit either and now look at us

[Guest]

Hotgoss

Prehaps the reason they are still accepting the NNEB as a level 3 qualification is because they have not heard about the changes.

Geraldine-you need to go into My Controls at the top of the screen. Then go into board settings in options on the left hand side. You then need to click the daylight savings box-this should correct your time.

Linda

[Gezabel]

Thanks Linda do we all need to do it individually?? Your message shows 10:17 but must be 11:17. thought it was something to do generally with the site and the clocks going forward last weekend.

[Guest]

I think you must Geraldine! When you have ticked the box go to the bottom and click change my account options. This will then change your time!

Linda

[JacquieL]

Totally off topic but where did you get your lovely avatar Geraldine? I found a similar one but it wouldn't upload on this site 'cos it wasn't a gif or jpeg.