Guest Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Help Please... Hi, I know I should know this but as I am leaving the group is looking at the numbers of qualified to unqualified staff. I know that the ratio is 1:8/1:4 and that 50% of the staff have to qualified to at least a level 2. Dilemma is that they will have 30 children with 3 children under the age of 3 for a short period of the summer term. On two days they will only have two Level 3 staff and two unqualifieds but with 30 children our own policy states that we have to have 5 staff. Do you think this extra member of staff has to be qualified. We have one person due to qualify mid summer term which would give us the 3 but canwe get away with 2 qualified and 3 unqualifeds? Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Hi Nicola I see no reason why you shouldn't be OK with that. As I understand it, if one/some of your unqualifieds are working towards an appropriate qualification that is usually acceptable. Please correct me, anyone, if I've got completely the wrong end of the stick!! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I thought that the 50% qualified referred to 50% of the legal requirement, not 50% of the total number in the room. I mean that if you have 16 3year old children in, you would need to have a minimum of 1 qualified staff member and 1 unqualified. However if you chose to have another member of staff to better your ratio, I thought their qualified status was not relavant. Which ever system is true our ratios are OK, but I 'd still like to be corrected if I am wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 As far as I understand it, it means 50% of the total staff in the setting. This assumes that your ratios throughout will be correct for the ages of children involved in the various rooms. Any help? Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 i agree with sue R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 (edited) Interesting debate.. Sue r says "As far as I understand it, 50% of the total staff in the setting. This assumes that your ratios throughout will be correct for the ages of children involved in the various rooms." For ratios to be correct for numbers of children in example 2 staff needed for 16 over 3yr olds 1 of which has to be qualified - this is correct ratio for children in room... but if you choose to have an extra member of staff is their qualified status not relevant as they are extra to requirements and need not be counted in ratios required for numbers of children as alm states. Inge Edited March 23, 2007 by Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 What I am saying is, our setting chooses to have above the Standard ratio requirement, but/and 50% staff are qualified. With me? Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 so it is your setting requirements but standards do not require the other staff above ratio to have any qualifications. ( This is not in our setting but the question was what does 50% ratio mean? we are all qualified to 3 and work minimum of 1:6 with over 3 yr olds!) Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Glad it is not only me who is confused. I would hope that we would be ok but with an impending Osted insepction don't want to preempt anything. there does seem to be various interpretations on this. We have two qualifieds on every day and I could understand that if we have two qualfieds and two unqualifieds we would be able to take up to 32 children - but if we have 3 U'3's and 27 over 3's then we will still only have 2 qualified and 3 unqualifieds - are we in line with the National Standards - if it across the whole setting this makes no sense at all. Oh I don;t know perhaps I will phone Ofsted and get their view on it all unless anyone can state emphathically what it means so that I can argue - too tired to work it out - Friday night and very tired Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 Nicola, I think you probably should phone Ofsted if you are still confused, that way you and the group will have an answer should you be challenged on your practice at any point in the future. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 I agree with Sue R, phone Ofstedm however if I was in your position I would make clear that the under 3's will be 3 within a term and that an unqualified will be qualifying soon. I wouldn't be surprised if Ofsteds answer is vague on the lines of as long as the childrens needs are met etc. prove me wrong won't you. ie: let us know what they say. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 When we were inspected we had two level 3, one training and two unqualified. The inspector allowed the member of staff training to be included in 50% of qualified staff. She worked on 50% of total number of staff. Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 I am going to phone Ofsted and ask them the question based on 27 over 3's and 3 under 3's in two adjoining rooms - how many qualified staff do we need? Looked through the new EYFS standards and although they are a little more specific. I will let you know what they say? I would like to agree with Inge that if we provide more staff than required under the NS then they shouldn't have to be qualified although they will be at the end of the term. Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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