Have Your Say

[Guest]

Nursery World feature today gives details of a DFES consultation on Nursery Education Grant.

 

THIS IS GREAT NEWS AND SHOWS THAT PROVIDERS WHO HAVE COMPLAINED OF CURRENT SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES ETC NOW HAVE A CHANCE TO PUT THEIR VIEWS ACROSS.

 

FIND IT HERE http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/conDe...ultationId=1466

It's called "The school, early years and 14-16 funding consultation"

 

Chapter 5 is the section relating to early years. There are 4 proposals which are quite complex and need a lot of thought. NDNA have produced a briefing paper to support understanding of the consultation, this is available for non members as well as NDNA members because they feel that this is a very crucial consultation.

 

You can get the briefing paper by emailing them on: jessica.hamilton@ndna.org.uk with your name and full address and the subject 'brifing paper'

 

Peggy

 

oops email subject should be briefing ( not brifing)

Consultation ends June21st.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

I think we (private and vol) are finally getting through to someone in London regarding the grant that it should be split more fairly than what it has been. There are working parties setting up at least in the NE where we will sit around a table and discuss this together- unheard of in the past. i still feel that the hourly rate is totally insufficient to supply quality care and education but if we shout I think we might just be heard and taken notice of. This money benefits the parents and child- not us. But if minimum wage is going to 5.52 an hour is a nursery nurse only worth less than 4.00 I think not!!!

[Guest]

Thanks a friend of mine also said it was pretty tough reading and not very user friendly - is there a Regulatory Impact Assessment on this - I couldn't see it there but presumably there should be one although I have not read the consultation yet but it must refer to financing and if so then they should have prepared one or are they going to whitewash it like the Code of Practice. I think I will speak to my friend at the Dfes and ask if they have prepared one

Meanwhile I am going off to have a look - will put my comments up as I see it.

Nikki

[Guest]

Thanks Peggy - you are always on the ball with consultations etc - you never let us miss a trick!

 

Will certainly email for a copy.

[Guest]

Just glanced through this and yes its not that easy reading. What did stand out from my quick glance was the EYFS figure of 1:13 is coming into being and being costed out - so maybe we migth look to be getting the same funding but on the same adult:child ratios as schools - so the graduate /EYP can run with these ratios for part of the day - exactly what part I don't know and this is something that I certainly don't want to see for the very little ones and neither do I think do parents. So, what is the financial impact of this? Certainly some nurseries will see this asa good way to manipulate the adult:child ratios and for me I am not sure whether real quality can be delivered at this level. WE know communication skills are not as they shold be and children's socila skills are not all that they should be - will increasing the adult:child ratios improve this. I am going to print this off and try and work through it but it is hard reading. If anyone can summarise this then I wold love to see it. Have spent hours and hours completing my penultimate assignment for my degree and the thought of reading anymore is doing my head in.

Nikki

[Deb]

I don't think it matters how qualified we are, we only have one pair of hands!

[Rea]

On the ball for sure Peggy.

I have recieved this email form the PLA regarding the consultations.

If anyone is a member of the PLA could you read the consultation and give your feedback.

This is part of the email I've had...

 

Dear all,

Following a number of requests from regional staff I have put together a brief ‘crib sheet’ of the principal issues relating to the current consultation on Nursery Education Funding. We are aware that many staff are being asked to feed into to local responses to this consultation and the briefing should help to provide people with an overview of the Alliance’s current views on the consultation (although we would welcome more feedback before we formulate our final response!!). We are also keen to encourage as many member settings as possible to return their own responses to the consultation as this presents a great opportunity for groups to really make a difference to an issue affecting all providers. I would be very grateful if you would circulate the briefing to all of the staff/settings in your region who you think would find it useful.

Please come back to me if you have any further queries about this work.

 

Kind regards,

 

Jon

 

The 'crib sheet' that was refered to in the email is attatched.

 

The link to the Alliances response is HERE

NEF_Consultation_Brief_1_.doc

[Guest]

I don't think it matters how qualified we are, we only have one pair of hands!

Totally agree even If I was qualified with an EYPS I don't see how I would be able to control more children on my own - it is hard going enough for 4 staff members and 26 children I don't think a piece of paper is going to suddenly make me be able to cope more easily

 

Deb

[Guest]

Hi Nikki, I'm not sure about whether an RIA has been done, ( it will be interesting to see wha you find out) although I do know that they are being challenged about not having one done for the current code of practice, thus making it as not having a legal standing.

 

I too have understood that ( I think) that the context of the person holding the EYPS would only be that of responsible for directing and supporting the 'educational' element of the EYFS, so maybe only employed for as many hours as it takes to do planning, and to impliment or even just oversee and monitor implementation, (by other staff) of the curriculum, in effect a head of curriculum role.

 

Peggy