zigzag

I think the questions were cherry picked! Have you seen the response to the EYA question to the DFE about why we are open? It’s a joke. I have been immersing myself in social media today and the amount of early years providers who have said that they have all had the virus in their setting is frightening. The Department for Education has provided the below response to queries on why early years providers have been asked to remain open while schools have been instructed to close, following our meeting with children and families minister Vicky Ford earlier today: The reason schools have been restricted is not that they are unsafe but because additional measures are needed to contain the spread of the virus. The wider restrictions in place as part of the national lockdown to contain the spread of the virus in the community enable us to continue prioritising keeping nurseries and childminders open, supporting parents and delivering the crucial care and education needed for our youngest children. Early years settings remain low risk environments for children and staff. 0-5 year olds continue to have the lowest confirmed rates of coronavirus of all age groups, and there is no evidence that the new variant of coronavirus disproportionately affects young children. Evidence shows that pre-school children are less susceptible to infection and are not playing a driving role in transmission. There is no evidence the new strain of the virus causes more serious illness in either children or adults and there continues to be strong evidence that children are much less susceptible to severe clinical disease than older people. PHE advice remains that the risk of transmission and infection is low if early years settings follow the system of controls, which reduce risks and create inherently safer environments. Early years settings have been open to all children since 1 June and there is no evidence that the early years sector has contributed to a rise in virus cases within the community. Early evidence from SAGE showed that early years provision had a smaller relative impact on transmission rate than primary schools, which in turn had a smaller relative impact than secondary schools. Early years childcare providers were one of the first sectors to have restrictions lifted last summer, in recognition of the key role they play in society. Childminders and nursery staff across the country have worked hard to keep settings open through the pandemic so that young children can be educated, and parents can work. The earliest years are the most crucial point of child development and attending early education lays the foundation for lifelong learning and supports children’s social and emotional development. We continue to prioritise keeping early years settings open in full because of the clear benefits to children’s education and wellbeing and to support working parents. Caring for the youngest age group is not something that can be done remotely. We are continuing to share your queries and concerns with the Department for Education and will provide further updates as soon as we can.

It’s really shocking! And 60,000 new cases today.

We are staying shut until next week so we can thrash out an agreement! It very much looks like we will be opening for a very small number and reducing hours.

So those who are closing what are you doing about paying staff or not?

Ahh bless his heart. Good for you Sunnyday. Xx

Contact them. This happened to me when they were changing to the new portal. They replied straight away and I had access to my downloads etc.

I find this so ridiculous and hard to understand. Why are we as a profession being undervalued so much? What is the logical thinking behind this decision?

My staff and I have had a discussion and we feel really strongly that this is dangerous and wrong. Cases in our small village are growing alarmingly by the day. I have told my chair that we don’t want to work in this current situation. She, rightly so, is on,y thinking about the groups finances but I feel so strongly that our safety needs to take priority at the moment. Sunnyday do we have the right to present a section 44? We are not in any union.

What the hell has just happened? I am totally speechless.

I would hope that the parents would not put us in this position. There is no way that I am putting my staff, myself and our families at risk when a parent is at home and available to care for their child. I am prepared to fight this one! One of the parents who is currently furloughed who’s husband works at the train station is kicking off on FB that she finds it unbearable that teachers are so happy that schools are closing and that her child suffered from anxiety in the last lockdown! Umm the child has literally only just started with us two weeks ago and didn’t previously attend childcare apart from mother and toddler! Do you think early years will even get a mention tonight by BOJO?

So if one parent is a key worker and the other parents is a stay at home parent or is furloughed do we still have to accept the child? This seems ridiculous to me and might be a position we may be in. Does anyone have a definitive answer they can give me.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/childcare-providers-telling-ofsted-about-significant-events Just come across this so thought I would share.

It’s beautiful, even more so that it feels like a naughty day off! Did a lovely dog walk this morning in the sunshine.

Just managed a last minute reprieve on opening tomorrow. The school who we rent a room from sent out a email saying they will be closed for the day to discuss the situation so I put my foot down and said we would be as well! I have very worried staff up against a chairperson who is determined we open (to the death) I think!

Have sent out a message to all parents saying we are open if they want to use us. Have given very stern warnings about being truthful with us about possible cases in the family etc and isolating the children. Have also stipulated that no unwell children even with just a cold or cough will be admitted. Going for zero tolerance this term. Three of my seventeen are being kept away as they are now isolating but all the rest are coming back! Good luck everyone, stay safe and keep smiling!

Chairperson actually contacted me this morning to find out how I feel about tomorrow! Umm, scared stupid but hey ho! I actually agree with you, it is a lonely place and I do not feel like an employee at anytime apart from when the committee want to overrule me!

Heard nothing from our LA or funding teams. I know it’s still the holidays but.....I have also had no contact from any member of my committee either! Bet I would If I dared mention not opening. Just sick of the whole damned situation and appearing to be the only person from my setting that is concerned. Have been checking the news channels and Twitter constantly in the hope that the government might have at least responded in some way to the enormous mounting pressure calling for closure. Find it hard to believe that no government minister has made any kind of statement today in response to the situation.

So pleased that the decision about the London schools has been reversed and hope they will now reverse it for all (dream on). It just goes to show they have absolutely no clue what they or doing or why. For that idiot Gavin to stand there two days ago and say schools are safe to now closing some of them just beggars belief.

Just received a negative test result which is an enormous relief. I still feel rubbish but at least its a normal ‘I’m on school holiday’ one. The relief is enormous, I was so scared that I might have passed something on to Mum or Dad. Wishing you all a healthy and peaceful new year, let’s hope it’s better for everyone. Thank you for another year of support, giggles and understanding xxx

Can children still attend more than one setting do you know?

This just is beyond belief!

We are now tier 3. Unbelievable lack of support and understanding from the government as usual for early years.

The man is a complete joke.

I’m waiting for a Covid home test kit. Been suffering with a sore throat, swollen glands, achy body, tiredness and slight cough since Boxing Day. Stopped seeing my parents as didn’t want to pass anything on, I’m sure it’s just a normal virus but have got to the point where I thought I need to check and be sure.

I completely get what you are saying and up until now I would have been completely against wearing masks at school. But I am increasingly concerned about the amount of stories that I am hearing from teachers who have caught Covid at school and then taken it home to their families. I have really vulnerable elderly parents but I am there support bubble so am unable to keep away from them and I am terrified what I might inadvertently pass on to them. If wearing a mask is going to reduce my risk of possibly catching something from the children then I think currently that is more important. It’s not forever and hopefully as the vaccine rolls out to more people and the risk reduces then we can get back to normal. I think worrying about common germs and lack of immunity is the least of our worries at the moment. We can get back to building up immunity to these when the population has had the vaccine. I guess the thing to do is give everyone the choice and the responsibility to make their own decisions.