mps09

Phew - all is well!  and I'm home ;-) 

Gosh, she was actually really lovely and said that she wanted to follow our lead re sleeping and potty training!!

Thank you for all your comments - it really helped me to get straight what I wanted to say - and it worked!  Hopefully she has thought about what I said, and realises that she needs to see what we actually do... and how it works... before making any comments :-)

Such a relief - looking forward to our first day back!!

Thanks again :-)

Well all was quiet and then she emailed asking to arrange her home visit (tomorrow). So either it’s fine and she’s been put in her place - or she’s going to kidnap me and keep me locked up in her basement until I comply!

She’s planning to create the Stepford Early Years Setting - all the same... performing like robots.... 😂😂

will let you all know how it goes! 

On ‎05‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 19:08, louby loo said:

Trouble is once some is 'free' it has no value (including us!)

Years ago I ran a rainbow group, we used to offer a free Panto trip at Christmas - it was hit or miss as to how many people turned up on day.  We started charging 50p (probably £2 in todays value). EVERYBODY would turn up as they would have been out-of-pocket. 

Not sure why I shared that- but I always think about it with regards to our funding.

Oh my!  this is sooooo true!!

It's such a hard thing, I think lots of settings are feeling the same!

We do one 'big' event each year - sponsored walk/scavenger hunt ect.  This year we made £250 (with more children than ever...) and usually we make between £500-£1000!

But we also do lots of 'little' things that actually all add up - we've raised £300+ this year just on these things..... we always 'sell' the ideas, and throw in a few 'this is what your money has helped us buy' type things!

Bag2school - get rid of your old clothes, raise, and you get twice as much money if you book 2 collections at a time.

Pig - this is a plastic money box and put outside every day - parents but odd change in, then we ask for donations when we've done something special, cooking, visitors in, etc.   some parents are really generous, but we work on the basis that those that can afford it will, and those that can't don't...

Schemes with commission do well and all add up - Stamptastic, Easyfundraising, Yellow moon

Tesco, Waitrose and probably others do community schemes - we were selected by our local Waitrose and received £260!

Story sacks - easy to make from donations, charity shops, etc.  When I first introduced these, I charged £1 a week per sack... this was great, children often nagged parents ;-)  but it really added up - now I charge £10 for the whole year - but every family gets a 'freebie' so they can see what they include.

We also run a 'bedtime story' sessions - parents and children come back in pyjamas, blankets, pillow, snuggle down for stories - don't need a babysitter, really good fun and something a bit different - donations taken, we made £30 the first time - but then you need staff willing to come back after hours!

It all adds up, and sometimes feels a hard slog... but worth it especially when you realise how much has been made :-)

Good luck!

I spent much of my summer creating something for my very bestest friend in the whole world - who has just left my setting :-(

3 months before she joined my team in 2007, her 15 year old son had died and working at pre-school was her next step in her healing journey - she describes us as her 'haven'....

Anyway, for 11 years his clothing has been tucked away.. and I have made her children a special toy from his clothing fabric.... and then a quilt for her and her husband, and cushions for other family members....

I don't class myself as a 'sewer' (ie. one that sews ) so I'm incredibly proud of what I achieved, but also that my friend entrusted me with something so special....

OK, so I emailed her a copy of our Prospectus and a full copy of all our policies.... discussed how all settings are different (otherwise Ofsted wouldn't need to grade us ;-) and wrote that I know we can meet the child's needs but I'm confirmed that we won't be able to meet hers!  I've asked her to have a look through and come back to me....

and all is quiet...……..  not heard anything yet!!!

I await here response with anticipation.....

Thank you everyone, some really excellent advice!  Very much appreciated. 😊😊

She has a child starting primary school (on the same site) which is why she’s leaving the nursery.... which I understand, but we still have to be the ‘right’ for the child and the family and it saddens me that I already feels that’s not the case and they haven’t even started yet!! 

If guess it would be boring if we were all the same!  And why would ofsted need to grade settings if everyone ran to the same ‘guidelines’?  I think I’ll start there..... will keep you all posted....

thanks again 😊😊

Thank you everyone - that's given me lots of information and 'ammunition' to respond to this parent - I'm glad I'm not alone :-)

Hi folks!

I really hope I'm going to explain this clearly and without saying anything controversial!

I wondered if anyone can give me some advice, guidance or words of wisdom to help with a particularly challenging parent of a child who hasn't even started with us!

I'm an Early Years Teacher at a charity-run pre-school.  We're based in a primary school classroom and work in partnership with them although under our own committee.  We offer full days, morning, or lunch/afternoons for children and open term time.  I'm extremely proud of what we do and passionate about meeting the needs of all the children (who we take from 2) and consider their care and education equally....

The parents in question is moving her just 2 year old from a day nursery to attend us 5 days a week.  So far she has raised the following issues...

Why don't we administer Calpol instead of sending poorly children home.  She doesn't wish her child to be the only one napping so can we arrange for all children to sleep at the same time..  Can we do weekly updates face to face in the evening?  Will all family events (trip, nativity, etc) be held at the weekend to accommodate working parents.  "At nursery they..."

I've said to her that she might find the changes difficult at first until she understands our practices and procedures of what we do....
But now she has said “I don’t understand why you think it will be different, in my opinion both are regulated by OFSTED and follow the same EYFS....”

so my thoughts are that fundamentally nurseries ARE different from preschools. I know the term ‘childcare’ is controversial- we ALL do so much more than childcare— but here we’ve always claimed that we’re not childcare, we’re not there for the convenience of parents, and certainly won’t keep an ill child at preschool because mum can’t leave work...
I just can’t get my head and thoughts around what I want to say..
Surely you visit a setting and if you don’t like the way they do things, don’t join - she seems to want us to change our ways to suit her situation... and while our policies support our practices, she wants to join the committee and change them!

I’ve never worked in a nursery and I don’t want to sound stereotypical, but don’t most parents choose a full time nursery place because of the convenience that offers while at work? Where that place is taken up obviously depends on practice, values and the staff!

I’m not suggesting we’re ‘better’ just different..
Am I making sense?
I’m so confused, worried and anxious about this....can anyone help?
Please????

And me!  Can’t wait!,

Hi folks!

just had our Inspection Report and this may be a silly question.... but here goes anyway!

I have recently gained EYT status but the report says “The manager has an early Years Degree”....

should I ask for a correction?  Or am I being too picky? I’m just proud of passing!!

many thanks x

We send ours home with parents to dispose of.... I'm sure someone will correct me if legislation has changes but I was led to believe that with so few children in nappies we don't have to have a formal disposal system, however, as a business they shouldn't go in commercial bins but can go in residential bins....

No parent has ever complained about taking them home.... and in fact I think it is probably good as parents then know how many nappies have been changed in the day....

Hope that helps!

Thank you for this - I shall look forward to the update, but in the meantime I'll do it at you've suggested...

Regards,

Hi all,

Is there an easy way to see how many observations each member of staff has added?

Thank you that would be great! It's a complex and emotional story but looking it translate some medical notes.... Not sure how to do Google translate without typing it in

Thanks again.

Now here's a real long shot!!!

Does any on here speak, or have families at their setting who speak English and Georgian?

Georgian (ქართული ენა tr. kartuli ena) is a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians

Waiting in anticipation......

MPS09

xx

This makes me cry everytime I read it! And I do often, to the staff and the parents.

I've also had this battle.... but put my foot down this Christmas and decided we would not have our conveyor belt crafts....

What we did was agreed some craft ideas that the staff wanted to make.... provided the appropriate materials and colours.... the staff made what they wanted and the children made their own! Some copied the staff, some created something really different, some did what they always do, some made 15 cards, some didn't make any (and that was the hardest thing - some staff were VERY against this idea ).

However, we also held a Christmas Crafts week where the parents came in evey afternoon and could use all our resources, with some craft ideas, and could make them with their children (and be as prescriptive as they liked! ) while we explained about true creativity!

It was absolutely brilliant - and one afternoon all the children went outside to play (because of the free flow) and myself, 3 mum's and 1 dad created some lovely Hama head decorations ....

It was the best Christmas ever! And parents made lots of positive comments, because we did feel we had to justify why we were producing a list of adult-led decorations,etc.

Stand by what you believe!!!

Thank you - so it can just be another member of staff?

Hi all, I know this is an old thread, but it's unbelievable how very complicated this all seems to be!

We are registered with tmg and as no one has had checks for 10 years, we thought it would be good practice to update them.

I'm the manager, and I've set my self up as a verifier on the system, so I can verify the other staff,,,,

Daft question, but who verifies mine? It seems to be allowing me to do my own, but that can't be right!!!

Should it be the nominated Person?

Many thanks

Thank you for your quick response!!

Will look forward to future developments :-)

Nicky

Hi,

We've got several parents at the moment who don't regularly access their email for one reason or another! I have been asked if it is possible to have a text message notification.....

Just a thought

Thanks

Thank you very much everyone!!! Much appreciated :-)

Thank you for such a quick reply!!

Didn't even realise they would be able to do it!!! Shows how tech savvy I am :unsure:

Hi folks,

I've just been made aware that a parent has shared photos from their child's Tapestry journal and added them to Facebook!

Although it only shows their child, I feel uncomfortable about this!!

Have a missed a setting somewhere that would prevent this?

or do I need to make it clear to parents that they mustn't share?

What do other settings do?

Help!!! feeling shocked :wacko: :wacko: :wacko: :blink: :blink: :blink:

I wondered about this too.... we have a child remaining in pre-school this year out of cohort with an agreement that he can start Reception in 2017... it's all very strange as we are in partnership with the primary school who did not agree, so parents got agreement from a private school and lea agreed on that basis!! most bizarre, and really not sure about it all...... and if he would have to start secondary in Y8 then that really does raise even more issues!

Does anybody know whether the EYFSP have to be completed in June 2017 for this child even though he's not in Reception? The guidance talks about the June of the year a child turns 5..... not the year they complete Reception....

I'm very confused!!