Andreamay

We do not offer full days with us until the child turns 3 and when we are very full with 3-4 year olds we sometimes have to turn 2 year olds away until the next academic year.yes we may lose some this way but we have been ok so far! We also are only able to offer our just turned 3 year olds 12 hours until sept as we have such a big school 2016 cohort this year.It states in our admin policy this is a termly decision on the hours offered.

For the very same reasons you have stated and the fact we have no room we do not take 2 year olds all day. some settings only allow 2 year olds they feel are ready for full days and that works for them but I wouldnt feel comfortable making that decision. Even our just turned 3 year olds are struggling on full days and staffs time is spent in the bathroom changing nappies or consoling little ones becase they are tired or just want Mummy.Parents do struggle to understand the difference between a 'pre-school' and a day nursery where like you say they have the facilities to meet the needs of little children. Goodness knows how 2 year olds go on in schools!

Your post made me smile Green hippo! so need it at the moment! We too are on the road to Planning in the moment although its a softly softly one step forward two steps back approach for us!

I agree with what you are saying and on reflection we intend to (another softly softly) share their learning through the CBeebies Characteristics of play posters and stickers. We have a display of the terms learning around this. So for eg a child will see a photo of themselves or even put a photo with their key person near Topsy and Tim and a discussion may take place about them tryign really hard on that activity like Topsy and Tim This may of taken place at the time of the activity too! We have Finger Gym challanges and it may be that a key person may organise that so for eg a child may cut along a line so 'you can cut along that line so well see if you can cut around a shape next?'. That is as much as we do and ofcourse by sharng with parents on tapestry their obs this allows parents to share with children. That is as much as we do with our pre-schoolers so I too watch behind my fingers!!!!

Hi Chloe

I have recently delivered in house training in SST which has helped enormously in the role of the adult. I also intend to deliver 'in the moment' planning and am also a fan of Anna's and Alistair! However it is a softly softly approach some staff find change really hard.

so currently we have one focus adult led activity a session and this may or may not take place outside. it really depends on the nature of the activity and where the children are! For eg the focus is on shape recognition this term and as alot of the children chose to be outside a member of staff did a shape hunt in the garden. very popular too! meanwhile the staff will be ready to find any 'teachable moments inside and out. For eg the mud kitchen was popular this morning with lots of water very sloppy mud! perfect for mark making for a little boy who just does not like to pick a pencil up but happily got involved with making marks with sticks in the mud (when suggested by staff)

This was recorded on the tablet via tapestry. also added to our planning wall to inform planning for tomo or whenever he is in. (shaving foam added to the mud table to make marks perhaps with fingers next) Am I making sense? sounds like you are on course to me!

Andrea

Hi I am just wondering what other preschools do about their COSHH reports. We have them for all cleaning products etc and anything with the orange triangle on but do we need it for the paints and glue?

I have managed to find discussions about this on here but it was dated 2009 so wondered what the updated requirement was?

TIA

Andrea

hope you get sorted soon Kate and on the mend x

Mine has to be the St Clares series I used to dream I could go to boarding school LOLS

ive just found the answer thankyou!! All sorted :-)

Im just getting organised for our AGM doe anyone have a proforma that they send to ofsted with new committee members on? I am taking over as nominated person and in the past and have been informed it has just been in a letter I cant find specifics in the EYFS framework (Or ive missed it) and I wondered what others did please?

Andrea

Our fundraisers have been working hard and i have been given some money to buy a 'music trolley' and some new instruments for preschool.

I am struggling to see anything that will be for for purpose and wonder what all you lovely people use?

The idea for a trolley is to enable it to be moved around the setting inside and out and over to the school hall.

Andrea

We use this one too. It is an excellent training tool

It happened to us many years ago now the child followed mum out of the building but they didnt get out of the gate. We did an emergency risk assessment put in place the same as you! staff on the playroom door and exit door for arrivals and departures and we still do it to this day! I documented it as an incident, I didnt inform ofsted it went in our risk assessmnent folder and i put it in our SEF. Ofsted came as normal to inspect I made ref to it and told them what we had put in place and the documentation they were happy we had addressed it and dealt with it!

Done

A suggestions for improving practice box is useful ...our last survey included a bigger cloakroom and wider pavement ....I'll just be getting the builders in then

yes we had similiar one year

Try Twinkl

paperless planning!! Im ! Will watch with interest!

Thankyou for the links x

my late mother in law who was a farmers wife and had 7 lads and a baker by trade! told me to do it that way 35 years ago!! She always added a little boiled water at the end too!

erm does that mean if your 2 eggs weigh 5oz its 5oz of all other ingredients?

We still have an appraisal annually and then that is followed up by 6 weekly supervisions. there was a discussion on here last week about it and someone posted some brilliant peer observations. Also someone said appraisals were required by employment law! Sorry but vague will try and find the link! it has been a very very long week!!

http://eyfs.info/forums/topic/41297-staff-appraisal/?hl=appraisals&do=findComment&comment=395140

think ive done it right :wub:

old pots and pans

large metal and wooden spoons

jugs

aprons with arms (we use old waterproof coats that go over their coats one size up)

old tables,or sand/water trays

old belfast sink (we dont have water supply but fill it up with soapy water (bucket at plug hole) as cleaning the pots up afterwards adds to the fun

old microwaves

the children will add the rest!

we sing 'we have made a pattern' and think of sounds we can make with our bodies!!

Clap your hands and stamp your feet

clap your hands and stamp your feet

clap your hands and stamp your feet

now weve made a pattern

click your fingers and pat your knees

etc etc

sung to bobby shaftoe

we sit in a circle but stand up too

Thankyou for sharing Angela x

we use 'kind hands' and to introduce it we have a chat about what is kind and unkind! We do an activity where the children do handprints and cut them out then on the front during group time we talk about what is kind and unkind we write kind things for eg helped another child put the tap on or tidied up or shared a toy and over the term the staff and children can nominate someone else to get a hand put on the kindness tree (a big twig brought in from outside) we ensure all children get a chance to go on there.

But also very effective is we write unkind things the front of these paper hands on discussion for eg snatching hitting throwing toys dropping on the floor and the staff leading will have a bin infront of them 'so what do we do with our unkind hands?' in the bin ofcourse! because noone wants to see unkind behaviour at preschool do they children? the childrens faces indicate that it does register with some and we will often repeat it if we have a spell of 'unkindness' too!

twinkl

thankyou so much Colechin they are brilliant! That was my task for Monday to put some together this has given me a wonderful starting point I know what im doing now!! :-)

B) UNBELIEVABLE!! well actually is it? nothing surprises me these days!