MarshaD

Are you likely to have anything in place by September?

Hello, do you have any plans to extend Tapestry to include information systems, such as registers and invoices etc?  Finding having two systems clunky and time consuming.

Thanks

Hi I'm trying to add a document which seems to have uploaded successfully but I keep getting error message that no file is selected.  

Yes I fear you are right but with other claims I find that insurance companies are all happy to take your money but when you need them they manage to find a way of reneging. 

Can anyone recommend their insurance company particularly in light of COVID please?  I’m a preschool currently with Morton Michel. 

Hi 

Late to the party on this one but I agree with others, experience / training needs to have been substantively in early years for it to count.

Had my inspection today. Went ok. Think a couple of the team got performance anxiety and didn’t answer the questions as well as they might. Was fairly positive experience on the whole. 

Wow sorry for the late reply Finleysmaid. I was asking about satisfaction levels etcetera and wanted them to have an opportunity to express their opinion anonymously. 

I've got such a headache! Got a call allegedly from someone at the high court telling me my business is just about to have writ served against me for £4K overdue tax and that if I don't dispute it bailiffs will be at my door today and I'll end up paying much more. Of course the debt had to be paid now and he couldn't wait five minutes for me to phone HMRC to check. After half an hour on the phone and me being very nearly tempted to cave. I told him I wasn't comfortable doing this over the phone. I called HMRC who said this happens all the time and that all was fine. I'm literally shaking. Why is it that these people think it is ok to scam you out of your hard earned money? Be aware everyone and please pass it on.

Does anyone do a staff survey?  Looking for some inspiration...

I have done two stars and a wish previously but wondered if I should be digging deeper.  

On 10/12/2019 at 17:25, Sarah_Church said:

We use Noodle Now.

It worked out less for us that subscribing to LA training scheme and every member of staff can complete the same course of need be. They have various courses from SEND based things to behaviour management and schemas. They also have things like prevent training, food safety etc 

They also have an evaluation section and you can print your own certificates to keep up with CPD requirements.

I’m looking at these guys. Would you recommend?

I don’t know that - oh poo! i have a volunteer who became staff recently and didn’t re DBS. We don’t use the update service.  Can i just ask how anyone would know? 

Late to the party as always. My guys get an hour per week overtime to do observations or pro rata equivalent. I ask for five  five minute obs per focus week or term and new children first day, second week and fourth week. They also take quiet moments as appropriate. We have two tablets and they have slots on the rota so there shouldn’t more than two people observing at a time one in one out. I proof all observations and publish but keeping on top of it is a real problem for me. I also teach and have key children myself and plumb and clean and administrate etc etc...

Crikey that would put me out of business!  I thought all church premises were exempt from rates regardless of who owns them. I don’t pay on ours.  I hope someone isn’t going to turn up with a fat bill at some point. 

I do ours using Sage. For five staff it will be under a tenner a month.  Not sure I’m at all qualified but has been ok so far. Each year I say I’ll ask my accountant to do it, especially as we are now a team of ten and a maternity leave just about fried my brain, but I’m very tight! When I gets to the point that Sage costs the same as the accountant maybe I’ll hand it over but then again calculating the hours is the tricky part for me and if i still have to do that might as well do the whole thing. 

We don’t do peer observations. I tried but just couldn’t get them off the ground so I also observe the team using the interaction parts of ITERS / ECERS in the autumn and summer and ECAT on the spring. I also use a grid of engaging qualities each term. 

When we were in a church hall we didn’t pay business rates. I believe church buildings are exempt. 

Sorry for the rant but had to vent!  Thanks guys. At least I’m not alone in my frustrations but why does it have to be so hard? Yes my deputy has firmly positioned herself in the ‘them’ camp which leaves me battling on my own. Still onwards and upwards.  Here’s to a better day tomorrow. 

OMG feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Spent the last few meetings asking people to put lids on pens, tidy shelves, keep the shed from looking like a bike explosion has gone off etc etc. Then as  usual I have spent last week tidying in the shed an hour in the workstation blah blah blah yesterday morning sheds all junked up again workshop baskets crammed with bits of paper that been used on both sides it’s endless.  Last straw came yesterday when I came down at lunchtime to find expensive wooden track been drawn all over all  dumped in the middle of the builder’s tray with the pens still with lids off (!)  no one had attempted to tidy it up or talked to the kids about it... and we’d had tidy up time. I don’t like confrontation which is part of the problem but had a real rant at staff meeting this morning practically burst into tears. Then I get a text message  from my deputy obviously sent to the wrong person. Saying what a bizarre staff meeting it had been and what an odd character I was.  Is it me am I mad for expecting someone other than me to give a toss?

Yes we too offer what parents want and push for a minimum of two. Would lose too many if we didn’t. Only one of my exclusively private parents takes five sessions. We also offer three, five, six hour sessions, whole days and extended days. If you already fill on five days sounds like you can afford to give it a try. Good idea. Might give it a try myself next fee rise. 

On 11/04/2019 at 10:54, finleysmaid said:

I really don't know what to say to this thread  ….maybe there for the grace of god go the rest of us????

GFCCCC has a bit of a more positive slant

 

Indeed could be any of us. I think that what’s saddest is the lack of acknowledgment from your committee  Starsdance. Good luck to the school waiting to jump in your grave is all I can say. Hope you find fulfilment in your new job. You too Smudge65. 

Great thanks! 

Okay I think it’s a near miss. Staff member was watching child who was playing near gate. She saw him put his hand through (bolt is on outside) and told him not to open the gate. He ignored her and undid it anyway than ran for the big gate and opened it with her in hot pursuit! Where do I get a near miss form from? Did you report to OFSTED Zigzag?

We have a small gate enclosing garden which is bolted which leads to steps and the big gate which opens onto the pavement and road.  A child opened both gates and got onto the pavement.  A member of staff was right behind him so he didn't get far.  I suspect I know the answer to the question but do I report or not?

Yikes!  Stargrower that’s so unacceptable. Can you imagine the fallout if it was you that owed them money. They really should be liable for the fees you have incurred. We’ve just gone to monthly and I have to say that’s a definite improvement. I think we lose 39p per hour. I don’t have the maths to work out what they get from that but I’m sure I could use it!