More depressing news hitting my inbox

[Penny1959]

From a colleague

Sue Robb was there from 4children. Big announcements on the 30th May.

Main concern for me she covered was that the government are working
on moving the legal entry limit so instead of the year they are 4 to go
to nursery it is hoped it will be 3. This is so they can take 2 year old funding.
They are almost there on securing funding from the building program to make
this happen- dear me where are we going with our children. This will have a great
impact on childminders as we will end up doing wrap around for them providing they
don't offer extended day.

My reply then next email

Well it's true I nearly fell off my chair- and there was a great in take of breath
in the room.
Their argument it gives parents a choice of all provisions- or are they trying to replace
us.
Schools to be bought onboard up to foundation stage in early years.
- two year old funding
- teachers up to foundation stage doing child development
- more involved in the training and support we have had/ have not
there will be a national contract for support


Anyone else heard this?


Penny :)

[blue bear]

From a colleague

Sue Robb was there from 4children. Big announcements on the 30th May.

Main concern for me she covered was that the government are working
on moving the legal entry limit so instead of the year they are 4 to go
to nursery it is hoped it will be 3.


Penny :)
penny do you mean children will go to school at 3?

Completely ludicrous, when do the needs of the children come first and not the pound signs!

[littlecheeks]

is this to do with the single intake into nursery? or am i on about something else?

[mum26]

Is this to go into a reception/foundation unit within a school from age of 3 - surely not all schools will have the capacity. I really hope this is not the case.

[FussyElmo]

In our area all the children go to school albeit in the nursery at 3. Parents can choose not to but the majority send them to nursery which is usually fully time by christmas at the latest. In fact until recently i didnt realise that most areas you didnt do this.

[caz3007]

Full time school at 3? Goodness me arent they allowed to be LO's anymore

[loocyloo]

our school nursery takes them in the september of the school year in which they are 4, ie the year before they start school. parents can do as many or as few sessions as they like, but my understanding is that it is ONLY up to the 15hrs a week. our nursery doesn't have the capacity for any more children, and in fact, next year, is going to be having mixed nursery & reception classes!

[nikki thomson]

What is it with this need that children need to be in this learning, constantly occupied and having written assessments/observations about there learning blah blah blah? I really don't think it is in young children's Intrests to be in a school type environment from such a young age.
Why can't we just let them be children and play in a home environment, if they want to have a day on the sofa they can if they don't want to be involved they don't have to.

I think it's so sad, what a world we seem to live in now. X

[Carol M]

Tracking children from an early age has NOT improved attainments at age 7. FACT!
Why oh why do the government think that pushing more formal education from 3 will help? I honestly think it will do more harm than good :(
Some MP's seem hell bent on following other European methods, perhaps the right one to be investigating is the one where children don't enter formal school till aged 7!
Carol x

[Penny1959]

Sorry for the delay - been looking after grandchildren - but they are asleep now :D

I don't have any more details yet - for example is it just my colleagues area?

Is it all schools? Does she mean nursery or reception?

The things that worried me were mention of the 2 year old funding, the building program, the talk of teachers being involved in the foundation stage and the child development programme.

Really I just wondered if anyone else had any info on this.

Will try to find out more and will get back to you - in the meantime if you hear anything - let me know.


Penny :)

[mum26]

Awaiting 30th May with trepidation - this is all making me feel very worried about where my future will lay and whether childminding as I know it is going to be an option soon. Hope they are just proposals which will never be accepted.

[NicoleW]

Will it be compulsory though?

I've taken the choice not to send my yongest who is 2, to preschool or Reception Year she will be started school in year one where she will be 5/6 instead of 3/4. She'd stay with me until she was around 7 years old if I could.

[loocyloo]

i was just thinking that myself. its all very well saying that what schools are going to do, but unless they move the school starting age to 2 or something, then parents have a choice about where to send their child.

and as long as childminders can still do the job we've been doing rather well, we could still have the children.

[nikki thomson]

i was just thinking that myself. its all very well saying that what schools are going to do, but unless they move the school starting age to 2 or something, then parents have a choice about where to send their child.

and as long as childminders can still do the job we've been doing rather well, we could still have the children.

Yes I agree but if it's free then cm will become just people that pick kids up after school and have in the holidays as most parents don't have the luxury of being able to pay for childcare if they can have it for free, not even if they prefere a cm. if you have a choice of paying for just a couple of hours after school care compared with all day most will opt for the cheaper version.

[loocyloo]

Yes I agree but if it's free then cm will become just people that pick kids up after school and have in the holidays as most parents don't have the luxury of being able to pay for childcare if they can have it for free, not even if they prefere a cm. if you have a choice of paying for just a couple of hours after school care compared with all day most will opt for the cheaper version.

i can take funded children, as long as i have space, and i 'think' more childminders will be able to take 2 yr olds, as they need the places.

[SYLVIA]

I get really upset at the thought of all the little ones being in school environments at such early ages. I don't think it will help build on pse development and I feel this is a big problem with the young people nowadays. I think they should be home till about 6 yrs without the pressure of school and learning.

[Penny1959]

I get really upset at the thought of all the little ones being in school environments at such early ages. I don't think it will help build on pse development and I feel this is a big problem with the young people nowadays. I think they should be home till about 6 yrs without the pressure of school and learning.

My thoughts too

I think it will be up to parents if send their child - but many parents think school is best- and that are giving their child the best possible start to their education.

I realy hope this proves to be rumour not fact - my only worry being - 'no smoke without fire' - so if not quite right in the detail - what is behind it.

Penny :)

[miffy]

Going back to your first post Penny - where did this information come from - I don't want you to name names but was it at some meeting - Ofsted? LA? Or was it the cleaner, because in my experience they usually know what's going on :laughing:

Miffy xx

[Penny1959]

Going back to your first post Penny - where did this information come from - I don't want you to name names but was it at some meeting - Ofsted? LA? Or was it the cleaner, because in my experience they usually know what's going on :laughing:

Miffy xx

It was someone from 4children and at a LA event, end of last week - mixed practitioners including schools - not many cm's.

So as it was not the cleaner - there is hope that nothing in it:D

Penny :)

[miffy]

It was someone from 4children and at a LA event, end of last week - mixed practitioners including schools - not many cm's.

So as it was not the cleaner - there is hope that nothing in it:D

Penny :)

Would be nice if there wasn't but no smoke without fire as the saying goes and everything I'm reading is making me think we a the last to know what's happening.

Miffy xx

[jumping j]

I had heard something about this starting in September, but it was swiftly followed by "can't see it working/happening though"
Something about most schools already being at full capacity in the Foundation stage department and not having the funding to build bigger buildings.
My understanding of it was that they would get the funding for the children, but when you factor in new resources, including appropriate seating and tables and equipment plus the extra staff needed for bigger numbers there wouldn't be an awful lot of money left over.
Also there are currently more 2 year olds than available EYFS spaces, so while they might be able to do it this year for the 3 year olds, next year they would still be full with 3 and 4 year olds that hadn't gone into school and there would be no spaces for the current 2 year olds.
It is what I understood from what was said and I may very well be wrong!!!

I can't see preschool staff being happy changing more nappies, struggling with half a class that can't speak and twice the number of children.
And where in this propasal do the children come in, it's been proven that 2 year olds thrive in a homebased environment, with small numbers and more one to one attaention, the 2 year project has proved it more than once.

Is this just a case of money talking rather than what's best for the children?

I thought we were trying to follow a more European route, and with some of the lowest literacy levels in Europe I think we should be looking at what they do right and we do differently and trying to follow their example, most children in Europe recieve no formal education until they're 7.

I understand some children are ready to learn earlier but surely that can be catered for when we plan from the child and meet individual children's needs?!?!?

[loocyloo]

i shared the info last night with a friend who works at a local preschool... they had their LA early years teacher bod in this morning ... who didn't know anything about it and said they shouldn't listen to rumours! to which my friend replied, the info may not be 110% correct, but its not just a rumour!

..sent said bod scuttling off to find out :D

[Tealady]

.... I did hear on the news that the government were about to release funds for school building improvements after cancelling the grants a few years ago. Didn't pay too much attention, but might the money be going to primary schools to be able to accomodate the younger children?....

....Also, all the best school round here are heavily oversubscribed. I think parents would send there children in from the word go just to guarenteed them a place. So whilst they may want to defer, they may be worried that their child may not get a place at a later stage.