Susan Gregory National Director of . - obviously doesn't know much about childminders

[christine e]

Ofsted | Ofsted Annual Report 2011/12: Susan Gregory, National Director Education and Early Years introduces the early years report (http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/ofsted-annual-report-201112-susan-gregory-national-director-education-and-early-years-introduces-ear)

[JCrakers]

I shall be expecting everyone round my house then to look at my excellent provision and get tips from such a high standard professional :thumbsup:

Better get myself an appointment book sorted out :D

[Mouse]

Well, that's a bit of a kick in the teeth for childminders, isn't it?

[christine e]

Well, that's a bit of a kick in the teeth for childminders, isn't it?

Just a bit isn't it Mouse - quite took the wind of out my sails this morning!

[silvermist]

I'm a bit miffed about her comments about cms. How dare she say pre-schools provide better care and learning. I dont agree at all :mad:
Crikey, its people like her who give cms a bad name!:angry:

[Mouse]

I'm a bit miffed about her comments about cms. How dare she say pre-schools provide better care and learning. I dont agree at all :mad:
Crikey, its people like her who give cms a bad name!:angry:

The thing is, you can't generalise like she has done.

In my immediate area there are some truely awful nurseries & pre-schools, yet some amazing childminders. But there are also a couple of very good pre-schools and some appallingly dreadful childminders. It's swings & roundabouts. It is the case for some, but just not true that all pre-schools offer better outcomes than all childminders, but that seems to be what she is saying - if you want the best for your child they need to be in a pre-school.

If statistic show that children are better prepared for school when they've been to pre-school rather than a childminder, why not say that. Why make a sweeping (and untrue) statement that pre-school is the best place for a young child?

Only yesterday I was reading about how childminders are to be encouraged to take children on through the 2yr old project becasue we can offer fantastic care for them...now we're being told we're cr@p :panic:

[teacake2]

She is contradicting herself isn't she, one minute she says that the children are better off in pre-school than with us, but then in the next breath she is saying a lot of children are not prepared for school, their language is not what it should be, they can't play etc, the children go from pre-school to school do they not?
Silly woman.
Teacake2

[christine e]

She is contradicting herself isn't she, one minute she says that the children are better off in pre-school than with us, but then in the next breath she is saying a lot of children are not prepared for school, their language is not what it should be, they can't play etc, the children go from pre-school to school do they not?
Silly woman.
Teacake2

Think she is referring to those who have not been to pre school like the poor unfortunates who have been stuck with a childminder as apparently they don't mix with other adults etc etc:veryangry:

[loocyloo]

i'm speechless! but i will obviously be having to invite all the local preschools & childrens centres round to visit my setting!!!

[TNT]

What a depressing read.
:mad:

[lozzy23]

What a shame more childminder bashing - I do wonder why we bother.

Then I look at the cards and comments I receive from both the parents and the children, who value all that I do. In fact the two 3yr olds parents think they learn so much more with me than they do at playgroup.

mmmm..... oh well - big sigh.

[mum24]

Well, having read all the replies so far, I have decided not to read the article, I feel put down enough already without more.

My local pre school is really very good, the manager is approachable and really does her best to include other settings, but she is so condescending to childminders. I constantly take training (as I can afford it, and almost always do any free training offered). At the entrance to the preschool, they have four a4 posters with a photo of each worker and their quals listed.
I not only have more but much more recent quals then all of them put together, and yet manager still says things like 'i don't suppose you need to do all this, but we had early years in yesterday and they gave us some fresh ideas, I will pass on to you if you like, so you can have a look' in front of parents too - I always reply ' yes, all early years settings have the same critria to meet so that would be useful to look at, thank you. It is just so annoying.:mad:

She is talking now about having associated settings advertising on the board, which is really good of her, and if it comes off, I am very tempted to do as they do, a4 with photo and all my quals listed on there.:)

[rickysmiths]

I feel a letter coming on.

There are good and bad in all and a comment made to me recently made me think. A Reception teacher who commented 'I can tell the children who have been with a CM', 'they are the more rounded, better behaved, and ones that are far more aware of the world around them'. :clapping:

I think the thing is you can't generalize. The Private Day Nursery attached to the school this teacher is in has a very young 22yr old (she was 3 when I started minding!) inexperienced manager, has never got better than Satisfactory for an inspection and they are surrounded by a large number of Good and Outstanding cms and there is a a very Good Pre School just over the road.

You also have to bear in mind I think that there are actually very few cms on this forum in terms of the 70,000 that are registered, we are among the most pro active ones. We are therefore more likely to access Training and be more highly qualified and motivated and therefore deliver much higher quality care to our children. How many of us say 'you always see the same people on the training courses'?

Sadly many many cms are as she said, not qualified and not interested in doing a Level 3, we all know more than a few of those, they never go to local training when it is offered, they never take advantage of any NCMA Forum meetings, go to network meetings held at their Children's Centres etc etc.

I am at the Children's Centre this evening. They are holding an evening for cm's to share Christmas Craft Ideas. I am prepared to bet of the 50-60 cms who have been invited there will be 8 at the most there. Isn't that a sad reflection? A chance to share good practice and they just don't. Just a chance to socialize with other cm's and they choose not to.

It is this majority of childminder's that unfortunately drag the rest of us down.

[jo.jo76]

I am at the Children's Centre this evening. They are holding an evening for cm's to share Christmas Craft Ideas. I am prepared to bet of the 50-60 cms who have been invited there will be 8 at the most there. Isn't that a sad reflection? A chance to share good practice and they just don't. Just a chance to socialize with other cm's and they choose not to.

It is this majority of childminder's that unfortunately drag the rest of us down.

I do agree with you on this, my local childminding group is moving to another area in the town for the second time as they just can't get enough childminders to attend and justify it being run.
It is only once a month for a couple of hours, in a lovely children centre with fab resources, run by the local childminding improvement officer who is really helpful, shares great ideas and resources and this monday there was just me and one other minder.
I will now have to travel further to go to the new group after Christmas which will probably still be just as badly attended.

I so wish I hadn't watched that video clip now though as feeling really cross!:angry:

[jillplum]

I know what you mean, the same cm are at all the meetings, networks, training etc in my area too. We had a drop in once a month at the nearest sure start for cms and it was only my sister and I every month for at least a year! Needless to say it's not held any more as not financially viable. Shame cos we loved it and our kids had the run of the place and all the resouces to themselves lol. The chap in charge used to ask us what we fancied doing and if we were coming that month.

[TooEarlyForGin?]

I feel a letter coming on.

There are good and bad in all and a comment made to me recently made me think. A Reception teacher who commented 'I can tell the children who have been with a CM', 'they are the more rounded, better behaved, and ones that are far more aware of the world around them'. :clapping:

I think the thing is you can't generalize. The Private Day Nursery attached to the school this teacher is in has a very young 22yr old (she was 3 when I started minding!) inexperienced manager, has never got better than Satisfactory for an inspection and they are surrounded by a large number of Good and Outstanding cms and there is a a very Good Pre School just over the road.

You also have to bear in mind I think that there are actually very few cms on this forum in terms of the 70,000 that are registered, we are among the most pro active ones. We are therefore more likely to access Training and be more highly qualified and motivated and therefore deliver much higher quality care to our children. How many of us say 'you always see the same people on the training courses'?

Sadly many many cms are as she said, not qualified and not interested in doing a Level 3, we all know more than a few of those, they never go to local training when it is offered, they never take advantage of any NCMA Forum meetings, go to network meetings held at their Children's Centres etc etc.

I am at the Children's Centre this evening. They are holding an evening for cm's to share Christmas Craft Ideas. I am prepared to bet of the 50-60 cms who have been invited there will be 8 at the most there. Isn't that a sad reflection? A chance to share good practice and they just don't. Just a chance to socialize with other cm's and they choose not to.

It is this majority of childminder's that unfortunately drag the rest of us down.

It makes me feel quite sad to say that I have to agree with you Ricky.

[watgem]

feel really depressed now:( hope no parents saw this

[Bob]

I am fuming

"One is that the best provision that we see in the private, voluntary and the independent sectors is in pre-schools. It is better than the provision that’s offered across the piece by child minders. And they are a number of reasons for that.
One is that if you work in a pre-school you’ve got opportunities to work with other people: to understand how they operate and to share their practice. Child minders mostly work on their own. They have fewer opportunities to share practice and fewer opportunities for training."

How dare she generalise like this. OHHHH it makes my blood boil. Silly woman.

[ChocolateChip]

I am fuming

"One is that the best provision that we see in the private, voluntary and the independent sectors is in pre-schools. It is better than the provision that’s offered across the piece by child minders. And they are a number of reasons for that.
One is that if you work in a pre-school you’ve got opportunities to work with other people: to understand how they operate and to share their practice. Child minders mostly work on their own. They have fewer opportunities to share practice and fewer opportunities for training."

How dare she generalise like this. OHHHH it makes my blood boil. Silly woman.

She should come and look through my training portfolio, I can guarantee that I have done far more hours of training than anyone in a pre-school round here, and what's more I've done it unpaid and purely for the benefit of my provision, unlike some staff who only go because 'they have to', or because it's 'a day away from the kids' :mad::mad: Also they don't lose a day's pay when they have to attend training. And as for sharing practice, well I dread to think how many hours I've logged on here, lol!
I agree with Ricky, there are cm's out there who also don't bother but there are also many Good and Outstanding ones, funny she never mentioned them in her report!
I also feel a letter coming on, makes you wonder why we bother. :(

[Ripeberry]

It is very depressing :( And I do agree with Rickysmith. Most training courses I go to are in the evenings and most of the time its either new CMs or the old faces that attend. I know there are many more CMs around but they are invisible it seems.
I've not seen the video yet, but it sounds like its even worse. :mad:

[newbie]

I am feeling really fed up now and once again, feel like we have been looked down upon by Ofsted:

" One is that if you work in a pre-school you’ve got opportunities to work with other people: to understand how they operate and to share their practice. Child minders mostly work on their own. They have fewer opportunities to share practice and fewer opportunities for training."

Sorry love, but you obviously haven't been to visit any outstanding CM settings!!!!! I work alongside other CMs, I attend Network meetings to share my practice, I log on on here regularly to discuss relevant up to date issues, I meet up with other CMs for 90% of my working week so I don't work 'on my own'. I have lots of opportunities to share practice and lots of opportunities to train - I have just completed my Level 3 Diploma - I spent 18 months training for this, all in my own time without pay!!!!!!

[rickysmiths]

Well I went to the 'Sharing Christmas Craft Ideas' at the CC last night. Out of 40 cms there were four of us there with craft examples to share, two trolled in later, both with over 20 years experience but they brought nothing just expected to walk out with all our ideas :rolleyes:

It is appalling, these cms don't deserve to have opportunities that put under their noses. It is also an insult to the CC who organised the event for their benefit.