Help please: Discussing learning and development of a child with other practitioners

[tonis]

I share care of a 3 year old with a pre-school (ie mornings and lunch with me, and then pre-school in the afternoon, then back to me for tea). The pre-school have continuously shown that they don't want to share any information with me about the child, they want to just work with the parents. Learning Journals for example, are always securely packaged with wrapped around tape and marked strictly private and confidential so I can't view it and handed to me to give to the parents! Any suggestions what I can do about this? Shall I just tactfully speak with them to say I think they should be including me more as I'm happy to share thoughts/documents about the child? Should I contact my local authority to express my concerns about being excluded so they are aware? What is the best approach? I have had issued before with the pre-school so I'm not confident they will take my comments on board and they'll just stick to their current policies and procedures.
Thanks

[Zoomie]

Do you have permission from the parents to share information, and have you given the pre-school a copy of this?

If so, I would ask parent if you can look at the LJ after they have, put some comments on it and take what info you want from it, and then give it back to the nursery.

My own local nursery never tell me when the LJs are available to look at, but I always have a look at them when I see them laid out on the table. however, I must learn to share mine with them more :(

[lisbet]

Hopefully Zoomie's good ideas and others will help you tackle this :) I'm can't advise as I am a newbie, but just wanted to send a hug that they aren't respecting you and working in the spirit of the EYFS x

[hectors house]

I would ask your mindees Nursery key worker to hold the sealed, taped up Private & Confidentially marked learning journal while you take a photo for evidence for Ofsted!

[nikki thomson]

Wow it's like something out of mission impossible, will it self destruct in 20sec, lol. Can't offer advice but how bizarre?, what on earth could be in there that they don't want you seeing????, maybe lo is a spy?!!!!!!!. X

[tonis]

hehe I agree, there's no need for them to be so secretive. I believe Ofsted are really hot now on ensuring practitioners "share" information. I agree too as at the end of the day, the reason we all do LJ's etc is to build a good picture of what the child is up to re their learning and development, so why keep all the documentation each practitioner has separate, surely it makes sense to build one good picture! They have just completed the 2 year check form and not asked me for my input. I pointed this out to them but they said well we give it to the parents and they can discuss it with you "as appropriate". I will be interested to see if after they have caught up with the parents, they will ask me for my input before they finalise the 2 year check! If they don't ask me for input, what should/can I do? Do I complain to them, or my local authority or ofsted?
Thanks

[blue bear]

I had this with a pre school,I started quoting the revised eyfs to them how we need to work together, how we should gather evidence of how we work with other professionals and would they like me to write a reference of how I find them ready for ofsted and could they please write one for me. I offered to leave my lj at pre school for them to look through and asked for them to do the same, any wow moments I write up as an on and photo copy it for them and ask for the same back.
I obtained the written permission from parents bith for my file and theirs.

I think I was a bit full on in the beginning but they have got the message and we now work together,I don't expect them to have special meetings with me or write any extra I think this is what they feared.

[tonis]

Thanks Blue Bear and everyone. So basically Blue Bear you spoke directly with the pre-school and lead the change to work together. Well done you :)! I guess this makes sense for me to tackle it this way, but I think I'll wait to see if they do ask for my input before completing it as that is what is spelt out in our local authority training which both they and me have been to. If they don't, then I have that as an example to put to them of how they are excluding me.
Thanks but if anyone else reading this wants to add anything, that would be great too :)

[zippy]

That's terrible, I actually spent the morning at my lo's parent open day, nursery are fab with me. Sat down and had a parents evening type thing with teacher, she's sharing all her dev matters with me, she shares her planning with me, I then highlight and write bits where I can help or extend what their doing and give her back a photocopy. I email her PDF copies of my Lj and am free to view theirs when ever I want to. We share ideas like when I suggested building an igloo out of milk bottles, still don think she's forgiven me for that one though talk about a mission. They invite me on all parent trips and open mornings. Can't believe some of these nurseries, it's suppose to be about the child and sharing in the way we do is definitely having a good impact on lo, she's streets ahead of where she should be. She even gave me a copy of her report at the end of last year, although I did have to get a quick signature from mum for that one.

[Tazmin68]

I had a similar situation with a pre school spoke to key worker who refused to work with me so I called and spoke to head teacher quoting eyfs and ofsted evidence of working in partnership and everything changed quickly

[shortstuff]

Im working alongside a preschool that doesnt want to share also. They asked for my input to lo's 2 yr check. Wrote theirs up adding my statements on the back and gave it to mum. If mum hadnt shown me i wouldnt even know it existed. When i asked if they had completed it their statement to me was that i see a very different boy. Thats all ive been told from start to finish. They are a nightmare. I give a snippet of how lo is before school and ask when leaving. I always get told theyve been 'fine'. Whatever that means.

[littlemiss60561]

It's like we're the enemy that may find ways to support the child to reach a next step first and they want the glory! Mind you, it's not like we work to the same level as them is it.. What? We follow the eyfs too?? But We're only childminders...
Shocking!
Mine work with me If I badger them. I've had no info given without asking. I asked the key worker for a copy of their next steps, and after waiting an eternity i handed them a document to fill in or said a photocopy of there's is fine. I commented that i didnt need it doing by the end of the day but soon would be helpful so i can support whA your doing and vice versa. and " joked" that I'm not getting my backside whipped by ofsted for not showing willing to work with the setting! She filled it out the next day. I've heard nothing since ..
I feel a little annoyed that by my pushing them , they will now have evidence of working together when ofsted arrive. I kind of wanted then to get their backside whooped!
Definatly get a picture of the sealed lj and maybe set the 007 scene with a revolver in it too.. How ridiculous. Have they got a copy of the parent permission form? How about making up a questionaire and hand it to the manager to sign aswell as the key worker and say you need to show willing to ofsted so could they at least complete this? qs like how would they prefer sharing of info:notebook, discussion or viewing ljs .
Or , and I may do this, send in a notebook diary like the parents ones and then when ofsted visit you you can at least show them your comments even if there's no replies.

[bunyip]

I start with an open, polite and gentle approach, then ramp up the pushiness if I have to.

I struggle to understand why any setting should not want to share information in the child's best interests, but many do. It would be easier to understand if it were all about some commercial imperative: ie. nursery/pre-school businesses seeing us CMs as "competition". But that doesn't seem to be it. My local pre-school ("the competition" if you like) are amazing and so co-operative. The village school is dreadful. It's interesting to note that the school is graded 'outstanding' whilst the pre-school had to be re-inspected after failing its first inspection: says a lot about the accuracy of Ofsted judgements, dont'cha think?

One of my former mindees started school last September and I offered them her LJ, which the mum expressly wanted them to see. My approach was rudlely rebutted. Best bit was the mum stormed into school clutching the LJ and told the headteacher, "either you read this, or I ram it down your throat!" (A bit of parental support never goes amiss, ey? :D )

I don't think it helps that PACEY and other organisations/individuals believe the answer is just to keep whining on about us being "professionals" (whatever that's supposed to mean :confused:) rather than offering practical advice.

[Mouse]

The pre-school one of my mindees attends had it written on their Ofsted report that they had to improve their working in partnership with other settings, including childminders. I was really pleased - I've seen so many childminders picked up on not sharing info (even though many do try), but this was the first time I'd seen it picked up on for a preschool.

I was quite encouraged by it & assumed they'd be more than willing to work with me...wrong!!

I sent in my letter of introduction, along with a 2 page assessment summary sheet for mindee. I gave all my contact details and even told them the best times to contact me. Mum handed over everything to them, but I have heard nothing, despite them telling her she would phone me. But I bet all my paperwork is in mindee's file as evidence for them, while I have no evidence at all :mad: