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childminder54
11-09-2013, 12:31 PM
I've got a attendance book. Which I don't get parents to sign just put time arrive and leave time in. Ofsted has seen this and never said I need parents and myself to sign. When the LA came down to do my rag for Nef she said I have to this. What do you do.

rickysmiths
11-09-2013, 12:51 PM
I have always (for the last 20 years) got my parents to sign the register at the end of the week.

I use the Pacey Attendance Register and always have.

The reason I get the parents to sign s that it confirms the times their child was with me if an allegation was ever made and the parent has agreed to this by signing.

It also demonstrates to Ofsted that I am keeping the parents informed.

Also if there is ever a question about charging for a late collection it is all there and signed and agreed by the parents.

It also paid dividends two years ago when a parent made a malicious Complaint to Ofsted. I was able to copy the page from the register and prove that the parent had been fully informed about something. The Complaint was not upheld.

So in my book the 20 years of signing was well worth it. To be honest the parents who start with me know there is an expectation to sign and they usually say to me at the end of the week.

Simona
11-09-2013, 01:48 PM
I've got a attendance book. Which I don't get parents to sign just put time arrive and leave time in. Ofsted has seen this and never said I need parents and myself to sign. When the LA came down to do my rag for Nef she said I have to this. What do you do.

There is no requirement to sign ...nowhere in the EYFS or elsewhere...so very much up to you to decide what is best for your practice
LAs always have had 'additional' conditions for us...amazing how they have no money to support us but so much energy for adding useless bits or red tape.

Did you ask the LA why they require this? maybe time we challenged them to stop imposing extra unnecessary burdens
I do not ask parents to sign but tick arrival and departure in a register that is mine and not purchased from anyone....just as valid.

Chatterbox Childcare
11-09-2013, 02:35 PM
I don't have anywhere on my sheet for parents to sign and there isn't a requirements of this in the EYFS

Daisy De
11-09-2013, 02:40 PM
I have a homemade month to view attendance register for each child, think it was originally from a Sarah Ebook.

I keep them all in a folder which is out on the worktop in the mornings for arrivals and handy for pick ups too. Its become a habit to glance at the clock and put the exact time of arrival before I open the door, Ofsted once picked me up for not putting arrival/departure times to the minute so now that's exactly what I do! It goes home every month for a parent signature and I sign it too, I do think the parents think it a bit weird that I am so precise.

I appreciate there is nowhere in EYFS that says we must have a signature but like Rickysmiths I think it is just a back up in case of a dispute/complaint.

Kerry30
11-09-2013, 03:41 PM
I got told by the OFSTED inspector that came to me i was abit too precise with timings !!!

Daisy De
11-09-2013, 04:07 PM
I got told by the OFSTED inspector that came to me i was abit too precise with timings !!!


Ha ha whenever we do we just can't win! :laughing:

karen m
11-09-2013, 04:40 PM
I have a attendance book and parents sign at the end of the month

k1rstie
11-09-2013, 05:53 PM
I once asked our LA why they thought I should get mine signed.

They replied.

If the parent had an accident on their way home with the child in their car, without a signed sheet, they could claim that the accident had actually happened whilst in your care! I did ask that if the child was killed in their car, could they claim that because the register was not singed, that the child was actually in the accident in my car with me!!!!!

RUBBISH!!! Timewasters!

I accept that fellow childminders have used their registers as evidence, but when you have different parents picking up each day, how could the parent who signs on a Friday really know what happened on Monday? Are they also confirming what time we pick the children up from preschool or school?

Signing is not for me!

Simona
11-09-2013, 06:12 PM
It gets crazier by the minute...too many chefs ...!!
Of course if cms feel that signing works better for them then they must do it...but it would have to be done each day not a week later...my personal view!

Do schools get their register signed each day by all parents or do we trust that child is in and ticked off?

line6
11-09-2013, 06:29 PM
It gets crazier by the minute...too many chefs ...!!
Of course if cms feel that signing works better for them then they must do it...but it would have to be done each day not a week later...my personal view!

Do schools get their register signed each day by all parents or do we trust that child is in and ticked off?

That's a really good point about school registers.

Bluebell
11-09-2013, 07:00 PM
what about visitors then? i always write on my register if i've had a visitor and the time they were there but dont get them to sign in and out.

childminder54
11-09-2013, 07:26 PM
Thanks that's a good point with schools I will say that to here when she picks it up. She is the erly years consultant support. I'm not going to do it it's the same she asked about a book for visitors I said I didn't have one as its not a requirement .