How would you feel if.....

[snufflepuff]

Ofsted totally changed the way they looked at childminders? No more EYFS, no inspections or gradings. Someone from the local authority (such as a CMDO) would pop round every so often to check everything is okay. There would just be basic requirements to adhere to such as ensuring your home is safe, being first aid trained, CRB checks and having insurance. All we would have to do is play with the children and keep them safe and well. Essentially what many people think childminders do anyway!

Do you think this would change the way parents think when choosing childcare? Would they be less likely to choose a childminder because we don't do the EYFS anymore? Do you think parents would rather have a report to read with a grading, or would they rather go by word of mouth and make their own judgement?

[PixiePetal]

You mean like the old days pre Ofsted and EYFS :rolleyes: although we had inspections and gradings - one of my inspections was 20 mins!

Children, parents and I were more than happy :)

Until I moved house all my mindees were signed up by word of mouth recommendations.

[snufflepuff]

Yep just like the old days....not that I ever experienced it, I've only been minding for 2 and a bit years

[sarah707]

How would I feel? I would feel that I have worked like a loon for the last 18 years...

Attending courses and updating my qualifications

Making everything the best I can possibly make it in the house and garden so children have the very best experiences while they are here

Spending time and investing money in improving my business

Promoting childminder equality with other early years provisions and working in partnership with people who now see me as a professional not some mum 'minding' children all day

Jumping through hoops to qualify for funded sessions

Building my reputation as a teacher as well as a carer

Visiting other childminders and welcoming early years people into my home so I can constantly improve

Learning everything I can about the Eyfs and child development so I can support every child to achieve

Jumping through every hoop required of me... and more!

For a very bleak future in a melting pot with a lot of people who think childminding is an easy way to earn a few extra pounds :(

[PixiePetal]

How would I feel? I would feel that I have worked like a loon for the last 18 years...

Attending courses and updating my qualifications

Making everything the best I can possibly make it in the house and garden so children have the very best experiences while they are here

Spending time and investing money in improving my business

Promoting childminder equality with other early years provisions and working in partnership with people who now see me as a professional not some mum 'minding' children all day

Jumping through hoops to qualify for funded sessions

Building my reputation as a teacher as well as a carer

Visiting other childminders and welcoming early years people into my home so I can constantly improve

Learning everything I can about the Eyfs and child development so I can support every child to achieve

Jumping through every hoop required of me... and more!

For a very bleak future in a melting pot with a lot of people who think childminding is an easy way to earn a few extra pounds :(

although I loved the simplicity of the old days I do feel we are taken more seriously on professional level by others in our field now. well I hope so :rolleyes: I am proud to be a Childminder and always strive to do my best

Somewhere, there should be a happy medium :thumbsup:

[singingcactus]

I don't mind the way things are now, but I enjoyed the way things used to be. All my kids are still mostly word of mouth, and even though I hand over my report no one ever reads it (only one family who I chose not to sign on cos they wanted something I had no intention of offering - I have no desire to even discuss teaching an unborn child about the three R's!).

I'd be happy to go back to the old way, my practice would remain the same, as it is now, was then and shall be in the future. My knowledge has grown, but my ethos is the same, and EYFS, OFSTED, targets, social services etc have no impact on who I am and how I care for kids, only on how I prove myself.

[guest3]

My knowledge has grown, but my ethos is the same, and EYFS, OFSTED, targets, social services etc have no impact on who I am and how I care for kids, only on how I prove myself.

Well said! :)

[Mouse]

How would I feel? I would feel that I have worked like a loon for the last 18 years...

Attending courses and updating my qualifications

Making everything the best I can possibly make it in the house and garden so children have the very best experiences while they are here

Spending time and investing money in improving my business

Promoting childminder equality with other early years provisions and working in partnership with people who now see me as a professional not some mum 'minding' children all day

Jumping through hoops to qualify for funded sessions

Building my reputation as a teacher as well as a carer

Visiting other childminders and welcoming early years people into my home so I can constantly improve

Learning everything I can about the Eyfs and child development so I can support every child to achieve

Jumping through every hoop required of me... and more!

For a very bleak future in a melting pot with a lot of people who think childminding is an easy way to earn a few extra pounds :(

But didn't you do a lot of those things before EYFS came in? My arguement has always been that if you didn't do that before the EYFS framework came in, you weren't going to do it after it was introduced.

I have always provided activities based on the chlildrens' interests. I have always been very aware of "where they were at" and I have always encouraged them on their "next steps". To me it was what I naturally did. I don't need a framework to tell me how to do it. I can honestly say the only thing that has changed in my practice since EYFS came in is the paperwork.

I have never been a babysitter and I never will be, even if they got rid of EYFS. I have never simply played with children and kept them safe & well. They obviously have been kept safe and well, but my play is never just play! The children gain an awful lot from it. I believe that over the years parents have seen what I offer and how I differ from other childminders who do still offer what basically amounts to a babysitting service, despite EYFS being there.

[appleblossom]

I started Childminding in 1991. I moved to my current property in 1994. Not long after I moved here one of the SS staff who did inspections told me about the new Children Come First Childminding networks that were being set up. She told me that I would automatically qualify to join the first network in our town as I was already meeting all the requirements. Today the extra work I do is to provide evidence of this to Ofsted. Back then I did scrapbooks/photo books so parents could see what the children were doing. I followed Child Development expectations from the 6 areas of learning. The children and parents were happy. I was happy.

I'd much rather go back to how it was. I don't believe parents think any better of me than before Ofsted and EYFS, and I am certain the children don't.

[miss mopple]

I'd hate it. I like the eyfs (yes really!) and feel it keeps me focused, and yes, seen as a professional. I don't want to be treated differently to other childcare settings, we all do the same and should be recognised for it and I think EYFS goes a long way towards achieving that :thumbsup:

[Gherkin]

Going back to the "good old days" as someone said would not in my eyes be beneficial. The word of mouth recomendations that I have received have come about because people know of my Ofsted grade, because they know that I have done everything in my power to improve my knowledge in this field. Because they know I have worked hard to get on the network and then become accredited.

My concern is that although the old way may be easier us as childminders will lose the professional image that we are all working so hard to build. We all say we want to be seen on a level playing field with other childcare professionals but I cannot see us even attempting to keep this up if we go back to the old system.

[Donkey]

How would I feel? I would feel that I have worked like a loon for the last 18 years...

Attending courses and updating my qualifications

Making everything the best I can possibly make it in the house and garden so children have the very best experiences while they are here

Spending time and investing money in improving my business

Promoting childminder equality with other early years provisions and working in partnership with people who now see me as a professional not some mum 'minding' children all day

Jumping through hoops to qualify for funded sessions

Building my reputation as a teacher as well as a carer

Visiting other childminders and welcoming early years people into my home so I can constantly improve

Learning everything I can about the Eyfs and child development so I can support every child to achieve

Jumping through every hoop required of me... and more!

For a very bleak future in a melting pot with a lot of people who think childminding is an easy way to earn a few extra pounds :(

Amen!!!!!!!!!

[waterwaybabies]

i did by instinct 20 years ago what i am being prescribed to do now [only i had more time to enjoy doing it due to less paperwork]

the main difference to me is that now we are all dancing to exactly the same tune [and every child matters as long as they like it?]

not all kids are happyclappy but so many childminders now think they are failing if their mindees cant perform nursery rhymes by rote?

ofsted should give us an iq test and a personality evaluation and if we are not diabolically deficient in either let us apply?

enough from me. we shouldnt be caring for other peoples kids if we need to be told how to do it.x

[EmmaReed84]

I'd hate it. I like the eyfs (yes really!) and feel it keeps me focused, and yes, seen as a professional. I don't want to be treated differently to other childcare settings, we all do the same and should be recognised for it and I think EYFS goes a long way towards achieving that :thumbsup:

I have to admit I do prefer doing it like this (although I never did it the old way) it give structure and a framework to word towards. I honestly think if I didn't have this side of it and I was just sat at home playing all day I would get bored, the EYFS gives me something to get my brain working, I love that it confuses me because I love the feeling of satisfaction when I eventually crack something lol

[Mouse]

I have to admit I do prefer doing it like this (although I never did it the old way) it give structure and a framework to word towards. I honestly think if I didn't have this side of it and I was just sat at home playing all day I would get bored, the EYFS gives me something to get my brain working, I love that it confuses me because I love the feeling of satisfaction when I eventually crack something lol

So you're saying that pre-EYFS, all us childminders did was sit at home playing all day? Is the assumption that without EYFS we were incapable of providing the right sort of environment and opportunities for children to thrive?

[EmmaReed84]

So you're saying that pre-EYFS, all us childminders did was sit at home playing all day? Is the assumption that without EYFS we were incapable of providing the right sort of environment and opportunities for children to thrive?

To be completely honest, I don't do well without structure and clear guidance. I like rules and guidelines and written targets to work towards. What I am trying to say is that I like the paper work side of it, I like getting on my computer and typing things up and creating folders... Think Monica from friends :blush: If I didn't have that type of structure and did it all in my head so to speak I personally would get bored.

I, by no means think that CM pre EYFS just sat on their bottoms drinking coffee all day watching (Trisha...pre JK lol) I know the hard work that goes in to being around children, and trying to develop them on the the next stages etc. I am merely commenting on myself.

This is the only problem I have with the written word, I can never get in to words what I am trying to explain. I think ANYONE who works or has worked with children in whatever field are amazing, children are the most precious things on this earth... funny too :thumbsup:

[rickysmiths]

I don't know about others but have we forgotten Birth to Three framework that we all used before EYFS?

What about the National Standards we all had to adhere to?

I have been a childminder for 17 years and I have always been inspected. Social Services used to inspect me every year and each year we were inspected with different goals, so one year the emphasis would be on Healthy living, or Child protection etc. They tended to take an aspect from the National Standards. I then had a written Report showing how I had met the expectations for that year.


A year ago I would have said that parents valued all I did with their children and valued the benefits to their children being cared for by me. They valued my ongoing training and could see the way it helped their children.

I have always done scrap books so LJs were just an extension of this. I have always given parents lots of photos of their children. I have always shared information freely with parents and I have always had parents ask for my advise as well.

However after this last year my view has changed completely. I have had a series of parents who are not interested in LJs, or hearing about wht their child has been doing or where they have been because the childs at Nursery at least a couple of days a weeks and the Nursery is where they get Professional Teaching and where they learn and I am just a lacky babysitter who they have every right to order around because they pay me:angry:

A child who started after Christmas because Mum didn't want him in a nursery every day is a case in point. The Dad has done the delivery and collections and he does not want any dialogue at all. He arrives at night and doesn't ask what his child has done and had no interest really in what I try to tell him. When he says jump I am supposed to ask how high?

He gave notice yesterday because I have let him down, I dared to have 1 Friday off because I was dying, the first in 18mths!!! and he said he didn't want me to have my holidays in school holidays because it was too expensive for them. :angry: Excuse me I did explain when you came to see me before you signed a contract!!! To put in perspective this is a pair of parents who both work full time and are the first I have had who are both on well over £40,000pa

The only gratification is that by using his wonderful Nursery full time it will cost him about £4,000pa more than using me. They must be having some amazing holidays if taking 3 weeks in the school holidays cost him more than this as apposed to going in term time :laughing:

Sorry rant over!

I see pros and cons of the before and after.

[PixiePetal]

I know before EYFS my evenings and weekends were for myself and my family. When I finished for the day, I could switch off and relax and enjoy my own children :) This I liked

[auntym]

I prefer how it was before. Does not make me a lazy childminder.....I did the same as I do now but I didn't have to spend hours of my family time writing about it. So i like the way now but minus paper work.

[snufflepuff]

I remember the national standards/ birth to three/ foundation stage. That's what was being used when I was in college getting my level 3 and what I used as a nursery nurse (EYFS came in while I was on maternity leave, before I started minding.)

For me the point is that playing with the children is just what I'd do anyway- I naturally think about what they would enjoy, what can we do next to further their development etc. To me the paperwork side of things is just me having to prove that I'm doing all that...like I can't be trusted to do it otherwise. And very few people know what we do anyway- they don't think of us as equal to nurseries and pre-schools, they don't see us as childcare professionals. It's such a shame- all out hard work is a waste of time from that point of view.

[catminder]

I prefer how it was before. Does not make me a lazy childminder.....I did the same as I do now but I didn't have to spend hours of my family time writing about it. So i like the way now but minus paper work.

Totally agree about the paperwork. My mindees parents aren't really that bothered about it either and as long as their children are happy they are happy.

[messyplay]

I liked the old way better. When it came to inspections you were observed caring for the children and playing with them for most of the time they were there, not for ten minutes of a three and a half hour ofsted inspection. ofsted should sing from the same song sheet not make their own up

[Helen Dempster]

Totally agree with Sarah707 :thumbsup:

[Carol M]

IMO I wish I still felt the same as Sarah707.
I have worked my little socks off to fulfill the criteria of EYFS and maintain my grading, knowing I'm doing the best I possibly can for the children and their families but I am so demotivated now I am begining to doubt if the excessive hours I put in have been worth it.
I really feel that parents decide on childcare by cost, location and hours available.
Having said that, I have managed to cut out a lot of paperwork that I realise that I've only been doing to prove to Ofsted that I do an exceptional job :laughing:
I'm not sure parents and others will EVER really know how much we do:(
Carol xx

[zippy]

EYFS has definetly made me a better childminder, it has focused me and made me research for ideas more, part of me now i've learnt it would love to lose the linking in paperwork and i wouldnt do long obs, but I quite like my memory book style LJ, I have a wonderful working relation ship with the nursery, which I have worked hard to establish. Although part of me would love to lose the formal linking in and endless risk assesments, I feel to lose EYFS would make us all look like a complete joke. Like they tried it with us and we weren't up to parr which I know is not the case.

[funemnx]

I preferred life before EYFS but I do understand that it has raised the standard of childcare in settings where the childcare providers were 'just babysitting'. They now have to provide a learning environment for the children they mind and prove that they are so in that respect I think it's a good thing.