Childcare on a working farm ...

[Stanfield]

Hello,

I have sent an eniquiry to OFSTED but seeing as how long they seem to take to awnser my emails and how impatient I am ... I thought Id ask you guys as you seem to be knowledgable on most things!!!

I am currently working as a childminder, but I am looking at setting up a childcare facility, probably in the form of a creche and I have the following initial questions ...

Can I run a creche facility but still take children prebooked all year round as well as a drop in facility?

I am aware of the staffing ratios, but what is the ratio of children to space? (As I will be converting a barn, I have quite a lot of space but dont want to over convert, so is there a maximum number of children I can have in anyone building?)

The facility will be based on a working farm and in a forest (in a forest school type style, den building in woods, back to basics, nature etc with the children also helping on the farm, feeding animals, growing veggies, looking after babies etc) As long as the facility is fully risk assessed, is this OK?

For a baby room, does this have to be an entirly seperate room or can a section of a room be partitioned off using room seperators / panels that are roughly half an adults height?

Thankyou for your help

[flora]

Not exactly the same set up, but I live on a working farm and it's ok.

Ofsted needed to know how I was going to keep mnding separate from the farm and the animals and working areas of the farm etc.

Not sure about the rest, but I am sure some one will be along to answer

[Tinglesnark]

i cant advise but it sounds like heaven, can we come and live with you please?
good luck x

[FizzysFriends]

I don't know.

But I would say even if the baby room could be in the same room as older ones, if you have sleeping babies wouldn't the bigger ones wake them up?

[ORKSIE]

No help here i'm afraid...but what a excellent concept.
Good luck

[Stanfield]

Well, Thanks for the help so far ... I am really excited about the project, it is in the very early stages but I have sold my business idea to the investors and now they want me to come up with a detailed business plan; so I am off to assess the land and barns on Friday.

I am selling the idea as a children's "experience" rather than just childcare and I am aiming for the children to actually help with the animals ... but this would be fully supervised and the creche / play areas would be away from animal mess / food etc, although I would hope they would be able to see them close by. I will also be expanding into holiday care where I think there will be great demand for older children looking for more than somewhere to play for 6 weeks in the summer ... having specialist companies in from forest schools, zoolab, proffesional den building etc
Also there is know where in my city to drop your child off and go shopping or even have a coffee with a friend ... so that's me ... we will have a coffee shop too, drop your child off in the creche for an "experience on the farm and back to nature in the forest" whilst you have a coffee and a cake and a natter with your friends undisterbed!


With the baby room ... I hadn't thought of sleeping I had just thought of the wholesibling interaction and being part of the creche "community" raather than in their own room. This will all come into the plan after I have given an overall business plan to the investors. I suppose I could have a seperate sleep room, and toilet block ... Lots to think about.

I am really excited but trying to kjeep it calm until after I have assessed the buildings on Friday.

Well I hope to be back to pick your brains further and get some ideas from your settings as you all seem to have some great ideas and business setups on here and this is a big project to set up alone! x

[Chell]

My children went to a preschool set on a working farm although there is less farming going on now. The farmer gave up dairy farming in the end.

You mention a coffee shop, the farm ,ine went to used to host birthday parties. The children would have their food in the forest school and have a tractor trailor ride around the farm as well as free play in the outdoor play area.

[Stanfield]

My children went to a preschool set on a working farm although there is less farming going on now. The farmer gave up dairy farming in the end.

You mention a coffee shop, the farm ,ine went to used to host birthday parties. The children would have their food in the forest school and have a tractor trailor ride around the farm as well as free play in the outdoor play area.

Can I ask what the preschool was called, is there a website? This is the type of thing I am looking at ... and yes, tractor trailor ride is a must!
The farm only does a few sheep but lots of wheat and they were looking for ideas to expand, but they have no time to do it, so I sugguested this and they are loving it! Thinking the same ... in a few years, the sheep farming will die out and I will run the lot .... MWA HA HAHAHA!!!

[Blackhorse]

cant offer any advice but I like your concept.
I spent a lot of my life on farms and in stables....helping out...being outside...
and it is great for kids I think!!

let us know how you get on

[TheBTeam]

Cant offer any advice but want to wish you luck it sounds fantastic.

[haribo]

sounds great i spent most of my childhood on my nans /uncles farm i loved it . turned me into a veggie mind you but left me with a lifelong love of animals and the outdoors .. good luck with it all x

[wendywu]

[Ofsted needed to know how I was going to keep mnding separate from the farm and the animals and working areas of the farm etc.

Why would you want to keep the children seperate from the animals. I would have loved my children to have been cared for on a farm and the thing i would have wanted was for them to be involved in the farm as much as possible.

Ofsted are strange

[Blackhorse]

I can appreciate that ofsted need to know this as some areas of the farm should be restricted as they can be dangerous for the kids.

but i dont see how they can say no to supervised risk assessed activities for the kids on the farm

I would send my dd to a farm/cm/nursery as I love the idea!!

[flora]

Why would you want to keep the children seperate from the animals. I would have loved my children to have been cared for on a farm and the thing i would have wanted was for them to be involved in the farm as much as possible.

Ofsted are strange

As the farm is a weorking farm they wanted clear areas for minding outside and farming. They had no probs with them being with the horses. chucks, duckes etc etc etc but didin't waant them on the farm.

There are drugs, tractors, slurry tanks etc etc, too much to ra I'm afraid

All the kids that come here love it and want to come again

[Stanfield]

Thanks everyone ...

I can see about the whole sectioning off the dangerous farm areas but was worried they would say no to supervised animals etc ...

The working part of the farm would mostly be in a seperate part with seperate access to tractors lorries etc, but the animals and petting type area I would like to be very much part of the nursery / creche.

What do you think of "Mother Natures Childcare" ? A little early I know, but when submitting the business plan I would like them to get a feel for the whole ethos of the project.

[Blackhorse]

to be honest I dont like Mother natures childcare...

I dont associate farms with mother nature as such....to me mother nature would suggest a wooden hut in a forest or something...if that makes sense..

I personally would probably go for something like the childcare barn or farming tots.... something more farm suggesting....but maybe that's just me

go with whatever you like best!!

[Kelly]

My god daughter went here http://www.loversallfarmdaynursery.co.uk/ her mum fell in love the minute they visited. The children went on regular visits to see the animals, i'm not sure how hands on the children were.