Worrying Ofsted inspection outcome...
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  1. #1
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    Default Worrying Ofsted inspection outcome...

    We are discussing a worrying inspection outcome on our Independent Childminders Facebook group today...

    A childminder was told by her inspector that she had to use the car for school runs because she was keeping the children out of the house for too long and she wasn't providing them with enough learning experiences while they were sat in the buggy... the school is about a 1 mile walk and she explained to the inspector how they did all sorts of games while they were out and some children took it in turns to practice walking etc...

    Members of our FB group are horrified!

    I have to say I thought something like this might happen with the focus of inspections now being on how much we teach children - but...

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    I don't drive and don't do school runs but do take mindees to local farm park. I walk to end of lane - 10 mins, bus to town - 10 mins, wait for connecting bus - 30 mins, walk from bus stop to farm park - 10 mins. So an hour in the buggy, even longer on the return trip due to connections or lack of them!

    Does this now mean I shouldn't go?! We get a good few hours there, chat on the buses, in the 30 min wait might go to supermarket for snacks/picnic bits, meet people in the community and have a great day. Obviously not every day

    When my own kids were young it took me that long to get to school and back - couldn't leave them there!

    I despair
    Happy to be back with the Greenies

  3. #3
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    It slightly horrifies me to be honest. On one hand we are being told we should be teaching children about exercise with an emphasis to being outside, and on the other that we should keep children indoors to do activities. In my opinion they learn more from seeing the outside world and asking questions rather than reading a book or doing an indoor activity.

    I do a similar school run by foot and always think how lucky the children are because they get fresh air and get to see the world around them, rather than be ferried about in a car

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    When I lived in Essex we walked 1/2 mile to school, back past house and then 1/2 mile in opposite direction for nursery then back again. Chatting and communicating all the way. Learning how to cross roads safely, counting cars, counting door colours, looking for birds & squirrels in the woods, If lucky the air ambulance landed or took off from the hospital we passed (not for the passenger though), Looking for certain letters as we walked, writing with sticks in the mud, dust on side of cycle track!

    Not enough learning opportunities Hmm

    Have to drive now and hate it would prefer to walk but no footpath.

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    I don't drive, and similarly to previous post, because of my location,the school run is 45minute round trip, sometimes more if weather/bad moods stall us. However I think the learning possibilities during this trip are huge, we see so much, and talk about endless amounts. I feel if I was to drive I would have less time to talk to the children about things!!

    This worries me, I haven't any intention of learning to drive yet,I hope this doesn't become common practice amongst inspectors!!

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    All I can say is oh my! What is comimg next?

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    I do drive and due to two drops and getting children in and out of car and dithering with their friends I am out of the house for 45mins to hour.

    The day I get marked down for this is the day I quit!

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    Maybe we shouldn't let them sleep either as they are loosing learning time then!

    ....or even eat.

    This has annoyed me beyond belief!

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    How silly just getting into the double buggy is a learning experience, next to, right, left, fast slow etc, never mind the journey to school, door numbers, pelican crossing, birds, eye spy colours, singing, the inspector obviously has no imagination and no clue how children learn.
    I'd go absolutely ape if they told me I ought to drive.

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    I'm gobsmacked to say the least!
    Had to check it wasn't April 1st.

    All the comments on here are so true, surely Ofsted can't really think they can get away with this!!
    I also am a non-driver so our school run takes an hour out of our time if we go straight there and back and don't stop for shopping - writing lists, counting the fruit, weighing things, no learning there then!
    Or go to the Library - don't be silly, how could any child learn something in a Library tut tut silly me, I must take them home immediately.
    What about the children that I walk to the school Nursery daily - should I not take them? If I can't walk them there, they'll just have to not attend.
    I also do that Outside in the Wood childcare (sorry, trying not to get starred out) which of course is based - outside! and not at my house! Double crime!!!

    Does it make you want to cry?
    Have the newspapers got hold of this? - if they haven't, we should tell them!

  11. #11
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    This is stupid, I've just left working for the nhs in mental health and know all to well that this sector within community and learning disability sector are spending ++++ time and money in ensuring independence and social skills . One being healthy lifestyle walking , environment ect. If this was promoted at younger age it would be a foundation for them later on. On the other hand was the inspector picking up that children are out all day every day, Which some do from 9 am until 330 . when home time is also vital learning time.

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    What did this childminder say in return to this stupid comment? I would go seriously bonkers at that remark. For the past 2 years I have had to do school runs in the car as preschool was too far away to get to after school drop off. I can now walk 3 days a week and one afternoon, and the children have never chatted as much as they do when we walk. They ask to walk and the exercise is so good for them. Total nonsense!

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by sarah707 View Post
    We are discussing a worrying inspection outcome on our Independent Childminders Facebook group today...

    A childminder was told by her inspector that she had to use the car for school runs because she was keeping the children out of the house for too long and she wasn't providing them with enough learning experiences while they were sat in the buggy... the school is about a 1 mile walk and she explained to the inspector how they did all sorts of games while they were out and some children took it in turns to practice walking etc...

    Members of our FB group are horrified!

    I have to say I thought something like this might happen with the focus of inspections now being on how much we teach children - but...
    Are all day nurseries going to be banned from taking young children out in their buggies to experience the 'outdoors' from now on?

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    Woah! It's a 2 mile round walk for my school runs! I usually drive half of them and walk half of them. I am out of the house for about as long in the car as I am walking cos it takes so long to get children and buggies in and out of cars. This is 2 schools about 2/3 mile apart. I feel guilty on days that I drive and worry I should be walking more as we tend to do more "learning" things when we are walking, more interaction and more fresh air and exercise.

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    That's just ridiculous! I mostly walk but if its pouring with rain I will drive, there and back it takes me 50mins walking, if I drive there and back with two EY children with the getting them in and out of car seats, finding a parking place etc it takes me 45 mins round trip so saves me 5 mins time however I think the children benefit more from me walking and interacting but when the weather is awful will drive to benefit the older ones who would get soaked. If an inspector tried to tell me I should drive instead of walk I would have to defend my reasons. All the local schools and council have so many different incentives including walk on Wednesday and walk to school week to encourage children walking and then ofsted goes against all this - does this surprise me sadly not!

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    Blimey, it would be interesting to see how that's written in the inspection report.

    Has the cm questioned it?

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    This has made me hopping mad and then I remembered vaguely hearing something about it being UK government policy to consider the environment (positive/negative impact) in all decisions. After a bit of web-surfing I found the following:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/polici...and-operations

    I don't have time right now to dig into the legalities of this but my first thought is that Ofsted is a government department so their policy should include sustainable development. Insisting that cms must drive instead of walk is not sustainable development.

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    In that case should I not take the children in the car on long journeys on special days out in the holidays, it's only the same as being strapped in the buggy.

    I walk all school runs, no matter what the weather, about half a mile each way, we pass the farm, so see the cows, sheep, tractors etc. The children are learning so much from our walks, they would miss it all if I took them in the car.

    And if we all took the children in the car when we don't really need to don't you think Ofsted would then condemn us for the children having lack of exercise!!! No win situation really!!!

    As long as we do what we think is best for our children and the children are happy, that's what counts.

    Carol xxx

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  21. #19
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    It's barmey I have seen the facebook thread.

    I walk everywhere even though I can drive

    Funny enough though, this came up in my recent ffcers course as if a child is in a pushchair for longer than 20mins a day you get marked down for it- we all scoffed laughed as every childminder in the room walks that at least every day! Crazy crazy!

    The only thing for me is the post was "my friend" I am fed up of hearing here say, does that make sense?

  22. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rubybubbles View Post
    It's barmey I have seen the facebook thread.

    I walk everywhere even though I can drive

    Funny enough though, this came up in my recent ffcers course as if a child is in a pushchair for longer than 20mins a day you get marked down for it- we all scoffed laughed as every childminder in the room walks that at least every day! Crazy crazy!

    The only thing for me is the post was "my friend" I am fed up of hearing here say, does that make sense?
    I didn't see the post, so assumed it was the childminder herself posting it. That might make a bit of a difference. Often you don't get the whole story when it's hearsay.

 

 
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