I don't want to be a nursery!!!!

**newbie** · 23-11-2012, 05:05 PM

I don't want to be a nursery!!! I don't want labels and posters everywhere. I don't want for example a washing hands poster in my loo! I have a themed wall which changes every term with the children's contributions but that is it! It's my home NOT a nursery. Surely if a parent wanted a nursery type setting they would choose to send their child there. Surely parents choose childminders for a HOME setting. However I'm worried about Ofsted's reaction at my next inspection as when I had my last one 3 years ago I did have posters and labels everywhere!

**Beaka** · 23-11-2012, 05:13 PM

I don't have those and when I had my inspection last month it wasn't mentioned and I got good. I'm determined not to be like a nursery either, I'm a home educator and don't believe in formal education or curriculums. xxxx
Just want to add that I do have some of the children's work on the walls, just like I did with my own kids! x

**JCrakers** · 23-11-2012, 05:20 PM

Completely understand where your coming from. When I first started I had a paper towel dispenser and a laminated card up reminding the children to wash their hands. Then I had my toilet redone with new tiles and there was no way I was drilling into them to put the towel dispenser back up so it went and so did the sign.

I'm quite lucky to have a conservatory that I use solely for a childminding playroom so I don't mind the nursery look in there with labels etc. but if the toy boxes were in my lounge I wouldn't have them on. I lock my playroom away every evening and weekends.

I have a few posters up on the windows in the playroom but in the dining room/kitchen (open plan with a gate) I don't stick anything on the walls, no posters, no kids artwork because its my home and I don't want to be constantly reminded of work once I've finished and I don't want to be taking everything down off the walls every evening.

Ofsted were fine in march and if she had said something about the lack of posters etc I would have reminded her that this is my home and parents wanted a home environment not a nursery

The lack of 'nursery looking posters and furniture' doesn't make me a less professional childminder. If ofsted told me to put things up I simply wouldn't

**loocyloo** · 23-11-2012, 05:22 PM

i'm a home first & foremost!

i do have my boxes labelled ... but that is more for the older people that 'help' tidy up, as LOs know what goes where, but older people are not so good! ( also have shelves labelled in my toy cupboard for the same reason !!! )

i don't have posters up ( but do have a little hand washing poster in downstairs toilet ( but its been there for ever! ) oh, and i do have a picture of mr tumble signing hello!

i have a board with childrens art work on in the playroom, but i don't even particuarly 'do' displays! i currently have a tree on conservatory windows, but as that is ceasing to be my playroom soon, i won't have it anymore! i may put a paper christmas tree on toy cupboard doors, but that will be it!

i have a wall hanging as you come in my porch with all certs etc in it, plus attendence book & self registration on table under it, but that is it !!!

i am currently in my kitchen with 2 mindees making gloriously gluey creations next to me but there is no sign that i have small children here at all ( and once mindees gone home, their 'tall' chairs will go away too! )

**cathtee** · 23-11-2012, 08:06 PM

When ofsted came to me all I had up was my certificate and that was fine, no lables on toy boxes or any other signs anywhere, like you
say these are our homes and if ofsted say anything on my next inspection then I will stand up for myself and tell them its my home not
a nursery.

**Genesis** · 23-11-2012, 09:09 PM

Same here, i do have quite a lot on display in my hall way and bits and pieces in my conservatory, but my living room although used to play remains my living room with the exception of a book case which has childrens books in it, but looking at finding a space to do away with that out of the room!

**kats** · 23-11-2012, 09:32 PM

I know this is going against everything you have all said but i quite like having my playroom as a little nursery, it's probably the nursery nurse in me and i think really i should have opened my own nursery years ago so what i do with my playroom i suppose is a bit of a substitute. i do like it though!!

DickDock · 23-11-2012, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by newbie

I don't want to be a nursery!!! I don't want labels and posters everywhere. I don't want for example a washing hands poster in my loo! I have a themed wall which changes every term with the children's contributions but that is it! It's my home NOT a nursery. Surely if a parent wanted a nursery type setting they would choose to send their child there. Surely parents choose childminders for a HOME setting. However I'm worried about Ofsted's reaction at my next inspection as when I had my last one 3 years ago I did have posters and labels everywhere!

So don't then!

I don't want labels all over my home and neither do my family.
I don't do anything unless it serves a purpose.
We live in a text, print and symbol rich society and environment and just like days of yor (I know growing up nothing in my home was labelled yet I still learned to read, write and spell) the children I have cared for have managed to be interested in books, words, letters but only in their own time and way.
We need to stop ticking boxes, we need to stop and think does it serve a purpose or is it just to please our development officer or network or ofsted.

**Daisy De** · 24-11-2012, 08:32 AM

I think at the end of the day it just comes down to personal choice and space available.

I am lucky enough to have a separate playroom and I do have loads of posters, labels, childrens' artwork etc. I love it, its colourful, inviting and parents seem to love it but, of course, it doesn't make me a better childminder and I don't feel like a nursery.

Again, its whatever works for you personally.

**claireLouise** · 24-11-2012, 09:15 AM

I live and work in Scotland and it is expected to have posters etc. This is consisdered best practice without these you would get a very poor rating. I run a business from home as because of that my family have to accept I need to display my registration certificate, Public liability insurance, last inspection report, posters about hand washing and children's artwork.

I dont feel like a nursery, it's my childcare business and I need to demonstare that my home is inviting to both parents and mindees.

**jadavi** · 24-11-2012, 03:29 PM

I was told to label things at my inspection, and to have a 'print rich' environment.....

**Tealady** · 24-11-2012, 03:50 PM

This is quite an interesting thread. I don't have lables and posters up. However my setting must be naturally "print rich" as I must get asked 10 times a day "what does that say" and then DS tries to read it back.... he has just turned three.

**carol cameron** · 24-11-2012, 06:21 PM

Well I haven't been inspected since the EYFS changed but in 15 years I have never had posters or signs up on my walls and it hasn't stopped me from getting outstanding grades the last twice so I'm not going to worry about it !
(Can't see me getting that grade next time mind but that's another thread in itself , lol)
As someone else pointed out, there are lots of ways of demonstrating a print rich environment without having those things

**Happystay** · 24-11-2012, 09:01 PM

I agree it is my home,but when Ofsted or my DO come I get out the blue tack and up go the posters.Silly really I should stand up for myself and not do it.Next time maybe !!!!!

**Roseolivia** · 26-11-2012, 08:10 AM

I'm lucky in that i have a seperate playroom so there's posters and signs up but that's the only place. I don't have a notice board up for parents in the hallway, that's in the playroom. The rest of my house looks like a home apart from the highchairs but then i do have a 2yr old of my own.

**Chimps Childminding** · 27-11-2012, 09:10 PM

I use my dining room so only have a few things up on the walls!! If I had a dedicated playroom then I would have lots more, but my children are all adults so don't want my home looking too much like a nursery!!

**zippy** · 27-11-2012, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by jadavi

I was told to label things at my inspection, and to have a 'print rich' environment.....

You don't need labels to have a print rich environment, you can get a ton of things from sparklebox depending on what your doing for example pirates, you can download a load of pics of different things like treasure wtc that has picture and word, you can have a garden centre corner with order books and open and closed signs. Toy box labels do not make a print rich environment in my opinion, have a google there's tons of stuff out there.

DickDock · 28-11-2012, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by Happystay

I agree it is my home,but when Ofsted or my DO come I get out the blue tack and up go the posters.Silly really I should stand up for myself and not do it.Next time maybe !!!!!

I know we all spit and polish up for an impending inspection but isn't that an untrue representation of yourself? How do you justify putting it up as in can you explain why it benefits children in your care? If you don't already have it up then you obviously don't believe in having posters and labels up but why? Look into the reasons and understand why you do or don't do something and then you should be able to explain to the necessary why. To me its about being able to justify why you do or don't do something.

I have been trawling this site and come across the Fatally Flawed (?) information and subsequently went to their website. I have never used plug sockets with my own children or minded children and this information just gives me more help to 'arm myself'

**hectors house** · 28-11-2012, 09:05 AM

Looking through Ofsted inspections yesterday - I noticed that childminders had been picked up because they had books in a book case! Ofsted crititised them because the front cover showing picture and words wasn't on display - I know some people use sling like bookcases but we haven't all got room for them and you can only display a small amount of books in them.

We go to library each week, children choose their own books and we have them out on the coffee table all week - if children want to play with the farm, I get out farm stories, same with dinosaurs, mini beasts etc. I do 100% more for/with my mindees than I did with my own children and one has a uni degree and doing a masters, one has very good job and one is still at school on the "gifted and talented register".

**nipper** · 28-11-2012, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by cathtee

When ofsted came to me all I had up was my certificate and that was fine, no lables on toy boxes or any other signs anywhere, like you
say these are our homes and if ofsted say anything on my next inspection then I will stand up for myself and tell them its my home not
a nursery.

I also had no labels on toy boxes and nothing was said to me...and i got a good