Why don't you like/want to do the EYFS?

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Is it because you don't understand it? maybe lack of training?

Please give your views

[OrlandoBelle]

Who doesn't want to do it? Personally, i love it. I love writing and admin and children... hence the reason i love my job. It does get on top of me sometimes though. I won't deny that!:D

[Princess Sara]

The thought of it is still a bit daunting but I think that's because I still don't fully understand it, not because I don't think it's nessassry.

[Andrea08]

I dont mind it too much now i have had more training etc

but to be honest i didnt like it at all back in the beginning,,

think its the wording that doesnt help and the fact its LAW that makes us feel scared of the EYFS

also the word Childminder does not appear very often so it doesnt feel like a cm friendly document.

as we were talking aboout this last night , some of the EYFS is what we were doing anyway but feel that Childrens centres, nurserys and childminders should be inspected independantly and not from the same Ofsted hand book,

so there should have been an EYFS for every TYPE of setting so we feel it is a more cm friendly document and personal to the way cm's work. and not just a framework that is forced upon us with out the training some LA's have failed to deliver.

As long as they dont make too many changes every year and give us training to understand some aspects im hoping it will become second nature ,

a check list of requirements would be handy to self assess ourselves,

a more cm friendly on-line SEF,

and news letters from ofsted showing good practice, ideas and tips etc would be good!!!

but yes my paperwork did and is still growing,

xx

[rickysmiths]

Now I've sorted it out in my head and got myself organised its fine. Its just organising what I have been doing all the years I have been minding. I have enjoyed seeing their Learning Journeys grow.

The thing I find a little disheartening though, is that although the parents appreciate the time I spend they really are not bothered. They are all professionals and do loads with thier children. They choose home based care because they knew I would do what they would if they stayed at home. What they find odd is that they wouldn't do all the recording so why do I need to do it?

We have had scant training.

It has be impossible here to work with the schools and pre-schools. They just don't see the need to share info!!:eek:

The Childrens Centre is not pro Childminders which isn't helpful :rolleyes:

I think is has been a very hard transition for all of us, but the cms that have never done regular training are just not doing the work. Then they are getting 'Good' inspections which is very depressing for those of us who have worked our backsides off. :eek:

[tammerisk]

i don't like paper work as i am not that good at it. it takes me twice as long to do something as most people as i am not a writing paper work person it all jummbles up in from of me and i can't get what is in my head on to paper sounding as good or the same as in my head

but i love the princaple of the eyfs and how it makes us seem just as important as others like nurseries and that instead of just 'babysitters' like most people think.

it is a good thing and i like it but as i said i just not good at paper work

[TheBTeam]

Now I've sorted it out in my head and got myself organised its fine. Its just organising what I have been doing all the years I have been minding. I have enjoyed seeing their Learning Journeys grow.

The thing I find a little disheartening though, is that although the parents appreciate the time I spend they really are not bothered. They are all professionals and do loads with thier children. They choose home based care because they knew I would do what they would if they stayed at home. What they find odd is that they wouldn't do all the recording so why do I need to do it?

We have had scant training.

It has be impossible here to work with the schools and pre-schools. They just don't see the need to share info!!:eek:

The Childrens Centre is not pro Childminders which isn't helpful :rolleyes:

I think is has been a very hard transition for all of us, but the cms that have never done regular training are just not doing the work. Then they are getting 'Good' inspections which is very depressing for those of us who have worked our backsides off. :eek:
I agree with all above, but i am lucky and i enjoy paperwork, just occasionally do i feel that i have set myself too much to do and don't have time etc tho, but i am currently revamping all of my risk assessments every spare minute i get alongside nipping in and out of the forum. I spent a huge amount of time setting myself up to accomodate the EYFS but the benefit has paid off and i have a set of stuff that i am really happy with, which is personal to our setting and i can work with comfortably. I just need to fully get my head around utilising the next steps and recording completion etc.

I personally prefer EYFS to b23, found that a completely baffling nonsence!

[rickysmiths]

agree with all above, but i am lucky and i enjoy paperwork, just occasionally do i feel that i have set myself too much to do and don't have time etc tho, but i am currently revamping all of my risk assessments every spare minute i get alongside nipping in and out of the forum.

I personally prefer EYFS to b23, found that a completely baffling nonsence!



Oh I agree with you, I'm trying to update all my policies as well.

Think I need 48hr days sometimes!!! :eek:

[TheBTeam]

Oh I agree with you, I'm trying to update all my policies as well.

Think I need 48hr days sometimes!!! :eek:


I had to redo the policies/permissions a number of times over the last 3 years, firstly for HQS, then for dh as assistant, then for dh as childminder in his own right, so come hell or high water they are not changing for now! Only added Parental resp etc and tweeks!

My risk asssessments however were just written in a tiny notebook and i now feel that it is time to have it more formally recorded and evidenced as our setting has got bigger, (and smaller and bigger and smaller with kids coming and going!:laughing: )

[ORKSIE]

I Love it....I Love it:happy banana: :happy banana:
I was very lucky I got very good training from a colleague.
The EYFS training i didnt think much to. IMPO:thumbsup:

[funtoplay]

I like the fact ALL settings have to follow the same guidlines. We as childminders, i believe, are best suited to deliver the EYFS. Our position is so flexible we can do almost anything in order to aid our childrens developement and well being. Perhaps now there is a chance we will be treated as professionsl!!!!!!

Julia

[huggableshelly]

[QUOTE=rickysmiths;437781]
We have had scant training. agreed ...

It has be impossible here to work with the schools and pre-schools. They just don't see the need to share info!!:eek: agreed ...
[QUOTE]

I feel better after some training though .. I scrapped what I was doing and re-organised myself but also only have 2 in EYFS (well 4 but 2 in f/t school on scrapbooks not full learning journals).

i dont dislike it ... not fully 100% comfortable with it yet but getting there.

[rickysmiths]

[QUOTE=rickysmiths;437781]
We have had scant training. agreed ...

It has be impossible here to work with the schools and pre-schools. They just don't see the need to share info!!:eek: agreed ...
[QUOTE]

I feel better after some training though .. I scrapped what I was doing and re-organised myself but also only have 2 in EYFS (well 4 but 2 in f/t school on scrapbooks not full learning journals).

i dont dislike it ... not fully 100% comfortable with it yet but getting there.


Lucky you!!! I have 7 of them :eek:

[TheBTeam]

[QUOTE=huggableshelly;437817][QUOTE=rickysmiths;437781]
We have had scant training. agreed ...

It has be impossible here to work with the schools and pre-schools. They just don't see the need to share info!!:eek: agreed ...



Lucky you!!! I have 7 of them :eek:

Yes it was me and dh having more in eyfs than there were days in the week, which meant i had to review the way i record stuff it was taking a long evening to do one and in the beginning i was doing one long obs a week! just as i got it down to doing most in one evening, most had to finish for a variety of reasons, and so now it is a breeze for a while!

[sarah707]

I love the Eyfs and feel really positive about it.

yes there are some issues but in the main it is the best system I have worked with in many years of educational reforms.

:D

[Rach30]

I agree with funtoplay :D . i do think it;s easy for people to get bogged down with paper work tho. keep it basic and simple.............i do :clapping:

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I have put two similar titled threads on here including this one and no one is moaning about the EYFS. I am presuming that those not happy are sticking to just "one other" OR everyone loves it!!

[Mouse]

Personally I really like it (despite what impression I may give on the 'other' thread!).

It suits the way I work. I was basically doing this anyway, but I was all over the place with it. I had the ideas about what I wanted to do & how I wanted things to be, but it seemed so hard to get things together. EYFS has given me the push & guidance I needed to get everything in order & into a more workable format.

I do think it's what most childminders were doing anyway and it's going some way into bringing other childcare providers in line with us!

I don't think my minded children or parents benefitted from the introduction of EYFS as I haven't really changed anything as far as they're concerned - I was doing it anyway. Perhaps for me then the biggest advantages have been 'behind the scenes'.

[tinkerbelle]

im dont mind the eyfs but i would have appreciated more training instead of being left to figure it out for myself
i also have a problem with the working with other settings as they will not work with me despite letters, conversations and permission forms from parents etc what annoys me is my mark was lowered on this part despite showing i had tried to work with them so surely nurserys should be showing the same proof to ofsted of wroking with us

[TooEarlyForGin?]

At first I dreaded the EYFS, but have found it overall to have given me focus on what I do on a day to day basis. It has helped me understand children more and what they can achieve.

I do feel it does make sure that we are "doing things" with children and not going back to just being glorified babysitters.

I am a hard working childminder who was very pleasantly surprised at an Outstanding in 2007. I really doubt I will make it next year as I am loosing the "faith".

My negative points are-

What is wrong with "home-based" childcare? Why does the government seem bent on turning us all into mini nursery's. Many children that come through my door have already been to pre-school, or school, or other more "formal" methods of childcare, many are tired and want to relax in a "home" environment, which is why parents choose us. I know a childminder who was marked down on her OFSTED inspection because she hadn't done a development plan for a 5 year 4 month old child who was attending reception at school. This is madness. Why is there the need to do development plans for 52 weeks of the year for 0-5's(ish) - when older children can relax after school and have 3 months of holidays. I am increadibly busy during the holidays and the little ones love to follow the big ones, playing games just having lots of fun, surely there isn't a need to make sure we are doing "educational" stuff during these times. I know that many "fun" things can be linked into the EYFS just by play, but should it be made law.

Maybe I am doing something wrong, but I spend at least half an hour each evening, updating diraries, making notes, preparation for the next day. Then spend extra time doing learning journeys, it takes me 10 minutes to leaf through the framework document to make sure I am linking the activity to the correct area.

I have done all of the training and have been told to "do what feels comfortable". But reading OFSTED reports many minders are coming under fire for incorrect planning, or paperwork, although they won't provide us with a good basic starting point.

I also feel that although we are consistently being told that we are "professionals" and this is making us seen to be doing a professional job, we are doing the same job as nursery's, pre-schools and schools (reception) (quite frankly better than many of them) then why aren't we allowed to draw down on the funding? Why do we have to do the accreditation route? It is already creating a tierd system, those that choose to be accredited and those that don't. Why if we are all doing the same thing now? I have also applied for grants to enable me to purchase some of the more expensive materials - which have all been refused, I earned just over £3 an hour last year and I am very busy. If the government wants us to deliver their curriculum by law then why not give us extra funding to do so?

My final point (honestly) is that there is only me. I am the cook, the administrator, the finance officer, the teacher, the cleaner. I have to do all my training during my own time (I work 7-6.30 5 days a week) teachers get "non-pupil" days to do theirs - how can we be the same as other educational institutions, we cannot do the exact same as the others, but do we want to and does it really matter?

I know childminding is brilliant. We are the best at giving a wonderful start to children, loving and caring for each individual becoming personally involved with and supporting their families - why can't this be embraced as part of the tapestry of their lives and give us our own set of rules tailored to our unique way of caring for children, rather than rolling us all together. Many minders do this because they are brilliant with children, but many stuggle with paperwork. We may loose brilliant childcarers just because of this.

I do hope this isn't too negative like I said I am not against it but just feel there needs to be more work done to make it better.