sarah707
30-11-2012, 12:28 PM
A recent Nursery World magazine article suggested that childminders should throw away our Learning Journey booklets and keep information about the children in our heads.
A number of well respected early years writers have responded quite strongly (and, thankfully, negatively) to this on the most recent magazine letters page...
My reply was considered a bit too long for the magazine so it has been put online -
We need more - not less! | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1161770/need---not-less/)
I wrote it with help and input from a lot of colleagues here on the forum - thank you to everyone who contributed. :clapping:
The thing we have to remember is that Ofsted and the Govt are making noises about deregulating childminders - this threat to our sustainability has not gone away.
We have to be seen on an equal footing with nurseries and other early years settings or we will be trampled on... :(
I hope you think my response is a fair and accurate representation of how childminders feel :D
hectors house
30-11-2012, 12:35 PM
Yes I completely endorse your reply - and recognised one of the quoted childminders as being "ME"!
Well done and thank you for standing up for us all - I really don't know how you have time to fit everything into one day and get done all the things we say we are going to do, but don't.:clapping:
k1rstie
30-11-2012, 12:44 PM
Many thanks Sarah.
You have written a very thorough letter.
mum24
30-11-2012, 10:43 PM
Sarah your reply was so well thought out and well presented, you are a childminding champion:clapping::laughing:
silvermist
30-11-2012, 11:31 PM
Love it Sarah. I also recognised my little tuppence worth in there, first time anything Ive said has got into a magazine! :laughing: Thanks for always asking our opinions, its really important for us to have a say in things. I shall wait with interest to see if she responds!! :rolleyes:
Carol M
01-12-2012, 08:38 AM
Well said Sarah.
I have reduced my paperwork and written evidence considerably and I am confident I have more knowledge of the children in my care than ever before. I felt all the written planning, activity, long/short/medium,group etc. was clouding and stressing me as I wanted to follow my planning and invairably detailed planning did not work.. Now I follow the children more, I still have basic plans to use to trigger interests, I also use topics and themes, but have stepped right back from formal planning and trying to follow it. I have more spontainaity and more quality time to spend having fun with the children.
I still do LJ's and using the development matters doc plan possible next steps, so I am concerned by her comments that we should have it ALL in our heads.
I bet we all know our children well and I think LJ's go a long way to showing OFSTED that we do, but how we choose to set out the LJ's is a matter of personal preference, just as, unfortunately, inspectors still seem to have their preferences and struggle to understand the ways that childminders work.
I still advocate the way Social Services regulated and inspected us but really don't know how or what the government has planned for us and you know what, I really don't care anymore! :(
Carol xx
sarah707
01-12-2012, 08:49 AM
Well said Sarah.
I have reduced my paperwork and written evidence considerably and I am confident I have more knowledge of the children in my care than ever before. I felt all the written planning, activity, long/short/medium,group etc. was clouding and stressing me as I wanted to follow my planning and invairably detailed planning did not work.. Now I follow the children more, I still have basic plans to use to trigger interests, I also use topics and themes, but have stepped right back from formal planning and trying to follow it. I have more spontainaity and more quality time to spend having fun with the children.
I still do LJ's and using the development matters doc plan possible next steps, so I am concerned by her comments that we should have it ALL in our heads.
I bet we all know our children well and I think LJ's go a long way to showing OFSTED that we do, but how we choose to set out the LJ's is a matter of personal preference, just as, unfortunately, inspectors still seem to have their preferences and struggle to understand the ways that childminders work.
I still advocate the way Social Services regulated and inspected us but really don't know how or what the government has planned for us and you know what, I really don't care anymore! :(
Carol xx
I too have reduced some of the fluff that I used to do Carol - but I still have all the important bits in writing.
I find it is much easier to engage parents if they can see it on paper - and to involve the children in their learning when we sit down and read their LJ together.
The most important thing though - as far as childminders as a whole are concerned - is our future position in the early years sector and our sustainability.
Here's my conspiracy theory - and I know other very well respected childminders who are lobbying on this one will agree with me -
Childminders - they shout - do less, keep it in your heads, tell the inspector verbally
Inspectors - where is your evidence? Tell me this that and the other
Childminders - we can't do that we are busy with the children playing up and we have just gone to pieces because you are here
Inspectors - well sorry but you are not showing me the evidence so I will have to give you a lower grade
Nurseries during inspection - here is a member of staff to take you through exactly what we do - we are great aren't we?
Childminders fall even further behind nurseries and other group settings and Ofsted says something has to be done about us... again... and on it goes... just one more nail in the coffin...
Let's not let that happen guys!! xx
mum26
01-12-2012, 09:07 AM
Goodness Sarah - it certainly does make you wonder!! The Government and Ofsted have been doing so much to rubbish childminders recently it's a wonder we have any enquiries!
I was graded 'outstanding' on my last inspection and I am certain that I would not have that grade if I hadn't had written (and photographic) evidence to back up my practise. I am totally useless when 'put on the spot' so would probably have been lucky to scrape a satisfactory - which would be good for the Governments figures. Of course, when it is proven that we are providing such rubbish practise we will have to charge peanuts and be grateful for any parent who shall cross our threshhold!
We definitely need to stand up and fight for our corner and thank you Sarah for helping this cause so much.
sarah707
04-12-2012, 06:17 PM
Wooooo! Excitement in the air! Julian Grenier, a very well respected head teacher and author of lots of very good stuff... agrees with me!
Inside the secret garden: Assessment in the EYFS: why I think Margaret Edgington is mistaken (http://juliangrenier.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/assessment-in-eyfs-why-i-think-margaret.html)
:D
sushila09
20-12-2012, 10:05 PM
I feel child minders work from early to late from 5 to 7 days to make ends meat and on top of it
struggle with planning obsevation and everthing eles that we have to do with paper work we are working
7 days a week to be dealing with everthing and not forgetting the shopping and taking care of the children
What is more important looking after kids or paper work.
sheila
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