When setting up the rooms for ofsterd vist do you need the toys you be useing or can you get them after the vist :) As I got none at the movement .

Thanks in advace

Kevin

Kev, you ok?

Write a wishlist of the essential toys you will get for different ages once you have children.

Blocks, pushchairs, cars, dolls etc etc

remember natural resources are a great toy in fact probably better. So you havent got musical instruments but you have got pot and pans and wooden spoons.

When setting up the rooms for ofsterd vist do you need the toys you be useing or can you get them after the vist :) As I got none at the movement .

Thanks in advace

Kevin

You will need to show Ofsted what resources you have at the inspection. You don't need to buy everything you will ever need though. You should have a range of toys and resources to show but also wait and buy a few more things when you start childminding as you don't know what children you will have. They may show an interest in something which you may want to explore with new resources then.

Kev, you ok?

Hi yes I am fine thanks for asking

That's good, I've just become used to reading your jokes, that's all.:thumbsup:

I don't remember Ofsted being interested in the toys I had when they came for the pre-reg visit. From what I can remember it is more to do with ensuring your setting is safe for little ones. You don't know the ages of the children you will be looking after so I'd say it would be difficult to buy toys in advance, I only my own children's things. I agree with FussyElmo, the wish list is a good idea. There are some basics that interest a wide age range - blocks, small world figures / animals / cars, instruments, role-play kitchen, action songs cd, large trays for sensory play etc, books (I'd only get these because you can usually pick them up cheap at carboot sales). If I was going to start buying these are the things I would go for first.

Cathy
Pre-school Play (http://www.pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com)

As others have said, the inspector will ask you lots of questions and some of those will be what you are going to purchase etc, make a list of things you need, explain to the inpsector that you will have everything you need before you start working with children - they will be happy enough with that.
The only time they will be concerned is if they turn up for your first graded and you have no toys! :p

I had my pre-reg last week. Luckily I have lots of things already from when my own children were small, and I had 'need to buy' and 'want to buy' lists all ready to show her, but she did ask to see my equipment and resources and said that since September you are meant to have everything ready before they come round so that in theory you would be ready for a child to start the next day. For example, she said that since I had risk assessed that I would need stair gates, they should have been up :blush: but that she since she knew I couldn't start minding until I got the certificate she would let that go and trust that I would get them up asap. I think they have to be realistic though and understand that you can only get so much before you actually have an income! So perhaps get a basic selection of open-ended toys that will appeal to a wide age range - wooden bricks, plastic animals, pots and wooden spoons out of the cupboard as pp said, some books from the library and maybe some toys from a toy library if you can access one...

Has the pre-reg visit changed that much since September then?
I had mine at the beginning of July (one week into my ChIP course). My children are in their teens, so I had no toys, apart from some in storage in the loft and no safety equipment either. It was just my (very tidy!) house. She asked what I intended doing and I kept repeating that I was aware of the risks and what I needed to put in place and that safety measures and toys would be dependent on the age of the children I had and would be in place when the children appeared. At that point I hadn't written any policies either (they were the homework for the end of the course), but I knew what I was talking about.
That was all fine in July!

I had my pre-reg last week. Luckily I have lots of things already from when my own children were small, and I had 'need to buy' and 'want to buy' lists all ready to show her, but she did ask to see my equipment and resources and said that since September you are meant to have everything ready before they come round so that in theory you would be ready for a child to start the next day. For example, she said that since I had risk assessed that I would need stair gates, they should have been up :blush: but that she since she knew I couldn't start minding until I got the certificate she would let that go and trust that I would get them up asap. I think they have to be realistic though and understand that you can only get so much before you actually have an income! So perhaps get a basic selection of open-ended toys that will appeal to a wide age range - wooden bricks, plastic animals, pots and wooden spoons out of the cupboard as pp said, some books from the library and maybe some toys from a toy library if you can access one...

I had all my gates up, toys set up etc - care inspectorate said it was really not necessary for me to have for gates yet as might not even need them depending on ages of children etc but the week before I had the fire service visit with 30 mins notice and he was annoyed I didn't have them up!! My kids are 6 and 10! You really can't win sometimes!!

Oh and try local Facebook selling pages - I have picked up lots of bargains on my local one!

:cool:
Has the pre-reg visit changed that much since September then?
I had mine at the beginning of July (one week into my ChIP course). My children are in their teens, so I had no toys, apart from some in storage in the loft and no safety equipment either. It was just my (very tidy!) house. She asked what I intended doing and I kept repeating that I was aware of the risks and what I needed to put in place and that safety measures and toys would be dependent on the age of the children I had and would be in place when the children appeared. At that point I hadn't written any policies either (they were the homework for the end of the course), but I knew what I was talking about.
That was all fine in July!

It seems like it :huh: (at least according to that particular inspector :rolleyes:) I was a bit taken aback myself! I guess it fits with having to have all your courses finished and certificates at the ready to prove it now too.