Thoughts about EYFS

[Pipsqueak]

What are your thoughts about EYFS?

Is it good / bad? Why?
Whats the impact been on you? ie made you feel more professional
Still/ Have major concerns about it?
Did you get much training on it?


Talk to me.....

[miss mopple]

I like it Yes the paperwork is a mare and things like needing so many risk assessments etc is a bit ott in my opinion as surely common sense should play a part, but the learning and development side can only be a good thing.

It helps keep me focused on providing quality experiences for the kids and its lovely to see a written record and think 'I helped them achieve that'.

[Hebs]

I like it but not the paperwork.

Had NO training at all, but learnt from the best ..... you guys!

[estrelas]

I like it but never knew live before EYFS so its been easier I think

I have had no training on EYFs, I learnt through Sarahs Ebooks and this forum

I don't find it hard at all but thats because at the moment I dion't do lots and lots,

I cover everything but do only basic planning.

I love doing my LJ's and I think the parents also enjoy reading them

[sweets]

well im going to buck the trend and say i dont like it!!!

i think it is pointless, that white book is the most hated book in my house, i hate it when children are labelled as having to do this by age, 99% of them do everything eventually. there is no point in writing it down.

as for this following interests thing! just because a child says i like fireengines doesnt mean we should do go and do a whole project on them just because they said it once!

i do think though that if we are going to have it then its right that childminders should do it as well as nurseries etc to keep us on a proffessional level with them.

We have a country of doctors, lawers, polititions, builders, truck drivers etc they have all got on with life without being brought up with EYFS.

its just another way for this daft country to 'educate' children early. i dont believe they should be in school at 4 either but thats a different matter.

[sarah707]

I like most of it but some bits are really a bit much!

I am not averse to most of the statutory requirements, they make sense and are good practice but get overshadowed by the 6 areas of L & D which is wrong as they are law and therefore more important.

I like pretty much all of the learning and development requirements - except for some of the flowery language and some of the expectations for school age children are plain daft. Plus they are too long for most people to navigate so the other 3 columns tend to get ignored.

Yes ok make them challenging but don't aim so high you make the majority of children failures or end up with a system where children as young as 4 are coming home with homework just so teachers can tick boxes. That's not what Eyfs was supposed to be about is it?

It's the 15 (not L & D) Principles that confuse me... they don't seem to be understood by most people, there isn't a natural link between them and the ECM which is easy to understand, they aren't reflected in the SEF (which I thought they would be when I first saw them, that would have made sense...), they don't have an automatic place in the framework so most people ignore them which is a pity as there is some good stuff in them.

I think they should be incorporated into the statutory requirements and guidance booklet rather than presented separately... the stat reqs say you must keep children safe, healthy, talk about inclusion etc. Why say it all again and put it on expensive to produce cards that few people use?

And don't get me started on the training or the poster

Hth

[Roseolivia]

I hate following the EYFS. I think the statutory guidance is important as this is setting out the legal guidelines which i think we should all follow as then we're all working to the same standards but think the practice guidance is a bit of a waste of time. It does have good ideas on how to support children but having to refer to it is pointless. I try to do as little as possible, i do daily diaries for those i need to do it for and write what the child's done through the day then link this to the EYFS developments. I also do snapshot observations in the diaries. I take countless photos and relate these to the EYFS developments. My next steps for the children are noted in the photo books and diaries, i never sit and write longish obs, i'd rather be playing with the children and Rose. As i don't have lots of childre and they're all part timers i am able to provide one-on-one activities to suit their interests/needs without having to plan it all. My planning is my monthly newsletter and next steps in diaries. Maybe i'm wrong but this is the way i like to do it, my parents are happy with the service i provide and more importantly the children love coming here as one of my mindees always says 'i love coming here as we always do such fun activities'. That is enough for me, sorry don't care what OFSTED think.

[sandy64]

i really dont mind the eyfs planning obs etc i do agree with what sarah has said tho. i also wish everyone would work together tho i had just got use to the individual planning thanks to sarah, only to be told last fri by my n.c that i im making more work and dont need to do individual planning as it already covered on my obs next steps i disagree help only just sorted now confused again

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I like the idea as I think that it is a good structure for us to work from and it does benefit the kids. However, I do not like the time it is taking from my family just to prove to Ofsted that we do it.

Can you tell I am fed up with it!!

[little miss chatterbox]

I like the idea of it but am struggling with the paperwork big time! I am so behind and find it hard to find the time to do it. Plus I have had no training so am muddling through in the hope I get through my inspection.

[AnnieM]

I like the fact that in theory it puts us on a level playing field with other early years providers. I like the ideas behind it, but I struggle with the paperwork. I have had no specific EYFS training. I do fill in daily diaries for all under 5's and do obs and have started LJ's for the 2 littlies I now look after but it is quite difficult to find time to do it as they are both at nurseries in the afternoons and I only have them for a couple of hours a day for a couple of days a week. One of them is here on an 8 week contract so I am just doing a scrapboook for him.

We will just have gotten used to doing this when somebody will change it to something else anyway.

[Mcgons]

I didn't know childminding before EYFS, but starting up there is so much paperwork to do, and it's taken up an awful lot of my free time. And all the recording of info just seems like it's for Ofsted - doubt all my parents will keep the learning journey folders, so a lot of effort possibly going to waste!

But it still makes sense to me that we have to follow the welfare requirements and plan for the learning and development through observation and assessment so I like the EYFS for that. I'm hoping it will be easier as I get more experience, then I can have my life back!

[venus89]

I like it. like others, I didn't know life before EYFS and I think that helps - I've not had to change what I do in that respect, although we obviously had to learn how it works and there are still things I haven't got my teeth into properly yet. But I think it lends more weight to the idea of CMs being professionals, rather than babysitters as some people view us.

[PixiePetal]

I hate a lot of it.

I am happy with the regulations about safety,welfare and policies etc but find the learning and development bit a pain, a waste of time and paper.

I have been minding 15+ years, was a nanny for 12 years before that (untrained - and was chosen over qualified girls for one job ) All the children have turned out great - any learning concerns were picked up by myself/parents/nursery workers and helped along. I have always had a daily diary for each child I mind to jot down notes between myself and families and when they went home my time was my own Unlike now. Mindees has just left and I now need to stick photos to a piece of paper to justify what we have been up to today (even though I have told his parents and discussed moving on his speech).

My own kids are now teens and DD is in the middle of her GCSEs - she even managed to get that far without having a LJ! Oh and DS won an easter egg from RS teacher for fantastic homework (he's 13). I must be doing something right

[funemnx]

I know that I'm doing all that is required by the EYFS but I can't write it down! I can't seem to be able to transfer what I've done into the kind of format required. I've been on loads of courses too, many of them repeats too because it's not going in. I've even bought the record books 'Tracker Plus' (they're still in the box they came in).

I think I'm so scared of doing it wrong that my mind goes blank! (some would say blank most of the time anyway )

Also I've got no camera and no inclination to spend time taking photos when I'm suppossed to be playing with my children.

There, I've said it out loud!

[moljak]

I do like some of it.
It provides helpful insite into activities you can do for various ages.It reminded me of things I used to do with my own kids.
So as a promt/guide I find it great but as for all the written planning/observations I find them a bit OTT.It would be great if we could just plan as we go, taking into account childs interests and not have to record anything unless we had concerns.

[tinkerbelle]

i HATE it and always have done most of my mums dont want it done on their child they say if they wanted that their child would be in a day nursery that has adequate training and support from other staff to do this also iv been asked who watches the chidlren whilst im busy taking notes and pictures etc
iv had no training for it and no support from early years its ridiculous

[Bitsy Beans]

I haven't known anything different but I am still not keen. This obsession with paperwork means I feel more focused on "proving" we've done what I said we would than actually enjoying playing with the kids. I feel pressure to keep up to date with paperwork etc and it eats into my free time with my family. I became a CM in order to be able to be at home with my family but the reality is because I have to prove what I am doing the focus ends up being on mindees far more than an equal footing with my own children.

Whilst I like to think having to adhere to EYFS makes more professional I fear the reality is totally different I still feel like I am treated like not much more than a babysitter at times.

[happytotschildminding]

I enjoy doing the childrens files but that together with risk assessments, planning, SEF (don't get me started on that one ahhhhh) it gives you OCD on paperwork which in turn takes my (unpaid) time away from family and weekends all for which we get no extra pay, no recognition of being professional carers, despite what we would all like to think - (my neighbour thinks I can get my housework etc done while I'm babysitting)
Personally I'm doing my best to acheive an outstanding grade, but when I don't get it I'll be cutting right back as i don't think its worth it for me or my family.

[The Juggler]

I like it. I think if they water it down, it should be the paperwork requirements for minders, rather than the need to follow it's ethos for the way in which we support children and parents. I think in general it's opened my eyes to why we do things and the best bit is it has forced minders who literally used to do sweet fanny adams to do more with their little charges. They may still moan about it but at least those mindees get a little more stimulation than they used to.

If they water down the EYFS I hope that they do not reverse the effects of this.