I have just had a wonderful rant.... not sure how long it's open for, but it is a great opportunity to say what you think about EYFS!

http://vista-survey.com/survey/v2/su...?ID=5656670464

My answer... in the final box for the above survey. Feel free to plagarise all you like... Sarahx

There are many concerns for Childminders - my main one is that the EYFS is law - it is compulsory and may lead to much unnecessary and stressful testing for under 5s, as they are pushed harder and harder to achieve or be seen to fail.
The Govt is also introducing longer nursery entitlement, which will make it harder for Childminders to fill their places when combined with a year's maternity leave and schools offering wrap-around care and already being in a position to implement EYFS.
In the welfare standards, the medication requirements do not appear to allow us to follow parents' wishes with regard to eg using homeopathic remedies, without them being prescribed.
We are told not to allow children access to laundry facilites - yet we work from our homes.
Daily outdoor play is fine in principle, but to allow free flow, we will have a brisk wind (and other associated elements) coming though our homes much of the year and heating bills will rise. That, combined with the cost of replacing wet and damaged flooring and supplying outdoor clothing as parents 'forget' to send things, is making daily outdoor play somewhat less appealing. Plus I have a number of parents who do not want their children to get dirty - and a number of children who dislike getting dirty or wet... do I force them outside against their parents wishes in order to meet the standards? The other problem with outdoor free flow is that there is only one of me - the baby's nappy needs changing, the 2 year old is having a drink at the table and the 3 year old falls off the climbing frame... where will I stand regarding insurance? Yet Ofsted seem to suggest the 3 year old should be allowed to play outside whenever he wants and the 2 year old has to have free access at all times to fresh drinking water... and of course I need to change nappies on demand.
The learning and development requirements appear to be giving us less flexibility with regard to how children are allowed to play and I do not feel enough emphasis is placed on play, yet too much on testing and assessing.
The observe, plan, assess, observe cycle is excellent in principle and is what good childminders do already, but the expectation to write everything down is onerous for people who work alone and have to do extra, unpaid work in the evening to fulfil all the requirements - with the added problem that many parents do not want their child assessed and have absolutely no interest in reading the observations etc that the childminder prepares.
Not one of the 7 parents I work with wants to look at (let alone comment on) their child's folder, but I understand I will lose my Outstanding grading if I do not have regular feedback from parents when next assessed by Ofsted. One child left recently with a 40 page folder, full of photos and developmental info - it wasn't even acknowledged. The parents just wanted somewhere for her to go that was safe and where she could play, while they were at work - their perception was that she would learn when at school.
Courses for EYFS are also an issue. The local ones have been cancelled due to lack of interest (I was one of 4 people who applied to attend). Childminders are frightened that they will have to do too much, so they are avoiding learning - plus when you work a 60+ hour week and spend your evenings doing essential paperwork, finding time for courses can be onerous.
I sell books to childminders through my website and many of my customers have asked me when I am going to write the EYFS one. I have told them I am waiting for final clarification of the standards before I commit anything to paper - the feedback they are giving me is that the EYFS document is too complicated, too hard to understand and open to too much interpretation by inspectors... just like now.
I'm sure there's more but I can't think just now!