PLA conference feedback

[Simona]

Thank you for your messages...my feeling on this is that we don't stop and my motto is that 'actions speak louder than words'
so more needs to be done and more cms' views need to be heard in the right places

Next week I am off to this conference...Ofsted will be there and even pacey...please read the agenda and you will see how many of the reforms are been pushed forward but how much do cms know??? who gives us the news or feedback??

http://www.westminsterforumprojects....-childcare.pdf
Sharon Hodgson is chairing that conference and you now know she is visiting my setting soon...I want to tell her how much we are against agencies

RATIOS
Ratios are sorted but there is a lot to do yet and I remain of the opinion that cms are hit 4 times over by the reforms...we must have a strong voice and one that reflects our worries
we can still do a lot

LABOUR CHILDCARE COMMISSION
If you have read this article you know that Labour are also looking at childcare
Labour's Byrne pledges to put childcare at heart of employment policy | Children & Young People Now

Labour have their own Childcare Commission based on our ideas and, they say, will be based on consultation with us (Lyam Byrne said that yesterday: we will consult with providers), lets make sure cms are included and I know PLA will be there to influence them...we also need others to represent us

I have input 4 times into the CCommission and once about an alternative to agencies ...please do your bit too


AGENCIES
Agencies are our biggest worry now...big enough for Ofsted and the DfE to put the new inspection framework on 'halt' until agencies are sorted...as I said to Oftsed yesterday it should be the other way round...why should independent cms wait?
Education and Children Policy Commission / Policy commissions / Agenda 2015 / Your Britain

Sarah has reminded us that the Leader did respond to her letter...so lets put pressure on Labour too
I attended a meeting with Byrne a long time ago, I have put questions and sent various emails to Miliband, have spoken to Twigg and am in touch with Sharon Hodgson regularly

I have also started a petition on the Labour website against agencies a long time ago but it is still open ...
please show your support and tell Labour you are 'against agencies'...this is not an e-petition or an online but another opportunity to air our views so not competing with anyone...
STOP the deregulation of the early years workforce | Campaign | Campaign Engine Room

It has only 42 signatures...what would happen if it was thousands???


Next week the C&F Bill is back for debate...put Tuesday 11 June in your diary...they can't debate ratios much now but 'agencies' are still on the Bill

Dee Gasson said yesterday the Bill in now going to the Lords...different from the political squabbles as the Lords look at eveidence
She also said these are the people Ofsted know are interested in setting up agencies (reading from notes here):
head teachers, LAs and and employers...

Sorry about the long post...hope it gives us courage and commitment to carry on campaigning

[loocyloo]

Wow. Thank you Simona for all your hard work.

I just thought... These groups that ofsted say are interested in setting up agencies... Are they the people who emailed ofsted about being interested in setting up agencies? Cos I did that and I know others did... Not because we are interested, but as a way of finding out info! So it might not be that everyone is going to set up an agency.

[The Juggler]

just signed simona. and just sent this to my mp. He is Libdem


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Mr

I am very happy about the stand down on increasing chilcare ratios. However, I wanted to urge you and Mr Clegg to now act on our behalf and speak out about the rest of the changes for childcare Ms Truss proposes - principally childminder agencies AND removal of LA early years support.

I was absolutely shocked to read some of Ms Truss's comments with regard to French nurseries and her admiration of this model. Let me give you a few examples:

2 year olds sitting at tables mainly doing structured activities.

That there is nothing wrong with children of 2 and 3 year olds doing mainly teacher led activities.

That UK nurserseries appear chaotic with children "running about everywhere" with no structure.

That it is not essential for early years settings to offer free flow play.

Where, might I ask is she getting her ideas from. Yes the french nurseries do this but where in research does it say this is how children learn best. 100 years of nursery education has taught us that children of this age learn best from following their own interests and exploring (an essential skill for becoming interested in and ready for learning when they start formal school). If we don't foster these interests in young children none of them will actually enjoy learning they will simply be going through the motions and/or rebel against learning causing more behaviour problems in the classroom and worse socio economic outcomes for them - a whole generation. This is not going to help meet Government goals of reducing poverty nor of improving the country's economy or unemployment figures.

Ms Truss quotes EPPE as proving that good early years settings make a difference later on in school. Yes, EPPE does show this. However, it is mainly because these children have been in quality effective early years settings - with a caring qualified or unqualified early years practitioner who knows that child initiated, led and freeflow play is KEY to their development of social and emotional skills which makes them want to explore and learn.

I woudl be most interested to know what Ofsted think of her comments as, since 2009, all early years settings have been judged on the following:

ability to offer free flow play

child accessible resources - so they can choose their resources

evidencing the child's voice in our planning and evaluation of our provision

evidencing the child's interests and development stage in individual and group planning.

How her vision of totally teacher led activities and no free flow play meets any of this criteria I fail to see. It goes against ALL of the principles of the EYFS. I am beyond furious that Ms Truss is being allowed by this Government to throw years of Government commissioned research by early years experts in the bin and make her own rules up for what is best for our children. She clearly has no knowledge of how young children learn best at all. I am furious that Ms Truss is being allowed by the Prime Minister to ignore her own early years advisors and Ms Nutbrown who was commissioned to carry out research into what changes needed to be made in the sector.

I would ask you respectfully to pass my comments to both Mr Clegg and the Prime Minister. I appreciate that if Ms Truss is inclined to ignore Ms Nutrbrown and Professor Penn then she is not likely to listen to sector workers less academically qualified to challenge her but if you look at the petitions and arguments raging at conferences all around the country I would hope that you will feel the strength of emotion and support us in this campaign to stop More Great Childcare.

Regards

[loocyloo]

just signed simona. and just sent this to my mp. He is Libdem

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Mr

I am very happy about the stand down on increasing chilcare ratios. However, I wanted to urge you and Mr Clegg to now act on our behalf and speak out about the rest of the changes for childcare Ms Truss proposes - principally childminder agencies AND removal of LA early years support.

I was absolutely shocked to read some of Ms Truss's comments with regard to French nurseries and her admiration of this model. Let me give you a few examples:

2 year olds sitting at tables mainly doing structured activities.

That there is nothing wrong with children of 2 and 3 year olds doing mainly teacher led activities.

That UK nurserseries appear chaotic with children "running about everywhere" with no structure.

That it is not essential for early years settings to offer free flow play.

Where, might I ask is she getting her ideas from. Yes the french nurseries do this but where in research does it say this is how children learn best. 100 years of nursery education has taught us that children of this age learn best from following their own interests and exploring (an essential skill for becoming interested in and ready for learning when they start formal school). If we don't foster these interests in young children none of them will actually enjoy learning they will simply be going through the motions and/or rebel against learning causing more behaviour problems in the classroom and worse socio economic outcomes for them - a whole generation. This is not going to help meet Government goals of reducing poverty nor of improving the country's economy or unemployment figures.

Ms Truss quotes EPPE as proving that good early years settings make a difference later on in school. Yes, EPPE does show this. However, it is mainly because these children have been in quality effective early years settings - with a caring qualified or unqualified early years practitioner who knows that child initiated, led and freeflow play is KEY to their development of social and emotional skills which makes them want to explore and learn.

I woudl be most interested to know what Ofsted think of her comments as, since 2009, all early years settings have been judged on the following:

ability to offer free flow play

child accessible resources - so they can choose their resources

evidencing the child's voice in our planning and evaluation of our provision

evidencing the child's interests and development stage in individual and group planning.

How her vision of totally teacher led activities and no free flow play meets any of this criteria I fail to see. It goes against ALL of the principles of the EYFS. I am beyond furious that Ms Truss is being allowed by this Government to throw years of Government commissioned research by early years experts in the bin and make her own rules up for what is best for our children. She clearly has no knowledge of how young children learn best at all. I am furious that Ms Truss is being allowed by the Prime Minister to ignore her own early years advisors and Ms Nutbrown who was commissioned to carry out research into what changes needed to be made in the sector.

I would ask you respectfully to pass my comments to both Mr Clegg and the Prime Minister. I appreciate that if Ms Truss is inclined to ignore Ms Nutrbrown and Professor Penn then she is not likely to listen to sector workers less academically qualified to challenge her but if you look at the petitions and arguments raging at conferences all around the country I would hope that you will feel the strength of emotion and support us in this campaign to stop More Great Childcare.

Regards

Fantastic letter. I might have to borrow bits if that is ok? Mind you, my mp is tory and after initial support has told me she can't do any more. Grrrrr.

[The Juggler]

Fantastic letter. I might have to borrow bits if that is ok? Mind you, my mp is tory and after initial support has told me she can't do any more. Grrrrr.

feel free! and you might want to point out to Ms Tory pants that she CAN do more now. If Nick Clegg can fight her then so can she

[Simona]

Ofsted is part of the Task and Finish group so they know who is interested...it was shared by Ofsted Principle Officer so not hearsay
why they are interested I don't know and, of course, it is still secret
Maybe they cannot be named until the agencies become law?...and as reinforced yesterday no one knows if agencies will become legal

Another thing Dee reassured me about is that there will be a 'consultation' on agencies so the more we make clear they are not wanted the better
and she also said we will be consulted on our new inspection framework once the agency framework for inspection is finalised

I asked her if this would be in the next 3 months and she said no...so this is a long process

I even asked her if she would do a workshop for cms ONLY...I will pursue that as I think it is time to get some targeted attention

With regards to LAs the DfE has stated and repeated it on the Wednesday conference, they will continue with support if that is what we want, however, that will probably imply at a cost

Sue Gregory spoke about the 8 Ofsted regions set up...they will also offer support to satisfactory/inadequate settings...there will be seminars
I asked her if cms would be part of that and get support but she avoided the question and concentrated on agencies
Are Ofsted going to replace LAs is supporting us? much to find out

I will try to get more info and get my hands on the conference presentations so you can read it for yourself

We need to concentrate on agencies....much of MGC is wrong but agencies deserve a place of their own and should not, in my view, get diluted with other issues or we will lose sight of them
Look what happened when we all concentrated on ratios...agencies have galloped ahead because we lost our focus on them

With regards to Prof Penn and Lloyd's report it will be published alongside the response to the Childcare Commission....Truss has said much and she has a duty to do so
In December I heard Prof Penn at a conference with Truss present say: the reforms are 'grotesque'..I was there and heard it loud and clear

Sharon Hodgson repeated her request for the report to be published only this week...it was all over twitter and in her letter to Truss when she asked her to confirm the scrapping of the ratios...that report is vital

One thing that is also clear is that we need to engage 'positively' and use diplomatic language with lots of pressure..that has been Truss' downfall: no engagement and no listening to those who matter

[The Juggler]

I agree Simona

I will do all I can to win the fight against agencies. However, I'm just thinking if Clegg is on side, then getting him to focus on the negatives for children of all of MGC may make them fight really hard. I'm hoping if they can overturn her credibility NONE of what she is suggesting will go through.

You are right though and I'm going to write separately to my MP specifically about agencies. I was just so infuriated by what I read last night about her comments on how early year should be run

[Simona]

YESSS...just got a letter from my MP, Vince Cable, Lib Dem, Minister for Business

''You will now see my party has blocked the proposal on deregulating childcare group sizes. This was in large part of the result of representations made by you and other cms, including mine to David Laws on your behalf.
We listened and acted on the advice.'' (end)

Now Cable is Minister for Business and I will write to him again on agencies, I have visited him 3 times but letters work well a you have seen...not just my voice but all cms

My objection will be that agencies will be a barrier to our businesses, will not lower costs to parents or cms, in fact they may increase them and no evidence they will work in terms of raising quality

If you write to your MP do copy Cable...our small businesses must matter to him as much as big ones
This is his email : cablev@parliament.uk

[The Juggler]

fab Simona. Is the link to the petition at the start of this thread on FB?

[Simona]

The only petition I have referred to is the one on the Labour Party website...you can post if you like it has ben open for more than a year
Not sure what is on FB as I am not there

I stress it is not an e-petition or online petition ...more a message of making Labour aware of our feelings and the fact cms in agencies will be deregistered