feeling a bit deflated with good

[Kerry30]

I got told by the inspector that came out to me last year that their getting tougher and not giving out so many Outstandings due to the fact that they really have to explain why! I didnt get an outstanding purely cos an lo asked to go outside and as it was hammering down, i said no. The inspector even said she understood why i said no and would of done the same!!!
Most parents dont read our inspection reports anyway so dont let it get to u
As long as the children are happy!!

[Kiddleywinks]

I feel the inconsistencies to do with inspections are so erratic at the moment that all gradings are not worth the paper they're written on anymore, including my own!

[SYLVIA]

I know a childminder who has children from 6 different countries over the course of a week and she doesn't speak any of their languages. Wonder if ofsted would expect her to learn them all. Any children I have had from families with English as their 2nd language have always said they want the child to use english when they are with me so they learn it

[watford wizz]

Maybe the answer is to get parents to sign a letter detailing their wishes for English only to be spoken and then this will prove we are working together with them in supporting their child x and prove pre planning x

[bunyip]

I feel the inconsistencies to do with inspections are so erratic at the moment that all gradings are not worth the paper they're written on anymore, including my own!

I feel the same about mine and inspections in general. Anything to do with Ofsted and 'standards' seems to be on an ever-swinging pendulum: whether it's inspection gradings, school exams, whatever.....

Every once in a while someone decides there are "too many" goods/outstandings, exam passes, etc. and they need to "raise the bar" so they make everything harder. Then they look at the stats and see "evidence of decline" cos there are fewer goods/outstandings, exam passes, etc. than before, so they make things easier so the on-paper league tables shows evidence of improvement under their rule. Meanwhile the actual standards/quality remain static (assuming that "standards" are measurable and quantifiable anyway - it's hardly scientific is it?) and all that's really improved in the last 30 years is the quality of graffiti.

On the language issue, I'm tempted to learn Klingon, inform them of my newly-discovered alien ethnicity, and then insist Ofsted conduct my next inspection wholly in my new "home language".

[Simona]

Maybe this particular inspector should have been pointed to EYFS 2012 p6 (1.8) where, in black and white and very clear English, it explains what we do with bilingual children?

[Kiddleywinks]

On the language issue, I'm tempted to learn Klingon, inform them of my newly-discovered alien ethnicity, and then insist Ofsted conduct my next inspection wholly in my new "home language".

Hahahahahahahahaha now there's a thought!

Very funny idea

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Hi had my inspection 2 weeks ago and for the first time haven't got the top grade I got good and was told would of got outstanding if I didn't have 2 further improvements she did say if I just had one may of got outstanding but not with 2

My improvements were I don't speak any Czech (only know 1 word) I do know some polish for polish child but struggled with Czech as she says children should be able to play using home language here he never speaks any Czech here.

Also this boy uses a dummy a lot (2 year old) I know it can delay language he speaks good English but wouldn't say hardly anything whilst she was here and kept getting his dummies (yes he brings several in ) I understand what she is saying others only have dummy here at sleep time but he seems to need his more and always has it at home

So because I cant speak his language and he has dummies I got good sorry about the moan

My report I received today does read good but I do just feel all the hard work I do and extras i get graded as others that don't do half what i do
It seems to me there's 2 exceptable grades good and outstanding. I know a lot of childminder's with good do a great job and others just tick all the boxes

Hope i haven't offended anyone just letting off a bit i know good is a good grade and i should be happy and i will be I'm sure.

Sorry about the rant

I have a child who is Czech - I printed off hello and good bye, please and thank you in sign language, put the english and czech equivlanet on the sheet and used it. I said "please" in czech she would reply "thank you" in english. Why was I bothering? When the inspector came out I had 4 x 3 year olds and they couldn't believe that my czech child had the best language out of all of them. We cannot win but we can show willing.

[Simona]

I have a child who is Czech - I printed off hello and good bye, please and thank you in sign language, put the english and czech equivlanet on the sheet and used it. I said "please" in czech she would reply "thank you" in english. Why was I bothering? When the inspector came out I had 4 x 3 year olds and they couldn't believe that my czech child had the best language out of all of them. We cannot win but we can show willing.

Except you were not bothering...you were doing exactly what is required and what happens all over the world...we help those who need to learn their language by using theirs at first


Sorry to feel a bit worried about this thread but is this to do with everyone has to speak English?
I totally agree these children have to be fluent in English as they will attend English schools and we do not want them to be disadvantaged...but feel there is a reluctance to communicate with others in their native tongue?

I am bilingual ...therefore English is my additional language but never feel it is a problem communicating with others in their language and would do my utmost for children...regardless of what Ofsted may think or judge.

[hectors house]

Except you were not bothering...you were doing exactly what is required and what happens all over the world...we help those who need to learn their language by using theirs at first


Sorry to feel a bit worried about this thread but is this to do with everyone has to speak English?
I totally agree these children have to be fluent in English as they will attend English schools and we do not want them to be disadvantaged...but feel there is a reluctance to communicate with others in their native tongue?

I am bilingual ...therefore English is my additional language but never feel it is a problem communicating with others in their language and would do my utmost for children...regardless of what Ofsted may think or judge.

Watched a film from lovefilms this week "Love is all you need" - had to practise my English reading as half of it was sub titled it was either that or brush up on my Danish - did manage to pick out the 3 Danish words I already knew "Mother, Father and Thank you" - so Danish kids form an orderly queue here please!

[bunyip]

Except you were not bothering...you were doing exactly what is required and what happens all over the world...we help those who need to learn their language by using theirs at first


Sorry to feel a bit worried about this thread but is this to do with everyone has to speak English?
I totally agree these children have to be fluent in English as they will attend English schools and we do not want them to be disadvantaged...but feel there is a reluctance to communicate with others in their native tongue?

I am bilingual ...therefore English is my additional language but never feel it is a problem communicating with others in their language and would do my utmost for children...regardless of what Ofsted may think or judge.

I can see where you're coming from and agree we're not a particularly good nation at learning languages. The traditional British approach to foreign languages is to shout more loudly in English at the waiter on holiday, or simply invade a country and impose English upon its populace.

I don't think anyone is resisting reasonable expectations of using another language. I use the word "reasonable" as it's a key word in the regulation you mentioned (EYFS 1.8). I just don't think inspectors are consistently looking for CMs to "...take reasonable steps..." In the OP's case, they appear to be demanding quite a high degree of fluency. At the other end of the scale, many inspectors will happily accept the 'token gesture' of a "Welcome" sign in 2 dozen languages, none of which mean anything to the children there (even if they could crawl out of the cot to read it.)

When I worked at the airport, I learned a few phrases in various languages: enough to be welcoming/polite, and give basic directions and ticket prices. All nice and easy. But language skills for play with children would be far more demanding. Play is far too important to muddle along with "toot toot, here comes Thomas". So we're looking at a heavy investment of time and money to learn the necessary language skills. We'd be expected to do this at a moment's notice, cos Ofsted only inspect 'in the here and now' - they rarely accept the argument that "I'm doing something about this, so it'll be sorted out soon." So if you take on your Czech child and they inspect in the 1st week that child is with you, they want you to speak Czech, not to say you're booked in to start evening classes next week.

Add to that the sheer number of languages we could very easily be expected to speak. And, without wishing to be prejudiced, multicultural/multilingual districts are frequently economically deprived. So if the CM learns a dozen languages, then her/his fees go up to reflect the cost of this, can parents still afford them? (We're back to "reasonable" again - pity Ofsted can't be it, eh? )

Once upon a time, I lived in one of the more 'deprived' London boroughs - and there was quite a cross-section of people there. I'm willing to bet there were at least 8 different languages spoken in the little cul-de-sac in which we lived. Would £3.50ph make it worth any local minder's investment?

Once upon a slightly earlier time, I lodged (all I could afford whilst studying) in a truly affluent borough. I did babysitting and/or gardening for families who spoke: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Finnish, Italian and Irish/Gaelic. Had I been a CM, no way could I have had the time or money to learn all those languages. Had I been able to speak all those languages, I'd certainly never have gone in for CMing - far more money to be made with language skills in other lines of work. Once again, Ofsted, Truss, Gove etc. are demanding a highly-skilled childcare workforce in a sector that could never hope to pay for those skills.

[Simona]

I can see where you're coming from and agree we're not a particularly good nation at learning languages. The traditional British approach to foreign languages is to shout more loudly in English at the waiter on holiday, or simply invade a country and impose English upon its populace.

I don't think anyone is resisting reasonable expectations of using another language. I use the word "reasonable" as it's a key word in the regulation you mentioned (EYFS 1.8). I just don't think inspectors are consistently looking for CMs to "...take reasonable steps..." In the OP's case, they appear to be demanding quite a high degree of fluency. At the other end of the scale, many inspectors will happily accept the 'token gesture' of a "Welcome" sign in 2 dozen languages, none of which mean anything to the children there (even if they could crawl out of the cot to read it.)

When I worked at the airport, I learned a few phrases in various languages: enough to be welcoming/polite, and give basic directions and ticket prices. All nice and easy. But language skills for play with children would be far more demanding. Play is far too important to muddle along with "toot toot, here comes Thomas". So we're looking at a heavy investment of time and money to learn the necessary language skills. We'd be expected to do this at a moment's notice, cos Ofsted only inspect 'in the here and now' - they rarely accept the argument that "I'm doing something about this, so it'll be sorted out soon." So if you take on your Czech child and they inspect in the 1st week that child is with you, they want you to speak Czech, not to say you're booked in to start evening classes next week.

Add to that the sheer number of languages we could very easily be expected to speak. And, without wishing to be prejudiced, multicultural/multilingual districts are frequently economically deprived. So if the CM learns a dozen languages, then her/his fees go up to reflect the cost of this, can parents still afford them? (We're back to "reasonable" again - pity Ofsted can't be it, eh? )

Once upon a time, I lived in one of the more 'deprived' London boroughs - and there was quite a cross-section of people there. I'm willing to bet there were at least 8 different languages spoken in the little cul-de-sac in which we lived. Would £3.50ph make it worth any local minder's investment?

Once upon a slightly earlier time, I lodged (all I could afford whilst studying) in a truly affluent borough. I did babysitting and/or gardening for families who spoke: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Finnish, Italian and Irish/Gaelic. Had I been a CM, no way could I have had the time or money to learn all those languages. Had I been able to speak all those languages, I'd certainly never have gone in for CMing - far more money to be made with language skills in other lines of work. Once again, Ofsted, Truss, Gove etc. are demanding a highly-skilled childcare workforce in a sector that could never hope to pay for those skills.

I think you have interpreted what I meant well...under no circumstances I am saying we should be fluent in all languages
Just the key words to be able to communicate with the children initially and form a relationship with them and making them feel included
On inspection day inspectors are supposed to interact with the children as well...how many will be fluent in so many languages?

At the PLA conference yesterday I attended a workshop 'Aiming for Outstanding'...I chose it because the trainer is an ex Ofsted Officer who was in charge of EY...those who know her have always liked her open approach and professional dealings with us

At the end of the workshop she said 2 things that are very important and we should remember
1. Know your EYFS so we can discuss with inspectors
2. Challenge the inspector

Truss et al are demanding a skilled workforce but when it comes to CMs they have refused to allow us to have a minimum of Level 3...sore point I know.

[Qualfirst]

I looked after a Polish child who was learning to talk, and was concerned that she was not learning to speak in English. I went on a course entitled English as an Additional Language to see if this would help.

It stated that in the setting you should only speak to the child in your language. (far too many people attempt to speak in the child's language and can not pronounce the words correctly which can lead to confusion for the child.) When the child has built up sufficient vocabulary in their own language at home, they will then be receptive to learning English words.

I also looked after a lo who's mother tongue was telegu. He learnt English whilst at my setting, and spoke Telegu whilst at home. I quite often had to correct his parents' pronunciation of English words (sort of proves the point really!)

By all means, don't stop the child from speaking during their play in their own language, but when talking to them always use your own language.