School nursery reluctant to share info

I wrote a lovely letter introducing myself to a nursery I take to a collect child from introducing myself and asking about how they see we could work in partnership etc. That was last month. Today I had a verbal message from the nursery passed by the parent saying ' They must treat everybody the same so all the information they can give me is in school newsletter (which is very generic) and nobody else has ever asked about sharing'. Where is the unique child in all this? How about settings MUST share information? I want to write another letter explaining how I see this is not sufficient without sounding snotty. I successfully share with other settings so can't see why they have a problem with this. Is there like a simple form you use when sharing information? So far (with other settings) I have shared individual plans and I got the same back plus any relevant newsletters. I share a daily diary with one nursery but the child is little. This child is 3.5 so I have a whole school year ahead of me. Maybe they need a bit of guidance but I just don't know how to guide them myself.

I am just starting to work with a new nursery. They ignored my first letter, moaned to mum about my second letter and finally replied to my third to say they really didn't see the point!

I will write again over the weekend to give them details about my summer planning and ask them what they are up to with the child...

All you can do is keep plugging away and put the letters and replies in your file! :D

The nursery I am working with now is struggling a bit with lots of issues going on and sharing info is not High on their list.
I make comments every day, send in the odd photo or observation that is relevant to them etc and slowly information is coming my way.
It's not way I have worked with other nurseries and I'm not really getting as much info as I'd like as they send all letters home in sealed addressed envelopes so I can't even photo copy news letters (even if they do them) but I do have some evidence to show we are working together.

I find some nursery staff just don't know how to do tge sharing bit and you have to spoon feed them.

none of my local preschools/nurseries share, despite CM's best efforts and frequent reminders from DO at cluster meetings:(

I find I have more success if I can meet the child's key worker and talk to them but it's still not always easy.

All you can do sometimes is show how you've tried :(

Miffy xx

Although our nursery is quite happy for us to send down our LJ's for them to look through (never get any feeback on them) it seems to be very one sided, we don't get much back, just the odd news letter, and that is only if we ask - I used to take it out of a childs folder if one came back on the days I picked up, and photocopy, but the only mindee currently at nursery doesn't go on a day I have her so don't get to see them!!

when I did take/collect they never had time to speak to me as there were several other parents taking/collecting children at the same time and we wait outside for the children to be sent out, so no real opportunity to speak to anyone :(

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Originally Posted by Chimps Childminding

Although our nursery is quite happy for us to send down our LJ's for them to look through (never get any feeback on them) it seems to be very one sided, we don't get much back, just the odd news letter, and that is only if we ask - I used to take it out of a childs folder if one came back on the days I picked up, and photocopy, but the only mindee currently at nursery doesn't go on a day I have her so don't get to see them!!

when I did take/collect they never had time to speak to me as there were several other parents taking/collecting children at the same time and we wait outside for the children to be sent out, so no real opportunity to speak to anyone :(

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that is exactly it here!

At a recent cluster meeting, it was mentioned that one of the main things that OFSTED will be looking for will be working in partnership with all carers of the child. When several of us mentioned we struggle with nurseries and pre-schools, they said we will have to try and "bring them around".

I mentioned I also have problems getting parents to write in learning journey's and diaries, and was told to maybe look at arranging "parents evenings" to sit down with parents and discuss things on a more regular basis.

I'm sure I can fit that in somewhere :rolleyes:

what bugs me is that the onus always seems to be on the childminder to do the sharing/'make it work' ! i've never had a preschool knocking down my door to talk to me!

The nursery I used to go to was very good at sharing - when they wanted something :rolleyes:

After I was graded outstanding (quite soon after EYFS came in), they couldn't get me in quick enough as they wanted to see all my paperwork!

Then, whenever there were delicate matters that needed discussing with parents (thought siblings had development problems), they would ask me what I'd noticed, what my thoughts were and if I'd speak to the parents about it as the knew they would take it better from me than they would from the nursery :rolleyes:

I will try again ... maybe I will ask specific questions ... like ... what activities he chooses there etc. For now I will just print the newsletters from the website and pretend I was given them. Somehow I feel they look down on me there ... this childminder ... how dares she ask!

It doesn't bother me because I don't believe that we need to know what the child does when they aren't with us. Its very big brotherish as far as I am concerned.

Its nice when we have converstaions with others (parents or carers) about how lovely it was that little sophie or peter did today/yesterday/last week but i certainly don't see it as a necessary part of life!

I inform the other carer of who I am, I act like a parent at pickup - simply asking how they got on that day - and thats it. I hate the way everyone thinks we need to know what everyone is doing at every minute of the day! The only time I would feel it was necessary would be if the child was having problems with something and it was being monitored by everyone concerned.

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Originally Posted by nokidshere

It doesn't bother me because I don't believe that we need to know what the child does when they aren't with us. Its very big brotherish as far as I am concerned.

Its nice when we have converstaions with others (parents or carers) about how lovely it was that little sophie or peter did today/yesterday/last week but i certainly don't see it as a necessary part of life!

I inform the other carer of who I am, I act like a parent at pickup - simply asking how they got on that day - and thats it. I hate the way everyone thinks we need to know what everyone is doing at every minute of the day! The only time I would feel it was necessary would be if the child was having problems with something and it was being monitored by everyone concerned.

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But don't you want to help the child in their learning? To work alongside pre-school/nursery in their activities for that term? It's not just about 'how they are' it's about their learning, their key skills, their everything!

As a parent (even before I became a CM) I also want to know what my children are doing/what they are learning at nursery/school so that I can help/support them at home....I like to be involved and show interest.

I had this problem with a local preschool.I tried to 'include' them and work alongside them but they just weren't interested-the owner looked at me like i had 3 heads when i approached the subject of sharing information.I think as far as she was concerned, I was just the childminder and not the parent so why exchange information with me?

....on the other hand......another preschool (where I now recommend chidren go to rather than the local one) worked brilliantly with me.They happily passed information on to me and even devised a 3 way diary system between them, myself and parents.They were brilliant and when my mindee left them to start school i wrote them a lovely letter thanking them for working with me.Found out a few weeks later that they showed Ofsted the letter and got an outstanding-they deserved it!!

All this sharing information is very one sided I've noticed. :(

I've been in contact with 2 nurseries and 2 preschools and reception at school and not one of them contacted me about sharing info.

It all seems to be down to me to write and introduce myself. To tell you the truth I don't worry about it....I've tried, they haven't , end of

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Originally Posted by watgem

none of my local preschools/nurseries share, despite CM's best efforts and frequent reminders from DO at cluster meetings:(

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neither do any of the nurserys near me hence my unsatosfactory grading of working with other settings whilst they made out they didnt have any other settings and got outstanding to say i was fuming doesnt cover it

this all sounds like a minefield. I'm new and not yet minding but have plans on what I hope to do. I know info sharing is key with parents/child carers and authorities god forbid. But this sounds like there is so much reluctance out there and a real hurdle to get across. I feel a tad out of depth and I haven't even started :blush: