So called support!

[butterfly]

So tomorrow I will be receiving my first visit from a children's centre teacher. Here in Devon specialist childminders used to be supported by a termly visit from an Early Years Advisor however it has been deemed appropriate that only group settings receive the knowledge and support of these species so children's centres have appointed qualified teachers (1 per cluster of cc) who's job it is to visit childminders.

We are on a points system here. As an accredited cm I get points for my oftsed grade, my FCCERS score and the level of my qualifications - basically the better your grade, score and qualifications the lower the points you get. I have the minimum points which means that I only have to suffer a visit from the cc teacher once per year.

She phoned to say I needed to show her my observations and assessments, my planning and be able to discuss my FCCERS inspection.

Well obs and assessments are fine, my written planning is non-existant and the suggestions for improvements from my FCCERS are a joke and I have no intention of responding to them!

I just wonder what this meeting is going to be like. In the past every meeting i've had from my dev worker or from the eya has been a total waste of time! I don't wish to be mean to all eya or dev workers at all (i've heard some great stories from people receiving fantastic support) by in my case they have been rubbish.

They come with a checklist (the same one every time - so surely if i ticked all the boxes last term i should still be doing so this term?) it's also the same checklist as they'd use for a cm who had a very high points score and therefore obs needed much more support.

They seem flustered if you ask them anything that's not on the checklist and cant answer any of my questions.

I think the trouble is when you're a regular visitor to this forum you are ahead of the game in terms of knowing about things to come etc. The cc teacher said she would talk me through the new eyfs - however I feel i know all there is to know at the moment having read all the threads on here and having read the book from cover to cover.

I will very surprised tomorrow if i learn anything worth sharing during the two hours of her visit tomorrow morning based on past visits. I just wish the council would get ahead of the game and provide real support for those of us with experience and knowledge - something beyond the norm - treat us like the 'gifted and talented' children in schools and provide something extra! We're always talking about 'personalised learning' and 'differentiating activities' - it's about time the same were applied to us in adulthood!

[miffy]

I think the trouble is when you're a regular visitor to this forum you are ahead of the game in terms of knowing about things to come etc.

That is so true. This forum keeps me in the know and, in most cases, ahead of the game!

Hope your visit goes well.

Miffy xx

[The Juggler]

well just impress her with your knowledge hon and she'll probably wonder why she is there

[TooEarlyForGin?]

Good luck with your visit, it seems a major amount of work you go through. I have just become accredited and haven't come across anything like this. When I did all my accreditation paperwork, it asked about the importance of having teaching support, when I questioned this with my DW, she said "well we don't currently have any support from a QT in our area, so it just answer the question as if we do"!

It will be interesting to see how it goes, please let us know.

[sarah707]

Get the kettle on (safe cups of course)... get out the playdough and have fun!

[sophia36]

I had a visit yesterday and a headache when it was over! Everything i'm doing is fine although she did suggest I use the development grids! I told her that I didn't feel these were necessary as I have no funded children at the moment and have only just stopped using tracker books as i feel they are too much like a checklist. She responded to me by saying there are no development grids to be had as they have been taken offline to be updated Not sure what that was about!!!

She also discussed the results of my fccers from 2 years ago(of which i told her i had never recieved any feedback). I was surprised at the points raised. Apparently i didn't have enough resources to reflect multiculturism and diversity. I quickly showed her about 20 books on religion, culture +disability, my ethnic families living harmoniously together in the dolls house, my treasure basket containing musical instruments from around the world, a boomerang, 4puzzles picturing animals from around the world, shall i go on?!! All these resources i have had for at least 5 years!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway lovely lady but no use to me whatsoever!!

Hope it went well for you

[sophia36]

oh and bye the way she wasn't the least bit bothered that i didn't have any written planning other than next steps for each child

[ChocolateChip]

I agree that this forum is fantastic and much more help than the 'official' support we are supposed to receive!

Our training sessions rarely tell us anything useful, the cc can't confirm any support at the moment as they are waiting on the support company to decide how they are going to support us and tbh I am in no way an expert (haven't even completed my L3 yet ) but I seem to know more about what is going on the my DO and early years team!
All credit for my outstanding grade is down to this forum, I can honestly say I've not received much useful advice at all from the paid professionals in my neck of the woods, lovely as they are.

Butterfly, you're probably more qualified than the cc teacher, lol!

[Monkey26]

So tomorrow I will be receiving my first visit from a children's centre teacher. Here in Devon specialist childminders used to be supported by a termly visit from an Early Years Advisor however it has been deemed appropriate that only group settings receive the knowledge and support of these species so children's centres have appointed qualified teachers (1 per cluster of cc) who's job it is to visit childminders.

We are on a points system here. As an accredited cm I get points for my oftsed grade, my FCCERS score and the level of my qualifications - basically the better your grade, score and qualifications the lower the points you get. I have the minimum points which means that I only have to suffer a visit from the cc teacher once per year.

She phoned to say I needed to show her my observations and assessments, my planning and be able to discuss my FCCERS inspection.

Well obs and assessments are fine, my written planning is non-existant and the suggestions for improvements from my FCCERS are a joke and I have no intention of responding to them!

I just wonder what this meeting is going to be like. In the past every meeting i've had from my dev worker or from the eya has been a total waste of time! I don't wish to be mean to all eya or dev workers at all (i've heard some great stories from people receiving fantastic support) by in my case they have been rubbish.

They come with a checklist (the same one every time - so surely if i ticked all the boxes last term i should still be doing so this term?) it's also the same checklist as they'd use for a cm who had a very high points score and therefore obs needed much more support.

They seem flustered if you ask them anything that's not on the checklist and cant answer any of my questions.

I think the trouble is when you're a regular visitor to this forum you are ahead of the game in terms of knowing about things to come etc. The cc teacher said she would talk me through the new eyfs - however I feel i know all there is to know at the moment having read all the threads on here and having read the book from cover to cover.

I will very surprised tomorrow if i learn anything worth sharing during the two hours of her visit tomorrow morning based on past visits. I just wish the council would get ahead of the game and provide real support for those of us with experience and knowledge - something beyond the norm - treat us like the 'gifted and talented' children in schools and provide something extra! We're always talking about 'personalised learning' and 'differentiating activities' - it's about time the same were applied to us in adulthood!

Devon as well and I had mine back at the end of April, I worried about it for day's before hand but it was dead easy (my LJ's weren't up to date!!), so 2 hours later, 4 kiddies under 3yrs, a cuppa, some chatting and showing her around the house and it was done :-) all she did was make a couple of "goals" - to attend new eyfs training and to access some CSL training (my choice of goal) so hope yours went well as well x