communicating with other settings

**Lu 2010** · 09-01-2011, 05:24 PM

Hi everyone

I had my first inspection recently and one of the improvements that were suggested was to have better communication with other settings.
I have a little boy that I collect from preschool and the staff never seem to have time to talk.
To be honest I don't really know what information I should be getting let alone how to get it or document it.
Hope you don't think I'm being a bit thick!!!

**Mrs Pootle** · 09-01-2011, 05:44 PM

Hi, I had the same request from Ofsted at my inspection. It was the only thing the inspector really picked up on. She said I should be able to see the childs learning journey that the school nursery have, and discuss their progress so that we are all working to the same goal.
I had got the nursery newsletter so I know in general what topics they are doing & I try to include those in my planning, but I had never thought about asking to see mindees observations & work.
I am going to write a letter & get mum to sign to say she is happy for nursery to share this info with me, and I am assuming nursery will want to see my observations on mindee too.

**clumpcat** · 09-01-2011, 07:53 PM

ah yes i had the same last month from Ofsted. i now write down anything the pre school say to me when the child comes out from the setting, i put in newsletters and i'm hopefully going to visit a nursery that a child also attends. I pass on my learning journal to the other settings and ask them to comment and pass on theirs to me. One little boy brings his daily diary from the other childminder so i can see what he has done the other half of the week.
hope this helps.

**sarah707** · 09-01-2011, 08:04 PM

If the other setting is too busy to contribute, then all you can do is document every bit of information you get out of the child or his key worker.

Where he's played, what kinds of things he is doing, look on the wall to spot their latest theme... those kinds of things.

Hth

**Bear23** · 09-01-2011, 08:07 PM

Same as sarah here too, my school pretty good tho, i also geta copy of their newsletters etc, to see what they are doing topics etc,

**loocyloo** · 09-01-2011, 08:41 PM

i'm really lucky with the preschool i currently have contact with. they have improved dramatically in in the 2 years since i last had contact

(previously, CM were the lowest of the low and they wouldn't pass the time of day with one) but now ... we're their best friends

i get a letter each term, telling me about their plans etc, and asking me for my views on each of my mindees who attend (their likes/ dislikes/ concerns/ what i am working on/ anything else! ). when i return the form, i take in my learning journey, which they look at & sign/comment, and i give them a copy of my plans for the term.

another preschool used to email me their planning every 3 weeks, and i would email back mine for the term! each 3 weeks, they or i would have a comment/ thought/ query about mindee which we would both print out and keep in mindees file! ( i don't know any other cm they emailed though, it might have been because DS & DD attended this preschool, and i used to work there too! )

when i had a LO who used a different childminder in termtime, we used to share a daily diary, and i would email her photos for his learning journal, along with what i wanted said next to it!