I heard about the jug of water to be freely available for children UNDER 2 years old to HELP THEMSELVES to at any time (imo a health and safety issue!)

Then I just read that someone was expected to have a bin in each room and a box of tissues for EACH mindee. (imo it's a load of bollox, my lot are too young to know which box of tissues are theirs, if they wiped themselves they'd end up with it in their eyes and probably get conjunctivitis and as for the bin....yeah....they'd LOVE finding a way of emptying a little bin they could actually reach!! )

I'm now PMSL and wondering what other things they expect these days. I reckon they must get really bored sometimes and sit round a table inventing crazy TARGETS for these babies and toddlers etc!!!

So, come on.....there must be a whole load of other stuff. The towels thing has been around for years but what else?????

Hand towels washed daily

Yeah, got the towels thing. My hubby hates how we get through so many towels!!! I thought they were bad enough when I was marked down for washing hand towel every other day when only had 1 mindee but all this other stuff.....well.....I don't even know what to say as it's just crazy!!

so....

Towels
Drinks
Tissues
Bins

Any more???

better computer facilities for a 3-year-old

playing in the sandpit clearly not sophisticated enough

Cory - really? Was this said to a CM you know? I personally do computer stuff early if they want to but only because that's my thing and I enjoy it. I certainly wouldn't think it's something we were EXPECTED to do!!!

Access to sand year round. Actually, my floor is usually covered in sand, due to the free flow of indoor out door play, I think i can get around this one by suggesting that I roll the babies around on the floor twice a day, in manner of breadcrumbing chicken pieces!

I am just going through creative dvmt section in practice guidance, to see what next steps are for a music observation.........I need to next invite DANCERS AND PERFORMERS to my setting.

You see what I like about the eyfs and the suggestions they make, is taht it is all really realistic and acheivable.

Swan lake in my living room.....<snort>

have pets, they are fantastic for kids.
Dont let them in your kitchen.

Let children have free range to paint etc. (this was not my recent Ofsted, but the one before)I could just imagine the colours of my walls if I left the paint out all the time with 3 children under 21 months!

OH! I have another, a cm was told that she has to do eyfs obs and individual learning plan on a child that she has for fifteen minutes twice a week, literally just to walk to school. LOL
Lots of putting shoes on by self observations.

My biggest bug bear when ofsted come around is they tell you to carry on doing your normal routine!!!

We would probably be out at a group or the park (would be great if they came with us). But what mindee behaves how they normally do when there is a stranger in your home.

Well apparently even washing hand towels daily isn't enough. Towels on pegs next to each other could still cause cross contamination! What a load of codswallop!

CM is now using kitchen roll in her loo for drying hands so it can be thrown in the bin each time.

I am dreading it this time, Mumlove, as my ds will get really bored with me talking to inspector and all three will play up massively, I think.
I have heard cm's talking about using paper towels for both hand drying and dish drying!!!
<<screams "what about the ENVIRONMENT!!!!?">>

Seriously if they keep this up what are we going to do?

When I set up I really hoped I'd be doing this long term but it's only been a short time and I'm already sick them (ofsted/ the government), I'm trying not to stress about it (because as long as the dc's and parents are happy that's what I care about) but really looking after 3 under 3 is hard/ tiring enough without their inconsistancies/ demands/ unrealistic expectations etc

I have a hand dryer (in both bathrooms), so that the children ignore use it to dry hands, thus no need for individual towels. Dry dishes thats what the airs for!!!

where does one buy a hand dryer and how much did that cost!!!

and was it one ofthose cool dyson ones??!!

With the towel thing, I was told I need to have seperate towels for each mindee. I have a really small bathroom. I only have one mindee, so not too bad but to be honest, I collect her from school at 3.30pm, takes us at least half hour to walk home and then she is gone by 5pm a lot of the time. So most days she doesn't even use the bathroom. Am I meant to have a seperate towel for her? Can I just wash my hand towel each time she actually uses it? She is only here 3 days a week too. So really doesn't use it much. And wouldn't remember which towel is hers anyway.

When I had my pre reg they told me I needed to clean my skirting boards as they were not clean enough . Bearing in mind I have a crawling baby and 3 cats so they are never going to be spotless.

I think that you could say that you just put a fresh towel in the bathroom on the days she visits? LOL @ skirting boards!

this should be sent to a tv channel. they cant be allowed to get away with all these demands. no wonder everyone is giving up

clear see throgh toy boxes with label on. shoould have a picture and the word ie. trains, dolls, small world. coz yes, they right toys are always in the right box.

She can't use your hand towel (she might catch something off you, that preparing her food, wiping her bum, kissing her, hugging her wouldn't )

So put a clean one out for her (I use flannels - get a character one for her?)

the CM i work for uses that alcohol gel stuff

I also use flannels, and just use a fresh one for everything, wiping faces after meals, drying hands and so on, then they go in a waterproof bag and get bunged in the washing machine when bag is full. I got mine really cheaply in ikea. You could also get a really cheap pack of Junior Joy terry towelling nappies (look on ebay) and put a fresh one of those as a hand towel in a designated place for her to use? No one will know its a nappy!

No problem in my house with passing on germs through using same towel. Kids all use their own sleeves and dresses to wipe noses and hands after washing.

No problem in my house with passing on germs through using same towel. Kids all use their own sleeves and dresses to wipe noses and hands after washing.

Marvellous, paperfreek! I like your thinking!
How do you get round that manuouver they do when they look like they are comming for a hug, and then actually just wipe snotty nose on your jeans, and wander off? [grin} Separate jeans for each child?

Ah I see my jug of water has been added.

My other recommendation was to call up a school weekly that I do not pick up or drop off from, but have an afternoon mindee who goes there and say 'this you^ be covering?' - can you imagine the conversatio in the school staff room?

I cannot logistically get to this school as I fdon't drive, and I work very well with the local school, but that is not enough! I work 8-6 and should be working with 2 primary schools! Sigh. Gets back to planning for each child's file.

Wipe changing mat with antibac spray between changing babies

Then put small baby with super delicate skin down on chemical spray ?

We still can't get the school to sign to say they have taken responsibility for mindees when we drop off - never mind sharing info

arg, that has wiped half of my sentence! it should say -

"this week I will be doing x,y, and z with mindee, what will you be doing?"

Katy its interesting that, as we all have to honour confidentiality, as do schools, do they/we have to get parental permission to talk to other settings our mindees are at?

Because if I was a Parent with a Child in School, I would be bloody annoyed if their teacher discussed my child with her CM, without my permission.

Are we suppose to go along to Parents evenings to talk to the teacher about the oncoming planning for the child?

Bloody ridiculous!

Under EYFS it is a legal requirement

what about giving the 30 month old a junior hacksaw to design and make. Maybe he/she (not steriotyping)could saw through the inspectors laptop. If that doesn't work maybe a glue spreader could gunge up the keys. Remember to make all equipment and tools easily accessible. Maybe the EYFS isnt so new after all - (remember chainsaw masacre?)

Yes I know, for us it is, but what if parents dont want us to talk to Schools/prescools?

And surely we should have written permission to talk to teachers.

For a start especially how do the Teachers know we are the child's CM, three of my mindees have met me at the school gates, I never seen their teachers, wouldn't know what they looked liked, nor would they know me!

So are they going to hand over/discuss a child with just anybody that goes up to them and say Hi I'm such and suchs CM, tell me all about his progress and what he is doing.

This would of course be done at hometime, when all the other parents are around to listen, or are we suppose to make appointments for afterschool with the teachers and take all the mindees with us, so that all the children hear you talking about each child to various teachers???

Who had it mentioned about the hand prints on the window?

Actually I am going to move that post into Education and see what Primary School Teachers think of it.

My CM has mentioned that Ofsted want them to let the kiddies play outside for 2 hours a day whatever the weather!! They dont even do that in school!!!

have any of you actually tried getting planning info out of a school? One cm i know was told to "take notes" from the list of activities that the school puts up for that week, in the reception area, while her four under fives run amok. I dont have any at school or nursery at the moment, thank god. when she said this wasnt practical, she was told to write a letter to the head to request the information. Not clear if this has to be done every week....lol.
You do have to lol, don't you?

Our nursery has started an individual "chat book" which the teacher writes her comments in and the child brings home each day. Parents write in the book anything they think the teachers should know each evening and return the book the next day. My parents are happy for me to add my own comments and to see the teachers comments. This seems to be working fine at the moment. I am sure the books will eventually go walk-about which is a bit of a worry as there will be a lot of info flying between settings. Also I do not have a copy to show Ofsted, they just have to take my word that I contribute to this.

link the thread, please, shoshe, I would be interested to see whatthey think....

Have asked the question of Primary teachers here

It is so silly.

And yet on there end, they haven't provided enough EYFS courses for everybody to attend, and we have to pay for it anyway I think. So Silly.

We dont pay here, chloe, but they are very oversubscribed. And then when you go, they dont really know what we are supposed to be doing either so you come away feeling more confused.

I am soooooooooo scared now...ofsted could ring me at any mo and i will never be good enough (why isnt there a sobbing uncontrolably emotion)

Someone has told me, or I read, I can't remember, that we must be outside for half of the time that the child is with us.

Yes, yes of course we go outside to play/walk/park whatever, but to actually put a time on it - how can I get them all fed/toileted/have a nap/do activities/relax/observe in the time remaining? And the walk to and from school - fortyfive minutes - where we watch the yearly cycle of the trees/progress of the bird's nest-building/stop and buy a paper and chat to the shopkeeper doesn't count.

<<rant rant>>

should have a fresh bowl of fruit next to the water..........so my network coordinator says. Would that be for bowling?

dont panic, illhavethis, it will be fine, we are all in the same boat, we can only do our best! To be fair, all the inspectors that have visited me have been really lvoely and very realistic, but this was before the new regulations. I think you can just do your best, that's what we all do, and if it aint good enough, they are asking too much!!!!

apple bobbing

I cant AFFORD on my less than minimum wage pay to have free access to a bowl of fruit, so all the little ones can pick up apples, take a bite then kickit around the front room.
Didnt realise school run didnt cound as outside time, BALD

So if mindees don't want to go out - we put their coats & shoes on and drag them to the door - on a horrid winter day when they want to be inside with a book/jigsaw etc?

In the summer we aren't in for half the day - but in this weather??

I agree about the fruit bowl. I only have one mindee who is old enough to ask first etc but I have a 10 month old who is into everything and if it wasn't up high then she would have it all out

Not a ridiculous demand, but on her first Ofsted inspection about 8 years ago, my wife was asked by the inspector (who was stood next to the kitchen sink at the time and by the kettle) and with a completely straight face "Do you have access to running water?".

Also, this year, when explaining her emergency evacuation drill (ie: exit by the front door, but if we can't do that we will exit by the rear door and if we can't do either of those I will open the living room window and carefully drop the children onto the front lawn and I will then follow them) she was asked "and do you practice this on a regular basis with the children?" by which we think the inspector was expecting my wife to actually drop them out of the window.

I have heard a CM being told that her black doll was not realistic enough because the eyes were blue.

Another inspector said that the special needs figures another CM had were not realistic enough because the calipers / wheelchair/ crutches could not be detached from the doll.

In that case, my toy kitchen is not realistic enough so I will pop out today and get a gas canister so that the children can light the gas stove. And of course I will have matches lying around so that they can have free access to resources.

what a load of utter b=ll=cks.

My black doll smells like vanilla - I dread to think what message that is giving to the children!!

The hand dryers my dh got from screw fix (no they aren't the dyson ones - tried to get ds3 to use one of these at chessington and he was so scared!!), I think they were about £25, but I justified this by less washing, confusion over towels/flannels etc

I also don't have the fruit bowl out - as the little ones just think they are balls

HI there

Sorry to gate-crash your thread.

I am not a childminder but I would like the opinion of childminders like yourselves...

My has been at my childminder for 4 years and I love her. SHe is great. I am due a second baby in April 09 and as soon as I knew the pregnancy was proceeding I told her and verbally organised the space for baby with her for January 2010.

She has the under 1 space and wants baby to go to her. She too wants baby and my DS to be together.

Problem is, there is a 4 month gap between her having an empty space and baby starting. Up till now I just accepted i would have to pay a retainer fee. End of story. And I was happy to do this to gurantee the space.

However yesterday she got all guilty about taking money for 4 months and is wanting to take on another child over that period and apply for an extra place to enable baby to go to her in January.

I had a sleepless night worrying that OFSTED might actually turn around and say no and by then she will have agreed to take on another child and therefore baby will have lost it's space.

What are your experience with applying for extra spaces and how would you handle the situation?

In 2010 all her minded children will be age 5 upwards ( after school ) bar one who will be 3. So she isn't over-burdened with small children to care for.

did you mean 25 or 250 mums, cant find anything for £25!

Size 12, look here this is the one that I have, sorry looks like c=screw fix no longer do them

DG - She may want to fill the space with a temp contract and if she can do that great if not then she may have no choice but to take the retainer money so I would save for it just incase she can't fill the place with a temp child. I wouldn't worry yourself I'm sure even if OFSTED do say no she will still want to care for your children becauyse as you say she cares for your eldest and will want them to form a bond and relationship.

I had this type of situation, but we hadn't planned for baby to come to me but it has worked out and I've now got brother and sister and it's going really well. Things usually work out wether i worry or not I'm starting to find!

Thanks Lovemygirls

I know it will probably be ok...I am being the typical worried/paranoid crazy pregnant lady at the moment and the thought of Baby and DS not being together is just too much!!!

Thanks for your take on it...calmed me a little.

Also I called OFSTED to ask when minder could apply for the variation if she wanted to considering baby wouldn't go to her until Jan 2010 and they said she can apply whenever!

So I may ask her to apply early to put my mind to rest!

fab thanks. think i will get one, will save sooooo much agro.

Please wash your hand signs in the bathroom. My friend only had one mindee at the time - a 10 month old!!!

i WAS considering becoming a childminder but all this is scaring me!!!

hi does anyone have a copy of ofsted inspection checklist as i have my inspection very soon.

thank you.

ive got my inspection either tom or monday and if its not ready well tuff ive a foulder full polocies for how to use the tv...next it will be for how to wipe a babys bum...lol.as long as my kids r happy and i can still be registered im happy as last time i got all worked up as i got inadiquet even tho i was on mat leave and had a pot on my leg ,i got done for all my file not being upto date i mean who does paper work when on mat leave blahhhhhhh...the\ funniest thing i was told was having to take all mindees up to the toilet with u ...and we go to our groups 2 much even tho each one is different and we dont go each day

Marston, there isn't one love, that is why we have this thread, it seems that different Inspectors have different agendas!

Im just PSL at all this especially NumberFours, gas cannister for kitchen
Due my inspection next month so this thread is very helpful

I don't use a cm but I thought the "rules" were made up by DCFS and Ofsted just regulate them.

Have any of you ever complained about your inspector? I believe any complaints are looked at independently and inspectors are retrained if there is a problem.

I think that even if you ring Ofsted helpline then any questions asked are logged and any advice given is recorded in case the same questions are coming up about info given by an inspector.

I agree that some of what you have been asked is crazy but as there is no definitive list how are you meant to know the things you should provide?

Hahahahah phone the Ofsted Helpline

Phone them for advise, and depending who you talk to you can be told totally different things. Even the Inspectors tell you to get it in writing, because the Helpline operators often don't know the answers!

I have complained before and was told that the Inspector was right, even tho another Inspector told me the opposite thing, asked who was right then and was told it depended on circumstances!

And how are we suppose to know what we should have and do???

Buggered if I know.

After a truly awful inspection a year ago I think the most important thing is probably to show huge respect for the inspector and her status and going of what a teacher told me TRY to look very impressed if they sugest something however ridiculous it sounds to you .Unfortunately I am not that cool

Omg, thought it was just me thinking Ofsted were going OTT! Was feeling really fed up after a poop day with mindees - but haven't laughed so much in ages, going through this thread!! Keep it coming girls (or boys!). My inspection due anytime so will prob be making my own posting before 2 long. Watch this space...........