CM Club - lets have a list of the crazy things Ofsted expect when then inspect............

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.

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)

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.

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.

Have asked the question of Primary teachers here

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

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.

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?

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!!!

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

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

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???

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?)

Under EYFS it is a legal requirement

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!

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?"

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

Wipe changing mat with antibac spray between changing babies

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

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.

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?

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.

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!

the CM i work for uses that alcohol gel stuff

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?)