SEF

Ah, I see what you mean... I think by that point in the form I was just rambling and put in my general paragraph about how I checked chn were progressing, but I guess its talking about prioritising your deployment of resources so children progress? Bit random though...

Here's what I put for the sustainable bit if thats any help:

Sustainability is a concern in my setting ? many of the resources I get are wooden, I recycle where possible, encourage parents to use biodegradable or washable nappies and use washable towels (that are changed daily) rather than disposable paper towels in the toilet.

I thought it might mean environment to...

I still don't understand what "the progress children make in relation to their starting points" has to do with deploying resources. On it's own I get it, but why is it in this section?

without even

"the progress children make in relation to their starting points"

means - how do you know (can you prove) that children are progressing? So you record your/parents initial observations of what they can do when the child starts with you (obv wothout using the EYFS as a ticklist ) and then make a record/take a photo or whatever when they learn something new. Then obv you chart it all against the EYFS and plan their next steps...

Does that help?

I took the sustainability bit to mean towards the environment, but could well have got the wrong end of the stick on that one!

erm...section 5, how well do you deploy your resources?

Eh?

I am (I think) a fairly intellegent person but this form makes me feel thick.

I don't understand the "the progress children make in relation to their starting points" bit.

and what does "the providers commitment to sustainability" mean?

I can see the point of Self Assessment and I do think it's a good idea and is something I'd be doing anyway.

What I can't see the point of is that awful, repetitive, tedious, nit-picking, badly thought out, time-consuming, pointless OFSTED SEF! I HATE it!

Does it help me to reflect on my practice?
NO!! More like giving up my practice, actually.

Does it take up far too much of my precious time to write?
YES!! I don't have administration staff to do it for me as I would if I were a nursery, I have a family that needs me in the evenings.

I'm supposed to be doing mine now.... Got a lovely CM friend coming over tomorrow to help me brainstorm but wanted something to start on. Prehaps we could use this as a bit of a support thread for those of us battling the dreaded SEF monster!

You don't have to fill it in online you know. You can do it however you like. I'm making a folder, split into the sections, that the inspector can read when she is here. Means I can include photos etc without any hassle. I'm not doing the written form, can you imagine fitting all the info they want in those tiny little boxes?!

Why would anyone think that doing endless paperwork would benefit the kids? I care for 8 month old twins, a four year old and 3 year old DS. They take every second of my day just for the basics (fed, watered, clean), any spare time should go to spending quality time with them, not bloody paperwork!

I'm still in the denial phase that the SEF needs to be done!!!

I do loads of paperwork

The SEF in it's self took several week-ends to do

taytotayto,
Yes, loads of time is spent on paperwork. As none of my children nap I can't do any during working hours, so it all gets done (or not) in evenings and weekends. That's when we have to do all our training too, as there is nobody to stand in for us when we do that, and we can't just take time off for it.

As a single parent with no local family I have to only do the compulsory training now as there is no one to care for my DD whilst I'm out. Because I can't do lots of training I've been forced to resign from the Children Come First Childminding Network as well. This means i no longer get any support from the Council Childminding Team.

sorry to crash this post but can i just say that thereseems to be more paper work involved in CMing than there is in nursing. Do you guys have to spend alot of time in the evining and weekend doing work? i could never do it. you are all so dedicated.

I have to copy mine from my word document into the on-line service

That will take a while

Then I have to do a new one for my new registration

Finished my SEF!!! Finally! Huge relief and but that its so many hours of my life I'll never get back.

Have left stroppy comments in the feedback form, about the length of the form - hopefully if enough people do that it'll have an impact?!

The time taken to complete bit says:
1-2 hours 2-4 hours 3-4 hours more than 4 hours

4 hours is absolute nonsense.

The best thing to do is to write work in progress in any boxes not completed and just keep submitting it, don't wait until it's done. You can keep editing it and resubmitting it.

I was advised that something is better than nothing.

Good luck

Oh thats worth knowing, thanks, I may well end up doing that!

Does anyone answer 'less than 4 hours'??? Can't imagine it unless they'd given very superficial answers - even updating a previous one would take longer I'd think. I haven't been counting the hours as such, but must be 20-30 easily?

I am fairly sure you can 'post' it incomplete (as long as there is something in each box) the go back & update it as you have time - so the inspector has 'something' iyswim

Mmm, thanks but sadly have done the easy bits and only have til the weekend to finish the whole thing as am being inspected a week on Monday.

I just don't see how most of the points in Section 5 relate to me...

Ambition and Improvement
My ambition for the setting is to have enough children enrolled to be able to pay the bills - currenly I don't and I find that this is a challenge to the motivation and productivity of the provision. I communicate ths aim by advertising in local children's centres and online.

Do you think that covers it or are they looking for something more ambitious?

Mine took about 15 hrs to complete - I found it best to complete the 'easy' parts first then go back to the 'hard' bits

I printed off a copy - so if cant access will just have to type all over again.....

Arrrrrgggggh! Losing the will to live! Have spent couple of hours writing Section 5... went to paste it into the box on the Evaluation form and realised they've subdivided it into those 8 helpful categories. Bstrds!

Serioulsy how do they expect people to fill this damn thing in???

I just want to cry. Was hoping to get it done tonight but its not going to happen now.

[throws self on floor and has a massive tantrum]

Thanks The IronLady, I suppose I had better at least look at it. I spent ages filling out pre registration inspection booklet which they didn't even glance at. If that happens again I might blow a fuse

Rosiegirl - you're most welcome! Its not the most user-friendly form, so I wrote it (what I've done of it anyway) in MSword and then cut and pasted it in.

Glad I saved you some time anyway... now I just have to make myself finish the darn thing... (inspection on 25th Jan so need to get moving!)