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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to find it interfering and even slightly sinister that my childminder wants to communicate with the school?

142 replies

parakeet · 04/07/2011 14:43

She's given me a (sealed) envelope, asking me to give it to my child's teacher. It has a note (to me) on the back saying she'd like to know about their lesson plans.

I asked my childminder what it was all about and she said Ofsted had told her to do it, so she can coordinate educational activities with the school. My (five-year-old) child is normally only with my childminder for two hours a day, two days a week (apart from school holidays). So I'm not really expecting my childminder to do anything educational with her, just pick her up after school, give her tea and let her wind down after school.

Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I don't see the need for other professionals to be bypassing me to communicate about my child. She doesn't have any SN. The teacher gives parents weekly sheets giving info about what they're doing that week and I offered to give a copy to the childminder each week, but no, she wants the teacher's lesson plans. I have a feeling the teacher won't particularly want to do this either, or is this standard?

OP posts:
strandedbear · 04/07/2011 15:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
parakeet · 04/07/2011 15:01

OK. I opened it (shame).

It asks for the teacher to provide her with a "copy of your planning and [child]'s next steps". It also says "Please let me know if you are particularly focussing on any area of her development."

For reasons I find hard to articulate, I don't like that last sentence.

I should add, that I have used this childminder for several years and have been totally happy with her in all the important ways. My children are happy there and I feel one of the staff-members in particular (it's a two-person operation) really loves the children, like they are her grandchildren. I would no way move them over this.

Not sure what to do next really.

OP posts:
BitOfFun · 04/07/2011 15:02

I wouldn't especially want a childminder to be an educator, particularly if they only look after the child for a couple of hours after school. I would want somebody bosomy and kind who knows their way round a fish finger sandwich. That is amply sufficient, surely?

RitaMorgan · 04/07/2011 15:02

Just give her the envelope back and say you're not happy about it ffs!

DogsBestFriend · 04/07/2011 15:03

I agree with you firsttimer. I wouldn't necessarily want a CM continuing education at the end of a 5yos school day either. For 2 hours, 2 days a week in fact I'd be happy if she was collected, fed dinner and allowed to watch 90 minutes of childrens TV. If I wanted to supplement her education I would do it or find appropriate facility, such as a French club or violin lessons.

After all, OFSTED doesn't tell the classmate who goes home with his mum 5 days a week that he must be educated for the following couple of hours so why should a CM be any different? I would require a CM to mind not to teach.

flipthefrog · 04/07/2011 15:04

is it some eyfs new thingy, they always seem to be mucking around with it.

ask on childminders topic too maybe, cause some people hide aibu

itisnearlysummer · 04/07/2011 15:04

'Focusing on any area of her development' will refer to the early learning goals so, for example, they might be writing stories with focus on letter formation etc. That's not too sinister.

I suspect that the teacher will provide her with the same overview the parents get.

Sounds like she's got this advice from ofsted and is keen on doing the right thing, but that she's misunderstood exactly what they want. She doesn't need the teachers planning.

Besides, other people's plannng doesn't always mean very much!

Original poster
parakeet · 04/07/2011 15:06

Right, have to go now ladies. Thanks for your advice, and for making me open the envelope. I will probably take the coward's way out and just not hand it over to school, and see if I can get away with that.

I will also give the childminder the weekly sheets anyway. I'm sure her heart is in the right place.

OP posts:
Mumwithadragontattoo · 04/07/2011 15:06

To be honest that sounds innocent enough to me and does tie in with what she told you. I would hand it over to the teacher and let him or her deal with it. The teacher will be able to say if there is anything further they can pass to the childminder in terms of planning. I don't think the second sentence is worrying just a slightly formal way of saying tell me anything else you think I should know.

DogsBestFriend · 04/07/2011 15:08

So the CM is instructed by tosspotty OFSTED to share info, including the teacher's lesson plans.

Is the teacher obliged to cooperate?

And can anyone tell me please if they are equally obliged/would be equally willing to provide this to the parent upon request?

VelvetSnow · 04/07/2011 15:08

The hand that rocks the cradle and all that.... Grin

hmm sounds odd tbh, bonkers in fact.

Hand her back the envelope and say that you will communicate any "specific areas of development"

spamm · 04/07/2011 15:09

I have to be honest and say I would be fine with this from my childminder (when I lived in the UK). I would definitely want to open the envelope, of course. But I would have no issue with this kind of communication with the teacher. I completely trusted my childminder, especially since I was prepared to hand over my baby to her daily, so I would not see anything sinister in this.

Do you think this says more about your relationship with your childminder?

swanker · 04/07/2011 15:18

I'm not sure why you're uncomfortable about her request. Do you have othher concerns?

babybaabaa · 04/07/2011 15:19

Firstly, as a childminder, it doesn?t sound particularly interfering or sinister but rather hasty and misguided.
Any information sharing like this between providers should only be requested with the parent?s full understanding and written permission and even then should not be a request for any personal, confidential information.
If I were caring for a child of this school age for those hours it would certainly be helpful to have a vague idea of the class topics/themes for each week. So that I could e.g. set up a pirate themed area in the garden or e.g. get things ready for dinner that all began with the letter ?p? if the class were focussing on any particular sound or group of sounds.
Or I might find an educational DVD about world dancing or get out some ice if reversible changes were being covered at school.
Sometimes in a classroom there isn?t that much quiet, unhurried time for the children to explore. I can compliment and enjoyably add to school topics in my home even if only for an hour or so.
It could be that a parent could pass on this information instead of the class teacher, but as a working parent myself I often have limited knowledge of exactly what topics are being covered in my son?s class so on balance I think it?s a good idea to share information ? but just brief weekly or monthly topics not full lesson plans!

SarahStratton · 04/07/2011 15:31

Good grief, when mine were that age they were far too exhausted to want to do anything but slump in front of the telly Confused

Poor children, when do they get time to actually be children now?

lashingsofbingeinghere · 04/07/2011 16:13

Oh lucky teacher, communicating with potentially up to 30 different childminders as well as 30 sets of parents.

LittleMissFlustered · 04/07/2011 16:53

Sounds like the childminder has got a bit overzealous with the stuff they're being forced to do by Ofsted. I'd give her the round-up as you planned to. She really doesn't need any more.

I'd perhaps feel sorry for the childminder. Ofsted have had it in for them for years. Seems they want all children to be in a learning environment, regardless of parental wishes. I know several childminders who have quit because they never wanted to be teachers, but the ridiculous demands from Ofsted made them feel that they were forced to become them. A childminder is supposed to offer a home-from-home care setting, Ofsted are eroding that year on year.

Sorry, tangent over.

BoysAreLikeDogs · 04/07/2011 16:55

yy it's an EYFS requirement that the CM develops a relationship with other providers, and she is asking for lesson plans so that she can link activities she provides to what the current topic is at school. Asking for information about areas school thinks need more input will inform her planning too

Don't be hard on her, she is following current regs

I agree that it could be seen as a clumsy way of interfering but truly she holds the best interests of your child at heart; many CMs don't bother with building partnerships with school

DilysPrice · 04/07/2011 17:02

Honestly it sounds fine, totally non-sinister, but just as if she's copied a phrase out of the latest OFSTED guidance she's been given. I'd hand it over to the school, who can answer it or say "no, sorry" as they think fit.

SusanneLinder · 04/07/2011 17:08

Thank goodness mine are too old for Childminders :).there is no WAY I would want my CM carrying on school plans with a 5 year old.

Let them watch Peppa Pig FFS. rolls eyes

MilaMae · 04/07/2011 17:08

I think your cm is confused though,by my understanding whoever has the child the most is the main care provider.

I don't do this with my school age children and I'm outstanding,slightly concerned now that I should be.

I've done transition documents for children once they start pre-school and liase with said pre-school but as I have my school age children now for only 4 hours per week I don't even keep folders of work as they're knackered and flop.School and home are in the driving seat so to speak.Ofsted were fine with this last visit as I double checked.

skybluepearl · 04/07/2011 17:09

open it, read it and put it back in a new envelope, give it to school.

i'm sure it's nothing - just to do with levels etc but that is info you are entitled to know about

terby · 04/07/2011 18:26

I dont like this at all. You will have to watch her and make sure she does not overstep the mark. I had a very bad experience with my childminder who over the years took more and more liberties. When I finally let her go for financial reasons, I found out that she was letting my ex husband into my house when I was at work, where he could leisurely root around my stuff. She then took legal advice on whether she could attempt to get visiting rights! There are nutters out there.

Numberfour · 04/07/2011 18:50

I was going to add that it is an Early Years Foundation Stage requirement, not an OFSTED requirement, but BALD beat me to it! The EYFS requires childcare providers to communicate with each other but as a PP quite rightly noted about, it could become ludicrous with 30 CMs trying to get 30 individual bits of planning out the teacher!

I think that your CM is being a bit precious about the whole thing, OP, and I certainly agree that you were right in opening the letter before handing it over. No teacher would want to go into such detail with a carer, and after all, most school aged children in reception are shattered when they get back home or to the CMs or wherever they go.

Have a word with your minder again, and maybe your child's teacher if you like. A bit of overkill on the CM's part! Poor kid probably just wants to run around a bit or flop in front of the television for a bit!

Hope you get this sorted! Good luck.

hanaka88 · 04/07/2011 18:52

You can't open it, it's someone else's mail. It is an ofted thing and my child minded does it with my full support.