to be pissed off that DDs nursery stole my ideas?

[harrietflies]

DD attends a local nursery school which uses an online learning journey app to communicate between nursery and home. DD hasn't yet spoken there (she started in September) so, after discussion with her teacher, I started adding regular updates of what we'd been doing at home as a conversation starting point.

Within the first week of doing this, DDs teacher said what a good idea something I'd done was and laughed as she said 'I might have to steal that.' Since then, several things we've done at home (that aren't your standard activities or ones that pop up online) happen to appear in nursery a day or two later. To be honest I didn't mind too much, as I thought it might help DD to be more comfortable if activities were familiar.

However, a fortnight ago nursery got the call from Ofsted and on the day they inspected the nursery they had four activities I'd done that week with DD out - exact copies . Today they announced they received an 'outstanding' grade and the report specifically mentions the 'imagination of the staff' to come up with such 'unique and original ideas to thoroughly engage and inspire the children.' AIBU to feel pissed off and a bit used?

Montessori or not, the Teacher still has to ensure good activities are there for the children to select in the first place, otherwise it gets boring day after day surely?

I'm part of an EY setting and our Nursery provides different activities every day with the bog standard drawing, cutting and role play always on offer.

Just seen your update.

Sounds like you don't like the nursery much and are feeling unappreciated/unacknowledged in general.

Are you a sahn? Are you enjoying this?

The nursery didn't steal your ideas- you sent them to them directly via the learning journal intended for nursery staff to read.

Cutting and sticking, coloured water, using photos and faces on things etc all standard activities.

It is nice that you make an effort at home, also nice that the nursery is outstanding. Perhaps you could steal some of the activities they do there so it feels more equal: Playing with cups in sand/water, colouring in, puzzles with alphabet letters etc.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a nursery class that didn't have a Post Office in December. It's the most topical for the season. It would be more unusual to have the travel agents out.

OP I think you're right to be questioning the quality of the nursery - but not because they poached your ideas.

What would worry me is the fact that they begin full-on Christmas activities in early November. I appreciate it probably won't bother you as you had been doing them with your DD even earlier than that but it does strike me as very odd that the inspectors didn't comment on the 'unseasonable' nature of the activities on offer!

You are showing a basic lack of understanding of how OFSTED etc works. Maybe they are Montessori inspired, but in that case their planning etc is actually harder as they need to be thinking ahead as to what learning outcomes can be met, and how they can satisfy OFSTEd. That is easier with a set of more structured and planned activities. They're not going to just tell the inspector that they go for a Montessori feel and be let off all the aspects that the inspectors are looking for.

The inspectors will have looked at years' worth of records, spoken to governors, parents etc, looked at displays, home communications (so they may well have seen that you did things first via the app) amongst other things.

You don't sound like you like the setting very much, why do you use it?

If you share your sweets people will take some of them and eat them.

If you share your ideas people will take some of them and use them.

That's what happened here. Be pleased the nursery liked your ideas. Or maybe these are activities they do every year and they're cursing you for doing them already so your Dd didn't engage at nursery that day.

Maybe ofsted saw your daughter's journal and everything you did with her. Maybe it was used as an example of parent-nursery communication. Maybe it was used as an example of nursery continuing learning at home.

Don't the bells go rusty in the soup? I can't get my head around that. Or do you put a

red fruit shoot, a green fruit shoot, a tambourine and a peppermint stick in a bowl and stir it with a wooden spoon?

Yes one thing I can assure you of is that Ofsted no longer pay that much attention to what is actually happening in classrooms at the exact time of visit. They are interested in past progress and plans to show how that progress will continue and improve. They'll want to see the schools improvement plans and how they intend to meet that. Attendance, proof of working in partnership. They are very wise to the fact the best lessons are pulled out for observations - hours are out into making resources etc. However what they see isn't sustainable and they know it. They want to see how the school best makes use of the resources they have and how they spend their budget - they look at the value for money etc.

I think you should write to ofsted immediately and complain, and copy the nursery into your complaint. Thieving idea stealing bastards!

Some crafts mentioned were done by my 27 year old when he was in Kindergarten.
Nice that you do crafts, but you didn't re-invent the wheel. Christmas crafts ideas have been going round since I was in school in the dark ages.

You need to go on the TES resources section, OP. It's stuffed with fantastic ideas and teaching resources for 3-16 year olds, shared by teachers across the country. For free.
Because when someone has a great idea that enhances the children's learning and the teacher has put a lot of thought into creating resources for it, many of them want to share that with other teachers and pupils.
Not in an 'Oh, the cleverness and imagination of Me!' way. Just in a 'My lot enjoyed this, perhaps yours will too'
Perhaps you should edit the information you share if you can't patent ideas.

bUt it can't jingle if you put water in can it?

You need to read up on Montessori if you really believe it's a lazy, low planning method

I AM SO PISSED OFF!

OP - how dare you use the intellectual property of my mum, who was doing scavenger hunts, mixing random shit in water and Christmas cutting/collages with me 40 years ago, to help your nursery get an Outstanding grade.

I bet you didn't name-check my mum when you were telling the nursery about how wonderful you are.

(And yes, we do have old Polaroid photos to prove it.)

Hmmph.

The only way it would be remotely reasonable for you to be pissed off at them for 'stealing' your wonderful ideas is if you were a competing business, selling yourself on how much originality you put into the kids' activities. That's it.

School is going to be SO much fun for you and everyone around you

Those ideas sound lovely. I wish I'd thought of stuff like that when mine were little.

Are you a sahn? Are you enjoying this?
If she is a sahm it sounds like she's doing a pretty good job of it based on those activities.

What would worry me is the fact that they begin full-on Christmas activities in early November. I appreciate it probably won't bother you as you had been doing them with your DD even earlier than that but it does strike me as very odd that the inspectors didn't comment on the 'unseasonable' nature of the activities on offer!

Why do you think the xmas activities were done in early November and earlier?

PrettyBright yes, I didn't give thought to the timings and the revelation of the 'outstanding' to parents.

Ha, Christmas did start early for nursery and parent.

Why do you think the xmas activities were done in early November and earlier?

Because for OFSTED to have published their report now, the inspection would have been several weeks ago. As 'outstanding' judgements are moderated internally by OFSTED (particularly at the moment as the nursery framework has just changed), it adds to the usual delay between inspection and report publication.

Why do you think the xmas activities were done in early November and earlier?

Because if the Nursery has been inspected ,the report approved and published the Inspection would have been several weeks ago.

Thanks for the laugh this morning everyone :) love the 'lazy teacher' detail in ops later post too

Great ideas OP. I might steal them

On another note- as a parent you've seen this report very, very quickly.

Very odd.

Are we saying this is

bullshit

You sound like you really don't think much of this setting, or it's staff. Why do you leave your child there?

If it's utterly pants without your input, surely other parents would share your concerns?

It is so hard to get Outstanding - unless every policy, document, learning journal, staff training log, fridge record etc etc is available and correct there's just no way. The activities on offer on one day would not sway it alone.

You know that Ofsted can turn up unannounced to early years settings - so it's not like they could or would have been able plan to have a whole bunch of new activities just to impress inspectors.
Any teacher/childminder/nursery worker spends half their free time getting ideas from other teaching blogs, pinterest etc. It's known as 'sharing good practice' and is generally thought of as a good thing.
If you don't want them using your ideas then don't tell what you do.

And if only getting an 'outstanding' was as simple as just having great activities for the children, not having every mountainous pointless bit of paperwork in perfect order.