CMs - WWYD? (EYFS mindee - used to be at nursery)

[looneytune]

Not sure what to do or IF I have to do anything about this? A new mindee of mine used to be in a day nursery but has started school this month and is now with me for before/after school care. They are in EYFS until 31st August next year. Mum has written to them asking about the EYFS file but hasn't heard back. Do I just leave it and start from now? I feel like why the hell should I bother for just 1 and a bit hours before school and 2 hours after school (after school is just twice a week) when a day nursery with staff who have more time etc. haven't bothered? But I know I have to do it so WWYD in this situation?

I have files for the EYFS children I have in school holidays only. Both were part time at nursery and part time with me. Their nurseries have either given their files to their parents, or direct to their schools and I haven't seen anything of them yet. Will you have your mindees in the holidays? Perhaps their parents could write you a note about before/after school, stating that they do not wish you to follow EYFS? Just an idea.

No, not hols as I couldn't fit them in. School not heard anything about it and probably won't follow up as they are very casual about that stuff. May speak to parents as it's really not worth all the hassle. I've told the teacher at school that I'll pass on anything significant and will follow some of the stuff they are doing (i.e. this week they are working on the letter T and had tables laid out, one with stuff to make TIES for the TEDDIES and so on)

It is good practice to continue to provide next steps and child initiated activities and observe where the child is at. If the parent has not been given the learning journey then contact the nursery and ask what happens to them. In my nursery we send them home with the children and then send a small report onto the school detailing where we feel the child is at in their development and what the school could do to support their development.

You could always plan to do 6 weeks worth of baseline assessments to find out where the child is in their development and then plan for next steps after this.

This drives me nuts, I have 3 children in reception. Their nurseries sent the files to school, so I started from what I know of them from this point.

To just show I consider their needs I have concocted my own "contact book" where I write a few lines for the parents on what they did after school (not a lot generally as all they want to do is play together and then I give them dinner), then on the back of the page I have quick reference to the 6 areas of learning and development and just say they played a game together I jot down a note in Personal Social, or Physical Development and will just pray this is acceptable to OFSTED.

Start your own file. Link in with the school work. Either use the curriculum letters that get sent home or go and speak to teacher. In fact it is a good idea to actually talk to teacher and get a little note from them to say you did this as evidence for Ofsted. Offer homework help. Compliment what the school do. For example if they are looking at Harvest festival, visit a pick your own farm. If they are doing 'all about me' then ask for baby photos and look at growth, likes/dislikes and all that jazz. Keep a few brief notes about these activities and how they went and what you will do next or change about them and hey presto Ofsted will be smiling.

Thanks everyone :)

Rosie - this is the problem. Arrives, has breakfast then maybe plays for half and hour before time to get ready for school. After school we're actually home about an hour (only twice a week) and part of that is me cooking and serving dinner. I can chat about things, talk about stuff in the environment etc. but that's it. I can't really fit planned activities into the times they are here. I was going to turn this mindee down due to EYFS and not being able to do much BUT I thought that was unfair on the poor parents but honestly, apart from looking and talking about things, I can't do a hell of a lot more. All they want to do when we get back is chill and play babies and stuff. I have already tried opne structured activity but they weren't interested.

Maggi - thanks for that. I wouldn't ever be able to doa farm trip though, they won't be coming in the hols. I'll see what I can take from what you said though.

Thanks for your help everyone, my main thing was wondering if I should have the past info but I think I'll just write to the nursery so that's on file and start a fresh myself.

Cheers :)

Maggi I see you point and that you are trying to help.

But believe me I find this a nightmare, I too have considered not having school age children that are in reception, but hate to let down parents, so will have to run the risk my grading will be lower because of this.

When you have children for only a couple of hours and are expected to feed them as well. 2 of mine also have allergies so I have to really consider what I cook for everyone. During the day I have the littlies, it isn't reasonable for me to go up to the 2 different schools (as well as the nurseries for the under 5's) and regularly sit down with teachers, with my little ones in tow, and quite frankly I don't think they have the time. This is something else that winds me up, because NONE of the nurseries/schools/pre-schools go out of their way to come to me at my convenience. Parents already complain about the amount of paperwork/homework they are expected to do for school and after discussing their children's needs, are very happy that their children are having chill out time and fun after school. I have got one little girl who turned 5 2 weeks ago so leaves the EYFS at the end of this month, an another who's birthday is in November so I will be expected to EYFS one and not the other even though they have less than 3 months between them.

Whoops hit post instead of review

anyway as you can see, it has given me a headache trying to find a reasonable compromise.

I will now step off the soap box.

Rosie - that's just how I feel! But you do know, you are 'supposed' to do EYFS until 31st August AFTER their 5th birthday!!! . I have a mindee who has a birthday on 31st of bloomin August so I joked to her mum and said 'couldn't you have bloomin pushed her out the day before, would have saved me a year's worth of extra work!! . It's not that I can't be bothered with their education etc. and I've never stopped doing the sort of thing I do for EYFS anyway - I'd just rather not have to do the audit trail for Ofsted and my parents couldn't agree more (especially those from a teaching background, they feel VERY strong about that!!!)

Absolutely Looney, I love doing lots of things with all of my children, and if anything when the older ones come in everyone mucks in and they get going with games, make believe, den building etc and I'm happy to provide anything they need and help them where I can, it's just as you said the need to "prove" it all the time, one of my parents is also a teacher and really doesn't see the point in me doing all the paperwork, as it won't alter what they do at school (unless there is a special case of course). And of course at this age, the children happily tell mum/dad everyone what a fun time they have at mine, if anything its usually a struggle to get them out of the door.