Do all childminders HAVE to do a course on the EYFS?

[skankywitch]

I know we have to start using it by September of this year, but is it true all childminders have to do a course.

I presume you don't have to do a course but you do have to follow it.
I am sure it will be much easier to implement if you go to the course though but if you are confident doing it without going then I presume that is ok.
You will have to prove to OFSTED though that you are following it after sept.

Is there a particular reason you don't want to go? I have only been to the briefing session so far and I must say there is a lot to get your head around.

Hello Feelingold,

It was a course I intended to do anyway as I enjoy doing them. But all the childminders 6 in total at toddlers this morning said it was compulsory to do the EYFS course.

I also went to a EYFS introduction evening in September and I actually prefer the layout to birth to three. Jane Cole was the speaker and she was a member of the team who contributed to the production of the EYFS.

I'm sure the minders I spoke to this morning have got it wrong, but they were insistent that the course has to be done.

I got the impression that the course had to be done too. I was speaking to our local representative this morning and the impression I got was that we had to do it. May be wrong though.

You do have to do the basic briefing course, where you get your Early Years Foundation Stage folder.

By September 2008 it becomes a statutory requirement.

Anything beyond that is good practice.

i think it is compulsory. i went to an introduction b4 christmas and was told i would have to attend a more detailed course in the new year. joy!

Childminders have a LEGAL OBLIGATION to attend the briefing, not sure about the course itself but I got the impression we had to.

i have a 2 hour training session on saturday - i assumed that was all i had to do

AFAIA we(cm's) do HAVE to complete the course, otherwise youll have ofsted to answer too

You think that's bad about doing the complete course, I have heard from an inspector from a rely of mine that they have to do a diploma course in it before they can inspect us.

I have got mine {briefing} tomorrow night

Do I have to take anything with me?

Your EYFS pack if you've got one.

You probably won't have EYFS pack yet, you should get given this at the briefing.

As for course, our local one is in 3 parts, each 2 hours long. Glad I don't have to do a diploma in it!!!

I think I get the pack at the meeting cos I haven't got one now

Tommorrow night is 7pm - 9pm and that is it iyswim

We got ours ages ago, still some minders turned up with it unopened

RTKM - I presume you will have to attend a course after the briefing though?

i suppose so then

will ask tommorrow

Thanks for the replies, sorry it's taken me so long to come back. But minding 4 under 3yrs (yes I have a variance) keeps me more than busy.
I will be very interested to hear what RTKM has to say when she gets back from her briefing.

Blimey my brain aches!!!!!!!!

There are sooooooooo many hoops to jump thru

yes there are further training to go on but she didn't seem to know if it was compulsory

OFSTED haven't learnt how to inspect us yet

All the paper work

All the evidence to be collected and written up once a week, photos, paintings,

Why we do this and what we hoping to show

The question that kept going thru my moind was if all children at CM and nursery do EYFS

What about all the children who are at home with their parents?

IMHO it takes spontinaeity out of life having to analyse and prove why and what we have been doing? With written documents and pictures etc.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for reporting back RTKM.

Think I will call my local early years team and see what they have to say.

Exactly my feelings RTKM, I had first of two 3 hours sessions last Monday, got next one this Monday.

My course was run by NCMA and it was the first session the trainer had done, hence bit disjointed and didn't flow at all well, and I got more out of reading the Active Learning book (that we got given at the course or you can buy for about £8 from NCMA) when doing my 'homework' from the course!

A CM friend and I were talking about it yesterday and have figured, like everything else, it's only for Ofsted's benefit so I guess we'll do what we have to with observations, documents etc just to keep them satisfied.....it just galls me that I seem to spend so much of my own time doing paperwork, writing up things, filling in forms (got a food hygiene self assessment form and application for reg of food business establishment this morning!!!!) instead of spending time with my family. I have previously tried to do this sort of stuff when actually minding eg when children having 'quiet time' with eg Balamory though this is rare, or when they are asleep.....but I find I can't concentrate then!

Always seem to find time to mn though

This is just pathetic Im afraid.Im a CM who looks after my friends baby and have only ever looked after friends kids.I dont want all this.