Do you think EYFS will end childminding in it's current form?

[KatyMac]

I am wondering

Quite apart from my situation.

Registering as a food premises
Written risk assessments
Written observations
Fees going up
Paperwork coming out of your arse?

Or am I doom & gloom tonite

I mean if you have 2 children and just childmind 1 under 5 and maybe a couple of out of schoolies is it going to be worth the crap?

have emailed you I hope

& back at you

What do you think?

Pretty cut & dried imo

seems bit harsh but would not guarantee it won't change have emailed you again

off to bed as startin work 6:30 tommorrow till 6:30 - 7 tomorrow night so won't ignore but probably won't have much chance to reply till after 8pm tommorrow

No problem

K

I'm going on my EYFS course tonight, all the courses run for childminders I've been on so far seem to be just pointing out the obvious and using your common sense, i'm getting fed up of being made to feel like I'm totally stupid just because I choose to look after children

KM - Childcare Act 2006 says... "exceeds three". Which would make Ofsted's document incorrect - thus why I suspect it isn't yet published. To me it looks like 1 childminder with 2 assistants will be permitted. As will 2 childminders and 1 assistant. But not any more people than that.

Latest childminder stats - 31 March 2008 - are showing that there is a drop of over 1000 childminders since the last stats published (Dec 2007). So clearly something is having an affect... could well be EYFS, though could just be general trend.

LMG - Hope the course goes well. At least your LA provides a course. I'm still trying to see if my LA has a course for Common Core (seems as though some LAs do, while others don't).

still no good for me tho'

busymum1, i would love to know how you do your obs. the whole things worries me.

I agree with EasyMum1 and LoveMyGirls - Ofsted like to make things look really complicated, but when I did the EYFS course, it was mostly what we already do, but just have to make a few more notes about it. Nothing major, and certainly not worth giving up over IMO

well...ive had enough of it all.
my childminder friend got downgraded in her inspection because she didnt boil the hand towel everyday.
its my last week of childminding this week, and i cant wait to stop. at last i can get rid of all the posters that adorn my house and make it my home again! i dont have to deal with ofsted...where one person tells me one thing and i call them a few days later and they tell me something completely different. its far too stressful and sounds like its going to become even more stressful! at the school where i collect the children 5 childminders have given it all up.

I am so saddened by all this. My brilliant childminder does not do reports, or chart learning curves, or any of that bollocks. She tells me what DS has been doing every day and me and DS chat about his day. She has a lovely chaotic house with a big family who are always coming and going with all their kids. She adores my DS and he adores her.

I wanted a friendly family environment for my DS with someone who spends her time having fun with kids, not filling in sodding charts. She is very pissed off about what the EYFS means for her and many of her friends are considering quitting. If I wanted a nursery for my DS, I would have sent him to a nursery. Kudos to all you lovely CMs out there. As a working mum, it helps me so much to know that my DS is happy and safe. I will be so cross if this childcare option is paperworked out of existence.

Hi Tara4now and Krang.
I'm doing some work on how childminders are finding the new EYFS/OFSTED arrangements and I'd be really interested to talk to you both about your experiences. Please could you contact me. Many thanks. Cathy22 x

hi, ive jsut got letter from ofsted telling that in sept i WILL pay the NEW joint fee instead of my normal feee..however they fail to tell me what this AMOUNT will be 'as yet'!

Hi, I've also got 'that' letter from Ofsted, I wanted to stick my 2 fingers up at them after reading it, how the hell are we supposed to be able to pay that, I only earn £170 per week at the moment, its going down in September as the youngest child I mind starts school. If we have to pay £100 (and I pay at Christmas time)I'll have no money for Chrimbo pressies.

I fully agree with you Krang and I'm a childminder. I did not go into this job to do any paperwork apart from the register maybe, people have the right to choose how their child is looked after and if they choose nurseries then they do get a more structured day whereas we can take them out to the park, on walks, pond dipping or to museums depending on the weather.

I've informed my parents I'll give it another year and thats it I think, thanks so much OFSTED you have ruined our work and alot of v good cms have resigned.

Hello everyone

This is my first posting to mumsnet so sorry to start off with a rant.

I'm the very angry husband of a very upset CM of 21 years, who is getting bogged down with EYFS. Yes, I know it's supposed to be very easy etc etc, but we don't think it is either useful to the child or necessary for their development. It is just yet another government initiative to control everyone to the nth degree. Even the government's own experts have told them it should not be statutory and is 'developmentally inappropriate', yet they decided to ignore them and press ahead regardless. For more info read this article from The Times.

There is also a petition on the No 10 website asking for EYFS to be downgraded from statutory to professional guidelines which you can sign here.

If you want to read more about why childcare experts think it is wrong to subject young children to an audit culture, go to the OpenEYE website. Incidentally, Penelope Leach, the president of the NCMA, is a founder member of this group and has also signed the petition.

Phew! Rant over.