P.51 B: Childminders. 2nd bullet point
"where four- and
five-year-old children only attend the childminding setting before and/or after a normal school
day, they may be classed as children over the age of five for the purposes of the adult:child ratio"
Ofsted have confirmed today to me and others by email that this means that 4 AND 5 year olds can only be counted as an over five on the days they attend a normal school day. During school holidays, training days, snow days/staff strikes or any other day the child does not attend a normal school day they revert to a younger child again for the purposes of child ratios. And this will continue throughout the school year until 31 August.
Absolutely ridiculous IMO, Ofsted have said its still at consulation stage and subject to change. So please do contact Ofsted and make your views known.
www.ofsted.gov.uk/portal/site/Internet/menuitem.ecb0bb2233bb2aee628a0d8308c08a0c/?vgnextoid=1cfc8587 fd24a010VgnVCM1000008192a8c0RCRD
This will make it really difficult for childminders to offer care for reception class children. We can't afford to hold open both an under fives and older fives place with just one fee. And parents can't be expected to pay for 2 places for one child. So we'll all need variations to cover each holiday period!