CKelpie - we all go through paperwork to set up our business, and already had lots of paperwork before EYFS. I am disagreing with the extra paperwork that has been brought in.
Remember primary schools also follow the EYFS, teachers are paid an awful lot more than us but have teaching assistants, cooks, playtime assistants, administrators and finance officers, as do most nurseries and playgroups. We are required to work as much (if not more) than them for little pay. You may say it is a choice, but I for one am studying for my NVQ 3 and will look for other jobs that pay more and stop my house looking like a nursery and enable me to finish my job at the end of the day like normal folk, I am in a very rural area have always been full and will let down a lot of local families who already struggle to find childcare, but I can't do it all anymore.
Lets face it how many will stay childminders for long if we are pushed to gain further quailifications as there is a limit on our earnings due to the numbers of children we can undertake. If I felt by studying for EYP status it would allow me to command more money and extend my business I would feel better to do so. But because most of us are restricted by our homes and ratios we will never be able to. I am currenty working 50 hours a week and am full but overall still only earned £3.40 an hour after expenses last year. The government are already struggling to get potential graduates to join the early years childcare sector as the wages are so low. Many choose teaching instead.
I have loved doing this job, but the EYFS has pushed me too far. I understand learning through play, but I am a very thorough person and do all the paperwork to the best standard, which takes much longer than the 10 minutes each day some say. I take at least that to write the daily diary for each child, never mind their learning journey's.
As some have also said on here, I struggle to get nurseries and pre-schools to communicate with me, not one has approached me, and a primary school teacher friend has told me that they won't look through the reems of paperwork I have already done, they will do their own assesments when they start. So what is the point?
Sorry feeling really fed up, lots of children and rain all week. Bloody Summer!