SEF

[TheIronLady]

I completed sections 1, 2 & 3 yesterday and it took me 6 hours .

How long did it take you to complete yours?

I am going to tackle the remaining sections possibly tonight or during the week, just can't believe how long it is taking.

I do loads of paperwork

The SEF in it's self took several week-ends to do

I'm still in the denial phase that the SEF needs to be done!!!

I'm supposed to be doing mine now.... Got a lovely CM friend coming over tomorrow to help me brainstorm but wanted something to start on. Prehaps we could use this as a bit of a support thread for those of us battling the dreaded SEF monster!

You don't have to fill it in online you know. You can do it however you like. I'm making a folder, split into the sections, that the inspector can read when she is here. Means I can include photos etc without any hassle. I'm not doing the written form, can you imagine fitting all the info they want in those tiny little boxes?!

Why would anyone think that doing endless paperwork would benefit the kids? I care for 8 month old twins, a four year old and 3 year old DS. They take every second of my day just for the basics (fed, watered, clean), any spare time should go to spending quality time with them, not bloody paperwork!

I can see the point of Self Assessment and I do think it's a good idea and is something I'd be doing anyway.

What I can't see the point of is that awful, repetitive, tedious, nit-picking, badly thought out, time-consuming, pointless OFSTED SEF! I HATE it!

Does it help me to reflect on my practice?
NO!! More like giving up my practice, actually.

Does it take up far too much of my precious time to write?
YES!! I don't have administration staff to do it for me as I would if I were a nursery, I have a family that needs me in the evenings.

I had alloted time to do the remainder of my SEF this weekend but went to sisters yesterday for a catch up instead - What really pees me off is that I rarely have the time these days to see my family who are dotted around the South East, I've had a very poorly moggy who I have had to nurse; I am so thankful that my kids are adults now from the point of view of finding time to do paperwork, I just don't know how you all do it those of you with young families.

My son has insisted that I also go out today too and blow the paperwork for today, he's taking me to see Avatar in 3D then to Nandos - Yippee, Anyone else seen it?

erm...section 5, how well do you deploy your resources?

Eh?

I am (I think) a fairly intellegent person but this form makes me feel thick.

I don't understand the "the progress children make in relation to their starting points" bit.

and what does "the providers commitment to sustainability" mean?

"the progress children make in relation to their starting points"

means - how do you know (can you prove) that children are progressing? So you record your/parents initial observations of what they can do when the child starts with you (obv wothout using the EYFS as a ticklist ) and then make a record/take a photo or whatever when they learn something new. Then obv you chart it all against the EYFS and plan their next steps...

Does that help?

I took the sustainability bit to mean towards the environment, but could well have got the wrong end of the stick on that one!

without even

I thought it might mean environment to...

I still don't understand what "the progress children make in relation to their starting points" has to do with deploying resources. On it's own I get it, but why is it in this section?

Ah, I see what you mean... I think by that point in the form I was just rambling and put in my general paragraph about how I checked chn were progressing, but I guess its talking about prioritising your deployment of resources so children progress? Bit random though...

Here's what I put for the sustainable bit if thats any help:

Sustainability is a concern in my setting ? many of the resources I get are wooden, I recycle where possible, encourage parents to use biodegradable or washable nappies and use washable towels (that are changed daily) rather than disposable paper towels in the toilet.