how do you get parents involved in planning ?

[TurnYourFrownUpsideDown]

I've been reading some recent ofsted reports and have found a few where the CM has been marked down for not having systems for parental input to the planning for each child or the child's development at home.

Is it enough to say that a chat at the beginning or end if the day might bring up suggestions or comments from parents or should I be looking making a more formal arrangement?

eeek like having parent's evenings for eg??

oh arse forgot to change name

tis I baldy [rolls eyes at self]

gawd that does not make sense

I mean wrt to the parent sharing info re the child's development while they are not with the CM

I am v tired, can you tell??

here's an eg:

''What steps need to be taken to improve provision further?

extend parents' involvement in practical ways to support their child?s learning and development.''

What does that mean?

Hi I typed something up to put in the children's learning journal

• general comments and feedback on learning journal

• what has child been showing interest in at home

• anything i can do to support learning? e.g numbers, words etc

• get parents to sign that they have seen learning journal

something like that. Hope this helps, my ofsted inspector suggested an open evening with mindee's parents but tbh I have my own family and I want to spend time with them in the evening!!

thanks llllll

I did questionnaires a couple of times, which were really useful, but now I have termly meetings with the parents. A bit like a parents evening, but it's mostly because they are always in a rush in the mornings and I am often in a rush in the evenings.

thank you x x x

I think I have excellent communication with parents - lots of discussion, emails, questionnaires etc as well as all the usual permission forms and an initial profile/about my child before they start.

But it wasn't enough for Ofsted. She said I must get more written input from parents about their childs development. This hasn't gone down well as parents lead busy enough lives. To take time to write out what we both already know doesn't seem a realistic expectation to me.

By llllll - I think your approach is the best way to do it

Giving parents a tick sheet or a starting point of specific questions is likely to be more effective than relying on a general comments box on its own.

Travel teddys, story sacks and other resources children can borrow is another way to get feedback & parental involvement - if you provide diary/camera etc to return. But TBH, all parents want is to collect their child and go and enjoy some family time. They're getting sick of all this enforced involvement with schools as they see it as "homework for parents". They don't want it from us as well.

''But TBH, all parents want is to collect their child and go and enjoy some family time. They're getting sick of all this enforced involvement with schools as they see it as "homework for parents". They don't want it from us as well.''

amen to that ayla

right I shall lie to the inspector and say that I intend to hold parents evenings

Now ofsted had better ring soon because I am like a coiled spring

Hi Baldy email me.

emailed you x x x

I invite parents (in writing) to a meeting each term, and insist they reply, if only to say no thanks. Only one parent has ever said yes! But then I do tend to have at least ten minutes chat at the end of each day, and I did say to my Ofsted inspector that the reason they probably aren't keen to meet formally is that if there was anything needed saying we'd have said it already. She was fine with that.

You know what, as a cm who is also a deputy playgroup leader now, I think cms are being really hard hit by Ofsted . The paperwork in my 'work' setting is nowhere as extensive as in my cm setting. They don't have meetings with parents, they don't establish 'baseline' before a child starts in the setting, risk assessments are nowehre near as comprehensive as I have, we don't have 'individual learning plans' etc, etc.

I think it's time cms rebelled against the expectations placed on us by Ofsted. Parents choose to use childminders because they want a 'home environment' for their children to thrive and learn in. Happy children = happy parents. that's why I chose cms in the past for my children. My own child is with a cm before he goes to school - and I chose her for her caring, nurturing demeanour and attitude, not how well she can complete an observation and assessment. I know that she should have such a file for ds because he still falls under eyfs, but I don't care that she hasnt because he is happy being there for 30 mins before they set off for school.

I used to enjoy being a cm, but have to say I couldn't go back to it full-time now because of the expectations and pressures that are placed upon us.

Ok, rant over, back to tax return

I dread this at my inspection. I have a space in their weekly diaries for "Parents/Carers Comments", I do learning journeys, also asking for feedback, I do regular newsletters which sometimes beg for feedback, and any ideas which they may have that they would like me to implement for their child...... recently I also did a "proper" questionnaire asking for feedback, ideas, suggestions and guess what they all commented that they were really happy with everything I did and had no suggestions!!!!

I just hope that OFSTED are happy with the effort I have made as I don't think I am supposed to torture them to make them give me ideas.

Also has anyone else found that they have had to chase info from pre-schools & nursery's I find them increadibly difficult to pin down and one local one was quite off when I mentioned that we ought to get our heads together, I felt I was not seen as important, but they NEVER contact me or come to me to have a chat but I wonder who will get marked down on an inspection.....