The children were making spiders out of egg-boxes (does that need the hyphen??) today. During our recent OFSTED inspection they had been making snakes out of them and the inspector muttered appreciatively and ticked her sheet. But today we were graced with a visit from one of the 'Early Years Advisory Team.' I am in a long running dispute with this lot anyway as they are paid for by my council taxes and with the exception of one or two seem to consist of a bunch of bods who wander around nurseries tellling nursery owners that they need to buy more 'essential' crap.
Today we were told that 'eggboxes shouldn't be used for junk-modelling because of a salmonella risk.' WTF??? Of course if an egg box is either covered in broken egg or chicken shit we wouldn't use it. Is no one credited with any sense at all anymore??
BTW. Some of out staff went on Birth to Three training recently and came back waving catalogues of things that we 'just have to buy.' I 'phoned up the Head of Early Years to find out what kind of state- salaried and supposedly objective trainer was giving out catalogues to course members. I was told that the Early Years Advisors are 'so busy' Yeah!! 'So busy' wandering around nurseries on fuck knows how much per annum advising about the evils of egg-boxes - that the council has to use contract trainers. Contract trainers who hand out 'consultancy services' cards and flog their own catalogues. 
I'm really pissed of about this.
The final insult was that the Head of Early Years then said - 'Oh. Don't worry those training costs don't come out of council tax, it's from a government grant!' So. Oh wise one, I asked, who do you think pays for that?????