staffing in nurseries

[gillandjack]

What do you think about proposal to increase the ratio of children to carers in nurseries? This will mean less individual care and contact with an adult. As a mother, grandmother and former teacher of young children I was horrified by this proposal. Young children need consistent care and contact with adults in order to be able to build sound relationships. Increasing the number of children one carer is responsible for will not help this vital area of development.

From past experience with working in a nursery, I think it's a bad idea. As it is you're pushed to show each individual child the same amount of care whilst juggling a few different tasks, remembering who can't have what at snack times, watching over 25 children all playing in the playground whilst patching up a child who has fallen over and grazed a knee.. I think it's very unrealistic!

It'll never happen.

It's already there for the over 3 year olds. It's 1:8 OR 1:13 if you have a qualified nursery teacher and other level 3 qualified staff in the room. Kind of like the proposed rules where you could have 1:4 babies if you have a degree standard member of staff. I work supply in lots of nurseries and have worked properly in many others. I have never found a daycare nursery that had 1:13. Many decided to go for 1:6.

There was a thread about it a few weeks ago in which people were around 99% against the new ratios. If you're a nursery, why would you offer a service which 99% of your customers don't like?