Ratio - per room or nursery as a whole?

[nannynick]

Now that Government has seen sense, is another campaign needed?

Ratio is done for the nursery as a whole, not on a per room basis. There is provision within the regulations for children to be out of sight, or out of hearing range of staff for ratio purposes. This can mean that children in one room are actually falling under care of a staff member in another room.

Should that be tightened up, so that staff have to physically be with ALL the children in their allocated ratio?

EYFS did see some clarification, such as saying that staff had to be actively working with children, not cleaning or on a lunch break.

Providers, parents... What are your feelings on this? Does your nursery apply ratio as per room - many do but some don't.

we are only in one room but I have worked in several nurseries recently and only one of them applied the whole nursery ratio
and that was a god-awful place that I wouldn't leave a dog in, let alone a child
all the rest applied the ratio per room

not where I work they dont! Children need to be in sight and or sound for most of the day and only out of ONE of those for short periods, such as sleep. I would always apply the ratios to rooms and combine the rooms at quieter times such as after 4pm etc.

My work place goes on children per floor even though its suppose to be staff member to a certain amount of children depending on age :) x

Good to hear that some nurseries are doing it on a per room basis. I had thought that many would be now but they don't have to do so. Thus per floor, or the building as a whole are still permitted.

Layout of the nursery will make a difference, one chain used to have windows between the rooms and no doors on the rooms... so it was sort of open plan but sort of not. It meant that you could hear and see children in the neighbouring room. Fortunately the one I temped in was not very full.