OK - who can explain to mewhy a Birth to Three room won't work?

[Katymac]

Cos OFSTED say it can't

Surely B23 implies that one room for that age range is good - so why am I being advised to have 2 separate rooms?

It really mucks my idea of number up and I don't know how to make the space work?

I think OFSTED are wrong. Legally, you could have a divided area for the babies. However, I think it is down to what is "good practice". Personally (as a parent and a nursery owner), I would not want to see a baby room or area that had only one member of staff in it. Or any room/area with only one staff memeber. I also would agree with all the previous comments on here as to why it is not a good idea to mix immobile and mobile children. That is not to say you couldn't do it, just that it is not best practice.

That's why I want to mix the ages

2 staff for 6 under 3's would be ideal (it's how we work now) I like a separate area for the babies that aren't walkibg yet but within a larger area so the staffing can work - or would that not work?

could you ask the ofsted inspector to find you examples of similar size nurseries they think are good?

I asked that - she said no

I though over the summer I could visit lots of nurseries and collect ideas and "Best Practice"

I think it depends on what you mean by a seperate area. I think OFSTED would be unhappy with anything that was not a really solid divider. If you are talking about those stand up dividers - I think it is not ok. If there is a pull across divider wall or something similar, then you still have the fact that staff will be working on their own at times.

Perhaps it is just me, but I hate the idea of staff regularly working on their own with children. If, for example, they need to change a nappy and another child needs sudden attention (falls etc), there is nothing that can be done excpet leaving a child to cry. I really think there should always be two staff working together.

Sorry - just want to clarify. OSFTED will not be concerned about the mobile versus not mobile seperation (though in my opinion they should be). They are quite happy for all under 2'3 to be in together. I have been in large nurseries where the 0-2 room had 15 or more children in all together. So long as the staffing is correct. What they are interested in is not having older child - those approaching 3 - togerther with younger ones. We had this at my nursery when we wanted to introduce some flexibility to the baby room and toddler room to accomodate different developmental stages. We are allowed to have children aged 18 months or older in the 2-3 room if there are developmentally able to fit it. I would be very suprised if they would allow a complete mix of 0-3. I have never heard of that being done anywhere.

Ours isn't a solid divider. They are cupboards which are below waist height.

They got good on all aspects at their most recent nursery with lots more positive comments beyond that, and everyone I know of whose children go to the nursery are very happy with it and the arrangement. Not sure how their staffing works.

However, the seperating ages are 0-2 and 2-preschool, so maybe that is the difference.

Oh, and apparantly it can have up to 31 children at anyone time. Bigger than I thought. There really doesn't seem to be that many children milling about. However we do drop DD off right at the start of the morning session, and it is towards the end of the day when we collect her.

Katymac - if you e-mail me on claire(dot)king13(at)btinternet(dot)com I can link you to their report.

Thanks I have

So I mix the 2-3's and the 3-5's and just have appropriate staffing

Hmm seems ok - but that group will be quite big - I wonder if i should separate them out a bit

oh i may have given my answer on your other thread.

As fantastic idea as it looks (had a quick scan of your link), i do think you need extra staff to ensure all areas are manned.

I planned my old under2's room with care to avoid nooks and crannies so that no biting hitting fighting could go on out of sight iykwim.

I think an ideal is to have seperate rooms, and a communal room, so you can 'mix and match'! This could be either a soft play area or a library area or whatever you want, but you could take a smal group in there from each age group and different times of the day so they can mix as i think this is as valuable as it is to give them their own space.

Have sent you the link

Thanks - I have had a good read and it seems lovely

I'm still struggling with the 2-3's and the 3-5's being in the same room it gives me 24 children together

That seems too many? or am I worrying un-necessarily

Thanks Waswondering

I am really strggling with this - I am going to visit some nurseries over the summer - Hopefully I will learn as much as I need to

Thats the format i am used to katymac, splitting the ages into 3. so have 2-3's and over 3's seperate.

But there will only be 8 2-3's then 12 F/T 3-5's and 4 sessional care

I don't know if that is practical? (the 2-3's class is too small - only 1 staff) and if I have more 2-3's I won't have enough room for the 3-5's

Opps sorry the 2-3's would have 2 staff woudln't they?

That OK then (I think)

But then I'd have 8 children going up into the next room and there would only be room for 6

Could I have a room separated by a partition? Maybe?

Oh this is so difficult

Katymac, Under twos need their own area but 'able' 18 month year olds (IME this is usually those with older siblings) can be included into a group of two year olds but the 1:3 ratio will still apply.

A sectioned off area of a main room, with a 'no shoes' sign is fine for babies. You'll need to make sure they can sleep, we have one year olds and over and don't use cots (OFSTED are OK with this, their own sleep mat on the floor is fine)
and we have a nappy changing unit in the bathroom which leads off of our baby area. We have floor cushions, rugs and the area feels very 'homely'. We also have one year old height tables and chairs with arms which fit under the table for mealtimes (no high chairs needed) and it works very well.

CAT me if I can help at all.

Thanks I have CATed you

Don't know if this is any help but our nursery have a baby room up to 1, then 1 to 2.5, then 2.5 to 5 (but there are 3 rooms in total for this last group so the pre-schoolers get a separate area when they need it, the free play and circle time is all together though)

oh and none of them wear shoes!