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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Observations/accident forms/daily diary

22 replies

Mummmaa · 14/12/2021 18:49

The nursery my son goes to we chose due to my sister beeing the deputy manager there and so i knew i would be happy leaving him there. My other sister is also an apprentice there.

The longer hes been there the more issues i have come accross and i mention them to my sister and i feel nothing is done but then i feel like i would be going behind her back if i sent an email to admin/the other manager.

Hes changed key persons since beeing there as i complained that his key person never done any observations on him it was allways other staff. Then a new lady started and she was great for the first 2 weeks, then again nothing from her. Most observations are done by my sisters and i feel like thats only beacuse they know i like seeing the observations and that ive commented saying i dont get many. His key person has not done an observation since the first week in november and his last observation was 3 weeks ago and he just done his last day today before christmas (they are closed for 2 weeks over christmas) so he wount have an observation documented for about 6 weeks!

They seem to be very big on me doing a pre existing accident form there and then if he comes into nursery with any mark, which i understand and im happy to do. Their policy is to ring the parent if the child has any accident which is shoulder level or above. So today i get a phonecall saying he has scratched himself on the face leaving a mark, which i understand is an accident which happens so im not concerned, i would then expect an accident form to come through documenting this? But i have not and this is not the first accident ive been called about then no accident form followed up. They also called me one time to tell me he had bumped his head, he was fine and carried on his day, my nan picks up my son after lunch so im not paying the whole day childcare and she enjoys spending time with him and they did not tell her he had bumped his head when she picked up and was confused when i rang her asking how his head bump was.

His daily diary is uploaded onto the app. Multipale times ive/my nan has been told diffrent to what is on the diary leaving me questioning and ringing up to see if he had eaten his lunch that day or drank his morning bottle or not or how long his nap was or if he had napped at all. The diary is often not detailed as in it will say lunch:all, not telling me what he acutally ate, surely thats a health risk incase he goes onto have an alergic reaction later in the day?

He loves the nursery and jumps out of my hands at the door but i feel like if my sisters didnt work there i would have probably changed nurserys due to all the above issues! I dont want to fall out with my sisters over it but its really starting to get to me now and i just dont know how to go about it. Or am i just beeing a picky parent who expects too much?

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mrsed1987 · 14/12/2021 18:56

I have no relatives at my sons nursery and this is exactly my experience. I think they only write on the app when they have time re observations. Sometimes they tell me at the door he at a little bit of his lunch and on the app it says all. I think they copy and paste and sometimes forget to change it so I tend to ask at the door.

Original poster

Mummmaa · 14/12/2021 19:13

I worked in nurserys a few years back so i know what its like for fitting in time but i always made sure my key children had plenty of observations, did activities arround there next steps etc. Apparently next steps arent a thing anymore? So how do they help a child to progress thurther in development if they arent planning activites to help the child progress? Maybe i need to get in touch with some of my old childcare friends that are still in the field and see what they do/think

OP posts:

SleighbellsZ · 14/12/2021 19:22

I get the observations in bulk every few weeks.
It's finding the time, waiting for them to be signed off etc not that they aren't doing them.
It's fine with me, I get a daily report handed to me of what he's ate, done etc.
They'll absolutely(well, should) still be continuing the progress of your DC where needed regardless of you getting updates daily.

I would say the only issue your having is the accident forms. Ask them for one on pick up as you should be signing one anyway.
Tbh I don't think I'd think twice about emailing about this if my sister worked there.
It'll be documented so needs actioned.

YerAWizardHarry · 14/12/2021 19:25

Some nurseries will focus on a small group of children for say a week at a time and rotate through the children

FTEngineerM · 14/12/2021 19:25

How old is your child?

Hangingtrousers · 14/12/2021 19:30

The new eyfs has less focus on observations and more on being with the children. Sorry I think you are over reacting.
He loves nursery! That's the most important thing.

Whichcatthatcat · 15/12/2021 20:53

Have you not been given a menu? I don't think they can spend time typing all the meals onto all the childrens apps every day. And as a pp said, observations should only be done when there is something significant to record. And next steps are no longer a thing.

So it sounds like you are being a little bit picky, but it's understandable, you are entitled to as a parent.
I'd ask for a menu, complain gently about the accident forms, (you should be getting these), and forget the rest.

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 15/12/2021 20:55

Your child is happy there, they are safe and enjoy going. Why do they need to document progress etc? Surely you can see their own progress?

Original poster

Mummmaa · 15/12/2021 21:12

DS is 13 months, has been going since he was 7 months old.

I had a menu sent to me a while back but i can never figgure out what week it is.

I spoke to my mum about it and she said i should see if my concerns carry on after the christmas break then just have a look at other nurserys. Im thinking of moving him to the pre school attached to the school he will go to once hes old ennough but then im looking to move so school choice may change, most the schools in my area are good so im going with the most local to home.

OP posts:

GiltEdges · 15/12/2021 21:15

Your expectations sound a little bit OTT to me, particularly with regards to observations. What's important is that your child enjoys going there.

Elbie79 · 15/12/2021 21:15

Have a proper chat with your sister/s where you say you don't want to cause any bother, but actually these things are troubling you so you're going to raise them with the manager. No reason to do anything different than you normally would just because of the family connection. Just do it all courteously.

I don't think you're overreacting at all. But you mention moving him and I wouldn't do that, given he loves it, without serious safety concerns.

Moonflower12 · 15/12/2021 21:30

The new EYFS has a lot less emphasis on observations and much more on being with the children and getting to know them rather than paperwork , as this takes people away from the children. Is your child is happy I'd leave him there rather than keep moving and uprooting him.

Rogue1001 · 15/12/2021 21:32

Think of it this way....

When they're writing all the things you mention, they're not interacting with your child x that by every child in their care

mynameiscalypso · 15/12/2021 21:37

Gosh, we haven't had a single observation this term. I couldn't care less. My DS is happy and loves it there. That's the most important thing. I'd rather they spent time playing with him than filling in another pointless form. All the other things sound normal too.

Chrita · 15/12/2021 22:21

I understand your concerns and had very similar issues with my nursery - but - I think a lot of it has to do with the fast we aren't allowed in at the moment and it is difficult to get a feel for exactly how they are doing just by the very brief pick ups and drop offs at the door with random staff members.
I do try to tell myself it's better that the staff are spending their time with the kids rather than updating the app all day, but unfortunately that's our main form of communication and updates.

Nodancingshoes · 17/12/2021 15:27

@Hangingtrousers

The new eyfs has less focus on observations and more on being with the children. Sorry I think you are over reacting. He loves nursery! That's the most important thing.

I was about to post the same thing! Written observations are no longer a requirement. Doing observations take staff away from interacting and playing with the children.

Pinkpepper79 · 17/12/2021 22:50

Like someone else stated the new EYFS focuses on eliminating non essential paperwork. Imagine this scene. Your child is having a lovely time exploring an activity. The member of staff doing that activity has to document every word said and every process the child has gone through, missing key opportunities to extend and bridge the children's learning all because the parents want to see an observation. What is the point in that activity because they have not extended their learning just continued as they were doing b4. The job of the adult is knowing when to step back and allow a child to learn for themselves and when to add a comment like "I wonder what would happen if you did........"
If staff have their faces stuck in an ipad these precious moments are lost. Plus it's just not nice for a child to constantly see the top of a member of staffs head rather than their face.

MondeoFan · 17/12/2021 22:57

Where I work we have to 1 observation a week on that child. So if your child does everyday or 2 days they only get 1 observation plus we put posts up daily detailing all the learning activities we have done that day.
The new eyfs is meant to make our lives easier, not harder. Not as much needs to be documented now, although our observations are more detailed now

whatcangowrong · 17/01/2022 18:30

We have been told that ofsted have changed their guidance for nursery staff and now recommend less observations in order to allow more actual interaction with the children. We just started nursery recently and they have stressed this to us loads. Our daily diary is also a bit hit and miss but they tell us what happened as well. I don't think it's a big deal.

ShirleyPhallus · 17/01/2022 18:34

We also have barely any observations, the nursery prefers for the staff to use their time to be with the children instead of on iPads during the day typing in notes

It doesn’t really matter how much of a specific bit of lunch he ate, try him with a snack when he gets home and if he’s hungry he’ll eat. Babies / toddlers are good with their hunger cues.

jannier · 18/01/2022 20:29

@Mummmaa

Next steps are still required. There is no requirement for written observations, next steps or planning but you have to know them.

surreygirl1987 · 18/01/2022 20:37

You sound really OTT to me. I actually hate how many observations nursery do (lots) as that's time that could have been spent interacting with my child instead. If they have a concern I'd like them to raise it - otherwise I'd like them to simply look after my child and not spent time on paperwork instead.

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