Do portacabin's come in standard sizes?

[Katymac]

If so does anyone know what they are?

tia
KMc

I'm now tweaking it

see here

Also to separate the area - how do you fancy open two sided shelving on casters that fasten to the wall enclosing the side for older children against the wall so the younger children cannot access them?

That is a really bad explaination but I'll try againg if you don't understand

Katymac.

Big enough for a couple of worksurfaces and cooker space and under counter dishwasher, fridge and freezer.

With 50 children you'll need to avoid 'last minute' prep for food anyway, so you shouldn't need much work surface area. Send the food out to the nursery in (cool) serving dishes and let the staff and (where age appropriate) kids serve themselves.

What's last minute prep?

Fiddly stuff, like wrapping fajitas, for example.

We had crispy aromatic duck last week, pancakes etc. It all went out to the nursery and the staff/littlies wrapped/massacred it themselves.

Things like couscous and veg (I know your lot like this) don't take much space to prepare. Just make sure that the serving up takes place outside of the kitchen and you'll be fine. Also, as you know, OFSTED like children to be involved in serving themselves.

Just be sure to serve the food ten minutes before they need to eat, to allow staff time to assemble, if required.

So you just send out a serving dish(es) to each room and the staff put it in bowls/plates

I like that (I hate serving up)

Not to sure about the children doing it themselves.....tomato soup???? but hopefully someone else wil be doing the clean up

Maybe not soup. Though we put bibs on anyone who moves, even the staff!

But yes, send it out in serving dishes to each room. Our staff lay up trays the afternoon before, ready for lunch the next day, with enough cutlery, plates and bowls for each room. Ten minutes before lunch they start handwashing and a staff memeber will then come into the kitchen and grab the trays (saves a lot of faffing about and getting in the way).

They then come back to collect their serving dishes/serving spoons and dish up in the rooms.

I like that tray thing

It will be for BF, Liunch & dinner tho'

Maybe this is a bad idea

I'm noy sure I can pull it off

Ours start at 8am and we have a snack at 10am which is also prepared the day before and stored in the fridge. I've got three-sectioned serving dishes and they usually have something like - raisins, cheese cubes and breadsticks. The snack doesn't need plates or cutlery, just kitchen roll.

After lunch the staff lay up for tea and after tea for lunch the following day. It works, honestly!

Sorry as I said on the other thread I'm just doing panic atm - it will pass by tomorrow or Monday at the latest I will be back to Positiveness (is that a word?) but tonite I'm panicing

Katymac. If you can get down/across? to Richmond for the day I'll be glad to show you around our nursery, so that you can see how it all works in practice.

not sure where Richmond is.......I might make it down in September (but I don't want to commit until the planning guy says Yes/no.....as replacing me costs so much

That sounds rude - I'm sorry

Also, bear in mind, that OFSTED do genuinely want you to succeed.

The power hungry/failed providers in the Early Years Departments are a different matter, IME.

why?

Not rude at all!

But you are stressing without cause, I suspect. You are a fantastic childminder, that much has been proved/verified by your reports, you are simply transferring your skills to a more structured/laid out setting.

Contact OFSTED and ask for a pre-inspection visit. They are very helpful.

Hang on

No building
No Planning
No Permission from the school & legal lease type stuff yet

I think a pre inspection visit is a little premature ...don't you?

Why?

I'm a bit jaded with our Early Years mob, TBH. There are power struggles within and we had so much conflicting advice/opinion prior to our first inspections that both of our managers were totally flummoxed.

Our OFSTED inspector, in one nursery, went into the office with our manager and, on seeing a 'Preparing for Inspection? Are you ready?' course (run by the Early Years mob) document - said, with an ironic tone......"I'm sure that was helpful!"

I'm so knackered now I've been dancing all evening

I'm so to bed thanks and I appreciate the offer of a visit

Night

Katy. Go for it!

Our set-up costs were frightening. Set it all in motion. Get your planning permission. Can you really forsee any problems with this? Planning permission is for an intended portacabin, not for a bought one. Surely you will lose nothing in outlay by applying for planning permission?

Round here (cos we are in the middle ages) you have to put in a request so that you are allowed to apply for PP

You can't just apply

& you have to wait (& wait) until they get back to you