My thoughts on an email from Ed Miliband

It is not really my style, or in my business interest, to start getting political BUT at the end of the day we are all going to be faced with important choices to be made in the forthcoming months about who we want to lead us for the next few years.  As a childcare provider, mother, wife, full-time worker, self-employed person, owner of a micro business, employer, Early Years Teacher and many more hats... then I certainly have a number of issues to consider when I think about casting my vote.

Today I received a 'personalised' email from Ed Miliband #nicetouch informing me of the promises he will uphold on a range of issues.

Some looked good, a lot didn't, but what particularly infuriated me was Mr Miliband's pledge to support working parents with 25 hours of 'free childcare for three-four year olds'.  Now while I think this is a wonderful pledge to be making I wonder why Mr Miliband thinks that 3 and 4 year olds stand out for extra funding alongside every other age of child....I think he has missed the point that yes extra funding for childcare and, in particular, the Early Years would be appreciated but that working, and non-working parents for that matter, have children of all ages...

Let's take 2 year olds, for one age range.  Such a wonderful age when many are just like sponges soaking up the whole wonderful world around them.  Frightened, timid and anxious about the separation from their parents at first, understandably - BUT gradually, in the right childcare setting, self-confident, chatty, happy, relaxed, comfortable, resilient, wonderful 3 year olds, ready for the next stage in their learning..... Now Early Education for them is limited to a mere 40% of the 2 year old population, those that are 'classified' and I use the term loosely as most vulnerable but what about the rest?  Surely every 2 year deserves the opportunity for a great start in life and I would ask you not assume that their parents' income can determine this.

My point is that 3 and 4 yr olds already get 15 hours funded education as a given - not means tested, no eligibility criteria, it's just there - a great achievement but let's work toward offering more for other ages as well - I think it is short-sighted and unfair to single out 3 and 4 year olds for additional funded hours.

So on that particular point Mr Miliband, I'm out unless you broaden your age range....and I'm happy to speak to personally about my views and why.   I live and practice in your constituency of Doncaster North so I'm sure you're up here often and you're always welcome to come and talk...

All the Little Caterpillars love the wheeled toys - are they just good fun?

We have been pretty proud of our achievements with the outdoor garden area and many of you will know that we abolished all our lightweight plastic ride on toys over a year ago and gradually started to replace them with higher quality 'Winther' Ride Ons.  We have found that since replacing the cheaper plastic versions children have a better quality play. We used to find that children would take more pleasure in just picking them up and throwing them around than in actually using them to ride on but with these heavier and more robust toys they can't do that because they are too heavy. We have sourced a range, or fleet as I like to call it, of different types and sizes so that all the children can enjoy at least some of them depending on their physical ability.

The taxi.....

The ones, like the taxi above, and the 3 seater encourage children to co-operate and help each other out.  It is undeniable that all the children love playing on the ride on toys. There is never really a day when they are not chosen for play at all.  We are lucky to have the space to create this wonderful decked area on which children can practise their skills in control, balance, spatial awareness and hand to eye co-ordination.  That's not forgetting that there are always opportunities for turn-taking, sharing and generally being friendly and enjoying the company of other children.  To add extra challenge we have installed a ramp and the children learn how to safely manoeuvre themselves up and down it. 

What we have tried to avoid is a space where wheeled toy play dominates everything or that other activities are prevented from taking place.  Fortunately this does not have to be the case here because we have a very large outdoor play area in which children are free to move around at will. 

The few boundaries that we have set include limiting the number of ride on toys out on the decking at any one time to 2.  This means that the decking does not get swamped by them and there is less chance of collision or accident.  The children can choose which ride ons they want out and are encouraged to ask, or indicate by pointing if they do not have the speaking skills, which ones they want at any one time.  We do encourage them to access them themselves where they can but some of these ride ons are heavy and for little ones it sometimes not quite possible.  We also ask children to wear footwear, shoes or wellies when they are outside because if they go over a foot then they do hurt.

What happens when demand for the ride ons is more than 2?

When several children all want to play then it's time for turn-taking or perhaps swapping one of the individual toys for one that 3 children can use....negotiation skills!  While children are waiting they may decide to go off and do something else which is fine.  Just pop your name down on the chalkboard (with help if you need it) and wait until your turn comes up (encouraging emergent writing skills).

What next?

We are currently adding additional ramps to add interest, experimenting with different surfaces and introducing a track so watch this space....

Taking on an Early Years Apprentice....

(This post is based on my own experience and current knowledge - anyone thinking of taking on an apprentice should find out as much possible from other sources such as www.apprenticeships.org.uk or their local training provider before making a decision as to whether it will suit them)

So there seems to be an increasing amount of interest in childminders taking on an apprentice.  I hope I haven't, in the past, put anyone off doing this by suggesting that apprentices are unreliable.  Yes I had an unfortunate experience when ours left prematurely but this wasn't necessarily due to the fact that she was an apprentice.  First of all I still believe that the Apprenticeship Scheme is a good one and we are, in fact, currently looking for another one.  The first misconception might be that apprentices are all young or school leavers.  This is not the case, there is no age limit on apprentices so they can be any age.  Clearly the rate that you pay your apprentice may attract a certain age group (ie. a mature person with a family to support may not be able to survive on the minimum apprentice rate of £2.71 per hour) but you do not have to pay the minimum you can of course pay more than that if you choose to.  An apprentice will generally have to work a minimum of 30 hours per week.  I think there may be some instances when less hours are acceptable but this is something you would need to speak to the training provider or www.apprenticeships.org.uk about.  Finding a training provider - you can search for a training provider on the www.apprenticeships.org.uk website or you may know of a local college or provider who offer childcare courses.  Different providers will have different ways of delivering the training and some may require the apprentice to be released for a day a week, for example.  This doesn't suit me and my business so I have opted for a training provider where all the study is independent with the support of a tutor.  Do you have to give your apprentice time off for study? - You don't have to they do it in their own time unless you are super nice and give them paid time off for study. Either way I would make it clear from the outset what your expectations of them are.  Can you take on more children with an apprentice?  Yes you can do as you would with any assistant as long as you stick to the ratios in the Statutory Guidance - ie. 3 in the Early Years and 3 in the 5 to 8 age group per practitioner.  I would register them as an assistant with Ofsted using the EY2 form as you would with any other assistant.  As with any assistant you will need to consider what would happen if your apprentice were to be off sick or leave.....we found ourselves in a pickle when ours left as we had maxed out on numbers.  This is not a problem that is exclusive to apprentices, this could happen with any assistant so it is just something to be aware of.  I suppose the fact is that if you pay an apprentice a relatively low wage then they are more likely to look for other positions on a better rate of pay and may be drawn to another position where the grass looks greener.  Can I leave my apprentice alone with children or do they need to be supervised? If you want to leave your apprentice unsupervised with children then they will need to have a DBS check and hold a 12 hr Paediatric First Aid Certificate (completed within 3 years).  On a personal level I have now stipulated that our successful apprentice will have these before they actually start work with us.  I have also stipulated that the apprentice will be responsible for paying for the DBS check and the first aid course but that I will reimburse them for both after 8 weeks of working with us but you may wish to pay for them for the apprentice.  How long does an apprenticeship last?  If your apprentice is doing a level 2 qualification then these generally take about 1 year.  If they are doing a Level 3 then these can take 18 to 24 months.  Do I have to employ the apprentice at the end of their apprenticeship?  No you don't have to.  I have always made it clear that there may be the possibility of a job at the end but I certainly make no guarantees.  What sort of contract should they have?  I have used a fixed term contract in the past.  All terms and conditions such as entitlement to paid holidays, notice periods etc.... must still be observed but the contract states that the employment will end on completion of their training.  Do I have to pay for any of their training?  If your apprentice is 16-18 then 100% of their training will be paid for.  If they are aged 19 to 24 then 50% of their training will be paid for and if they are over 24 then a contribution may be made towards their training.  Personally I would speak to the training provider about this as sometimes they seem to be able to access funding from various streams.  What is the Apprenticeship Incentive Scheme?  The scheme pays an eligible employer £1500 for taking on an apprentice - there are various stipulations which can be read here:
http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/~/media/Documents/AGE16TO24/AGE-Employer-Fact-Sheetv16.ashx   My training provider completed all the paperwork for this for me and I successfully received the payment - The apprentice has to stay with you for a minimum of 13 weeks and although it then says that the payment should come through 9 weeks later in reality mine was more like after 26 weeks.  This scheme is due to end on 31st December 2014 unless it is extended once more although there does not seem to be any suggestion of this that I can see at the moment.  I still believe that we, as childminders, can give apprentices a good grounding for a career in Early Years and Childcare.  They will get to work with children of all ages and they can become involved in pretty much every aspect of what we do.  I think it is great that we are able to offer this opportunity.  It is a big commitment though not only financially but emotionally as well.  You have to be ready to support the apprentice through their training and in their work and some may come to you with little or no experience of work at all so your responsibility is not only to employ them but to mentor and support them too.

You are more than welcome to take a look at our Early Years Apprentice job description and person specification here:
http://issuu.com/eharris1974/docs/apprenticeship_opportunity_2014/1

Crawl in, sit in sandpit - should I stay or should I go?

So Summer is pretty much over and our crawl in, sit in sandpit that we created a couple of months ago is looking a bit waterlogged and soggy!  So the question is do we keep it..... The official sweeper upper 'my hubby and co-childminder, Mr Caterpillars' has been grumbling about the amount of sand finding itself into the house and our assistant has even reported it in her hair in the shower!  I am, however, reluctant to let it go!  None of us can deny that it has been the source of much pleasure for all the children.  They absolutely love it and what an area for learning and development....It has been used for imaginative play, for counting, for finding, for digging, for making sand castles and to be honest just a really good sensory resource.  Even on a wet day they gravitate straight to it and have no hesitation in jumping in whatever it's consistency!  Surprisingly no parents have complained despite it being in everyone's shoes, nappies, socks and all manner of other places.  Probably because they have seen the photos I have sent of their children having so much fun.  I think we will keep it as long as we can, after all it has taken on a whole new personna now it's a bit wetter and I can envisage many more learning opportunities in it's wet state! If it really becomes unmanageable then I am keen to cover it with a decking lid which can be removed on fine days - #somethingforyoutobuildmrcaterpillars

We'll see how it goes....... 

Crawl in, sit in sandpit - should I stay or should I go?

Sir Michael Wilshaw you think you're opinionated.......

Not playing the sympathy card, but just saying, that nowadays I am normally too busy to write blogs and get on social and professional media, or least as much as I'd like to.  I happened to come across an article today though that I really had to comment on because I was that worked up by its content!

http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/ofsted-chief-sir-michael-wilshaw-headteachers-should-not-be-afraid-to-say-youre-a-bad-parent-9708134.html

So after finishing work at 6.45pm and then writing up and emailing 10 daily diaries for under 5's to parents, I have managed to sit and have a good read of the above article.

Sir Michael, we are certainly on the same wavelength if, to quote the article "His mission? To improve the lot of children — particularly those from deprived backgrounds: “For poor kids especially, education is their only chance.”

I am too and that is the reason, after all, that a year ago I embarked on the Early Years Teacher Programme and received confirmation from the National College of Teaching and Leadership just a few days ago that I am now an Early Years Teacher.  Oh and by the way I am a local childminder too.

This is my personal statement that accompanied my application to the programme eighteen months ago.

I have been registered as a Childminder since September 2010.  I currently work with six children under the age of five, three of whom are babies, two of whom are toddlers and one who is a young child.  I entered the profession late in my career having spent fourteen successful years working in business and administration prior to that.  Like the children in my care, who I support and encourage to reach their potential, I also challenge myself to be the best that I can be.  The EYTP would be a challenge that I am excited to undertake and confident that I can achieve.   With recent and on-going changes in the childcare sector, I feel that now is the perfect time to demonstrate that excellence in teaching, learning and care can be achieved in a childminding setting.   Often childminders are perceived to be second rate to other childcare professionals and for me to complete the EYTP would be acknowledgement that the gold standard in childcare can be achieved in a home-based setting.   Moreover, I am committed to and passionate about providing the best early years teaching and learning in my local area.  I work in an area which is 30% disadvantaged (Adwick Children's Centre Area Report 2012) and at our local nursery, which is attached to the school, 'most children enter with skills that are well below those typical for their age' (Ofsted report 2008).  It is critical that children in their early years are given every opportunity to thrive and it would be fabulous if this were not based on their backgrounds or the area they live in. Sadly, this is not usually the case and it is the children from disadvantaged families, of which there are many in my locality, who really need the knowledge, understanding and exemplary practice that an EYT can offer.  I feel very strongly that all children should have access to the same standard of opportunity and just because they live in this area or because their parents/carers opt for a home-based setting this does not have to mean that quality is affected.  I employ three assistants in my business and I am always keen to share best practice and support them in as they become better childcare practitioners.  I am also the Doncaster Facilitator for PACEY Local, a peer support network for childminders, nannies and childcare professionals working in nurseries.  This role has not only enabled me to use peer support to improve my own practice but I hope has helped other professionals to network, avoid isolation, be reflective and ultimately become better practitioners.  I keep up to date with developments in childcare by networking, reading and by using social media.  My recent improvements to my setting include introducing the Mud Kitchen, introducing Forest School for the under 5s and creating secure online Learning Journeys for parents/carers to access and interact with on my website.   I believe that childcare is on the brink of change, improvement, challenge and getting out of its comfort zone and I want to be a part of that and the children of Skellow need me to be a part of that.

I feel as strongly today about my objectives as I ever did.  So you can see I believe we are agreed on what the outcome for children should be but I'm afraid I do not agree with you on the way in which we should get there.

I am not adverse in any way to there being a range of options for parents and whenever a parent comes to visit me I actively encourage them to consider, not only other childminders, but also other settings as there is no one size fits all and what suits one family and one child may not suit another.  But to be looking to expand school-based nurseries to accommodate the growing need for 2 year old funded places which I assume is what Sir Michael is alluding to when he says "With poor families now getting 15 hours free provision of childcare, the Government should try to ensure they go to a school-based nursery, not the local child- minder.” is absolutely ludicrous if you don't mind me saying so.

I have to say that my personal opinion is that a home-based setting is my preferred environment for 2 year olds but I am willing to concede that not every home-based setting has the quality of teaching that Sir Michael or any of us would like and that some school-based nurseries may be the appropriate setting for some 2 year olds.   But instead of shooting us all down, making us feel inadequate and threatening to take away our option to care for funded 2 year olds, why not give childminders the support they need to be better. To become Early Years Teachers, childminders need degrees and most cannot afford the current cost of a degree - edging on £9000 pa I believe even though many would be more willing and able undertake one even if it took them three or four years. So let's have some funding there please.....

The powers that be seem to be all to quick to band around sweeping statements that affect the morale and the motivation of of all Early Years Practitioners but especially childminders who often already feel isolated and inadequate and I would like to know how often 'they' actually get off their  "sofa in ..... Holborn office" and come out to the grass roots.  Sir Michael you are more than welcome to come to our setting anytime, talk with me, my husband who is also a registered childminder, our assistants, anyone of the 31 children we care for and their parents.  If you then feel that our Little Caterpillars aren't meeting or exceeding age related expectations and aren't ready for their next stage of learning then I may be willing to consider your proposal to expand school-based nursery provision.

I could go on further and ask how you would expect school-based nurseries to offer pick ups and drop offs to 2 year olds like we do or how you would expect school-based nurseries to accommodate different shift patterns or extended provision requests, will they be prepared to work into the school holidays?  Do you also intend that school-based nurseries continue with a ratio of 1:4 2 year olds?......we have 1:3 and we believe that vulnerable 2 year olds need that but that's our personal choice and I don't blame any nursery if they are operating within framework ratios. 

Perhaps, Sir Michael, you would prefer it if all registered childminders that are currently providing places for vulnerable 2 years old decided to stop immediately?........ Ooh would that cause a problem for sufficiency?  It certainly would.  Instead your support, thanks and appreciation would not go a miss.

All that is not even before I've come to the headline for the article....

Headteachers should not be afraid to say ‘you’re a bad parent’

Is that really productive?.....Parents come in all shapes and sizes and from all backgrounds, working in partnership with them is key - telling them they're a bad parent, where is that going to get you?  You have to find a way to connect with them that suits them and their lifestyle - parents evenings, homework.....it may not work for them so you have to look for another way this is basic stuff....

This from a man that we all look up to we all want to get the seal of approval from, (hanging head in despair)

I'm also a community governor - what on earth does that mean?  “Where you’ve got poor governance, why not pay governors?” Pay governors for poor governance OK now I'm lost.........

One of your local childminders - Emma Harris BA (Hons) EYT

School readiness and what age are we talking about?

one of the key findings of the document http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/are-you-ready-good-practice-school-readiness is that there are various views on the definition of school readiness and whether the term refers to readiness to start school on entry to Year 1 or the start of entry into reception.  This is not helpful.....The precise characteristics of school readiness and the age of the child to which it applies are interpreted differently and there is no nationally agreed definition!  For most parents 'school' is when children start going to 'full-time' school in reception but I have personally heard other professionals refer to 'school' when they actually mean nursery places so 3 and 4 year olds!  Is it any wonder that we are left wondering whether the children in our care are meeting expected levels of development or not?

In my setting, it is our aim that children are working towards their individual next stage of their learning journey.  Who are we to say what this next stage will be - nursery, reception, Year 1 or even another provider which could be at any time.

The EYFS early years outcomes, alongside my knowledge and understanding of child development, guide my assessment of each child's stage of learning and development and as that applies to children until the term following their 5th birthday, then surely they have until that time to achieve the early learning goals.  I work in partnership with nursery schools (at 3/4 yrs) and reception classes (at 4/5 yrs) to continue to support children to reach the early learning goals.

If a child is developing at the expected stage of development for their age then by the end of the EYFS (end of reception year) then they should be ready for school (ie. Year 1).

So I suppose in effect I am saying that 'school' in my opinion is the start of Key Stage 1 because until that stage children are working towards the early learning goals of the EYFS which is a joint responsibility between all those providing care for them.

The worry is that with no agreed definition that children are being pressured into unrealistic goals and practitioners are feeling disheartened that outcomes for children are not as they had expected when in fact we should be concentrating on all the wonderful things these children can do and not what they can't do.

Question number 2 to the DfE - Answers on Childminding Agencies required please

Question number 2 for the DfE regarding Childminder Agencies is "If you are registered with an agency and that agency ceases to exist either by choice or worse still because for some reason it does not continue to meet the required quality standards (whatever they turn out to be), where does that leave the individual childminders within it?"

If the have relinquished their right to an individual Ofsted registration then surely they could not immediately practise again as an Ofsted registered childminder could they? What are their options - can they immediately join another agency (if there is one to join) or do they have to go through the whole registration process to become a childminder again?

What happens to an individual childminder's reputation if the agency, for some reason, does not meet the required standard?  I don't really need the DfE to answer this one, I already know the answer.  Building up a reputation as a Childminder is the most important bit of marketing that you will ever do, it is certainly not something I would be willing to put at risk. 

Please don't tell me that it unlikely that a Childminding Agency would fold because stranger things have happened!

Questions to the DfE.....

Even after the DfE co-hosted the #EYtalking session on Tuesday, there are still so many questions that we need answered regarding childminding agencies and the future for us as independent childminders.  In fact they didn't really answer any questions on childminder agencies at all!

Bearing in mind that they will be expecting childminders to actually sign up to these agencies in September, and nobody is going to do that without knowing all the facts, could they please come up with answers to some of our questions? 

Question 1 - So if a childminder joins an agency and relinquishes their right to an individual inspection by Ofsted, they are are then presumably not an Ofsted Registered Childminder anymore?  What happens then if they are approached by a family outside of the agency?  Presumably they would not be able to take that business? Or does the fact that you are registered with an agency also entitle you to take on any other business as well?

If it is the former then agency childminders will be completely reliant on the agency for their business.....

BBC News - Agency childminders would have Ofsted opt-out http://bbc.in/1jIZ5Nb

Steam coming from my ears listening to Jeremy Vine Show about raising the National Minimum Wage

Whilst driving to drop one of the Little Caterpillars off home I happened to catch the tail end of a debate going on about raising the National Minimum Wage.  In complete agreement with caller Margaret (if you were listening) that this will most certainly have an adverse effect on micro businesses like mine.  I have been pretty proud of myself for developing my business to such an extent that I am in a position to employ other people but I could have just as easily decided not to expand and continue to work alone and this would almost certainly been the case if the minimum wage we're set so that it didn't make it worth my while.  As it happens I have created a job for someone in my local area which although a drop in the ocean is a small part that I  doing to reduce the unemployment figures.  So would it better for me to employ someone on a low wage or not employ them at all?

Some callers we're talking about the NMW not being adequate for people to live on - well surely this depends on the person - everyone has different circumstances and not everyone has household bills to pay, young people still living at home with parents for one.  For them they might just be grateful for the opportunity to get some experience and have some spending money in their pocket.  With the right employer this might just give them the right set up for life.  Then some callers mentioned exploitation - really?  Well I can't really speak for huge companies, making huge profits and yes morally they should take a look at themselves but for those us who are making very modest profits it's not that we don't want to pay more it is simply that it doesn't make business sense to do so.  I can assure you that I am not sitting on a big pile of money and paying the NMW just because I want to keep it all to myself!  My views on people going for jobs on any wage or indeed those going for zero hour contracts is that you have the choice to do so.  No-one forces someone to go for a job on a low wage or on a zero hours contract they can always go for another job or not go for one at all - that's their prerogative  and I think it should be mine to decide what I pay them.  Some callers thought that having a NMW was actually detrimental because some employers opt to pay the legal minimum because they can.  I agree with this too - I would prefer to see it left to market forces.  Clearly in order to be paid more you would have to prove your worth which is not a bad thing.  My final point is that being self-employed gives you no right to any NMW whatsoever - whilst I built my business up I worked for way way less than the minimum wage for about 18 months. I persevered, worked hard and long hours and it came good.  These are the traits and the work ethic that we should be instilling in the workforce of today.  I will always endeavour to employ the best quality people and I know that this will mean paying them a decent wage so together the team and I will work build the business to the point where this is possible.  Let's hope we are not stopped in our tracks as we strive to get to that point.