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.

I am wondering why apprenticeships offered by Childminders are not mentioned in this letter which was sent to me today via www.foundationyears.org.uk

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2013/11/Early_Years_Apprenticeship_Bursary_Doubled_to_%C2%A33000.pdf

Is it just a minor typing error or is that apprentices working for Childminders would not be eligible even though we do, alongside nurseries, school nurseries and children's centres offer early learning places for two year olds?

Is it felt that Childminders cannot offer quality Apprenticeships?  Well I'd like to confirm that I am a Childminder and I do have an apprentice and I feel that I am offering her a quality apprenticeship equal to that she could get at a nursery, school nursery or children's centre!

Q2. How will childminder agencies help parents?

So many parents struggle to find the right Childminder do they?  Why exactly?

Perhaps they struggle to find one that will take their children from 6.15am - oh by the way we do - perhaps they struggle to find one who will take their children after 6.00pm - oh by the way we do - perhaps they struggle to find one who will take their children on a Saturday - oh by the way we do!  Perhaps they struggle to find one who will accept less than 10 hrs a week - oh by the way we do, perhaps they struggle to find one who accepts different hours each week - you guessed it, we do!

I am really not meaning to be self-righteous because we work the hours we do by choice and we absolutely love it and it keeps us in the manner to which we have become accustomed!  But how are agencies going to change this?  Belonging to an agency will surely not mean that you suddenly have to change your hours of working to suit them - or will it?  Parents want flexibility, without doubt, but will an agency have the power to set the working hours of a childminder, I doubt it.

Matching service - there are so many out there already what makes an agency think they are going to stand out from the rest?  The majority of new business comes from word of mouth/recommendation FACT - why do you need to pay an agency for that?

Quality/Quality Assurance Regime - that is what Ofsted is all about - we have all endured inspection and grading to ensure that we meet the minimum, and more often than not over and above the minimum, standards that are required.  How is an agency going to be better than Ofsted?  It will also be confusing to parents if we don't all follow the same quality assurance regime.  How can you compare if you're not all working to the same scheme.

Providing holiday and Sickness Cover - Yes it's always a worry and it can't be helped if it happens but generally parents would rather plan their holidays around yours, find family cover or even take the day off work rather than send their children to a completely new provider for a few days.  Matching a Childminder and a family is more than just matching up availability, it's about relationships and I feel that is what will be lost with an agency who will be looking at slots and numbers - anyone who can use a spreadsheet could do that.

Reliability - that is a joke - so you are telling me that someone working for themselves, who relies on that income to survive is less reliable than someone who knows that if they don't work that day then someone else will step up to cover them?  Well yes if one of the main advantages of going through an agency is that sickness and holiday will be covered then what is to stop me from taking whatever time I want off, at short notice? - Nothing because I know the agency will cover it - or will they? 

What are Childminder Agencies?

So the www.foundationyears.org.uk website has published some information on the formation of Childminder Agencies which are being trialled as we speak with the intention of their roll out by September 2014.

Despite a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon in Doncaster, which I could be enjoying in my back garden, I feel compelled to sit and comment because I feel so strongly that the introduction of these agencies will have an adverse effect on both childminding as a profession and the Early Years and Childcare sector as a whole.

Q1. What are childminder agencies? Agencies will be ‘one-stop-shop’ organisations that will help childminders with training, business support, advice and finding parents. They will also provide a valuable service for parents who want to find a high quality childminder.

Childminders can already access training, for those of us that choose to attend, there are numerous workshops run by our (Doncaster) Local Authority which are excellent and cost at most £5 or £10, great value for money and I go on as many as I can.  Incidentally many Childminders don't - will undertaking training be an absolute requirement if you join an agency?  Well it certainly should be...

Business support - again this is available in a number of different ways, LA, PACEY Local, PACEY, HMRC webinars you've just got to access it.  Much of it is free...

Finding parents - well generally parents find you....... where their child is concerned they usually come via word of mouth and recommendation from other parents but where there is the need to promote your business then www.childcare.co.uk, Familiesinformationservice, PACEY and many more do the trick.

Advice - well this generally comes from other Childminders, it comes from being out there  at PACEY Local meetings, Childminding networks, EY Talking on twitter on Tuesdays, at Children's Centres etc....

Parents finding childcare - I seriously question that this is a problem - how many parents are sitting at home fretting that they can't find a high quality provider for their children?  Why would a parent trust a faceless agency more than they would trust a friend or relative who recommended a childminder?