The last newsletter...
Hi everyone! I hope you are well and looking forward to all that 2023 brings.
I have written these newsletters every month since May 2012 and I know they are valued by some colleagues – but monthly reader numbers are very low and it takes me a heck of a lot of work in my spare time researching and putting them together, so I have taken the very difficult decision to say this will be my last one.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the newsletters over the years. Here are some recent updates in the world of early years and childcare:
Preparing for 2023
Do you have your free 2023 Childminder Organiser from Childcare.co.uk yet? It is packed full of information and suggestions including record keeping (statutory and recommended) and activity ideas for the children. some colleagues already used the December paperwork and have told me they found it useful. You will find your free copy of the 100+ page organiser here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser.
Energy crisis
According to an Early Years Alliance report, more than 1 in 10 settings will be forced to close if they do not get help to pay their energy bills. Early Years Alliance have always been strong advocates for childminders and aren’t ignoring us in their lobbying for proper early years funding and support –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/early-years-sector-warns-setting-closures-and-cost-rises-they-call-energy-support-be-extended
Supporting families through adversity
This is a useful link to share with your families –
https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.
The campaign draws together lots of information and support packages which they might find helpful. There is also help for Wales and Scotland online which you will find with a Google search.
Minimum wage increase
If you are an employer, you might find this blog about the minimum wage increase in April 2022 useful - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff/minimum-wage-increase-042023.
..............................................................
Safeguarding and child protection updates
Safer Internet Day 2023
You can find educational resources to help you mark Safer Internet Day 7th February – with the children in your setting here –
https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2023/educational-resources
NSPCC
You can subscribe to receive regular NSPCC update emails using this link - https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/newsletter/email-subscriptions-safeguarding-child-protection.
Food insecurity
The Food Foundation charity report that nearly 1 in 5 families in the UK experienced food insecurity in September 2022. This could impact you – and it could impact the families with whom you work. You can find more information here –
https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/food-insecurity-tracking.
I note that Ofsted are picking up childminders who open unhealthy lunch boxes from parents who send in food for their children because the EYFS requirement is to provide healthy food in early years settings; I also note that the DfE help for early years providers website removes a number of popular food items from the ‘safe’ list, such as crackers and sausages. While this is good advice, it also possibly leaves parents wondering what food to send with their child into the setting – so it’s more important than ever that parents and settings work together to devise healthy menus that keep everyone happy.
Vaccine update
The UKHPA (UK Health Protection Agency – formerly Public Health England) is urging parents and guardians to ensure that their children’s immunisations are up to date after vaccination rates fell for almost all programmes in the last year. Your Local Authority might have posters to display or information to share with parents about how to request vaccines for their child.
You can read more about the UKHPA’s latest campaign here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-vaccine-marketing-campaign-urges-millions-to-boost-their-immunity-this-winter.
..............................................................
Curriculum updates
Start4Life
The Start4Life website from NHS.UK has added new pages including this ‘learning to talk’ section for babies, toddlers and older children. it is useful for your own professional development and to share with parents, to support children’s home learning –
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/learning-to-talk/0-to-6-months/
Support for children with SEND
You will find the latest information about how the DfE intends to improve support for children with special educational needs and / or disabilities (SEND), including details about a new Alternative Provision green paper which is due out early next year, here –
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/11/29/how-we-are-improving-support-for-children-with-send/.
..............................................................
Health and safety updates
Strep A infections
I find it best to share NHS or UKHPA (UK Health Protection Agency) links with parents rather than infographics from the internet – then I know they are getting the latest Govt advice. There is guidance from the UKHPA on Strep A infections here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-update-on-scarlet-fever-and-invasive-group-a-strep.
Risk assessments
It has not been a requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) in England to write risk assessments for many years, but we still occasionally see an Ofsted inspector asking for written this or that in relation to risk assessment. I thought it might be useful to explore when you might want to record your risk assessments:
**If you have staff – I recommend you have risk assessments in writing, including health and safety, kitchen safety and fire safety.
**If you change ratios – I recommend you write a variation risk assessment, thinking through how you will meet the care and learning needs of every child. You will find a sample risk assessment and more information about variations for childminders in England here –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminder-variations-updated-information-032019.
**If something happens – for example, if a child breaks a leg or there is another serious accident or incident, I recommend you write notes about your previous ‘in your head’ risk assessment and note what changes you are going to make to protect the children even more robustly in the future.
ROSPA button battery campaign
You might want to share details of this campaign in the run-up to Christmas with parents –
https://www.rospa.com/home-safety/advice/product/button-batteries.
Healthy eating at Christmas
Another useful website to share with parents is the Infant and Toddler Forum’s healthy eating at Christmas page, which warns against the dangers of over-eating and lack of exercise over the Christmas period –
https://infantandtoddlerforum.org/articles/top-tips-for-toddler-christmas-meal-planning/.
..............................................................
Ofsted updates
Ofsted latest figures
In their latest report, Ofsted note a net loss of 300 nurseries in the past year. Also reported in Nursery World magazine, more than three times as many childminders have left the sector since 31 August 2021, with 5,600 childminders leaving and 1,500 childminders joining, which Ofsted said was 'the lowest number of annual joiners to date'. This situation has been blamed on many things including, for example, Govt inaction, Ofsted’s overbearing inspection regime, constant DfE changes and underfunding for the ‘free’ entitlement.
You will find the new figures reported in Nursery World magazine here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/ofsted-net-loss-of-300-nurseries-in-one-year
Ofsted annual report
Ofsted has published their annual report (13.12.22) here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-annual-report-pandemic-recovery-slowed-by-workforce-crisis-in-childrens-education-and-care
Ofsted registration pilot
Ofsted are currently piloting a new faster registration process. The current process takes ‘forever’ according to some colleagues who have recently registered as childminders with Ofsted and that cannot be helping childminders to come on board, so I welcome anything that speeds the process up.
Ofsted discuss the changes in their recent blog –
https://earlyyears.blog.gov.uk/2022/11/25/streamlining-the-early-years-registration-process/.
Variations and Ofsted inspection
During her recent Local Authority monitoring visit, a childminder was told that she should not have more than 3 children under the age of 5 and she had to give notice to one of her families. The LA advisor even said that she could see the childminder was well organised and the children were doing well – but suggested Ofsted wouldn’t be happy with her having 4 under 5s.
The childminder came to me for guidance and I signposted various information sources including the Ofsted Childcare Registration Facebook page and the Ofsted childminder video on YouTube (Jan 2020 – about 40 minutes in) which are clear that childminders can have more than 3 under 5s, if parents are informed, the variation is well managed and children’s care and learning is not compromised.
Sometimes, even those sent to support us get it wrong. If that happens, we should professionally challenge them. Our colleague did raise a challenge and the Local Authority admitted their mistake. However, it shouldn’t have happened – LA advisors should know the rules for childminders before they come out to offer us support. These newsletters and other social media posts will hopefully continue to be helpful with spreading the word.
..............................................................
Professional development updates
DfE leaders and mentors programme for childminders
It was after a lot of soul searching and with great sadness that I didn’t apply for a ‘leader’ role in this new DfE programme for childminders. I want to do it and I feel that I am qualified to offer it to colleagues, but I am conflicted because of the training expectations. I am a working childminder and I cannot simply walk away from my setting to attend 3 training days in the new year – I have to be at school every day at 3pm to collect children, plus post-Covid I honestly don’t travel all that well.
This is what I said to DfE – ‘I have not applied for the role of lead because of the training expectations – I don’t want to apply, possibly take the place and then find that I cannot attend the training and have to withdraw. This is a barrier for a lot of childminders sadly and I hope it can be resolved by DfE, so the programme has value.’
I have applied for the role as ‘mentor’ with the caveat that I might not be able to attend face-to-face training, so we’ll have to see if I am rejected for that reason. I will keep you updated.
..............................................................
Free Childcare.co.uk webinars for January
All webinars can be accessed on the following link – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Webinars are presented on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm.
Action planning for 2023 - 3rd Jan
Action plans are working documents – we come back to them regularly to make sure we are up-to-date and still pushing on. We want to drive our setting forwards, so we are always looking for new ways to improve.
How we prepared for Ofsted inspection - 10th Jan
Ofsted are the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills and their role is to ensure we offer the best for every child. We are two Ofsted registered childminders – this means that we are registered by Ofsted to deliver the highest quality care and learning to early years and older children.
Supporting children with allergies - 17th Jan
Note: this webinar is not for providers or parents to diagnose a child with an allergy. These children might be at risk of death or serious illness as a result of the allergy and diagnosis should always be done by the doctor, after parents have sought expert advice. Note that this webinar does not provide medical or behavioural advice. It does not replace medical consultations.
EAL and the pandemic - 24th Jan
Reduced time in early years settings and fewer opportunities to hear and speak in English – the perfect and often hidden storm which means that many children are fluent with speaking their home language but struggling with learning English. In this webinar we will look closely at how early years providers can support parents to help their children to learn English before they start school.
In the right place for learning - 31st Jan
Are children in the right place for learning? Are they happy and relaxed in the setting? Are they bonded with their key person and showing high levels of wellbeing and involvement in their play? this webinar will help you set the steps for learning.
Thank you again to all those colleagues who have supported my newsletters over the years. I hope you have found them useful and informative.
I will continue to post updates on the Independent Childminders Facebook group and I will blog if there are any big changes I feel are important to share.
All the best, Sarah.
I have written these newsletters every month since May 2012 and I know they are valued by some colleagues – but monthly reader numbers are very low and it takes me a heck of a lot of work in my spare time researching and putting them together, so I have taken the very difficult decision to say this will be my last one.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the newsletters over the years. Here are some recent updates in the world of early years and childcare:
Preparing for 2023
Do you have your free 2023 Childminder Organiser from Childcare.co.uk yet? It is packed full of information and suggestions including record keeping (statutory and recommended) and activity ideas for the children. some colleagues already used the December paperwork and have told me they found it useful. You will find your free copy of the 100+ page organiser here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser.
Energy crisis
According to an Early Years Alliance report, more than 1 in 10 settings will be forced to close if they do not get help to pay their energy bills. Early Years Alliance have always been strong advocates for childminders and aren’t ignoring us in their lobbying for proper early years funding and support –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/early-years-sector-warns-setting-closures-and-cost-rises-they-call-energy-support-be-extended
Supporting families through adversity
This is a useful link to share with your families –
https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.
The campaign draws together lots of information and support packages which they might find helpful. There is also help for Wales and Scotland online which you will find with a Google search.
Minimum wage increase
If you are an employer, you might find this blog about the minimum wage increase in April 2022 useful - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff/minimum-wage-increase-042023.
..............................................................
Safeguarding and child protection updates
Safer Internet Day 2023
You can find educational resources to help you mark Safer Internet Day 7th February – with the children in your setting here –
https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2023/educational-resources
NSPCC
You can subscribe to receive regular NSPCC update emails using this link - https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/newsletter/email-subscriptions-safeguarding-child-protection.
Food insecurity
The Food Foundation charity report that nearly 1 in 5 families in the UK experienced food insecurity in September 2022. This could impact you – and it could impact the families with whom you work. You can find more information here –
https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/food-insecurity-tracking.
I note that Ofsted are picking up childminders who open unhealthy lunch boxes from parents who send in food for their children because the EYFS requirement is to provide healthy food in early years settings; I also note that the DfE help for early years providers website removes a number of popular food items from the ‘safe’ list, such as crackers and sausages. While this is good advice, it also possibly leaves parents wondering what food to send with their child into the setting – so it’s more important than ever that parents and settings work together to devise healthy menus that keep everyone happy.
Vaccine update
The UKHPA (UK Health Protection Agency – formerly Public Health England) is urging parents and guardians to ensure that their children’s immunisations are up to date after vaccination rates fell for almost all programmes in the last year. Your Local Authority might have posters to display or information to share with parents about how to request vaccines for their child.
You can read more about the UKHPA’s latest campaign here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-vaccine-marketing-campaign-urges-millions-to-boost-their-immunity-this-winter.
..............................................................
Curriculum updates
Start4Life
The Start4Life website from NHS.UK has added new pages including this ‘learning to talk’ section for babies, toddlers and older children. it is useful for your own professional development and to share with parents, to support children’s home learning –
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/learning-to-talk/0-to-6-months/
Support for children with SEND
You will find the latest information about how the DfE intends to improve support for children with special educational needs and / or disabilities (SEND), including details about a new Alternative Provision green paper which is due out early next year, here –
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/11/29/how-we-are-improving-support-for-children-with-send/.
..............................................................
Health and safety updates
Strep A infections
I find it best to share NHS or UKHPA (UK Health Protection Agency) links with parents rather than infographics from the internet – then I know they are getting the latest Govt advice. There is guidance from the UKHPA on Strep A infections here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-update-on-scarlet-fever-and-invasive-group-a-strep.
Risk assessments
It has not been a requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) in England to write risk assessments for many years, but we still occasionally see an Ofsted inspector asking for written this or that in relation to risk assessment. I thought it might be useful to explore when you might want to record your risk assessments:
**If you have staff – I recommend you have risk assessments in writing, including health and safety, kitchen safety and fire safety.
**If you change ratios – I recommend you write a variation risk assessment, thinking through how you will meet the care and learning needs of every child. You will find a sample risk assessment and more information about variations for childminders in England here –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminder-variations-updated-information-032019.
**If something happens – for example, if a child breaks a leg or there is another serious accident or incident, I recommend you write notes about your previous ‘in your head’ risk assessment and note what changes you are going to make to protect the children even more robustly in the future.
ROSPA button battery campaign
You might want to share details of this campaign in the run-up to Christmas with parents –
https://www.rospa.com/home-safety/advice/product/button-batteries.
Healthy eating at Christmas
Another useful website to share with parents is the Infant and Toddler Forum’s healthy eating at Christmas page, which warns against the dangers of over-eating and lack of exercise over the Christmas period –
https://infantandtoddlerforum.org/articles/top-tips-for-toddler-christmas-meal-planning/.
..............................................................
Ofsted updates
Ofsted latest figures
In their latest report, Ofsted note a net loss of 300 nurseries in the past year. Also reported in Nursery World magazine, more than three times as many childminders have left the sector since 31 August 2021, with 5,600 childminders leaving and 1,500 childminders joining, which Ofsted said was 'the lowest number of annual joiners to date'. This situation has been blamed on many things including, for example, Govt inaction, Ofsted’s overbearing inspection regime, constant DfE changes and underfunding for the ‘free’ entitlement.
You will find the new figures reported in Nursery World magazine here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/ofsted-net-loss-of-300-nurseries-in-one-year
Ofsted annual report
Ofsted has published their annual report (13.12.22) here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-annual-report-pandemic-recovery-slowed-by-workforce-crisis-in-childrens-education-and-care
Ofsted registration pilot
Ofsted are currently piloting a new faster registration process. The current process takes ‘forever’ according to some colleagues who have recently registered as childminders with Ofsted and that cannot be helping childminders to come on board, so I welcome anything that speeds the process up.
Ofsted discuss the changes in their recent blog –
https://earlyyears.blog.gov.uk/2022/11/25/streamlining-the-early-years-registration-process/.
Variations and Ofsted inspection
During her recent Local Authority monitoring visit, a childminder was told that she should not have more than 3 children under the age of 5 and she had to give notice to one of her families. The LA advisor even said that she could see the childminder was well organised and the children were doing well – but suggested Ofsted wouldn’t be happy with her having 4 under 5s.
The childminder came to me for guidance and I signposted various information sources including the Ofsted Childcare Registration Facebook page and the Ofsted childminder video on YouTube (Jan 2020 – about 40 minutes in) which are clear that childminders can have more than 3 under 5s, if parents are informed, the variation is well managed and children’s care and learning is not compromised.
Sometimes, even those sent to support us get it wrong. If that happens, we should professionally challenge them. Our colleague did raise a challenge and the Local Authority admitted their mistake. However, it shouldn’t have happened – LA advisors should know the rules for childminders before they come out to offer us support. These newsletters and other social media posts will hopefully continue to be helpful with spreading the word.
..............................................................
Professional development updates
DfE leaders and mentors programme for childminders
It was after a lot of soul searching and with great sadness that I didn’t apply for a ‘leader’ role in this new DfE programme for childminders. I want to do it and I feel that I am qualified to offer it to colleagues, but I am conflicted because of the training expectations. I am a working childminder and I cannot simply walk away from my setting to attend 3 training days in the new year – I have to be at school every day at 3pm to collect children, plus post-Covid I honestly don’t travel all that well.
This is what I said to DfE – ‘I have not applied for the role of lead because of the training expectations – I don’t want to apply, possibly take the place and then find that I cannot attend the training and have to withdraw. This is a barrier for a lot of childminders sadly and I hope it can be resolved by DfE, so the programme has value.’
I have applied for the role as ‘mentor’ with the caveat that I might not be able to attend face-to-face training, so we’ll have to see if I am rejected for that reason. I will keep you updated.
..............................................................
Free Childcare.co.uk webinars for January
All webinars can be accessed on the following link – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Webinars are presented on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm.
Action planning for 2023 - 3rd Jan
Action plans are working documents – we come back to them regularly to make sure we are up-to-date and still pushing on. We want to drive our setting forwards, so we are always looking for new ways to improve.
How we prepared for Ofsted inspection - 10th Jan
Ofsted are the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills and their role is to ensure we offer the best for every child. We are two Ofsted registered childminders – this means that we are registered by Ofsted to deliver the highest quality care and learning to early years and older children.
Supporting children with allergies - 17th Jan
Note: this webinar is not for providers or parents to diagnose a child with an allergy. These children might be at risk of death or serious illness as a result of the allergy and diagnosis should always be done by the doctor, after parents have sought expert advice. Note that this webinar does not provide medical or behavioural advice. It does not replace medical consultations.
EAL and the pandemic - 24th Jan
Reduced time in early years settings and fewer opportunities to hear and speak in English – the perfect and often hidden storm which means that many children are fluent with speaking their home language but struggling with learning English. In this webinar we will look closely at how early years providers can support parents to help their children to learn English before they start school.
In the right place for learning - 31st Jan
Are children in the right place for learning? Are they happy and relaxed in the setting? Are they bonded with their key person and showing high levels of wellbeing and involvement in their play? this webinar will help you set the steps for learning.
Thank you again to all those colleagues who have supported my newsletters over the years. I hope you have found them useful and informative.
I will continue to post updates on the Independent Childminders Facebook group and I will blog if there are any big changes I feel are important to share.
All the best, Sarah.
December 2022 newsletter
IC newsletter December
Welcome to December – that month of the year when scraping excited children off the ceiling becomes a regular ‘thing’ and there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done you want to do.
In case you are stuck for something to do this coming month, Childcare.co.uk has released a new ‘December special days’ guide which offers planning ideas for every working day of December, from 1st December (write to Father Christmas and prepare you Advent list) to Christmas Eve, Eve (watch a film and relax). You can search for guides and other information held on the Childcare.co.uk website using this link - https://www.childcare.co.uk/resource-library. I hope you find the December special days activity guide useful!
Childminder agencies
A lot of childminders breathed a sigh of relief when Ms Liz Truss left office. She brought with her continued threats to childminder sustainability including the threat of agencies for all. While I’m sure they might rattle round Govt for a while, hopefully they will be shelved when DfE read the results from a recent poll from the Early Years Alliance which shows that if the Govt made childminder agencies statutory, there would be a ‘mass exodus’ of up to 75% of currently registered childminders from the profession.
This is not a surprise to those childminders who campaigned against agencies from the start – and validates our request that the Govt continue to allow us to have a choice. The poll is reported here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/11/new-childminder-agency-overwhelmingly-opposed-childminders.
Using food for play – yes or no?
It is and always has been a sensitive subject which divides providers. However, the Govt has recently released a sensory food play page on their ‘help for early years providers’ website and there is new sensory food guidance from Ella’s Kitchen (the baby food pouch company). I have written a blog which discusses the pros and cons of food for sensory play and provides lots of non-food alternatives –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/using-food-for-play-yes-or-no.
I Can rebrand
The speech and language charity I Can has changed its name to ‘Speech and language UK: changing young people’s lives’. The charity says it has changed name to reach more children who need help. You will find the new website with some useful resources including free progress trackers for different ages of children here –
https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/.
Making tax digital for self-employed - UPDATED
Previous content removed - HMRC has confirmed that MTD for self-employed will be delayed until April 2026...
Qualifications checker
If you have a staff member who says they are ‘level 3’ you can check their qualifications using this recently updated early years qualifications finder from the Dept for Education –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-qualifications-finder.
New podcast from ‘my first five years’
My colleagues at 'My first five years', Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg, have started releasing podcasts. The first one is all about realistic parenting and I think it's a good one to share with your families because it says lots of things that I say to mine regularly! It's on Spotify and Apple - search 'My first five years podcast'
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Ofsted updates
Ofsted – best start in life report
Ofsted has published a new ‘Best start in Life’ report about early years (Nov 2022). It is a very contentious report but it is useful because it tells us what they are thinking, which is always useful information prior to inspection. Some initial (personal) thoughts:
**Most of the research seems to link to their own or DfE publications. There doesn't appear to be a depth or breadth of research base.
**It's totally focused on knowledge - not skills or experiences.
**Some of the examples of practice are truly bizarre.
**It includes Ofsted's definition of the curriculum which I haven't seen before with this wording.
**It talks about mapping planning so children remember - do children have to learn what we intend them to learn to make progress? Can we predict learning outcomes in the early years - should we even try?
**To paraphrase it says - the consequences of planning based purely on interests narrow the curriculum - this is particularly relevant to those who say they don't plan because they only follow children's interests.
**It doesn't align very well with Ofsted's position as an 'independent regulator'.
I will, of course, include snippets in upcoming training because it's important we know what Ofsted are thinking. However, it's equally important that we stay true to our values and are prepared to argue that what we are doing is providing 'the best start in life' for the children in our unique setting ...
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-start-in-life-a-research-review-for-early-years/best-start-in-life-part-1-setting-the-scene
Early Education has responded to the Ofsted ‘Best start in life’ report. One sentence stands out to me and echoes some of my many concerns about the Ofsted report, ‘If this is Ofsted’s attempt to set itself up as an expert on early years pedagogy and curriculum, it is unfortunate that it does the opposite’. You can find Early Education’s response here –
https://early-education.org.uk/the-ofsted-early-years-curriculum-review/.
Ofsted inspection blog
I have written this quick blog to highlight the main points you might want to think about if you are due an Ofsted inspection soon –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-inspection-tips.
Goodbye Gill Jones | Ofsted
For many years now, Gill Jones has been the deputy director of early years at Ofsted and she has advocated strongly for early years and childminders. I recall in one presentation she started singing a nursery rhyme – she really understood the importance of singing songs and rhymes with young children.
Songs and rhymes are a valuable part of language and brain development – they support the child to develop rhythmic awareness and build movement memory when you add movements to the rhymes. Michael Rosen, for example, shows you how to add movement and rhythm to his book, ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ in his YouTube presentation of the story.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish Gill well with whatever she is going to do next – every time we sing and dance with the children, we are keeping her words and her belief in the importance of musicality in the early years alive.
Ofsted blog
Ofsted has started blogging - Yvette Stanley, Ofsted's National Director of Regulation and Social Care said, “We will use this new blog to help raise understanding of different types of early years and childcare providers, as well as bust myths in the sector about regulation and inspection. You’ll be able to read about developments specifically in the early years sector here. We will use this platform to raise awareness and promote a better understanding of education and care in children’s early years.’ You will find the latest blog about streamlining the registration process here –
https://earlyyears.blog.gov.uk/2022/11/25/streamlining-the-early-years-registration-process/.
Ofsted guides for parents
Ofsted has released 3 x inspection guides for parents (new Nov 2022) -
**For Childminders -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guides-for-parents-how-early-years-settings-are-inspected/how-ofsted-inspects-childminders
**For nurseries -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guides-for-parents-how-early-years-settings-are-inspected/how-ofsted-inspects-nurseries-and-other-types-of-daycare
**For before and after school providers -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guides-for-parents-how-early-years-settings-are-inspected/how-ofsted-inspects-before-and-after-school-care-and-holiday-provision-out-of-school-settings
You might want to share them with parents before your inspection, if you are due...
Ofsted early years inspection handbook update - 14.11.22
Ofsted has published some changes to the Ofsted Early Years Inspection Handbook –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
.............................................................
Safeguarding and child protection updates
NSPCC serious case reviews
NSPCC has updated their serious case reviews page to include the latest reviews. The serious case reviews are not easy reading but they are essential reading when your are updating your child protection / safeguarding CPD –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/case-reviews/recently-published-case-reviews
Prevent Duty
I am often asked questions about how to comply with the Prevent Duty and what sort of thing Ofsted will want to check. This Prevent Duty self-assessment tool has been published by the Dept for Education for schools, but it is also helpful for childminders and other early years providers who want to check their knowledge –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-self-assessment-tool-for-schools.
I read recently on the Home Office website that the current course (the one we’ve all done) on the Prevent Duty will be archive from January 2023 and replaced by this one –
https://www.support-people-vulnerable-to-radicalisation.service.gov.uk/.
There is no suggestion that we must do it – but it might be useful if you are looking to update your professional development around Prevent.
Keeping children safe online
I spent some time watching the latest video, all about online safety, from DfE (18 minutes)
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/10/foundation-years-vodcast-on-online-safety/
Some of the links are useful for sharing with parents – others for helping to have those tricky conversations about online safety with children. I have blogged about it here so you can pick up the main points –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/keeping-children-safe-online.
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Health and safety updates
Health and safety blog
An article from Melanie Pilcher at Early Years Alliance, written for Teach Early Years, delves into the various health and safety responsibilities for early years providers –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/nursery-management/view/health-safety-in-the-nursery.
Risky play – hazards vs benefits
How confident are you at providing children with opportunities for risky play?
Some childminders say it’s an important part of their practice while others are less sure of the benefits because children might be hurt and that opens up difficult conversations with parents and possible lawsuits / not being insured.
We all cover ponds in the garden and remove trailing cables in the house – but what about allowing children to slither down a slippery grass bank or climb to the top of the frame, when you are not sure you can grab them to help them back down if they get stuck? Studies show that we all look at risk differently and what is perfectly fine for one practitioner might be totally ‘not ok’ for another! It’s definitely a conversation we should be having with parents – a useful question to ask yourself is, ‘are the risks justified by the possible benefits?’ I think this will help you through most tricky decisions and situations.
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Learning and development updates
Planning for play
How do you plan? When I talk about planning a lot of colleagues say they don’t plan, but it’s a requirement of the EYFS to share your daily routines with parents and routines are part of your planning; you must also support every child’s learning and development, which is individual planning. This is a good article from TES if you want to read more about individual / next steps planning (anything by Kathy Brodie is worth reading) – https://www.teachearlyyears.com/nursery-management/view/planning-next-steps.
In our early years setting, we also have some underpinning group planning going on in the background for our older children. I think it’s really important to teach them about the community, seasons and special days in the calendar. For example, as I am writing this, the older children in our setting will watch the CBeebies Remembrance Day animation, go on an outing to meet a poppy seller and some poppy crafts will be set up for them to explore when they get back.
We also set up invitations to play and explore – not big trays full of things that take ages for us to present, but small (cat litter size) trays or baskets or bags or table activities which we enjoy doing with them. We often sit ourselves at the table – using our ‘planted practitioner’ approach and the children come to see what we are doing – this way of working presents opportunities for connection, communication and fun.
I think part of the problem is that practitioners see ‘planning’ as ‘paperwork’ and that is not the case – if we debunk that then we can start to see planning as play, essential for engagement and fun!
Messy play at home
A recent study commissioned by one of the leading nursery groups Busy Bees showed that nearly 2/3 of parents do not set up activities such as painting, mud play and similar with their children at home. They cite the main reason for not offering this type of play as – it takes too long to clean up.
If this is true for your parents, it highlights the importance of offering these types of play regularly in your early years setting, so children benefit from the sensory experience of messy play. I have included a list of ideas for messy play in my recent blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/using-food-for-play-yes-or-no.
Learning to read
This is a good article from an expert at Edge Hill University to share with parents if they are pushing you to introduce earlier than appropriate phonics for their child –
https://theconversation.com/learning-to-read-starts-earlier-than-you-might-think-five-tips-from-an-expert-171561.
Cutting down paperwork
It was refreshing when the DfE and Ofsted told early years providers that the only statutory document they would look at (in relation to children’s learning and development) was the Progress Check at 2. However, over the past few months, I note that more and more colleagues have been contacting me to ask me for paperwork. Suddenly, it seems that they cannot remember observations, they want tick lists and they need to record termly reports or similar for parents.
Have parents asked for this paperwork? Apparently not – it seems that providers are putting themselves back under pressure to do more record keeping because they feel they need to be doing ‘something’ or they are worried they will ‘forget what they know’ during inspection.
I did say at the start of this journey that throwing the baby out with the bathwater might be a little premature, but the number of messages I am receiving suggests it’s something of an avalanche, rather than a trickle of concern.
Ofsted still won’t ask for paperwork – they are watching and listening to staff / childminders and asking searching questions about curriculum and practice, but not requiring written observation documents, tick lists, graphs or written schemes of work (or similar). Ofsted want to see:
**Staff understanding of typical child development, so they are setting up the right activities from the children at different ages and keeping learning challenging.
**A story about each child’s learning, development and progress from their starting points – the key person must know what makes the child ‘tick’.
**Why staff are planning activities – what they want children to learn and why.
**Learning experiences shaped from observations and accurate assessments of what children know and can do, in the setting and at home.
**Strong partnerships with parents.
Ofsted are clear that they want to listen and learn from the providers – not look at documents. However, if you feel you need ‘something’ in writing, Childcare Registration (Ofsted’s presence on Facebook) has reassured us that inspection is not a memory test.
Curriculum resources from Oak
The Oak National Academy website – the group which provides online teaching resources – has been challenged by early years consultants and experts to revise the wording because it lists an incorrect set of ‘subjects’ on its early years / EYFS page rather than the 7 areas of learning.
Despite some changes recently, the list is still not tie in with the EYFS requirements – despite Oak National Academy being partly funded by the DfE. You will find more information here –
https://classroom.thenational.academy/subjects-by-key-stage/early-years-foundation-stage
Getting outside and active
It’s colder and darker in the garden at the moment but still important we get outside every day with the children for our dose of vitamin D.
Now is the time to protect delicate plants so they survive the winter, cut things back if you haven’t already and plant some winter flowering pansies for colour. You can also pop some vegetables such as garlic and broad beans into prepared ground now for an early spring harvest – your local garden centre will be able to provide advice.
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Staffing
Staff references
A childminder approached me for advice – she wanted to employ a new assistant who had previously worked in a nursery, but the nursery would only send her a reference that said the staff member had worked there and there were no safeguarding concerns. The childminder asked me if that was sufficient for Ofsted.
It is legal for a referee to only confirm work dates, but you can always ring the referee to clarify points – or send them an email and ask for more information.
Alongside this, you should do a background check, DBS and check the applicant’s application form and / or CV to ensure their employment history is consistent with what they are telling you during the interview. You should also have an induction training programme in place over the first 3 months – if there are warning signs, you can spot them early and support the staff member to learn about your ways of working. Staff must not be left unsupervised until they have completed the induction training and you are confident they can manage their new position – in a childminding setting they must also have a suitability letter from Ofsted after completing the ‘new adults in the home’ form and receiving their DBS disclosure.
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Professional development
What CPD am I doing?
As many of you will know, we (2 childminders who work together) had our Ofsted inspection in May this year. It’s easy to become complacent after inspection, resting on laurels and not doing a lot for a while. I will not let this happen – there is always something new to learn. I have been asked by colleagues to share my professional development with colleagues, so I am putting regular notes about what I have read, watched, reflected on etc on my Knutsford Childminding Facebook page.
Please note that access to some of the Early Years TV videos is time-limited unless you are a member.
Free childcare.co.uk webinars for December
The EYFS educational programmes – 6th December at 7.30pm
The educational programmes are statutory – required by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) in England. This training will help you to focus on each of the 7 areas of learning and review what you do well and how you might want to improve. Aims and objectives:
**To review the educational programmes.
**To audit your compliance with the requirements.
**Reflection – what might you want to do next?
Food hygiene for childminders – 13th December @ 7.30pm
This webinar training does not replace any levelled training required by your Local Authority food hygiene department (if advised or required). It is intended to complement your current food hygiene knowledge and provide updated guidance where relevant. Aims and objectives:
**Introduction to food hygiene.
**Safer food better business.
**Reflection – what might you want to do next?
We will take a break for Christmas and be back with a full programme of webinars in January 2023. Thank you.
Wow this is a bumper newsletter for December. I hope you have found the articles useful – I am always happy to write or blog about subjects requested by colleagues.
I would like to wish you all the best for the festive season and look forward to sharing my next newsletter in the New Year! I wonder what 2024 will bring...?!
Best wishes, Sarah.
Photo credit: Etsy
Welcome to December – that month of the year when scraping excited children off the ceiling becomes a regular ‘thing’ and there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done you want to do.
In case you are stuck for something to do this coming month, Childcare.co.uk has released a new ‘December special days’ guide which offers planning ideas for every working day of December, from 1st December (write to Father Christmas and prepare you Advent list) to Christmas Eve, Eve (watch a film and relax). You can search for guides and other information held on the Childcare.co.uk website using this link - https://www.childcare.co.uk/resource-library. I hope you find the December special days activity guide useful!
Childminder agencies
A lot of childminders breathed a sigh of relief when Ms Liz Truss left office. She brought with her continued threats to childminder sustainability including the threat of agencies for all. While I’m sure they might rattle round Govt for a while, hopefully they will be shelved when DfE read the results from a recent poll from the Early Years Alliance which shows that if the Govt made childminder agencies statutory, there would be a ‘mass exodus’ of up to 75% of currently registered childminders from the profession.
This is not a surprise to those childminders who campaigned against agencies from the start – and validates our request that the Govt continue to allow us to have a choice. The poll is reported here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/11/new-childminder-agency-overwhelmingly-opposed-childminders.
Using food for play – yes or no?
It is and always has been a sensitive subject which divides providers. However, the Govt has recently released a sensory food play page on their ‘help for early years providers’ website and there is new sensory food guidance from Ella’s Kitchen (the baby food pouch company). I have written a blog which discusses the pros and cons of food for sensory play and provides lots of non-food alternatives –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/using-food-for-play-yes-or-no.
I Can rebrand
The speech and language charity I Can has changed its name to ‘Speech and language UK: changing young people’s lives’. The charity says it has changed name to reach more children who need help. You will find the new website with some useful resources including free progress trackers for different ages of children here –
https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/.
Making tax digital for self-employed - UPDATED
Previous content removed - HMRC has confirmed that MTD for self-employed will be delayed until April 2026...
Qualifications checker
If you have a staff member who says they are ‘level 3’ you can check their qualifications using this recently updated early years qualifications finder from the Dept for Education –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-qualifications-finder.
New podcast from ‘my first five years’
My colleagues at 'My first five years', Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg, have started releasing podcasts. The first one is all about realistic parenting and I think it's a good one to share with your families because it says lots of things that I say to mine regularly! It's on Spotify and Apple - search 'My first five years podcast'
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Ofsted updates
Ofsted – best start in life report
Ofsted has published a new ‘Best start in Life’ report about early years (Nov 2022). It is a very contentious report but it is useful because it tells us what they are thinking, which is always useful information prior to inspection. Some initial (personal) thoughts:
**Most of the research seems to link to their own or DfE publications. There doesn't appear to be a depth or breadth of research base.
**It's totally focused on knowledge - not skills or experiences.
**Some of the examples of practice are truly bizarre.
**It includes Ofsted's definition of the curriculum which I haven't seen before with this wording.
**It talks about mapping planning so children remember - do children have to learn what we intend them to learn to make progress? Can we predict learning outcomes in the early years - should we even try?
**To paraphrase it says - the consequences of planning based purely on interests narrow the curriculum - this is particularly relevant to those who say they don't plan because they only follow children's interests.
**It doesn't align very well with Ofsted's position as an 'independent regulator'.
I will, of course, include snippets in upcoming training because it's important we know what Ofsted are thinking. However, it's equally important that we stay true to our values and are prepared to argue that what we are doing is providing 'the best start in life' for the children in our unique setting ...
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-start-in-life-a-research-review-for-early-years/best-start-in-life-part-1-setting-the-scene
Early Education has responded to the Ofsted ‘Best start in life’ report. One sentence stands out to me and echoes some of my many concerns about the Ofsted report, ‘If this is Ofsted’s attempt to set itself up as an expert on early years pedagogy and curriculum, it is unfortunate that it does the opposite’. You can find Early Education’s response here –
https://early-education.org.uk/the-ofsted-early-years-curriculum-review/.
Ofsted inspection blog
I have written this quick blog to highlight the main points you might want to think about if you are due an Ofsted inspection soon –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-inspection-tips.
Goodbye Gill Jones | Ofsted
For many years now, Gill Jones has been the deputy director of early years at Ofsted and she has advocated strongly for early years and childminders. I recall in one presentation she started singing a nursery rhyme – she really understood the importance of singing songs and rhymes with young children.
Songs and rhymes are a valuable part of language and brain development – they support the child to develop rhythmic awareness and build movement memory when you add movements to the rhymes. Michael Rosen, for example, shows you how to add movement and rhythm to his book, ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ in his YouTube presentation of the story.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish Gill well with whatever she is going to do next – every time we sing and dance with the children, we are keeping her words and her belief in the importance of musicality in the early years alive.
Ofsted blog
Ofsted has started blogging - Yvette Stanley, Ofsted's National Director of Regulation and Social Care said, “We will use this new blog to help raise understanding of different types of early years and childcare providers, as well as bust myths in the sector about regulation and inspection. You’ll be able to read about developments specifically in the early years sector here. We will use this platform to raise awareness and promote a better understanding of education and care in children’s early years.’ You will find the latest blog about streamlining the registration process here –
https://earlyyears.blog.gov.uk/2022/11/25/streamlining-the-early-years-registration-process/.
Ofsted guides for parents
Ofsted has released 3 x inspection guides for parents (new Nov 2022) -
**For Childminders -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guides-for-parents-how-early-years-settings-are-inspected/how-ofsted-inspects-childminders
**For nurseries -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guides-for-parents-how-early-years-settings-are-inspected/how-ofsted-inspects-nurseries-and-other-types-of-daycare
**For before and after school providers -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guides-for-parents-how-early-years-settings-are-inspected/how-ofsted-inspects-before-and-after-school-care-and-holiday-provision-out-of-school-settings
You might want to share them with parents before your inspection, if you are due...
Ofsted early years inspection handbook update - 14.11.22
Ofsted has published some changes to the Ofsted Early Years Inspection Handbook –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
- Paragraph 9: Wording amended to clarify that research visits are not linked to inspection activities.
- Paragraph 46: New bullet points added to refer to the privacy notice and code of conduct.
- Paragraph 48: New footnote 8 added to clarify that inspectors do not need to see DBS checks for childminders and any known assistants and/or household members on inspection.
- Paragraph 53: the footnote has been amended to clarify that checking of the number and staff and their qualifications, including paediatric first aid certificates, will usually be done in discussion with the provider. However, in some cases, inspectors may ask to see staff qualifications and first aid certificates
- Paragraph 98: Wording amended to clarify when inspectors may ask for first aid certificates and to match the wording in the EYFS.
- Paragraph 175: First sentence deleted to remove the implication that teaching cannot be ‘top down’ or formal.
- Paragraph 199: Wording amended for clarification about requests on no children on roll deferrals.
**This one is worrying - they will no longer defer 'because childminders have no children on roll or are otherwise on leave'. - Paragraph 231-245: ‘Annex A’ incorporated into the handbook as a new section named ‘Applying the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) to inspections of before –and after-school care and holiday provision’.
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Safeguarding and child protection updates
NSPCC serious case reviews
NSPCC has updated their serious case reviews page to include the latest reviews. The serious case reviews are not easy reading but they are essential reading when your are updating your child protection / safeguarding CPD –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/case-reviews/recently-published-case-reviews
Prevent Duty
I am often asked questions about how to comply with the Prevent Duty and what sort of thing Ofsted will want to check. This Prevent Duty self-assessment tool has been published by the Dept for Education for schools, but it is also helpful for childminders and other early years providers who want to check their knowledge –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-self-assessment-tool-for-schools.
I read recently on the Home Office website that the current course (the one we’ve all done) on the Prevent Duty will be archive from January 2023 and replaced by this one –
https://www.support-people-vulnerable-to-radicalisation.service.gov.uk/.
There is no suggestion that we must do it – but it might be useful if you are looking to update your professional development around Prevent.
Keeping children safe online
I spent some time watching the latest video, all about online safety, from DfE (18 minutes)
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/10/foundation-years-vodcast-on-online-safety/
Some of the links are useful for sharing with parents – others for helping to have those tricky conversations about online safety with children. I have blogged about it here so you can pick up the main points –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/keeping-children-safe-online.
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Health and safety updates
Health and safety blog
An article from Melanie Pilcher at Early Years Alliance, written for Teach Early Years, delves into the various health and safety responsibilities for early years providers –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/nursery-management/view/health-safety-in-the-nursery.
Risky play – hazards vs benefits
How confident are you at providing children with opportunities for risky play?
Some childminders say it’s an important part of their practice while others are less sure of the benefits because children might be hurt and that opens up difficult conversations with parents and possible lawsuits / not being insured.
We all cover ponds in the garden and remove trailing cables in the house – but what about allowing children to slither down a slippery grass bank or climb to the top of the frame, when you are not sure you can grab them to help them back down if they get stuck? Studies show that we all look at risk differently and what is perfectly fine for one practitioner might be totally ‘not ok’ for another! It’s definitely a conversation we should be having with parents – a useful question to ask yourself is, ‘are the risks justified by the possible benefits?’ I think this will help you through most tricky decisions and situations.
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Learning and development updates
Planning for play
How do you plan? When I talk about planning a lot of colleagues say they don’t plan, but it’s a requirement of the EYFS to share your daily routines with parents and routines are part of your planning; you must also support every child’s learning and development, which is individual planning. This is a good article from TES if you want to read more about individual / next steps planning (anything by Kathy Brodie is worth reading) – https://www.teachearlyyears.com/nursery-management/view/planning-next-steps.
In our early years setting, we also have some underpinning group planning going on in the background for our older children. I think it’s really important to teach them about the community, seasons and special days in the calendar. For example, as I am writing this, the older children in our setting will watch the CBeebies Remembrance Day animation, go on an outing to meet a poppy seller and some poppy crafts will be set up for them to explore when they get back.
We also set up invitations to play and explore – not big trays full of things that take ages for us to present, but small (cat litter size) trays or baskets or bags or table activities which we enjoy doing with them. We often sit ourselves at the table – using our ‘planted practitioner’ approach and the children come to see what we are doing – this way of working presents opportunities for connection, communication and fun.
I think part of the problem is that practitioners see ‘planning’ as ‘paperwork’ and that is not the case – if we debunk that then we can start to see planning as play, essential for engagement and fun!
Messy play at home
A recent study commissioned by one of the leading nursery groups Busy Bees showed that nearly 2/3 of parents do not set up activities such as painting, mud play and similar with their children at home. They cite the main reason for not offering this type of play as – it takes too long to clean up.
If this is true for your parents, it highlights the importance of offering these types of play regularly in your early years setting, so children benefit from the sensory experience of messy play. I have included a list of ideas for messy play in my recent blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/using-food-for-play-yes-or-no.
Learning to read
This is a good article from an expert at Edge Hill University to share with parents if they are pushing you to introduce earlier than appropriate phonics for their child –
https://theconversation.com/learning-to-read-starts-earlier-than-you-might-think-five-tips-from-an-expert-171561.
Cutting down paperwork
It was refreshing when the DfE and Ofsted told early years providers that the only statutory document they would look at (in relation to children’s learning and development) was the Progress Check at 2. However, over the past few months, I note that more and more colleagues have been contacting me to ask me for paperwork. Suddenly, it seems that they cannot remember observations, they want tick lists and they need to record termly reports or similar for parents.
Have parents asked for this paperwork? Apparently not – it seems that providers are putting themselves back under pressure to do more record keeping because they feel they need to be doing ‘something’ or they are worried they will ‘forget what they know’ during inspection.
I did say at the start of this journey that throwing the baby out with the bathwater might be a little premature, but the number of messages I am receiving suggests it’s something of an avalanche, rather than a trickle of concern.
Ofsted still won’t ask for paperwork – they are watching and listening to staff / childminders and asking searching questions about curriculum and practice, but not requiring written observation documents, tick lists, graphs or written schemes of work (or similar). Ofsted want to see:
**Staff understanding of typical child development, so they are setting up the right activities from the children at different ages and keeping learning challenging.
**A story about each child’s learning, development and progress from their starting points – the key person must know what makes the child ‘tick’.
**Why staff are planning activities – what they want children to learn and why.
**Learning experiences shaped from observations and accurate assessments of what children know and can do, in the setting and at home.
**Strong partnerships with parents.
Ofsted are clear that they want to listen and learn from the providers – not look at documents. However, if you feel you need ‘something’ in writing, Childcare Registration (Ofsted’s presence on Facebook) has reassured us that inspection is not a memory test.
Curriculum resources from Oak
The Oak National Academy website – the group which provides online teaching resources – has been challenged by early years consultants and experts to revise the wording because it lists an incorrect set of ‘subjects’ on its early years / EYFS page rather than the 7 areas of learning.
Despite some changes recently, the list is still not tie in with the EYFS requirements – despite Oak National Academy being partly funded by the DfE. You will find more information here –
https://classroom.thenational.academy/subjects-by-key-stage/early-years-foundation-stage
Getting outside and active
It’s colder and darker in the garden at the moment but still important we get outside every day with the children for our dose of vitamin D.
Now is the time to protect delicate plants so they survive the winter, cut things back if you haven’t already and plant some winter flowering pansies for colour. You can also pop some vegetables such as garlic and broad beans into prepared ground now for an early spring harvest – your local garden centre will be able to provide advice.
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Staffing
Staff references
A childminder approached me for advice – she wanted to employ a new assistant who had previously worked in a nursery, but the nursery would only send her a reference that said the staff member had worked there and there were no safeguarding concerns. The childminder asked me if that was sufficient for Ofsted.
It is legal for a referee to only confirm work dates, but you can always ring the referee to clarify points – or send them an email and ask for more information.
Alongside this, you should do a background check, DBS and check the applicant’s application form and / or CV to ensure their employment history is consistent with what they are telling you during the interview. You should also have an induction training programme in place over the first 3 months – if there are warning signs, you can spot them early and support the staff member to learn about your ways of working. Staff must not be left unsupervised until they have completed the induction training and you are confident they can manage their new position – in a childminding setting they must also have a suitability letter from Ofsted after completing the ‘new adults in the home’ form and receiving their DBS disclosure.
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Professional development
What CPD am I doing?
As many of you will know, we (2 childminders who work together) had our Ofsted inspection in May this year. It’s easy to become complacent after inspection, resting on laurels and not doing a lot for a while. I will not let this happen – there is always something new to learn. I have been asked by colleagues to share my professional development with colleagues, so I am putting regular notes about what I have read, watched, reflected on etc on my Knutsford Childminding Facebook page.
Please note that access to some of the Early Years TV videos is time-limited unless you are a member.
Free childcare.co.uk webinars for December
The EYFS educational programmes – 6th December at 7.30pm
The educational programmes are statutory – required by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) in England. This training will help you to focus on each of the 7 areas of learning and review what you do well and how you might want to improve. Aims and objectives:
**To review the educational programmes.
**To audit your compliance with the requirements.
**Reflection – what might you want to do next?
Food hygiene for childminders – 13th December @ 7.30pm
This webinar training does not replace any levelled training required by your Local Authority food hygiene department (if advised or required). It is intended to complement your current food hygiene knowledge and provide updated guidance where relevant. Aims and objectives:
**Introduction to food hygiene.
**Safer food better business.
**Reflection – what might you want to do next?
We will take a break for Christmas and be back with a full programme of webinars in January 2023. Thank you.
Wow this is a bumper newsletter for December. I hope you have found the articles useful – I am always happy to write or blog about subjects requested by colleagues.
I would like to wish you all the best for the festive season and look forward to sharing my next newsletter in the New Year! I wonder what 2024 will bring...?!
Best wishes, Sarah.
Photo credit: Etsy
November 2022 newsletter
Hi everyone! I hope you are all well.
I have been focusing on my wellbeing over the last month or so. With the introduction of a slew of new attacks on early years from the Govt, I have felt anxious and betrayed and I know many colleagues have been feeling the same. So I am now spending at least 10 minutes a day on my wellbeing and I am going out for more walks – it’s far too easy to stay inside when the weather is getting colder.
The time has come to refocus on me! What do you do for you?
Signposting support for families
We are hearing more and more on social media that parents cannot afford to pay their childcare providers and / or are cutting sessions because of the cost of living crisis. Your families might appreciate local signposting for services who can help them with food, clothes, uniform etc and national links to funding and other services. This organisation, with the tagline ‘making life affordable’ are just one of many who are preparing to support families through the winter - https://www.breadandbutterthing.org/.
Updated Childcare.co.uk FREE childminder organiser for 2023
The free Childcare.co.uk childminder organiser has been updated for 2023 – with the caveat that there might be an extra Bank Holiday that hasn’t yet been announced! It is available from the Childcare.co.uk website and I am very proud of how it’s turned out. It is now over 100 pages long and contains everything a smart childminder needs for the year ahead including outline planning (more group planning to follow in the monthly planning guides), calendars (different layouts as requested by colleagues), financial pages, organisational tips and much more. You will find the FREE updated organiser for 2023 here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser.
Information from the DfE
The DfE has commissioned IFF Research to conduct an important national study to understand how the most recent reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) have been implemented by early years providers and what the impacts have been.
Leaders, staff, and childminders at selected settings will be emailed by IFF research inviting you to participate in a short, 10-minute online survey. This survey will ask about your experiences of implementing the reforms, including any barriers you may have faced or additional support you think you would have benefited from. Your responses will reported in aggregate to the DfE, which means that nothing you say will be attributable to you or your setting.
DfE want the findings to be representative of different types of early years settings, so it is vital that a wide range of providers take part. Everyone who takes part will help DfE to build a better understanding of the impact that the reforms have had. DfE will use your insights to inform options for possible further action and support in the EYFS, and the findings from this research will be published on gov.uk in due course. The survey will launch Monday 31 October and close on Friday 9 December.
So... if you get an email from IFF asking you to comment, it is real, it will (apparently) only take 10 minutes to complete, and it is (according to DfE) ‘your opportunity to make your views count’.
DfE mentor programme
Colleagues asked me – why aren’t childminders included in the current DfE mentor programme? My reply had to be vague because it was confidential at the time, but DfE has been consulting with stakeholders including Childcare.co.uk and has now announced that they are ‘looking to expand the offer of support detailed above to childminders and are looking for experienced childminder professionals to apply for the roles of Area Lead or Mentor, to provide support to other childminders.
The application window to apply for the roles of Area Lead or Mentor will be opening during November and a link to the application form will be shared shortly, including further information on the roles, responsibilities and eligibility criteria. More details on how childminders can request support from the programme will also be shared in due course.’
Ofsted’s new blog
Ofsted has published a new blog – just 3 to start with but they are adding new blogs all the time. You will find them here – the one for newly registering childminders is useful –
https://earlyyears.blog.gov.uk/.
What paperwork do you do?
Our recent Ofsted inspection in May 2022 was a wake-up call for me. I have been recording children’s progress using my © Play Plans and the Childcare.co.uk Quick Assessment Sheets since the EYFS was updated in September 2021 and I have been enjoying the process. Parent feedback is that they like to see how their children are getting on and the documents I produce help them to support their children’s home learning – so all good and productive!
However, during the inspection, our Ofsted inspector refused to look at any documentation and wanted me to tell her – tell her about our curriculum, tell her about each child’s progress from starting points, tell her about how we prepare children for school etc. She said she could see what we do because the children were doing it – they were confident and independent, chatty and clearly happy in our setting.
This clear shift in Ofsted thinking has set me on a journey of change. I have simplified my Play Plans as a result – while still sharing information with parents; I am keeping the Quick Assessment Sheets – because parents like them; I am not adding anything else to my documentation (which I have done after every Ofsted inspection in the past). It’s refreshing to know that a few minutes record keeping a week is enough and that children are still making absolutely amazing progress. My focus is absolutely on children’s play and learning and our interactions with them.
I encourage all providers to think about how long they spend record keeping and where they can save practitioner time, so children will benefit from more time playing with staff.
New ‘start for life’ resources
DfE has introduced a new web page of resources for parents and practitioners focused on the importance of the home learning environment in boosting children’s language and socio-emotional development in the early years. You might like to look through this for your own practice and share with parents –
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/learning-to-talk/3-to-5-years/
Truss childminder agency plans
Childminder agencies were introduced in 2014 by the now Prime Minister Ms Truss when she was an education minister. There are currently 6 registered agencies across the country and Ms Truss has said she will pour money into them.
Those who know me, know I campaigned very strongly against agencies when they were first introduced and I still feel they will be a disaster for childminding (very personal opinion). I was ok(ish) with her plans for agencies to bring new childminders into the profession, until I read an article which suggested one of her potential policies is to force all currently Ofsted registered childminders to join an agency within 5 years.
Once I got over the initial visceral reaction of ‘why does she hate childminders so much?’ I thought about it more logically – her stated aim is to reduce childcare costs but if she makes us join an agency the first thing we’ll have to do is put up our prices to pay the agency!
Read more in my blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-vs-agency-childminders.
Update – now Truss is no longer PM, these plans might go away... or, from the rumblings I am hearing in the agency community, they might not... so I will leave this here!
Labour breakfast club plans
Labour has released information about their plans to introduce breakfast clubs – reported in Schools Week (link below). This policy would potentially impact on thousands of childminders and out of school / wrap around clubs who already offer the service. If you think you would be affected in your local area, you might want to write to your Labour MP and ask them to consider the providers who already offer the service.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/labour-pledges-free-breakfast-clubs-for-all-primary-pupils/.
Supporting picky eaters
This was a webinar – and has turned into a blog after requests from colleagues. Please take the time to watch the webinar – it’s on the Childcare.co.uk gold member webinar player now – but this blog might also be useful for parents and providers who are struggling –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/supporting-picky-eaters.
.............................................
Safeguarding updates
NEW – IMPORTANT – CHILDCARE REGISTER
The Childcare Register requirements were updated by Ofsted a little while ago and Childcare.co.uk raised concerns with DfE and Ofsted about some of the updated wording – specifically the section in the voluntary (over 8s) register which states:
‘Your premises and equipment must be safe and suitable for childcare. You must:
...Make sure that no child can leave the premises without someone who is providing childcare being aware, unless the child is not a young child and you have agreed with the parent that they can leave by themselves; a child is a young child up until 1st September following their 5th birthday.
After questioning the wording (why the change from age 8 in the 2012 version to age 5 in the 2022 version) from Childcare.co.uk and further clarification by Early Years Alliance that this is to bring the voluntary register in line with other legislation, Ofsted has now added the following:
‘Providers and parents can use their discretion in agreeing a higher age restriction for allowing children to leave unsupervised.’
Obviously, if you were to let a 5 year old leave the premises without supervision, even with parental permission, you might find Ofsted on your doorstep very quickly asking why so caution must be taken when applying this change! I recommend careful risk assessment linked to the child's age and stage of development, local child protection guidance and following advice from respected organisations such as NSPCC before making a possibly unwise decision which could lead to a child's death.
Why language matters in safeguarding
NSPCC has a range of different blogs which challenge us to think about the words and phrases we are using when we talk about – for example, children’s absences as ‘child didn’t attend’ vs ‘child wasn’t brought’. They help us to mindfully explore what’s happening in a child’s life.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/why-language-matters/digging-deeper-than-did-not-attend
NSPCC add to their range of blogs regularly.
Self-harm in the early years
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new guidance on assessing, managing, and preventing recurrence of self-harm in children, young people and adults. While self-harm is less common in the early years, providers might find the guidance useful for older children –
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG225.
Anti-bullying week 2022
The theme for anti-bullying week 2022 is ‘reach out’. It will take place from 14 to 18 November 2022, starting with ‘odd socks day’ on Monday 14th – you can find more information here –
https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week/anti-bullying-week-2022-reach-out.
Road safety week
It’s a busy week because 14th – 20th November is also Road Safety week. If you want to take part you can download your free action pack from the Brake website –
https://www.brake.org.uk/road-safety-week/action-pack.
CAPT updates
The Child Accident Prevention Trust has updated their website to include latest autumn safety guidance which is useful for childminders and to share with parents –
https://capt.org.uk/.
.............................................
Professional development
Are you qualified for your role?
DfE has launched a new website to help providers check early years qualifications –
https://ecctis.com/Qualifications/FindTheServiceForYou.aspx
Did you know...?
You can search the Childcare.co.uk website for documents here in the resource library –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/resource-library.
You will find new and updated documents listed here in the newsletter –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminders.
Sustained shared thinking
This is a useful article from Kathy Brodie for Teach Early Years magazine all about sustained shared thinking. There are some good links to further reading at the end as well –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/cpd/view/sustained-shared-thinking-part-1,
Upcoming webinars
The following FREE webinars are coming up in November:
Tuesdays at 7.30pm – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
An outside curriculum – 30th October
All the teaching you deliver inside can also be delivered outside – sometimes, you might need a little imagination, but you can do it and it benefits the children. In this webinar, we will look at how to deliver an outside-based curriculum which supports children’s care and learning needs.
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**The statutory framework and Ofsted expectations
**The outside learning environment.
**Ages and stages of play and learning.
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
Improving teaching – 7th November
A lot of providers have ‘improve teaching’ as an action after Ofsted inspection. In this webinar we will think about how well we are currently doing and review some of the steps you can take to support yourself / staff to deliver higher quality teaching for all the children in your early years setting.
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**What is teaching?
**What do you want to improve?
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
The 8 senses – 14th November
Did you know that we have 8 senses? In this webinar we will look at them in detail and think about how they support children’s learning, development and progress.
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**Identify the 8 senses.
**Reflect on how we can help children develop all their senses through play.
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
Long-term planning for 2023 – 21st November
You don’t need planning grids or webs or long, overly complicated lists of things to do. What you need is an overview of what you want the children to learn (your curriculum), individual planning (next steps for each child) and a long-term plan for the year ahead that helps children to learn new things (group planning).
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**The requirements – statutory and guidance.
**Your planning for 2023 through the months.
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
Ofsted inspection Q & A – 28th November
With the caveat that every Ofsted inspection is unique and might go in different directions, this webinar will aim to cover some of the main questions asked by inspectors and how you can support your professional development while preparing for inspection.
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**The learning and development requirements.
**The safeguarding and welfare requirements.
**Other subjects that typically come up.
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
I hope you find these newsletters useful and informative. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for articles I can include. Thank you, Sarah.
I have been focusing on my wellbeing over the last month or so. With the introduction of a slew of new attacks on early years from the Govt, I have felt anxious and betrayed and I know many colleagues have been feeling the same. So I am now spending at least 10 minutes a day on my wellbeing and I am going out for more walks – it’s far too easy to stay inside when the weather is getting colder.
The time has come to refocus on me! What do you do for you?
Signposting support for families
We are hearing more and more on social media that parents cannot afford to pay their childcare providers and / or are cutting sessions because of the cost of living crisis. Your families might appreciate local signposting for services who can help them with food, clothes, uniform etc and national links to funding and other services. This organisation, with the tagline ‘making life affordable’ are just one of many who are preparing to support families through the winter - https://www.breadandbutterthing.org/.
Updated Childcare.co.uk FREE childminder organiser for 2023
The free Childcare.co.uk childminder organiser has been updated for 2023 – with the caveat that there might be an extra Bank Holiday that hasn’t yet been announced! It is available from the Childcare.co.uk website and I am very proud of how it’s turned out. It is now over 100 pages long and contains everything a smart childminder needs for the year ahead including outline planning (more group planning to follow in the monthly planning guides), calendars (different layouts as requested by colleagues), financial pages, organisational tips and much more. You will find the FREE updated organiser for 2023 here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser.
Information from the DfE
The DfE has commissioned IFF Research to conduct an important national study to understand how the most recent reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) have been implemented by early years providers and what the impacts have been.
Leaders, staff, and childminders at selected settings will be emailed by IFF research inviting you to participate in a short, 10-minute online survey. This survey will ask about your experiences of implementing the reforms, including any barriers you may have faced or additional support you think you would have benefited from. Your responses will reported in aggregate to the DfE, which means that nothing you say will be attributable to you or your setting.
DfE want the findings to be representative of different types of early years settings, so it is vital that a wide range of providers take part. Everyone who takes part will help DfE to build a better understanding of the impact that the reforms have had. DfE will use your insights to inform options for possible further action and support in the EYFS, and the findings from this research will be published on gov.uk in due course. The survey will launch Monday 31 October and close on Friday 9 December.
So... if you get an email from IFF asking you to comment, it is real, it will (apparently) only take 10 minutes to complete, and it is (according to DfE) ‘your opportunity to make your views count’.
DfE mentor programme
Colleagues asked me – why aren’t childminders included in the current DfE mentor programme? My reply had to be vague because it was confidential at the time, but DfE has been consulting with stakeholders including Childcare.co.uk and has now announced that they are ‘looking to expand the offer of support detailed above to childminders and are looking for experienced childminder professionals to apply for the roles of Area Lead or Mentor, to provide support to other childminders.
The application window to apply for the roles of Area Lead or Mentor will be opening during November and a link to the application form will be shared shortly, including further information on the roles, responsibilities and eligibility criteria. More details on how childminders can request support from the programme will also be shared in due course.’
Ofsted’s new blog
Ofsted has published a new blog – just 3 to start with but they are adding new blogs all the time. You will find them here – the one for newly registering childminders is useful –
https://earlyyears.blog.gov.uk/.
What paperwork do you do?
Our recent Ofsted inspection in May 2022 was a wake-up call for me. I have been recording children’s progress using my © Play Plans and the Childcare.co.uk Quick Assessment Sheets since the EYFS was updated in September 2021 and I have been enjoying the process. Parent feedback is that they like to see how their children are getting on and the documents I produce help them to support their children’s home learning – so all good and productive!
However, during the inspection, our Ofsted inspector refused to look at any documentation and wanted me to tell her – tell her about our curriculum, tell her about each child’s progress from starting points, tell her about how we prepare children for school etc. She said she could see what we do because the children were doing it – they were confident and independent, chatty and clearly happy in our setting.
This clear shift in Ofsted thinking has set me on a journey of change. I have simplified my Play Plans as a result – while still sharing information with parents; I am keeping the Quick Assessment Sheets – because parents like them; I am not adding anything else to my documentation (which I have done after every Ofsted inspection in the past). It’s refreshing to know that a few minutes record keeping a week is enough and that children are still making absolutely amazing progress. My focus is absolutely on children’s play and learning and our interactions with them.
I encourage all providers to think about how long they spend record keeping and where they can save practitioner time, so children will benefit from more time playing with staff.
New ‘start for life’ resources
DfE has introduced a new web page of resources for parents and practitioners focused on the importance of the home learning environment in boosting children’s language and socio-emotional development in the early years. You might like to look through this for your own practice and share with parents –
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/learning-to-talk/3-to-5-years/
Truss childminder agency plans
Childminder agencies were introduced in 2014 by the now Prime Minister Ms Truss when she was an education minister. There are currently 6 registered agencies across the country and Ms Truss has said she will pour money into them.
Those who know me, know I campaigned very strongly against agencies when they were first introduced and I still feel they will be a disaster for childminding (very personal opinion). I was ok(ish) with her plans for agencies to bring new childminders into the profession, until I read an article which suggested one of her potential policies is to force all currently Ofsted registered childminders to join an agency within 5 years.
Once I got over the initial visceral reaction of ‘why does she hate childminders so much?’ I thought about it more logically – her stated aim is to reduce childcare costs but if she makes us join an agency the first thing we’ll have to do is put up our prices to pay the agency!
Read more in my blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-vs-agency-childminders.
Update – now Truss is no longer PM, these plans might go away... or, from the rumblings I am hearing in the agency community, they might not... so I will leave this here!
Labour breakfast club plans
Labour has released information about their plans to introduce breakfast clubs – reported in Schools Week (link below). This policy would potentially impact on thousands of childminders and out of school / wrap around clubs who already offer the service. If you think you would be affected in your local area, you might want to write to your Labour MP and ask them to consider the providers who already offer the service.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/labour-pledges-free-breakfast-clubs-for-all-primary-pupils/.
Supporting picky eaters
This was a webinar – and has turned into a blog after requests from colleagues. Please take the time to watch the webinar – it’s on the Childcare.co.uk gold member webinar player now – but this blog might also be useful for parents and providers who are struggling –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/supporting-picky-eaters.
.............................................
Safeguarding updates
NEW – IMPORTANT – CHILDCARE REGISTER
The Childcare Register requirements were updated by Ofsted a little while ago and Childcare.co.uk raised concerns with DfE and Ofsted about some of the updated wording – specifically the section in the voluntary (over 8s) register which states:
‘Your premises and equipment must be safe and suitable for childcare. You must:
...Make sure that no child can leave the premises without someone who is providing childcare being aware, unless the child is not a young child and you have agreed with the parent that they can leave by themselves; a child is a young child up until 1st September following their 5th birthday.
After questioning the wording (why the change from age 8 in the 2012 version to age 5 in the 2022 version) from Childcare.co.uk and further clarification by Early Years Alliance that this is to bring the voluntary register in line with other legislation, Ofsted has now added the following:
‘Providers and parents can use their discretion in agreeing a higher age restriction for allowing children to leave unsupervised.’
Obviously, if you were to let a 5 year old leave the premises without supervision, even with parental permission, you might find Ofsted on your doorstep very quickly asking why so caution must be taken when applying this change! I recommend careful risk assessment linked to the child's age and stage of development, local child protection guidance and following advice from respected organisations such as NSPCC before making a possibly unwise decision which could lead to a child's death.
Why language matters in safeguarding
NSPCC has a range of different blogs which challenge us to think about the words and phrases we are using when we talk about – for example, children’s absences as ‘child didn’t attend’ vs ‘child wasn’t brought’. They help us to mindfully explore what’s happening in a child’s life.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/why-language-matters/digging-deeper-than-did-not-attend
NSPCC add to their range of blogs regularly.
Self-harm in the early years
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new guidance on assessing, managing, and preventing recurrence of self-harm in children, young people and adults. While self-harm is less common in the early years, providers might find the guidance useful for older children –
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG225.
Anti-bullying week 2022
The theme for anti-bullying week 2022 is ‘reach out’. It will take place from 14 to 18 November 2022, starting with ‘odd socks day’ on Monday 14th – you can find more information here –
https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week/anti-bullying-week-2022-reach-out.
Road safety week
It’s a busy week because 14th – 20th November is also Road Safety week. If you want to take part you can download your free action pack from the Brake website –
https://www.brake.org.uk/road-safety-week/action-pack.
CAPT updates
The Child Accident Prevention Trust has updated their website to include latest autumn safety guidance which is useful for childminders and to share with parents –
https://capt.org.uk/.
.............................................
Professional development
Are you qualified for your role?
DfE has launched a new website to help providers check early years qualifications –
https://ecctis.com/Qualifications/FindTheServiceForYou.aspx
Did you know...?
You can search the Childcare.co.uk website for documents here in the resource library –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/resource-library.
You will find new and updated documents listed here in the newsletter –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminders.
Sustained shared thinking
This is a useful article from Kathy Brodie for Teach Early Years magazine all about sustained shared thinking. There are some good links to further reading at the end as well –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/cpd/view/sustained-shared-thinking-part-1,
Upcoming webinars
The following FREE webinars are coming up in November:
Tuesdays at 7.30pm – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
An outside curriculum – 30th October
All the teaching you deliver inside can also be delivered outside – sometimes, you might need a little imagination, but you can do it and it benefits the children. In this webinar, we will look at how to deliver an outside-based curriculum which supports children’s care and learning needs.
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**The statutory framework and Ofsted expectations
**The outside learning environment.
**Ages and stages of play and learning.
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
Improving teaching – 7th November
A lot of providers have ‘improve teaching’ as an action after Ofsted inspection. In this webinar we will think about how well we are currently doing and review some of the steps you can take to support yourself / staff to deliver higher quality teaching for all the children in your early years setting.
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**What is teaching?
**What do you want to improve?
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
The 8 senses – 14th November
Did you know that we have 8 senses? In this webinar we will look at them in detail and think about how they support children’s learning, development and progress.
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**Identify the 8 senses.
**Reflect on how we can help children develop all their senses through play.
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
Long-term planning for 2023 – 21st November
You don’t need planning grids or webs or long, overly complicated lists of things to do. What you need is an overview of what you want the children to learn (your curriculum), individual planning (next steps for each child) and a long-term plan for the year ahead that helps children to learn new things (group planning).
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**The requirements – statutory and guidance.
**Your planning for 2023 through the months.
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
Ofsted inspection Q & A – 28th November
With the caveat that every Ofsted inspection is unique and might go in different directions, this webinar will aim to cover some of the main questions asked by inspectors and how you can support your professional development while preparing for inspection.
Aims and objectives – this free webinar from Childcare.co.uk will cover:
**The learning and development requirements.
**The safeguarding and welfare requirements.
**Other subjects that typically come up.
**Reflection: making changes to improve practice.
I hope you find these newsletters useful and informative. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for articles I can include. Thank you, Sarah.
October 2022 newsletter
It’s a slightly shorter newsletter this month – is it a good thing that things are quieter in early years at the moment or worrying because we are waiting to see what the new PM will do to us? I think a bit of both...
Cost of living crisis
I ran a webinar on Business Planning post-pandemic which is now available to watch again for childcare.co.uk gold members here –
www.chidlcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I talked about the importance of keeping your business plan updated and continuously assessing your SWOT analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to your business that you need to keep on top of and review.
For example, if there are threats to your financial stability – for example, you know you buy too many resources, how can you cut down? Or if you don’t have enough children on roll, how can you recruit new families in a cost-effective way? You might also think ‘out of the box’ about ways to save money – from an extra layer of clothes to walking instead of taking the car ... as a major supermarket chain says, ‘every little helps’.
New business marketing blog
I have published a new blog – ‘marketing your business’ which you might find useful –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/marketing-your-business.
Changes are coming
We know that Ms Truss will have her eye on early years – as reported here in the Early Years Alliance latest news bulletin, changes are coming –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/09/government-announces-early-years-sector-reform-mini-budget.
The unions are not in favour – the consultation has only just finished – but on she pushes –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/early-years-union-tells-dfe-to-strengthen-childcare-ratios-not-reduce-them.
It won’t directly affect childminders because the changes for childminders are about clarifying language rather than increasing or reducing anything – but there might be an indirect impact if nurseries fill even more 2 year spaces when their ratios are relaxed, leaving less children to go round.
DfE stronger practice hubs
A lot of colleagues have contacted me to ask why the DfE has not included childminders in the stronger practice hubs. This is because the current set of hub funding is for group provision – childminder support is coming in the future. You can find out more here –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/.
Recent document updates
There have been a few updates recently including:
**The Ofsted early years inspection handbook now has a childminder specific section –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
**The Ofsted safeguarding handbook was updated Sept 2022 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills.
**Keeping children safe in education was updated in September – it’s worth reading (and asking staff to read) section 1 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
**Ofsted has updated their inspection myth busting page –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs/registered-early-years-providers.
All links are in a pinned thread on the Independent Childminders Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/permalink/2654422257912498/.
Tax free childcare campaign
Only half of families entitled to tax free childcare are claiming. Now I know it’s not always popular due to the difficulty finding childminders on the system and the regularly late payments, but it does save parents 20% of their childcare fees (up to a threshold) so it is something to talk to them about because it could help to protect your business in the longer term.
You might want to signpost this to parents as a way of saving money –
https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Latest childcare figures are disturbing
Childcare.co.uk attended a meeting with Ofsted recently where current childcare figures were discussed. Childminder numbers were 57,412 in 2012 and are now 30,471. The damage done to childminding over the last few years has been huge. The continuing decline in the number of Ofsted registered childminders is massively disappointing. I will continue to work with Childcare.co.uk to support those childminders who are still with us to remain open and sustainable – with webinars and newsletters and blogs and posts on the Independent Childminders Facebook page ...
According to this update in Nursery World magazine, the situation is still very tough for nurseries as well –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/sharp-increase-in-nursery-closures-over-the-summer-rings-alarm-bells-for-the-winter.
.....................................................................................
Safeguarding updates
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
The wording has been updated – but the date remains the same – no idea why! The update reflects changes to legislation including:
**Integrated Care Boards replaced Clinical Commissioning Groups.
**Public Health England replaced by the UK Health Security Agency and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
**Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
**UK GDPR is the retained EU law version of the GDPR. The UK GDPR sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018
You can download the document here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2
Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings
This is Ofsted’s guidance and it has been updated to reflect the recent changes to the DfE guidance 'Keeping children safe in education' including:
**Preventing and responding to reports of sexual violence and harassment between children
**Evidencing whether governing bodies and proprietors do all they reasonably can to limit children’s exposure to risks through the setting’s IT system.
**Clarifying that references to “staff” includes supply teachers, volunteers, tutors and contractors.
We have already noted in a previous newsletter that Ofsted has removed the reference to raising concerns about ‘poor parenting’ after being asked to provide a definition by Childcare.co.uk.
You can download the guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills.
Impact of poverty
The Safeguarding Network discusses the impact of poverty on children in this useful article which can be used for your professional development. There is also a link to a poverty poster which reminds us of the importance of looking at poverty through the eyes of the child/ren in our setting –
https://safeguarding.network/content/safeguarding-resources/impact-of-poverty/.
Home alone – NSPCC
I have spotlighted this link before, but it is important, so it bears repeating. If parents are taking the risk of leaving their child home alone, this information from NSPCC might be a useful read –
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/in-the-home/home-alone/.
This older but still relevant article from BBC News discusses the risks of leaving a teenager home to babysit a toddler - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12380329.
Monkey game online
Online safety experts state there is a dangerous website and app called ‘Monkey’, which allows users to have video calls with strangers. The platform markets itself as ‘an alternative to Omegle, with a TikTok vibe’. This platform has been reviewed and it has been found to contain large amounts of inappropriate, disturbing, and harmful content transmitted via web cameras. Parents of children please check your child’s mobile phone apps or warn them about the dangers of using this website.
Empowering children
A lot of what we do in early years is about teaching children that it’s ok to say ‘no’ – to mean ‘no’ – to refuse to do something that makes them uncomfortable. This is a good article from Teach Early Years about body autonomy in the early years which provides some useful strategies and guidance –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/body-autonomy-empowering-children-to-say-no.
Updating your risk assessments
You should review and update your risk assessments every day – throughout the day. You don’t need them in writing unless you want them in writing – the choice is yours. Think about safety inside, outside an on outings and ensure you share how you keep children safe with parents.
Parents might like to use this ‘home safety map’ from Safer Communities Scotland as a starting point for their own home risk assessment and childminders might find it useful as they work on domestic premises - https://www.safercommunitiesscotland.org/home-safety-map/.
Forcing children to eat
You might not think that’s what you are doing, but by insisting on ‘one more mouthful’ or ‘finish this before you get that’ you are forcing a child to put more food in their tummy than they want to eat. Mealtimes should be about connection and companionship and communication and fun – not forcing a child to eat. I will talk about this more when I cover the thorny subject of ‘picky eaters’ in my upcoming free webinar for childcare.co.uk –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
.....................................................................................
Ofsted updates
Resharing myth busting
Ofsted has recently re-shared some of their messaging for early years providers to help bust myths and engage providers in sustainable practice.
**A language rich environment does not mean labelling – it means quality conversations and high quality interactions throughout the day.
**Planning does not mean paperwork – it means the thought put into what you are doing.
**Children learn in different ways and the curriculum needs to reflect this.
**Children learn everywhere – all the time – and the EYFS states that communication and language underpins all 7 areas of learning, so the daily focus should be on vocabulary, reading, songs and rhymes, storytelling etc.
You can find out more in the Ofsted myth busting guide –
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2017/04/21/myth-busting-guide-launched-for-early-years/.
Childminder inspection handbook
A colleague pointed out that Ofsted has stated in the recently published childminder inspection handbook that they intend to be with childminders for around 3 hours during inspection. She was asking me a question because her inspection lasted for 5 hours and she felt aggrieved. I explained that they will always stay longer if there is a concern or if they are looking for more evidence, but I agreed with her that 5 hours – when the inspection handbook clearly states 3 hours and she’s a childminder working on her own (no staff) – did seem excessive. I advised her to contact Ofsted and flag it up in case the inspector needs retraining on the latest guidance. More in the early years inspection handbook for childminders here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
Ofsted and vocabulary
We know that Ofsted are putting a lot of focus on vocabulary during inspection. We have seen it coming through in inspection reports as well, with both positive and negative comments relating to the number of words used by practitioners and the quality of interactions. For example, an outstanding Ofsted inspection report for a childminder states, ‘Children's speech and vocabulary are exemplary. They have many opportunities to use language and the childminder expertly extends their vocabulary with new words throughout all activities.’ Meanwhile, an inadequate childminder report states, ‘Children do not receive enough encouragement to develop their vocabulary or to share what they know and understand’.
I will be talking about the thousands of words we need to be using during daily conversations during an upcoming webinar – functions of language.
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
.....................................................................................
Professional development
Sharing my CPD
I’ve been asked to share what I do for professional development, so I have started posting on my Knutsford Childminding Facebook page when I find something new to watch or read – colleagues say it’s helpful. During my recent Ofsted inspection, the inspector wanted to know what I have done for my own CPD so this is one of the ways I will keep a record of what I am learning and then I can think about how to use my new knowledge to improve my ways of working and to help others.
More information here - https://www.facebook.com/KnutsfordChildminding.
Does what it says on the tin
This is a good article about labels to read and reflect on from the Foundation Stage Forum –
https://eyfs.info/articles.html/general/does-what-it-says-on-the-tin-r334/
Messy play
I don’t do enough of it in the winter – I know I don’t – partly because it’s so cold and usually wet and the children moan more and partly because of the tidying up afterwards. I want to improve and I have found this article from Teach Early Years has set me off in the right direction. It’s also useful to share with parents, to remind them that holding a pencil and writing comes after all the early years activities we do to support hand eye coordination, strength, bilateral coordination, core stability etc –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/grasping-new-skills.
FREE webinars for October
The following webinars are planned for October:
4th – Understanding autism
11th – Supporting picky eaters.
18th – Functions of language.
25th – break for half term – back in November!
The webinars are available free on the night they are presented here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars. If you have any ideas for future topics, please let me know.
Coming soon! 2023 FREE childminder organiser
The FREE childminder organiser from Childcare.co.uk is nearly ready for 2023. It contains documents, activity ideas and paperwork for the year ahead and is used by thousands of providers. If there’s anything you think was missed from the 2022 document, please do let me or Childcare.co.uk know.
Keep an eye on the updates page for more details –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminders.
It’s been lovely to share information with you again this month - stay safe and healthy and chat soon!
Sarah.
Cost of living crisis
I ran a webinar on Business Planning post-pandemic which is now available to watch again for childcare.co.uk gold members here –
www.chidlcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I talked about the importance of keeping your business plan updated and continuously assessing your SWOT analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to your business that you need to keep on top of and review.
For example, if there are threats to your financial stability – for example, you know you buy too many resources, how can you cut down? Or if you don’t have enough children on roll, how can you recruit new families in a cost-effective way? You might also think ‘out of the box’ about ways to save money – from an extra layer of clothes to walking instead of taking the car ... as a major supermarket chain says, ‘every little helps’.
New business marketing blog
I have published a new blog – ‘marketing your business’ which you might find useful –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/marketing-your-business.
Changes are coming
We know that Ms Truss will have her eye on early years – as reported here in the Early Years Alliance latest news bulletin, changes are coming –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/09/government-announces-early-years-sector-reform-mini-budget.
The unions are not in favour – the consultation has only just finished – but on she pushes –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/early-years-union-tells-dfe-to-strengthen-childcare-ratios-not-reduce-them.
It won’t directly affect childminders because the changes for childminders are about clarifying language rather than increasing or reducing anything – but there might be an indirect impact if nurseries fill even more 2 year spaces when their ratios are relaxed, leaving less children to go round.
DfE stronger practice hubs
A lot of colleagues have contacted me to ask why the DfE has not included childminders in the stronger practice hubs. This is because the current set of hub funding is for group provision – childminder support is coming in the future. You can find out more here –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/.
Recent document updates
There have been a few updates recently including:
**The Ofsted early years inspection handbook now has a childminder specific section –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
**The Ofsted safeguarding handbook was updated Sept 2022 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills.
**Keeping children safe in education was updated in September – it’s worth reading (and asking staff to read) section 1 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
**Ofsted has updated their inspection myth busting page –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs/registered-early-years-providers.
All links are in a pinned thread on the Independent Childminders Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/permalink/2654422257912498/.
Tax free childcare campaign
Only half of families entitled to tax free childcare are claiming. Now I know it’s not always popular due to the difficulty finding childminders on the system and the regularly late payments, but it does save parents 20% of their childcare fees (up to a threshold) so it is something to talk to them about because it could help to protect your business in the longer term.
You might want to signpost this to parents as a way of saving money –
https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Latest childcare figures are disturbing
Childcare.co.uk attended a meeting with Ofsted recently where current childcare figures were discussed. Childminder numbers were 57,412 in 2012 and are now 30,471. The damage done to childminding over the last few years has been huge. The continuing decline in the number of Ofsted registered childminders is massively disappointing. I will continue to work with Childcare.co.uk to support those childminders who are still with us to remain open and sustainable – with webinars and newsletters and blogs and posts on the Independent Childminders Facebook page ...
According to this update in Nursery World magazine, the situation is still very tough for nurseries as well –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/sharp-increase-in-nursery-closures-over-the-summer-rings-alarm-bells-for-the-winter.
.....................................................................................
Safeguarding updates
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
The wording has been updated – but the date remains the same – no idea why! The update reflects changes to legislation including:
**Integrated Care Boards replaced Clinical Commissioning Groups.
**Public Health England replaced by the UK Health Security Agency and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
**Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
**UK GDPR is the retained EU law version of the GDPR. The UK GDPR sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018
You can download the document here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2
Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings
This is Ofsted’s guidance and it has been updated to reflect the recent changes to the DfE guidance 'Keeping children safe in education' including:
**Preventing and responding to reports of sexual violence and harassment between children
**Evidencing whether governing bodies and proprietors do all they reasonably can to limit children’s exposure to risks through the setting’s IT system.
**Clarifying that references to “staff” includes supply teachers, volunteers, tutors and contractors.
We have already noted in a previous newsletter that Ofsted has removed the reference to raising concerns about ‘poor parenting’ after being asked to provide a definition by Childcare.co.uk.
You can download the guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills.
Impact of poverty
The Safeguarding Network discusses the impact of poverty on children in this useful article which can be used for your professional development. There is also a link to a poverty poster which reminds us of the importance of looking at poverty through the eyes of the child/ren in our setting –
https://safeguarding.network/content/safeguarding-resources/impact-of-poverty/.
Home alone – NSPCC
I have spotlighted this link before, but it is important, so it bears repeating. If parents are taking the risk of leaving their child home alone, this information from NSPCC might be a useful read –
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/in-the-home/home-alone/.
This older but still relevant article from BBC News discusses the risks of leaving a teenager home to babysit a toddler - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12380329.
Monkey game online
Online safety experts state there is a dangerous website and app called ‘Monkey’, which allows users to have video calls with strangers. The platform markets itself as ‘an alternative to Omegle, with a TikTok vibe’. This platform has been reviewed and it has been found to contain large amounts of inappropriate, disturbing, and harmful content transmitted via web cameras. Parents of children please check your child’s mobile phone apps or warn them about the dangers of using this website.
Empowering children
A lot of what we do in early years is about teaching children that it’s ok to say ‘no’ – to mean ‘no’ – to refuse to do something that makes them uncomfortable. This is a good article from Teach Early Years about body autonomy in the early years which provides some useful strategies and guidance –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/body-autonomy-empowering-children-to-say-no.
Updating your risk assessments
You should review and update your risk assessments every day – throughout the day. You don’t need them in writing unless you want them in writing – the choice is yours. Think about safety inside, outside an on outings and ensure you share how you keep children safe with parents.
Parents might like to use this ‘home safety map’ from Safer Communities Scotland as a starting point for their own home risk assessment and childminders might find it useful as they work on domestic premises - https://www.safercommunitiesscotland.org/home-safety-map/.
Forcing children to eat
You might not think that’s what you are doing, but by insisting on ‘one more mouthful’ or ‘finish this before you get that’ you are forcing a child to put more food in their tummy than they want to eat. Mealtimes should be about connection and companionship and communication and fun – not forcing a child to eat. I will talk about this more when I cover the thorny subject of ‘picky eaters’ in my upcoming free webinar for childcare.co.uk –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
.....................................................................................
Ofsted updates
Resharing myth busting
Ofsted has recently re-shared some of their messaging for early years providers to help bust myths and engage providers in sustainable practice.
**A language rich environment does not mean labelling – it means quality conversations and high quality interactions throughout the day.
**Planning does not mean paperwork – it means the thought put into what you are doing.
**Children learn in different ways and the curriculum needs to reflect this.
**Children learn everywhere – all the time – and the EYFS states that communication and language underpins all 7 areas of learning, so the daily focus should be on vocabulary, reading, songs and rhymes, storytelling etc.
You can find out more in the Ofsted myth busting guide –
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2017/04/21/myth-busting-guide-launched-for-early-years/.
Childminder inspection handbook
A colleague pointed out that Ofsted has stated in the recently published childminder inspection handbook that they intend to be with childminders for around 3 hours during inspection. She was asking me a question because her inspection lasted for 5 hours and she felt aggrieved. I explained that they will always stay longer if there is a concern or if they are looking for more evidence, but I agreed with her that 5 hours – when the inspection handbook clearly states 3 hours and she’s a childminder working on her own (no staff) – did seem excessive. I advised her to contact Ofsted and flag it up in case the inspector needs retraining on the latest guidance. More in the early years inspection handbook for childminders here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
Ofsted and vocabulary
We know that Ofsted are putting a lot of focus on vocabulary during inspection. We have seen it coming through in inspection reports as well, with both positive and negative comments relating to the number of words used by practitioners and the quality of interactions. For example, an outstanding Ofsted inspection report for a childminder states, ‘Children's speech and vocabulary are exemplary. They have many opportunities to use language and the childminder expertly extends their vocabulary with new words throughout all activities.’ Meanwhile, an inadequate childminder report states, ‘Children do not receive enough encouragement to develop their vocabulary or to share what they know and understand’.
I will be talking about the thousands of words we need to be using during daily conversations during an upcoming webinar – functions of language.
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
.....................................................................................
Professional development
Sharing my CPD
I’ve been asked to share what I do for professional development, so I have started posting on my Knutsford Childminding Facebook page when I find something new to watch or read – colleagues say it’s helpful. During my recent Ofsted inspection, the inspector wanted to know what I have done for my own CPD so this is one of the ways I will keep a record of what I am learning and then I can think about how to use my new knowledge to improve my ways of working and to help others.
More information here - https://www.facebook.com/KnutsfordChildminding.
Does what it says on the tin
This is a good article about labels to read and reflect on from the Foundation Stage Forum –
https://eyfs.info/articles.html/general/does-what-it-says-on-the-tin-r334/
Messy play
I don’t do enough of it in the winter – I know I don’t – partly because it’s so cold and usually wet and the children moan more and partly because of the tidying up afterwards. I want to improve and I have found this article from Teach Early Years has set me off in the right direction. It’s also useful to share with parents, to remind them that holding a pencil and writing comes after all the early years activities we do to support hand eye coordination, strength, bilateral coordination, core stability etc –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/grasping-new-skills.
FREE webinars for October
The following webinars are planned for October:
4th – Understanding autism
11th – Supporting picky eaters.
18th – Functions of language.
25th – break for half term – back in November!
The webinars are available free on the night they are presented here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars. If you have any ideas for future topics, please let me know.
Coming soon! 2023 FREE childminder organiser
The FREE childminder organiser from Childcare.co.uk is nearly ready for 2023. It contains documents, activity ideas and paperwork for the year ahead and is used by thousands of providers. If there’s anything you think was missed from the 2022 document, please do let me or Childcare.co.uk know.
Keep an eye on the updates page for more details –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminders.
It’s been lovely to share information with you again this month - stay safe and healthy and chat soon!
Sarah.
September 2022 newsletter
August is always a quieter month in early years – some settings have closed down for the summer (I hope you have had a good break) while others forge on, sometimes taking the odd holiday.
Whatever you have been doing, I hope the summer has treated you kindly and you have been able to spend August getting ready for the flurry that is usually upon us in September.
Preparing for September - new blog
I always spend time reflecting on the previous year and thinking about what I need to change for the future. I have just sent out the revised contracts for parents so that's one job ticked off ... the rest will be covered as we go through the month.
I hope you find my 'to do list' useful!
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/preparing-for-september
Planning for September
Our planning for September will include:
**Week 1 – back to school.
We will read ‘Owl Babies’ by Martin Waddell and do lots of school role play.
**Week 2 – all about me.
I will ask parents for family photos and use them as a starting point.
**Week 3 – the community orchard.
This is a wonderful resource and they will be harvesting over the coming weeks so we will visit and get involved.
**Week 4 – Hibernation
We will read ‘Bear snores on’ by Karma Wilson as our starting point and then see what the children already know. They are really into den building at the moment so I think this will engage them.
New vodcast from Foundation Years
The latest Vodcast looks at the mental health and wellbeing of the early years professionals working every day with babies and young children. it’s a 20-minute watch...
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/07/foundation-years-vodcast-on-staff-mental-health-and-wellbeing/
Universal credit
There is a new Govt page linked to the current cost of living crisis. It contains posters and information for providers / to share with parents who are on UC and need extra support – https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/communicating-help-for-households-and-cost-of-living-payments/.
Financial issues
How are you getting on? I have a webinar coming up soon which aims to support early years providers with budgeting and saving. I feel it’s especially important at the moment as the credit crunch hits. You will find more details at the end of this newsletter.
Parents are struggling too – according to research from the TUC, reported by the Early Years Alliance, 1 in 5 key worker parents are living in poverty –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/08/one-five-children-key-worker-parents-are-living-poverty-tuc-research-suggests.
Stronger practice hubs
Group based providers with a good or outstanding grade are invited to apply to become a stronger practice hub – the Govt’s latest scheme to help providers catch up.
https://www.ncb.org.uk/strongerpracticehubs.
Childminders have not been forgotten – support is coming but it’s not in place yet.
Access to support services
According to this report from the Early Years Alliance, a third of low-income families are struggling to access support for their children. This will not come as a surprise to early years providers who are referring children, only to be told waiting lists are huge and they will have to do what they can in the setting.
More in this article –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/08/more-third-low-income-families-struggle-access-support.
Holiday pay and term-time staff
You might need to make changes to how you pay part-time staff – you will find out more in my new blog:
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff/holiday-pay-and-term-time-staff
Thoughts for September
As we prepare for the new term let’s think about:
**Clearing clutter so toys are appropriate for the ages of children attending.
**Sorting books so they are not stuffed in a box nobody can access easily.
**Throwing away anything damaged or broken.
**Thinking about what each child enjoys playing with – can they find it easily?
**Setting up spaces for children to chill if they don’t want to join in straight away.
**Reducing visual clutter like signs, posters and labels on the walls.
**If redecorating, choosing neutral colours so they don’t overwhelm the eyes.
**Ensuring children can move around in the garden without tripping over toys.
**Making a shelf or peg for children’s stuff – it’s welcoming as well as tidier.
**Cleaning surfaces and only setting out what is played with regularly.
**Restocking with paper, pencils, glue etc so you have the resources children need.
**Thinking through the curriculum – what do you want children to learn and be able to do?
**Remembering that less is more.
..................................................................................
Ofsted updates
Childcare register update
DfE has updated the layout of the Childcare Register requirements to make them easier to read.
Note: to my mind there is still a glaring error on here. I have pointed it out but nothing has been done about it yet so maybe I’m wrong. Ofsted did say, however, that nothing had changed apart from the layout so...
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-on-the-voluntary-childcare-register-ofsted-requirements
Early Years Inspection Handbook, Sept 2022
Ofsted has updated their Early Years Inspection Handbook from 1st September 2022
What does this mean to you?
The Ofsted early years inspection handbook is an important document for all early years providers because it tells you how Ofsted will conduct inspections – from how they will ring you beforehand to what they will look for during the inspection.
What are the main changes?
A new section – part 3 – has been added to the handbook to cover how Ofsted inspect childminders including no children on roll inspections and inspections for out of school settings. Ofsted has stated that they have not changed any of the legal background but that the new guidance has been added to clarify inspection for childminders and out of school settings, because they acknowledge that some parts of inspection are different in these settings.
You will find the new childminder section here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif/early-years-inspection-handbook-for-ofsted-registered-provision-for-september-2022.
What are the wording changes?
These are some of the main changes:
**Ofsted has updated their Privacy Notice to change the wording on what information they will collect about early years providers and how long they will keep it – more here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-privacy-notices.
**Ofsted has updated their inspection myth busting page and aim to correct common misconceptions which might, ‘result in unnecessary workload for providers.’ You will find more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs/registered-early-years-providers.
**The Covid-19 section has been removed. References to the pandemic are now part of the document, rather than in their own section. For example, if there is a risk of Covid-19 notified during the initial phone call, inspectors have the flexibility to carry out some of the inspection over the phone / video calls; in the final judgements section, a note has been added that sets out Ofsted’s approach to ‘reaching final judgements within the Covid-19 context’.
**A link has been added to the early years enforcement policy –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-and-childcare-ofsteds-enforcement-policy/early-years-and-childcare-enforcement-policy.
**During inspection, Ofsted ill now check the number of staff – this highlights recent findings that some settings might not be keeping to statutory staff:child ratios.
**I don’t recall seeing this previously – inspectors will not usually arrive before 8am.
**The use of the Ofsted logo has been re-worded – you can only display the logo relevant to your current grade –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-ofsted-logos-and-copyright.
** The descriptors for a ‘good’ grade remain the same but you will notice that they are no longer split into ‘Intent, Implementation and Impact’. Ofsted inspectors will still ask the same questions linked to planning, teaching and assessment.
**Leadership and management refers to how you have managed changes as a result of the impact of Covid-19, including any changes to your way of working.
What do you need to do next?
Nothing has really changed – but you might want to read through the childminder guidance and see what Ofsted are looking for during inspection. This will help you to clarify what you do and do not need to do in your day-to-day practice. For example, Ofsted are clear that they will only inspect statutory documentation, so any other paperwork you produce should be for the benefit of the children and their families or to support you in your work.
If you have any feedback for Ofsted, please let me know and I can pass your comments on.
..................................................................................
Safeguarding updates
Mental health and body image
The Health and Social Care Committee has published a report which explores body image dissatisfaction and the potential harm from online content, including its impact on children. You can read the report here – https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmhealth/114/report.html.
Thinking about the implications:
**Teach children about healthy eating and drinking.
**Focus on good oral health.
**Ensure children move for at least 3 hours a day.
**Talk to parents about diets and exercise at home.
Radicalisation online
The Guardian has published a news story on its investigation into children exposed to online extremism and radicalisation by far-right groups online.
We know that Ofsted often ask about radicalisation and exposure to extremism in relation to the Prevent Duty, so knowing about this latest report and its far-reaching implications for all children, including children in the early years who might be impacted, is a must for all providers.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/03/revealed-uk-children-ensnared-far-right-ecosystem-online.
Child sexual abuse
NSPCC learning reports that the Marie Collins Foundation (MCF) has released resources on supporting individuals who have experienced child sexual abuse (CSA) and are prepared to share their experiences publicly. The resources were developed by individuals with lived experience and highlights the importance of incorporating voices of experience to inform practice. Guidance is included for organisations on working with individuals who have experienced CSA, including use of language and appropriate timing.
https://www.mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk/resources
NSPCC home alone guidance
NSPCC has updated its home alone guidance which you might find useful and to share with parents –
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/in-the-home/home-alone/
Early trauma and relationships
The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health has released a podcast about early trauma and the importance of early relationships. You can listen to it via your normal podcast provider –
https://www.acamh.org/podcasts/early-trauma-and-the-importance-of-early-relationships/.
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Professional development
'Saying sorry' masterclass
Should you make a child say ‘sorry’? If not, what should you do...?
This thorny question is discussed by Alistair Bryce Clegg and Jennie Johnson in the My First Five Years Facebook group here – https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1205261923567905&ref=sharing.
Updating safeguarding
I always update my safeguarding in September to make sure I am ready for the year ahead. This update entails:
**Reading the Local Safeguarding Partners website to check for updates.
**Noting any changes in the latest Keeping Children Safe in Education document.
**Checking through our Safeguarding / Child Protection Policy and sharing it with parents.
**Presenting a webinar on safeguarding for colleagues.
**Planning safeguarding webinars for the next year, to ensure a range of subjects are covered.
Interesting articles
I keep an eye on the Teach Early Years website for lots of useful articles and information about early years activities: https://www.teachearlyyears.com/
Reading blogs
One of the ways I keep updated with my professional development is to read blogs from other sources than my own –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog.
For example, I like to read various articles on the Foundation Stage Forum because they sometimes validate my practice and sometimes challenge my thinking. You will find a selection of the latest blogs here –
https://eyfs.info/all_articles.html/.
Guided play and learning
Professional discussions about whether children need independent or guided play will always be relevant for early years providers. This interesting blog from Dr Elizabeth Byrne on the Early Education website asks whether guided play can enhance children’s learning.
https://early-education.org.uk/can-guided-play-enhance-younger-childrens-learning/
SENCO training
DfE has appointed Best Practice Network to offer SENCO training across the country. You can find out more here on the Best Practice Network website –
https://www.bestpracticenet.co.uk/early-years-SENCO.
FREE September webinars
The following webinars will be presented free in September:
Tues 6th at 7.30pm – Progress check at 2 update.
Tues 13th at 7.30pm – Business planning post pandemic.
Tues 20th at 7.30pm – Safeguarding quiz.
Tues 27th at 7.30pm – Supporting refugee children.
Notes about the webinars:
**You can sign up for the webinars and access them here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
**If you want your own certificate, you need to use your own login (free or gold member).
**Webinars are recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to ‘watch again’ later – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find these newsletters useful - please share so colleagues benefit from free information sharing.
Best wishes, Sarah.
Knutsford Childminding
Whatever you have been doing, I hope the summer has treated you kindly and you have been able to spend August getting ready for the flurry that is usually upon us in September.
Preparing for September - new blog
I always spend time reflecting on the previous year and thinking about what I need to change for the future. I have just sent out the revised contracts for parents so that's one job ticked off ... the rest will be covered as we go through the month.
I hope you find my 'to do list' useful!
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/preparing-for-september
Planning for September
Our planning for September will include:
**Week 1 – back to school.
We will read ‘Owl Babies’ by Martin Waddell and do lots of school role play.
**Week 2 – all about me.
I will ask parents for family photos and use them as a starting point.
**Week 3 – the community orchard.
This is a wonderful resource and they will be harvesting over the coming weeks so we will visit and get involved.
**Week 4 – Hibernation
We will read ‘Bear snores on’ by Karma Wilson as our starting point and then see what the children already know. They are really into den building at the moment so I think this will engage them.
New vodcast from Foundation Years
The latest Vodcast looks at the mental health and wellbeing of the early years professionals working every day with babies and young children. it’s a 20-minute watch...
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/07/foundation-years-vodcast-on-staff-mental-health-and-wellbeing/
Universal credit
There is a new Govt page linked to the current cost of living crisis. It contains posters and information for providers / to share with parents who are on UC and need extra support – https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/communicating-help-for-households-and-cost-of-living-payments/.
Financial issues
How are you getting on? I have a webinar coming up soon which aims to support early years providers with budgeting and saving. I feel it’s especially important at the moment as the credit crunch hits. You will find more details at the end of this newsletter.
Parents are struggling too – according to research from the TUC, reported by the Early Years Alliance, 1 in 5 key worker parents are living in poverty –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/08/one-five-children-key-worker-parents-are-living-poverty-tuc-research-suggests.
Stronger practice hubs
Group based providers with a good or outstanding grade are invited to apply to become a stronger practice hub – the Govt’s latest scheme to help providers catch up.
https://www.ncb.org.uk/strongerpracticehubs.
Childminders have not been forgotten – support is coming but it’s not in place yet.
Access to support services
According to this report from the Early Years Alliance, a third of low-income families are struggling to access support for their children. This will not come as a surprise to early years providers who are referring children, only to be told waiting lists are huge and they will have to do what they can in the setting.
More in this article –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/08/more-third-low-income-families-struggle-access-support.
Holiday pay and term-time staff
You might need to make changes to how you pay part-time staff – you will find out more in my new blog:
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff/holiday-pay-and-term-time-staff
Thoughts for September
As we prepare for the new term let’s think about:
**Clearing clutter so toys are appropriate for the ages of children attending.
**Sorting books so they are not stuffed in a box nobody can access easily.
**Throwing away anything damaged or broken.
**Thinking about what each child enjoys playing with – can they find it easily?
**Setting up spaces for children to chill if they don’t want to join in straight away.
**Reducing visual clutter like signs, posters and labels on the walls.
**If redecorating, choosing neutral colours so they don’t overwhelm the eyes.
**Ensuring children can move around in the garden without tripping over toys.
**Making a shelf or peg for children’s stuff – it’s welcoming as well as tidier.
**Cleaning surfaces and only setting out what is played with regularly.
**Restocking with paper, pencils, glue etc so you have the resources children need.
**Thinking through the curriculum – what do you want children to learn and be able to do?
**Remembering that less is more.
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Ofsted updates
Childcare register update
DfE has updated the layout of the Childcare Register requirements to make them easier to read.
Note: to my mind there is still a glaring error on here. I have pointed it out but nothing has been done about it yet so maybe I’m wrong. Ofsted did say, however, that nothing had changed apart from the layout so...
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-on-the-voluntary-childcare-register-ofsted-requirements
Early Years Inspection Handbook, Sept 2022
Ofsted has updated their Early Years Inspection Handbook from 1st September 2022
What does this mean to you?
The Ofsted early years inspection handbook is an important document for all early years providers because it tells you how Ofsted will conduct inspections – from how they will ring you beforehand to what they will look for during the inspection.
What are the main changes?
A new section – part 3 – has been added to the handbook to cover how Ofsted inspect childminders including no children on roll inspections and inspections for out of school settings. Ofsted has stated that they have not changed any of the legal background but that the new guidance has been added to clarify inspection for childminders and out of school settings, because they acknowledge that some parts of inspection are different in these settings.
You will find the new childminder section here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif/early-years-inspection-handbook-for-ofsted-registered-provision-for-september-2022.
What are the wording changes?
These are some of the main changes:
**Ofsted has updated their Privacy Notice to change the wording on what information they will collect about early years providers and how long they will keep it – more here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-privacy-notices.
**Ofsted has updated their inspection myth busting page and aim to correct common misconceptions which might, ‘result in unnecessary workload for providers.’ You will find more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs/registered-early-years-providers.
**The Covid-19 section has been removed. References to the pandemic are now part of the document, rather than in their own section. For example, if there is a risk of Covid-19 notified during the initial phone call, inspectors have the flexibility to carry out some of the inspection over the phone / video calls; in the final judgements section, a note has been added that sets out Ofsted’s approach to ‘reaching final judgements within the Covid-19 context’.
**A link has been added to the early years enforcement policy –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-and-childcare-ofsteds-enforcement-policy/early-years-and-childcare-enforcement-policy.
**During inspection, Ofsted ill now check the number of staff – this highlights recent findings that some settings might not be keeping to statutory staff:child ratios.
**I don’t recall seeing this previously – inspectors will not usually arrive before 8am.
**The use of the Ofsted logo has been re-worded – you can only display the logo relevant to your current grade –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-ofsted-logos-and-copyright.
** The descriptors for a ‘good’ grade remain the same but you will notice that they are no longer split into ‘Intent, Implementation and Impact’. Ofsted inspectors will still ask the same questions linked to planning, teaching and assessment.
**Leadership and management refers to how you have managed changes as a result of the impact of Covid-19, including any changes to your way of working.
What do you need to do next?
Nothing has really changed – but you might want to read through the childminder guidance and see what Ofsted are looking for during inspection. This will help you to clarify what you do and do not need to do in your day-to-day practice. For example, Ofsted are clear that they will only inspect statutory documentation, so any other paperwork you produce should be for the benefit of the children and their families or to support you in your work.
If you have any feedback for Ofsted, please let me know and I can pass your comments on.
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Safeguarding updates
Mental health and body image
The Health and Social Care Committee has published a report which explores body image dissatisfaction and the potential harm from online content, including its impact on children. You can read the report here – https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmhealth/114/report.html.
Thinking about the implications:
**Teach children about healthy eating and drinking.
**Focus on good oral health.
**Ensure children move for at least 3 hours a day.
**Talk to parents about diets and exercise at home.
Radicalisation online
The Guardian has published a news story on its investigation into children exposed to online extremism and radicalisation by far-right groups online.
We know that Ofsted often ask about radicalisation and exposure to extremism in relation to the Prevent Duty, so knowing about this latest report and its far-reaching implications for all children, including children in the early years who might be impacted, is a must for all providers.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/03/revealed-uk-children-ensnared-far-right-ecosystem-online.
Child sexual abuse
NSPCC learning reports that the Marie Collins Foundation (MCF) has released resources on supporting individuals who have experienced child sexual abuse (CSA) and are prepared to share their experiences publicly. The resources were developed by individuals with lived experience and highlights the importance of incorporating voices of experience to inform practice. Guidance is included for organisations on working with individuals who have experienced CSA, including use of language and appropriate timing.
https://www.mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk/resources
NSPCC home alone guidance
NSPCC has updated its home alone guidance which you might find useful and to share with parents –
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/in-the-home/home-alone/
Early trauma and relationships
The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health has released a podcast about early trauma and the importance of early relationships. You can listen to it via your normal podcast provider –
https://www.acamh.org/podcasts/early-trauma-and-the-importance-of-early-relationships/.
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Professional development
'Saying sorry' masterclass
Should you make a child say ‘sorry’? If not, what should you do...?
This thorny question is discussed by Alistair Bryce Clegg and Jennie Johnson in the My First Five Years Facebook group here – https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1205261923567905&ref=sharing.
Updating safeguarding
I always update my safeguarding in September to make sure I am ready for the year ahead. This update entails:
**Reading the Local Safeguarding Partners website to check for updates.
**Noting any changes in the latest Keeping Children Safe in Education document.
**Checking through our Safeguarding / Child Protection Policy and sharing it with parents.
**Presenting a webinar on safeguarding for colleagues.
**Planning safeguarding webinars for the next year, to ensure a range of subjects are covered.
Interesting articles
I keep an eye on the Teach Early Years website for lots of useful articles and information about early years activities: https://www.teachearlyyears.com/
Reading blogs
One of the ways I keep updated with my professional development is to read blogs from other sources than my own –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog.
For example, I like to read various articles on the Foundation Stage Forum because they sometimes validate my practice and sometimes challenge my thinking. You will find a selection of the latest blogs here –
https://eyfs.info/all_articles.html/.
Guided play and learning
Professional discussions about whether children need independent or guided play will always be relevant for early years providers. This interesting blog from Dr Elizabeth Byrne on the Early Education website asks whether guided play can enhance children’s learning.
https://early-education.org.uk/can-guided-play-enhance-younger-childrens-learning/
SENCO training
DfE has appointed Best Practice Network to offer SENCO training across the country. You can find out more here on the Best Practice Network website –
https://www.bestpracticenet.co.uk/early-years-SENCO.
FREE September webinars
The following webinars will be presented free in September:
Tues 6th at 7.30pm – Progress check at 2 update.
Tues 13th at 7.30pm – Business planning post pandemic.
Tues 20th at 7.30pm – Safeguarding quiz.
Tues 27th at 7.30pm – Supporting refugee children.
Notes about the webinars:
**You can sign up for the webinars and access them here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
**If you want your own certificate, you need to use your own login (free or gold member).
**Webinars are recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to ‘watch again’ later – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find these newsletters useful - please share so colleagues benefit from free information sharing.
Best wishes, Sarah.
Knutsford Childminding
August 2022 newsletter
It’s the summer holidays and you are either shut for the summer or working even harder this month with school-aged children back in the setting. Some providers might be taking holidays – I hope they are restful.
It’s typically a quieter time for news in August but I’ve still found plenty to talk about in this newsletter update. I hope you find it useful.
General news
Numbers of providers - not good news
The latest Ofsted report (July 2022) states that the early years sector as a whole has seen the biggest drop in the number of providers in the last 6 years. More than 4000 childcare providers have left the sector – with the biggest loss of places in the most deprived areas of the country – and childminder numbers have continued to fall.
The reasons for the loss of spaces are many – some providers blame the low funding rates which leave them unsustainable while others feel their Ofsted inspections were unfair or simply cannot put themselves through another inspection after perceived unfairness at previous inspections.
Clearly something needs to be done – there is already a childcare crisis and it’s being made worse by a reduction in the numbers or providers, particularly in disadvantaged areas where quality provision is needed more than ever to support children to come through the effects of the pandemic.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022/main-findings-childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022
Government consultation on changes in the early years
The government has announced proposals which are aimed at encouraging more childminders to join and remain in the early years sector. The consultation is here and closes on 16th September 2022 – https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/childcare-regulatory-changes
I urge as many childminders as possible to respond.
Changes to the nursery milk scheme
There were some rumblings that the nursery milk scheme was about to become even more bureaucratically challenging. The Early Years Alliance sent a strongly worded letter and the Department for Health and Social Care announced that the changes are being delayed until next year.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/07/changes-nursery-milk-scheme-delayed.
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Ofsted updates
Ofsted early years inspection handbook
After consultation with the early years sector, including Childcare.co.uk, Ofsted has published a childminder guide as part of their early years inspection handbook, for use from 1st September 2022. They are keen to remind us that there is no change to inspection policy – the changes are for clarity. They have also removed the Covid-19 section from the inspection handbook but Covid will still be considered as part of the inspection process.
There are some general updates as well.
You will find the revised document, including childminder specific guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
EIF (education inspection framework) inspections and the EYFS
Ofsted has updated this myth busting page to help dispel what Ofsted call ‘unhelpful inspection rumours’. The aim is that the page will reassure providers. There is, for example, new information about ratios and an updated Q & A section, plus childminder specific guidance again.
The updated page is here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs.
Ofsted – coming soon
Ofsted are to publish a guide to inspection for parents and / or carers. This is due out soon.
Learning walk during inspection
I have been asked lots of questions about what Ofsted asked during the learning walk in our recent inspection. It was more like a learning sit to be honest – there’s not a lot to see in a childminding setting once you’ve popped outside and looked at the playroom. However, the questions were relentless throughout the inspection, so here’s a flavour of them in this new blog.
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/learning-walk-questions.
Notifying Ofsted about holidays – childminders
After a slightly confusing post on the Childcare Registration Facebook page, we asked Ofsted to reclarify when childminders need to notify them about holidays. They have now done this and thankfully nothing has changed. the post (20.7.2022) now states:
Please note we have edited this post.
Heat, cold, sickness…there are many reasons you might want to close your setting. If you decide to close for a short period – one or two days – no need to let us know. If you are going away or taking holiday and closing, and think that you may have an inspection due, please drop us an email to [email protected] – thank you. This will avoid us trying to reach you when you are unavailable.
Ofsted and children’s progress
Ofsted has published the 3rd in their series of inspection reviews which focus on the impact of the pandemic on outcomes for children. In this latest review (summer 2022) they state that inspectors note children are still delayed in their communication and language, PSED and physical development.
These reviews are important – they tell us what Ofsted are looking for during inspection and can be used to disseminate training for colleagues.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-summer-2022/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-summer-2022
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Curriculum updates
National plan for music
The DfE’s national plan for music has been broadened in scope to include the early years.
We already have some music support from the revised Development Matters 2021 guidance and there is information about how to use music in settings in the Birth to 5 Matters 2021 guidance from the Early Years Coalition. Additionally, the Musical Development Matters guidance, created by Nicola Burke, is available to download on the Early Education website.
What more can this national plan for music offer? The plan states, ‘‘Early years providers and schools should build a musical culture, identify potential and talent and enrich children’s experience with music beyond the classroom’ and advises early years providers who are not music experts to ‘consider seeking support and training from already established music hubs’. We will have to see how that is made available over the coming months and years.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-power-of-music-to-change-lives-a-national-plan-for-music-education
Birth to 5 Matters – numbers from birth to 5
You will find lots of maths guidance linked to the Birth to 5 Matters guidance in this useful document – https://earlymaths.org/number-from-birth-to-5.
You can download it or use it (with all the links) online.
Free transition report
The resources on this page are for gold members BUT I asked Childcare.co.uk to attach a FREE transition report since we are getting so many requests for one - it must be the time of year!
Note it is not a requirement of the EYFS to write a transition report. It's up to you and parents to decide if a written report is helpful. I have designed this report in the format of a 'one page plan' but if you want a more formal report that covers the 3 prime areas of learning, you could use the same template as the Progress Check at 2 which is free on the www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs website.
I hope it helps!
Report here – https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/preparing-children-for-school
3D shapes
During a recent webinar, I mentioned that myself and my assistant weren’t sure about the names of 3D shapes and had to look them up so we could sequence learning for some of our older children. One of the participants on the webinar shared this poem which I thought was brilliant –
3 D shapes
3D shapes are fat, not flat,
A cone is like a party hat,
A sphere is like a bouncing ball,
A prism is like a building tall,
A cylinder's like a can of pop,
A cube is like a dice you drop,
3D shapes are here & there,
3D shapes are everywhere
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Health and safety updates
Heat wave guidance - 12.7.2022
DfE updated the heatwave guidance for early years and childcare settings in May 2022.
You will find it here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heatwave-plan-for-england/looking-after-children-and-those-in-early-years-settings-during-heatwaves-for-teachers-and-professionals
You should risk assess for your own specific circumstances, considering, for example, the ages of babies and children in your setting and availability of shade. Your risk assessments should involve parents and you should decide together whether it is safe for you to be open and children to attend.
You should also follow Local Authority advice if provided because they will give you information for your local area.
Childcare.co.uk has confirmed with insurance that you are covered if you follow information from your regulator which includes risk assessing and doing everything 'reasonably practicable' to keep children safe and healthy.
You should also consider your own health and safety and ensure you drink plenty of water, wear sun cream as appropriate and use shade during the hottest parts of the day.
You will find general information about keeping safe in the heat on the NHS and Met Office websites.
Stay safe everyone!
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Safeguarding updates
Language matters
Language matters when you are thinking about safeguarding. For example, instead of wondering ‘why didn’t the child attend?’ you should think ‘why wasn’t the child brought’ because they are hardly likely to get in the car and drive themselves.
Taking this a step further, the Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook reminds us that if a child is not brought (fails to attend) we must follow up because it might be linked to a safeguarding concern.
NSPCC talk more about professional curiosity here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/why-language-matters/digging-deeper-than-did-not-attend.
Children’s mental health
From the NSPCC newsletter (07.2022): the Children’s Commissioner for England has published a report which sets out goals that should be implemented to improve children’s mental health. These include ensuring children are protected from online harms and equipped with digital skills; and ensuring schools take a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/report/a-head-start-early-support-for-childrens-mental-health/.
Behaviour guidance for schools
This is a new schools document from the DfE. It has been widely praised on Twitter – in threads I have read, but I might have missed some. I think it is useful reading for anyone who has children in school or cares for school-aged children –
https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/report/a-head-start-early-support-for-childrens-mental-health/.
Early years providers and smoking
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) is clear that we must protect children from smoking and smoky atmospheres. It states in requirement 3.57, ‘Providers must not allow smoking in or on the premises when children are present or about to be present. Staff should not vape or use e-cigarettes when children are present.’ It also links to latest Govt information about the dangers of vaping.
If an Ofsted inspector smells smoke in the atmosphere or on the clothes or body of a practitioner, they will ask about the setting’s risk assessment and how children are protected from breathing in smoke. If they are not satisfied with the reply, they will not give better than a requires improvement grade and sometimes inadequate depending on what else they find during the inspection.
If you want to check the wording or research the risks of e-cigarettes, the EYFS is here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.
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Covid-19 latest
Covid questions updated 04.07.22
The Independent Childminders Facebook group has been at risk of being overwhelmed recently with Covid-19 questions – which is worrying in itself – but I thought it might be useful to share the latest information so it’s all in one place. If links don't work, please let me know.
...What should I do if I have Covid?
The latest advice in England is to isolate for 5 days. This is guidance, not statutory. It’s considered to be ‘personal responsibility’ to keep those around you safe. See the Govt's 'Living with Covid' guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-next-steps-for-living-with-covid.
...A cm child has Covid – what should I do?
Latest advice on the exclusion list for early years and schools is that children need to stay at home for 3 days – you can scroll down from this link for the recently updated exclusion table. However, if your risk assessment says something different and it’s been shared with parents, then you can follow it –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities.
...Can I charge if a child is off with Covid?
It depends on what it says in your Fees Policy about charging when children are off ill. You will find policy writing guidance here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies.
...What should I do if my husband / older child is ill with Covid?
Advice has not changed – if they can isolate away from you then you can remain open following this guidance –
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/03/18/childminders-can-continue-to-operate-from-home-if-someone-in-their-house-has-tested-positive-for-covid/.
...Can I charge if I close my setting due to me or a family member having Covid?
Unlikely, because you are not offering a service which goes against CMA's advice on charging while closed. You should take legal advice from your insurance company if you are unsure –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds.
...Can I require parents to test themselves / their child before letting them come back?
There is nothing in guidance to state that this is an acceptable or unacceptable request. It will depend on your individual risk assessment which should be shared and agreed with parents, in advance, so they understand your wishes.
...What is the latest list of Covid-19 symptoms?
The NHS latest advice on symptoms is here –
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/main-symptoms/.
...A cm child's parents have Covid – can I still have the child?
This is a personal decision – it's up to you to decide the risk to you, the other children, your wider family members etc.
...Do I need to update my Covid policy?
It has never been a requirement to have a Covid policy. A risk assessment is (in my opinion) more useful. You can update it with each request from parents, to ensure it remains current. You should also share information with parents including latest links so they are up-to-date.
...Is this advice for the whole of the UK?
No, this advice is for England and written on 4.7.22. For example, face coverings are currently advised in Northern Ireland –
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-face-coverings-guidance.
....................................
Training and CPD
NPQ in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)
A colleague shared some information from the DfE about the new NPQ in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)
Our colleague says - I thought it might be worth people knowing it is not a registered qualification as it's not recognised by Ofqual.
Therefore, it is merely an 18-month long CPD (professional development) course requiring a 2500 word case review! The cost of this course is being covered by the DfE but the NPQEYL does not have a qualification level attached to it, and instead it complements existing early years qualifications that leaders already hold. More detailed guidance on the qualification here:
https://professional-development-for-teachers-leaders.education.gov.uk/early-years-leadership.
FREE August webinars
There is a full programme of free webinars planned for August 2022. All webinars start at 7.30pm and last for approximately 1.5 hours. The webinars coming up in August cover:
**Starting school – 2nd August.
We want the children in our early years settings to be ready for school – but what does this mean and how can we support them?
**Pandemic implications on learning – 9th August.
We know the pandemic has changed children’s lives beyond all recognition – but let’s ditch the deficit model and think about how we can support them to make the best possible progress from their starting points.
**SEND and the pandemic – 16th August.
2 years in a pandemic have been a tough time for all parents, providers and all children – however, looking at reports and concerns we note that children with SEND have been particularly disadvantaged.
**Child’s safeguarding file – 23rd August.
I presented a webinar on the contents of a safeguarding file in May 2022 and was asked at the time for a follow-up on the contents of a child’s safeguarding file... so here it is.
**Ofsted inspection 1 year on – 30th August.
Inspection has changed – we know from colleague feedback that inspectors are looking for different things. To help us prepare, we will talk about the roles of the leader and manager / childminder and more...
September webinars are also available on the website – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Webinars are free and interactive on the night they are presented.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members can re-watch webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find these newsletters useful and informative. If you have any suggestions for inclusion, please let me know. I have noticed recently that readers numbers have reduced – these newsletters take me a lot of time to put together every month as part of my own CPD. However, if they are not useful, I will stop writing them.
I hope you have a good month!
Chat soon, Sarah.
It’s typically a quieter time for news in August but I’ve still found plenty to talk about in this newsletter update. I hope you find it useful.
General news
Numbers of providers - not good news
The latest Ofsted report (July 2022) states that the early years sector as a whole has seen the biggest drop in the number of providers in the last 6 years. More than 4000 childcare providers have left the sector – with the biggest loss of places in the most deprived areas of the country – and childminder numbers have continued to fall.
The reasons for the loss of spaces are many – some providers blame the low funding rates which leave them unsustainable while others feel their Ofsted inspections were unfair or simply cannot put themselves through another inspection after perceived unfairness at previous inspections.
Clearly something needs to be done – there is already a childcare crisis and it’s being made worse by a reduction in the numbers or providers, particularly in disadvantaged areas where quality provision is needed more than ever to support children to come through the effects of the pandemic.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022/main-findings-childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022
Government consultation on changes in the early years
The government has announced proposals which are aimed at encouraging more childminders to join and remain in the early years sector. The consultation is here and closes on 16th September 2022 – https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/childcare-regulatory-changes
I urge as many childminders as possible to respond.
Changes to the nursery milk scheme
There were some rumblings that the nursery milk scheme was about to become even more bureaucratically challenging. The Early Years Alliance sent a strongly worded letter and the Department for Health and Social Care announced that the changes are being delayed until next year.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/07/changes-nursery-milk-scheme-delayed.
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Ofsted updates
Ofsted early years inspection handbook
After consultation with the early years sector, including Childcare.co.uk, Ofsted has published a childminder guide as part of their early years inspection handbook, for use from 1st September 2022. They are keen to remind us that there is no change to inspection policy – the changes are for clarity. They have also removed the Covid-19 section from the inspection handbook but Covid will still be considered as part of the inspection process.
There are some general updates as well.
You will find the revised document, including childminder specific guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
EIF (education inspection framework) inspections and the EYFS
Ofsted has updated this myth busting page to help dispel what Ofsted call ‘unhelpful inspection rumours’. The aim is that the page will reassure providers. There is, for example, new information about ratios and an updated Q & A section, plus childminder specific guidance again.
The updated page is here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs.
Ofsted – coming soon
Ofsted are to publish a guide to inspection for parents and / or carers. This is due out soon.
Learning walk during inspection
I have been asked lots of questions about what Ofsted asked during the learning walk in our recent inspection. It was more like a learning sit to be honest – there’s not a lot to see in a childminding setting once you’ve popped outside and looked at the playroom. However, the questions were relentless throughout the inspection, so here’s a flavour of them in this new blog.
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/learning-walk-questions.
Notifying Ofsted about holidays – childminders
After a slightly confusing post on the Childcare Registration Facebook page, we asked Ofsted to reclarify when childminders need to notify them about holidays. They have now done this and thankfully nothing has changed. the post (20.7.2022) now states:
Please note we have edited this post.
Heat, cold, sickness…there are many reasons you might want to close your setting. If you decide to close for a short period – one or two days – no need to let us know. If you are going away or taking holiday and closing, and think that you may have an inspection due, please drop us an email to [email protected] – thank you. This will avoid us trying to reach you when you are unavailable.
Ofsted and children’s progress
Ofsted has published the 3rd in their series of inspection reviews which focus on the impact of the pandemic on outcomes for children. In this latest review (summer 2022) they state that inspectors note children are still delayed in their communication and language, PSED and physical development.
These reviews are important – they tell us what Ofsted are looking for during inspection and can be used to disseminate training for colleagues.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-summer-2022/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-summer-2022
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Curriculum updates
National plan for music
The DfE’s national plan for music has been broadened in scope to include the early years.
We already have some music support from the revised Development Matters 2021 guidance and there is information about how to use music in settings in the Birth to 5 Matters 2021 guidance from the Early Years Coalition. Additionally, the Musical Development Matters guidance, created by Nicola Burke, is available to download on the Early Education website.
What more can this national plan for music offer? The plan states, ‘‘Early years providers and schools should build a musical culture, identify potential and talent and enrich children’s experience with music beyond the classroom’ and advises early years providers who are not music experts to ‘consider seeking support and training from already established music hubs’. We will have to see how that is made available over the coming months and years.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-power-of-music-to-change-lives-a-national-plan-for-music-education
Birth to 5 Matters – numbers from birth to 5
You will find lots of maths guidance linked to the Birth to 5 Matters guidance in this useful document – https://earlymaths.org/number-from-birth-to-5.
You can download it or use it (with all the links) online.
Free transition report
The resources on this page are for gold members BUT I asked Childcare.co.uk to attach a FREE transition report since we are getting so many requests for one - it must be the time of year!
Note it is not a requirement of the EYFS to write a transition report. It's up to you and parents to decide if a written report is helpful. I have designed this report in the format of a 'one page plan' but if you want a more formal report that covers the 3 prime areas of learning, you could use the same template as the Progress Check at 2 which is free on the www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs website.
I hope it helps!
Report here – https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/preparing-children-for-school
3D shapes
During a recent webinar, I mentioned that myself and my assistant weren’t sure about the names of 3D shapes and had to look them up so we could sequence learning for some of our older children. One of the participants on the webinar shared this poem which I thought was brilliant –
3 D shapes
3D shapes are fat, not flat,
A cone is like a party hat,
A sphere is like a bouncing ball,
A prism is like a building tall,
A cylinder's like a can of pop,
A cube is like a dice you drop,
3D shapes are here & there,
3D shapes are everywhere
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Health and safety updates
Heat wave guidance - 12.7.2022
DfE updated the heatwave guidance for early years and childcare settings in May 2022.
You will find it here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/heatwave-plan-for-england/looking-after-children-and-those-in-early-years-settings-during-heatwaves-for-teachers-and-professionals
You should risk assess for your own specific circumstances, considering, for example, the ages of babies and children in your setting and availability of shade. Your risk assessments should involve parents and you should decide together whether it is safe for you to be open and children to attend.
You should also follow Local Authority advice if provided because they will give you information for your local area.
Childcare.co.uk has confirmed with insurance that you are covered if you follow information from your regulator which includes risk assessing and doing everything 'reasonably practicable' to keep children safe and healthy.
You should also consider your own health and safety and ensure you drink plenty of water, wear sun cream as appropriate and use shade during the hottest parts of the day.
You will find general information about keeping safe in the heat on the NHS and Met Office websites.
Stay safe everyone!
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Safeguarding updates
Language matters
Language matters when you are thinking about safeguarding. For example, instead of wondering ‘why didn’t the child attend?’ you should think ‘why wasn’t the child brought’ because they are hardly likely to get in the car and drive themselves.
Taking this a step further, the Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook reminds us that if a child is not brought (fails to attend) we must follow up because it might be linked to a safeguarding concern.
NSPCC talk more about professional curiosity here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/why-language-matters/digging-deeper-than-did-not-attend.
Children’s mental health
From the NSPCC newsletter (07.2022): the Children’s Commissioner for England has published a report which sets out goals that should be implemented to improve children’s mental health. These include ensuring children are protected from online harms and equipped with digital skills; and ensuring schools take a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/report/a-head-start-early-support-for-childrens-mental-health/.
Behaviour guidance for schools
This is a new schools document from the DfE. It has been widely praised on Twitter – in threads I have read, but I might have missed some. I think it is useful reading for anyone who has children in school or cares for school-aged children –
https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/report/a-head-start-early-support-for-childrens-mental-health/.
Early years providers and smoking
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) is clear that we must protect children from smoking and smoky atmospheres. It states in requirement 3.57, ‘Providers must not allow smoking in or on the premises when children are present or about to be present. Staff should not vape or use e-cigarettes when children are present.’ It also links to latest Govt information about the dangers of vaping.
If an Ofsted inspector smells smoke in the atmosphere or on the clothes or body of a practitioner, they will ask about the setting’s risk assessment and how children are protected from breathing in smoke. If they are not satisfied with the reply, they will not give better than a requires improvement grade and sometimes inadequate depending on what else they find during the inspection.
If you want to check the wording or research the risks of e-cigarettes, the EYFS is here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.
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Covid-19 latest
Covid questions updated 04.07.22
The Independent Childminders Facebook group has been at risk of being overwhelmed recently with Covid-19 questions – which is worrying in itself – but I thought it might be useful to share the latest information so it’s all in one place. If links don't work, please let me know.
...What should I do if I have Covid?
The latest advice in England is to isolate for 5 days. This is guidance, not statutory. It’s considered to be ‘personal responsibility’ to keep those around you safe. See the Govt's 'Living with Covid' guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-next-steps-for-living-with-covid.
...A cm child has Covid – what should I do?
Latest advice on the exclusion list for early years and schools is that children need to stay at home for 3 days – you can scroll down from this link for the recently updated exclusion table. However, if your risk assessment says something different and it’s been shared with parents, then you can follow it –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities.
...Can I charge if a child is off with Covid?
It depends on what it says in your Fees Policy about charging when children are off ill. You will find policy writing guidance here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies.
...What should I do if my husband / older child is ill with Covid?
Advice has not changed – if they can isolate away from you then you can remain open following this guidance –
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/03/18/childminders-can-continue-to-operate-from-home-if-someone-in-their-house-has-tested-positive-for-covid/.
...Can I charge if I close my setting due to me or a family member having Covid?
Unlikely, because you are not offering a service which goes against CMA's advice on charging while closed. You should take legal advice from your insurance company if you are unsure –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds.
...Can I require parents to test themselves / their child before letting them come back?
There is nothing in guidance to state that this is an acceptable or unacceptable request. It will depend on your individual risk assessment which should be shared and agreed with parents, in advance, so they understand your wishes.
...What is the latest list of Covid-19 symptoms?
The NHS latest advice on symptoms is here –
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/main-symptoms/.
...A cm child's parents have Covid – can I still have the child?
This is a personal decision – it's up to you to decide the risk to you, the other children, your wider family members etc.
...Do I need to update my Covid policy?
It has never been a requirement to have a Covid policy. A risk assessment is (in my opinion) more useful. You can update it with each request from parents, to ensure it remains current. You should also share information with parents including latest links so they are up-to-date.
...Is this advice for the whole of the UK?
No, this advice is for England and written on 4.7.22. For example, face coverings are currently advised in Northern Ireland –
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-face-coverings-guidance.
....................................
Training and CPD
NPQ in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)
A colleague shared some information from the DfE about the new NPQ in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)
Our colleague says - I thought it might be worth people knowing it is not a registered qualification as it's not recognised by Ofqual.
Therefore, it is merely an 18-month long CPD (professional development) course requiring a 2500 word case review! The cost of this course is being covered by the DfE but the NPQEYL does not have a qualification level attached to it, and instead it complements existing early years qualifications that leaders already hold. More detailed guidance on the qualification here:
https://professional-development-for-teachers-leaders.education.gov.uk/early-years-leadership.
FREE August webinars
There is a full programme of free webinars planned for August 2022. All webinars start at 7.30pm and last for approximately 1.5 hours. The webinars coming up in August cover:
**Starting school – 2nd August.
We want the children in our early years settings to be ready for school – but what does this mean and how can we support them?
**Pandemic implications on learning – 9th August.
We know the pandemic has changed children’s lives beyond all recognition – but let’s ditch the deficit model and think about how we can support them to make the best possible progress from their starting points.
**SEND and the pandemic – 16th August.
2 years in a pandemic have been a tough time for all parents, providers and all children – however, looking at reports and concerns we note that children with SEND have been particularly disadvantaged.
**Child’s safeguarding file – 23rd August.
I presented a webinar on the contents of a safeguarding file in May 2022 and was asked at the time for a follow-up on the contents of a child’s safeguarding file... so here it is.
**Ofsted inspection 1 year on – 30th August.
Inspection has changed – we know from colleague feedback that inspectors are looking for different things. To help us prepare, we will talk about the roles of the leader and manager / childminder and more...
September webinars are also available on the website – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Webinars are free and interactive on the night they are presented.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members can re-watch webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find these newsletters useful and informative. If you have any suggestions for inclusion, please let me know. I have noticed recently that readers numbers have reduced – these newsletters take me a lot of time to put together every month as part of my own CPD. However, if they are not useful, I will stop writing them.
I hope you have a good month!
Chat soon, Sarah.
July 2022 newsletter
It’s summer! Too hot for some ... just right for others. Don’t forget to slip, slap, slop and keep children safe in the sunshine.
Part of the summer curriculum should be about teaching children to stay safe in the sun. CBeebies has a useful video for you to watch and discuss with the children –
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/sun-safety-for-kids.
Here are some of the latest updates for early years providers...
General updates
Child development study
The DFE has commissioned a study into the lives of babies to 5 year olds. The study is being led by University College London and other partners and hopes to learn about child development and how families are navigating the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. It should make interesting reading when it’s completed!
New music making project
Nursery World magazine report on a new music making project. The project is backed by Youth Music, which is funded by the National Lottery via Arts Council England and aims to ‘to provide a democratic and inclusive model of early childhood family music making practice, as well as a place anyone working musically with families can go to for support, including resources and training.’
You will find more information here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/new-project-to-support-music-making-in-the-early-years.
We love our music and movements sessions here at Knutsford Childminding and our Ofsted inspector enjoyed joining in with a session recently, commenting on how children’s vocabulary was enhanced by singing songs and rhymes.
Wizzy’s words blog
I have contributed to a blog from Jackie, the writer of a new rhyming book for children ‘Wizzy’s Words’. You will find the blog here –
https://www.wizzyswords.co.uk/blog/22/guest-blog-post-sarah-neville-ofsted-registered-child-minder-early-years-writer-trainer-consultant/.
A childminder asked – do I need planning permission?
As a general rule, you only need planning permission if you do something different from 6 children under the age of 8. You might need planning permission if you, for example, have assistants or want to increase your ratios; there are also some instances where you would need planning permission if you have a dedicated part of your home for your work which is not, for example, used by your children or for ironing at the weekend. A colleague also was forced to get planning permission after a neighbour complained about too many cars and too much noise coming from her property.
However, every Local Authority has its own rules, so if you are unsure you should always check locally first before making any changes to your ways of working.
Sun cream concerns
I have read reports on Facebook groups recently about parents asking providers not to apply sun cream. Have you considered what you will do if this happens to you? The statutory framework in England is the EYFS and that sets out a duty of care to keep children healthy – also to work in partnership with parents. This means that you must consider how you will keep children healthy if parents ask you not to apply sun cream to their child.
Sensory food education
The latest page from DfE on the 'Help for early years providers' website talks about sensory food education and links to further information from TasteEd, a funded project for UK schools which is branching out into early years –
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/get-help-to-improve-your-practice/sensory-food-education.
Daily routines
It is a requirement of the EYFS 2021 that daily routines are shared with parents – how you do this is up to you. We use our ‘Rhythm of the day’ blog which we share with all new starters. It has sustained us since it was written in 2017 and only been tweaked very slightly depending on the ages of children in our care –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/the-rhythm-of-our-day.
Outdoor learning
Foundation Years has released a new Vodcast on outdoor learning which is a good watch. It’s always useful to know what DfE are focusing on in their research because that tends to filter into what Ofsted inspectors are looking for during inspection –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/05/vodcast-on-outdoor-learning/.
Foundation years – NCB
Do you want to stay updated with everything early years? Foundation Years has a new online presence with a new Facebook page to like and follow –
https://www.facebook.com/Foundation-Years-NCB-103541465695679.
The Foundation Years website and Facebook page is funded by the DfE Early Years VCS programme and brought to you by the National Children’s Bureau.
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Safeguarding updates
Safer recruitment policy – update
From September 2022, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE, 2022) advises that, as part of their due diligence, providers should carry out a ‘digital screening’ of potential new staff, prior to interview. It will be important to let staff know that you will carry out this check and legal advice is that you should ensure checks are only for checking suitability for working with children and not other areas of a person's life.
While this is advice primarily for schools, it seems reasonable to add it into the Safer Recruitment Policy for early years settings as well, given it is a sensible step in safeguarding children.
KCSIE 2022 – more changes
The EYFS 2021 states that you may find it helpful to refer to Keeping Children Safe in Education. I discussed the main changes which will impact early years practice in my last newsletter – they will come into legislation from 1st Sept 2022. One of the changes that must impact on your work in the early years is the reminder that children may not recognise they are being abused. This is especially important when dealing with disclosures – you must not delay in reporting concerns because, for example, the child is not horrified by what is happening to them.
Serious case reviews
We can learn a lot from serious case reviews about how to keep children safer. 2 recent reviews have just been published into the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson-Caspar
You can find feedback from NSPCC learning here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2022/national-review-murders-arthur-labinjo-hughes-star-hobson-caspar-briefing.
Cheshire East safeguarding scenarios
Always a useful read to brush up on your safeguarding knowledge –
https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell/care-and-support-for-children/early-years-and-childcare/info-for-providers/eyc-practice-information/delivering-childcare/safeguarding-and-welfare/safeguarding-and-welfare.aspx.
Reporting to Ofsted
I've had a number of messages recently asking for clarification about what needs to be reported to Ofsted. I generally say 'if it's on your mind let them know' because it's better to inform them than to blurt something out at inspection and watch the day go pear shaped. However, the Ofsted page has been updated with lots of guidance on what they need to know and it is worth a bookmark so you can find it and check it if you are unsure.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident
Children's faces on social media
A colleague has asked me to remind you all about the importance of having prior written permission from parents before putting any photos of cm children on social media. Also, about minimising face-forward or identifiable photos where possible.
Our colleague was inspected this week and her inspector had Googled her and found her open Facebook page which contained front-facing photos of children. She was asked safeguarding questions about this and, after a consultation with the office, her inspector told her to take down her page immediately, which she did. The inspector reminded our member about her duty of care - cms have to be careful about using children's images on social media - even with parental permission.
Tabards with business names are good for advertising but when shared on social media, can lead a paedophile to our door; faces of children are lovely for parents to see but can be used by pornographers. If you have a Facebook or other social media page with identifiable photos of cm children, please use this member's experience to reflect on whether it is safe and secure or not.
More online dangers
Updated figures on child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation online have been released by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). They make very worrying reading –
https://www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/news/sexual-abuse-imagery-of-girls-online-at-record-high-following-pandemic-lockdowns/
Children’s data protection
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a report which looks at the data practices of 164 educational technology products across 49 countries including England and Scotland. Findings revealed that 146 products appeared to engage in data practices that put children’s rights at risk and some products targeted children with behavioural advertising which risked influencing their opinions and beliefs.
More information including recommendations from the report here –
https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/05/25/governments-harm-childrens-rights-online-learning
Forced marriage guidance
Updated guidance from the Govt - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage.
There is a free Virtual College course if you want to learn more.
Culture of safeguarding
You must promote a culture of safeguarding in your early years setting. this runs through everything you do, including for example –
**Reading and learning from serious case reviews.
**Staff training and ongoing questions.
**Safeguarding phone numbers displayed.
**Updating safeguarding policy.
**Safeguarding during the recruitment process.
**Regular CPD and engagement with the Local Authority.
**Keeping up to date with changes such as new information in KCSIE 2022.
Record retention reminder
If children are leaving your setting this summer for school, you should put records relating to safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS in a safe place for ‘a reasonable period of time’ to comply with the EYFS. This is usually considered to be around 3 years, in case of query. Records relating to serious incidents, injuries, accidents etc should be retained until the child is 21 years and 3 months old.
Records relating to the child’s learning, development and progress should be handed to parents.
Any records that need to be transferred to the next setting should be given to the school and a transfer of records form signed by both settings (more information below).
This is a very quick overview. For more detail see the data protection section (free) here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpaperwork.
Transferring documents to the child’s next setting – update
From September 2022, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE, 2022) has added the timeframe of 5 days for the transfer of files for when children leave the setting. Files that might need to be transferred to the child’s next setting include Child Safeguarding File records and Care Plan records relating to the child. Records should not be given to parents to hand over in case they are lost; a Transfer of Records Form should be signed by both the sending and receiving setting.
You will find Care Plan documents here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/care-plan and a free record transfer form here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/safeguarding-file.
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Ofsted inspection
An inspector calls
I have blogged about our recent Ofsted inspection here –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/an-inspector-calls
I have also scheduled a webinar about Ofsted inspection for August 2022 - more details to follow.
inspection concerns
I am receiving a lot of messages from colleagues asking my advice on whether they should challenge inspector comments which have led to downgraded inspection outcomes.
I know it’s hard to be criticised and I know it’s tough when you’ve sat on outstanding for 5 – 6 years and are told you are no longer entitled to advertise that grade. However, if an inspector found something negative about your practice linked to the learning and development or safeguarding and welfare requirements in the EYFS, then they are limiting judgements and you will always get less than outstanding as your grade.
If the inspector was wrong then yes, it’s always worth challenging and taking it to stage 3 if the inspector (who replies to stage 2) refuses to acknowledge the issues. However, if the downgrade is linked to what the inspector believes to be less than outstanding practice, there really is little you can do about it except keep updated with your professional development and take a deep breath.
Ofsted updates
General information from inadequate inspection reports suggests that providers need to pay more attention to the following areas of practice:
**Staff suitability – note that childminders must have a suitability letter in place for staff before they are allowed to be unsupervised with children.
**Contact details must be updated with Ofsted.
**Supervisions for staff must be regular and focused on safeguarding plus staff wellbeing, knowledge and skills.
**Focus on hygiene practice – hand washing, nose wiping etc.
**Ratios must be checked and floor space measured.
**In group settings, staff not knowing children well enough is a concern.
**You must know your safeguarding – and there have been some tricky questions coming up about extremist tattoos and cultural safeguarding that you might want to research for your professional development.
A call from a childminder about her upcoming inspection
A childminder asked to speak to me the other day. She has an inspection coming up and says it is making her feel physically ill.
My question, when told this sort of thing, is why? Is your practice poor? Are you bad at your job? Are you hopeless with children? Don’t you know your safeguarding? Can’t you talk about the children? Do parents dislike you and say you are doing a bad job? Do you want to do something else?
If you are doing a good, solid job – your children love you and your parents think you are brilliant – then why would you make yourself ill over a once in 6 years visit from an inspector? Ofsted are not the enemy. Yes, they have a tough job, but they are not out to get you! Yes, they have been told that the new inspection framework is harder than previously and they must be robust in their evidence collection, but that doesn’t mean you should make yourself ill waiting for them to arrive.
Possibly the best piece of advice I can give is to ignore the Negative Nellies on Facebook – you know the posts that wind you up and make you think you are not good enough? The posts full of ‘we hate Ofsted’ rhetoric that make you wonder why you get up in the morning? They are often written by scammers or early years providers with axes to grind because they don’t want to admit that they have let their practice slide...
.............................................................
Covid-19
Latest guidance
In place of the Covid-19 specific guidance, the Govt has released this ‘Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings’ (04.2022) which covers a number of different emergency response scenarios –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings
.............................................................
Professional development
Water play blog
I enjoyed reading this blog from Cosy Direct all about water play. It includes useful suggestions for ensuring play is holistic, across all areas of learning. I especially relate to the advice to ‘make comments rather than ask questions’ – I have mentioned the importance of engaging children rather than questioning children in my training. The blog is here –
https://www.cosydirect.com/blog/water-play/
Roles of the SENCO
This blog from SEND Matters challenges new SENCOs to find 10 hours to do 10 things before they start their jobs. It is useful for anyone in early years who finds themselves throw into the SENCO role and includes lots of useful links for more guidance –
https://sendmatters.co.uk/2020/06/08/new-to-the-sendco-role-find-10-hours-to-do-these-10-things-before-you-break-up-for-the-summer/
Upcoming webinars for July
Childcare.co.uk has booked the following FREE webinars for July - all the free Childcare.co.uk webinars start at 7.30pm and you can reserve your place here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Tues 5th – Sea of talk – a focus on communication and language in early years settings.
Tues 12th – Pre-reading – what skills do children need before they start to read?
Tues 19th – Differentiation – one of the skills an early years providers needs is to be able to differentiate the curriculum so it is suitable for every child.
Tues 26th – no webinar this week.
Free webinars for August
All the free Childcare.co.uk webinars start at 7.30pm and you can reserve your place here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Tues 2nd August – Starting school – a walk through some of the pre-requisites for children who are starting school in September. You will also find some updated guidance for school starting on this Childcare.co.uk website for gold members –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
Tues 11th August – Pandemic implications for learning – a focus on how the pandemic has impacted on children’s early years experiences and what we can do to support them.
Tues 16th August – SEND and the pandemic – a focus on how we can support children with special educational needs and disabilities to help them overcome the impact of the pandemic.
Tues 23rd August – Child safeguarding file – a look at the contents of a child safeguarding file. I delivered a webinar recently which covered the contents of a Staff Safeguarding File – you will find it on the webinar player here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Tues 30th August – Ofsted 1 year on – a close look at how Ofsted inspections have changed since the return to inspection after pandemic closures, including what it takes to secure your grade.
I hope this catch up supports you in your practice. If you have any ideas for blogs, inclusion in the newsletter or information you would like me to share, please let me know.
Best wishes, Sarah.
www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk
Part of the summer curriculum should be about teaching children to stay safe in the sun. CBeebies has a useful video for you to watch and discuss with the children –
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/sun-safety-for-kids.
Here are some of the latest updates for early years providers...
General updates
Child development study
The DFE has commissioned a study into the lives of babies to 5 year olds. The study is being led by University College London and other partners and hopes to learn about child development and how families are navigating the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. It should make interesting reading when it’s completed!
New music making project
Nursery World magazine report on a new music making project. The project is backed by Youth Music, which is funded by the National Lottery via Arts Council England and aims to ‘to provide a democratic and inclusive model of early childhood family music making practice, as well as a place anyone working musically with families can go to for support, including resources and training.’
You will find more information here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/new-project-to-support-music-making-in-the-early-years.
We love our music and movements sessions here at Knutsford Childminding and our Ofsted inspector enjoyed joining in with a session recently, commenting on how children’s vocabulary was enhanced by singing songs and rhymes.
Wizzy’s words blog
I have contributed to a blog from Jackie, the writer of a new rhyming book for children ‘Wizzy’s Words’. You will find the blog here –
https://www.wizzyswords.co.uk/blog/22/guest-blog-post-sarah-neville-ofsted-registered-child-minder-early-years-writer-trainer-consultant/.
A childminder asked – do I need planning permission?
As a general rule, you only need planning permission if you do something different from 6 children under the age of 8. You might need planning permission if you, for example, have assistants or want to increase your ratios; there are also some instances where you would need planning permission if you have a dedicated part of your home for your work which is not, for example, used by your children or for ironing at the weekend. A colleague also was forced to get planning permission after a neighbour complained about too many cars and too much noise coming from her property.
However, every Local Authority has its own rules, so if you are unsure you should always check locally first before making any changes to your ways of working.
Sun cream concerns
I have read reports on Facebook groups recently about parents asking providers not to apply sun cream. Have you considered what you will do if this happens to you? The statutory framework in England is the EYFS and that sets out a duty of care to keep children healthy – also to work in partnership with parents. This means that you must consider how you will keep children healthy if parents ask you not to apply sun cream to their child.
Sensory food education
The latest page from DfE on the 'Help for early years providers' website talks about sensory food education and links to further information from TasteEd, a funded project for UK schools which is branching out into early years –
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/get-help-to-improve-your-practice/sensory-food-education.
Daily routines
It is a requirement of the EYFS 2021 that daily routines are shared with parents – how you do this is up to you. We use our ‘Rhythm of the day’ blog which we share with all new starters. It has sustained us since it was written in 2017 and only been tweaked very slightly depending on the ages of children in our care –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/the-rhythm-of-our-day.
Outdoor learning
Foundation Years has released a new Vodcast on outdoor learning which is a good watch. It’s always useful to know what DfE are focusing on in their research because that tends to filter into what Ofsted inspectors are looking for during inspection –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/05/vodcast-on-outdoor-learning/.
Foundation years – NCB
Do you want to stay updated with everything early years? Foundation Years has a new online presence with a new Facebook page to like and follow –
https://www.facebook.com/Foundation-Years-NCB-103541465695679.
The Foundation Years website and Facebook page is funded by the DfE Early Years VCS programme and brought to you by the National Children’s Bureau.
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Safeguarding updates
Safer recruitment policy – update
From September 2022, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE, 2022) advises that, as part of their due diligence, providers should carry out a ‘digital screening’ of potential new staff, prior to interview. It will be important to let staff know that you will carry out this check and legal advice is that you should ensure checks are only for checking suitability for working with children and not other areas of a person's life.
While this is advice primarily for schools, it seems reasonable to add it into the Safer Recruitment Policy for early years settings as well, given it is a sensible step in safeguarding children.
KCSIE 2022 – more changes
The EYFS 2021 states that you may find it helpful to refer to Keeping Children Safe in Education. I discussed the main changes which will impact early years practice in my last newsletter – they will come into legislation from 1st Sept 2022. One of the changes that must impact on your work in the early years is the reminder that children may not recognise they are being abused. This is especially important when dealing with disclosures – you must not delay in reporting concerns because, for example, the child is not horrified by what is happening to them.
Serious case reviews
We can learn a lot from serious case reviews about how to keep children safer. 2 recent reviews have just been published into the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson-Caspar
You can find feedback from NSPCC learning here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2022/national-review-murders-arthur-labinjo-hughes-star-hobson-caspar-briefing.
Cheshire East safeguarding scenarios
Always a useful read to brush up on your safeguarding knowledge –
https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell/care-and-support-for-children/early-years-and-childcare/info-for-providers/eyc-practice-information/delivering-childcare/safeguarding-and-welfare/safeguarding-and-welfare.aspx.
Reporting to Ofsted
I've had a number of messages recently asking for clarification about what needs to be reported to Ofsted. I generally say 'if it's on your mind let them know' because it's better to inform them than to blurt something out at inspection and watch the day go pear shaped. However, the Ofsted page has been updated with lots of guidance on what they need to know and it is worth a bookmark so you can find it and check it if you are unsure.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident
Children's faces on social media
A colleague has asked me to remind you all about the importance of having prior written permission from parents before putting any photos of cm children on social media. Also, about minimising face-forward or identifiable photos where possible.
Our colleague was inspected this week and her inspector had Googled her and found her open Facebook page which contained front-facing photos of children. She was asked safeguarding questions about this and, after a consultation with the office, her inspector told her to take down her page immediately, which she did. The inspector reminded our member about her duty of care - cms have to be careful about using children's images on social media - even with parental permission.
Tabards with business names are good for advertising but when shared on social media, can lead a paedophile to our door; faces of children are lovely for parents to see but can be used by pornographers. If you have a Facebook or other social media page with identifiable photos of cm children, please use this member's experience to reflect on whether it is safe and secure or not.
More online dangers
Updated figures on child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation online have been released by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). They make very worrying reading –
https://www.iwf.org.uk/news-media/news/sexual-abuse-imagery-of-girls-online-at-record-high-following-pandemic-lockdowns/
Children’s data protection
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a report which looks at the data practices of 164 educational technology products across 49 countries including England and Scotland. Findings revealed that 146 products appeared to engage in data practices that put children’s rights at risk and some products targeted children with behavioural advertising which risked influencing their opinions and beliefs.
More information including recommendations from the report here –
https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/05/25/governments-harm-childrens-rights-online-learning
Forced marriage guidance
Updated guidance from the Govt - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage.
There is a free Virtual College course if you want to learn more.
Culture of safeguarding
You must promote a culture of safeguarding in your early years setting. this runs through everything you do, including for example –
**Reading and learning from serious case reviews.
**Staff training and ongoing questions.
**Safeguarding phone numbers displayed.
**Updating safeguarding policy.
**Safeguarding during the recruitment process.
**Regular CPD and engagement with the Local Authority.
**Keeping up to date with changes such as new information in KCSIE 2022.
Record retention reminder
If children are leaving your setting this summer for school, you should put records relating to safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS in a safe place for ‘a reasonable period of time’ to comply with the EYFS. This is usually considered to be around 3 years, in case of query. Records relating to serious incidents, injuries, accidents etc should be retained until the child is 21 years and 3 months old.
Records relating to the child’s learning, development and progress should be handed to parents.
Any records that need to be transferred to the next setting should be given to the school and a transfer of records form signed by both settings (more information below).
This is a very quick overview. For more detail see the data protection section (free) here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpaperwork.
Transferring documents to the child’s next setting – update
From September 2022, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE, 2022) has added the timeframe of 5 days for the transfer of files for when children leave the setting. Files that might need to be transferred to the child’s next setting include Child Safeguarding File records and Care Plan records relating to the child. Records should not be given to parents to hand over in case they are lost; a Transfer of Records Form should be signed by both the sending and receiving setting.
You will find Care Plan documents here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/care-plan and a free record transfer form here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/safeguarding-file.
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Ofsted inspection
An inspector calls
I have blogged about our recent Ofsted inspection here –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/an-inspector-calls
I have also scheduled a webinar about Ofsted inspection for August 2022 - more details to follow.
inspection concerns
I am receiving a lot of messages from colleagues asking my advice on whether they should challenge inspector comments which have led to downgraded inspection outcomes.
I know it’s hard to be criticised and I know it’s tough when you’ve sat on outstanding for 5 – 6 years and are told you are no longer entitled to advertise that grade. However, if an inspector found something negative about your practice linked to the learning and development or safeguarding and welfare requirements in the EYFS, then they are limiting judgements and you will always get less than outstanding as your grade.
If the inspector was wrong then yes, it’s always worth challenging and taking it to stage 3 if the inspector (who replies to stage 2) refuses to acknowledge the issues. However, if the downgrade is linked to what the inspector believes to be less than outstanding practice, there really is little you can do about it except keep updated with your professional development and take a deep breath.
Ofsted updates
General information from inadequate inspection reports suggests that providers need to pay more attention to the following areas of practice:
**Staff suitability – note that childminders must have a suitability letter in place for staff before they are allowed to be unsupervised with children.
**Contact details must be updated with Ofsted.
**Supervisions for staff must be regular and focused on safeguarding plus staff wellbeing, knowledge and skills.
**Focus on hygiene practice – hand washing, nose wiping etc.
**Ratios must be checked and floor space measured.
**In group settings, staff not knowing children well enough is a concern.
**You must know your safeguarding – and there have been some tricky questions coming up about extremist tattoos and cultural safeguarding that you might want to research for your professional development.
A call from a childminder about her upcoming inspection
A childminder asked to speak to me the other day. She has an inspection coming up and says it is making her feel physically ill.
My question, when told this sort of thing, is why? Is your practice poor? Are you bad at your job? Are you hopeless with children? Don’t you know your safeguarding? Can’t you talk about the children? Do parents dislike you and say you are doing a bad job? Do you want to do something else?
If you are doing a good, solid job – your children love you and your parents think you are brilliant – then why would you make yourself ill over a once in 6 years visit from an inspector? Ofsted are not the enemy. Yes, they have a tough job, but they are not out to get you! Yes, they have been told that the new inspection framework is harder than previously and they must be robust in their evidence collection, but that doesn’t mean you should make yourself ill waiting for them to arrive.
Possibly the best piece of advice I can give is to ignore the Negative Nellies on Facebook – you know the posts that wind you up and make you think you are not good enough? The posts full of ‘we hate Ofsted’ rhetoric that make you wonder why you get up in the morning? They are often written by scammers or early years providers with axes to grind because they don’t want to admit that they have let their practice slide...
.............................................................
Covid-19
Latest guidance
In place of the Covid-19 specific guidance, the Govt has released this ‘Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings’ (04.2022) which covers a number of different emergency response scenarios –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings
.............................................................
Professional development
Water play blog
I enjoyed reading this blog from Cosy Direct all about water play. It includes useful suggestions for ensuring play is holistic, across all areas of learning. I especially relate to the advice to ‘make comments rather than ask questions’ – I have mentioned the importance of engaging children rather than questioning children in my training. The blog is here –
https://www.cosydirect.com/blog/water-play/
Roles of the SENCO
This blog from SEND Matters challenges new SENCOs to find 10 hours to do 10 things before they start their jobs. It is useful for anyone in early years who finds themselves throw into the SENCO role and includes lots of useful links for more guidance –
https://sendmatters.co.uk/2020/06/08/new-to-the-sendco-role-find-10-hours-to-do-these-10-things-before-you-break-up-for-the-summer/
Upcoming webinars for July
Childcare.co.uk has booked the following FREE webinars for July - all the free Childcare.co.uk webinars start at 7.30pm and you can reserve your place here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Tues 5th – Sea of talk – a focus on communication and language in early years settings.
Tues 12th – Pre-reading – what skills do children need before they start to read?
Tues 19th – Differentiation – one of the skills an early years providers needs is to be able to differentiate the curriculum so it is suitable for every child.
Tues 26th – no webinar this week.
Free webinars for August
All the free Childcare.co.uk webinars start at 7.30pm and you can reserve your place here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Tues 2nd August – Starting school – a walk through some of the pre-requisites for children who are starting school in September. You will also find some updated guidance for school starting on this Childcare.co.uk website for gold members –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
Tues 11th August – Pandemic implications for learning – a focus on how the pandemic has impacted on children’s early years experiences and what we can do to support them.
Tues 16th August – SEND and the pandemic – a focus on how we can support children with special educational needs and disabilities to help them overcome the impact of the pandemic.
Tues 23rd August – Child safeguarding file – a look at the contents of a child safeguarding file. I delivered a webinar recently which covered the contents of a Staff Safeguarding File – you will find it on the webinar player here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Tues 30th August – Ofsted 1 year on – a close look at how Ofsted inspections have changed since the return to inspection after pandemic closures, including what it takes to secure your grade.
I hope this catch up supports you in your practice. If you have any ideas for blogs, inclusion in the newsletter or information you would like me to share, please let me know.
Best wishes, Sarah.
www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk
June 2022 newsletter
Welcome to June! I hope you are well and enjoying the warmer weather as we gallop towards summer. Let’s look at some of the main updates for early years providers.
General updates
Updated guidance from Childcare.co.uk
After a lot of hard work and carefully thought-through revisions, the Childcare.co.uk free childminder paperwork website has been completely updated and refreshed. I hope you like the new layout of the forms and documents – it has been beta tested by colleagues and tweaked to keep it as flexible as possible.
Feedback is always welcome so we can get everything right for everyone –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpaperwork.
Progress check at 2 – England
The Progress Check at 2 remains statutory in the EYFS 2021 and Ofsted will expect to see progress checks for every child who is in the setting between the ages of 2 and 3 years.
Free guidance from Childcare.co.uk – www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
DfE has now provided further guidance materials (05.2022) –
**A guidance document - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progress-check-at-age-2.
**A short vodcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K0JJfc1Xlo&ab_channel=WatchNCB.
**A blog - https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/05/blog-progress-check-at-age-two/.
I have read the new materials and listened to the vodcast – I was disappointed to note that there is nothing in there about the impact of the pandemic on outcomes for children. I have a couple of webinars coming up on the pandemic in August – see www.childcare.co.uk/webinars for more information and to book your place.
Progress check at 2 – feedback from parents
Parents have been consulted on the Progress Check at 2 by the East London Research School. It’s quite a small study (only 101 responses) but the results are interesting – especially that so many parents either didn’t receive a progress check from their early years provider or weren’t consulted on it before it was written. If you want to read it, the consultation responses are here –
https://researchschool.org.uk/eastlondon/news/parent-views-of-the-two-year-old-progress-check-in-the-early-years-foundation-stage
Communicating with parents
A recent article on the EYFS forum about building relationships with children and families covers both nurseries and childminding settings. It talks about the importance of developing a close working partnership and collaboration –
https://eyfs.info/articles.html/personal-social-and-emotional-development/communicating-and-building-relationships-with-children-and-their-families-in-a-home-nurserychildminding-setting-r386/
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Tax free childcare
Tax Free Childcare has been fraught with problems over the past few years – not least that childminders are almost impossible to find and payments have been very late, causing a lot of financial difficulties for providers.
HMRC are apparently committed to improving the situation and they have recently worked with Hempsalls to make more information available to providers about the system. They hosted two webinars – one of which is for early years and childcare providers.
You will find more information and a link to the webinar here –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/03/hempsalls-webinar-on-tax-free-childcare/
New quality framework for Scotland
Scottish childminders will be inspected using the new quality framework from June 2022 and should spend time reading through it and getting to grips with the new and updated information –
https://www.careinspectorate.com/images/documents/6578/Quality%20framework%20for%20early%20learning%20and%20childcare%202022%20-%20final.pdf.
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Health and safety
Monkeypox
We are hearing a lot about Monkeypox on the news, but Public Health England (UK Health Protection Agency) has yet to update the Dec 2019 advice for primary care –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/850059/Monkeypox_information_for_primary_care.pdf.
As with any risk of infection, let parents know that if they or their children have come into contact with Monkeypox, they should stay at home and speak to the Local Authority for further advice.
Sun cream
Now the warmer weather is coming, settings will be starting to think about sun cream and dusting off parent permission forms.
If you have children in your setting who are allergic to nuts, you might want to talk to all parents about the risks posed by sun cream formulations which contain nut oils.
You don’t need a written policy but if you have one, you might also want to update the wording and you can reflect the changes on your permission form if it’s an issue.
You will find permission forms in the ‘new parent forms’ section of the childcare.co.uk paperwork page –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpaperwork.
Latest Covid-19 news for England
We are to live with Covid-19 as a respiratory illness. The exclusion table from the UK Health Protection Agency has been updated –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities/exclusion-table.
Latest Covid-19 news for Scotland
You can keep updated here –
https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/.
Latest Covid-19 news for Wales
See the Care Inspectorate website here –
https://careinspectorate.wales/coronavirus-covid-19.
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SEND in the early years
Children with education, health and care plans
Reports tell us that there are a record number of children with SEND Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans. I have 2 webinars coming up to support providers – one in June on the provision mapping for children with SEND and one in August on the impact of the pandemic on children with SEND. I am planning more for the future as well to continue raising awareness of children with SEND and how we can support them in the early years. The Nursery World article is here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/record-number-of-send-children-with-education-health-and-care-plans
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Ofsted updates
Inspection concerns raised
This article in Nursery World magazine reflects what we have been hearing from colleagues in the sector about Ofsted inspection. Respondents to their online survey claim they have suffered intimidation and judgements made unfairly due to the impact of Covid and staffing problems.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/analysis-settings-raise-concerns-after-bad-inspection-experiences-nursery-world-survey
Ofsted complaints procedures
If you are unhappy with the way Ofsted reached their inspection judgement you should always complain. Bear in mind the 1st complaint is made on the day of inspection, directly to the inspector while they are in your setting; the 2nd complaint also goes to the inspector and requires him/her to give you a written response, using the evidence s/he collected during inspection. If you are still unhappy with the inspector’s response, you can then put in a 3rd compliant.
You will find more information about the Ofsted complaints procedure here –
https://www.gov.uk/complain-ofsted-report.
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Learning and development
A question about outings
A childminder colleague wrote and asked us how we plan our outings at Knutsford Childminding. Do we go out every day, once a week or ...? This is my reply which I hope you find useful.
We do a mixture to be honest – but we make sure that every outing links to something the children are interested in, learning, exploring etc.
For example, we were learning about Bee Day last week, so we went to a shop that sells honey and looked round the hives. What we avoid are groups without purpose, where we don't engage.
When we go anywhere in a group - which is important for socialising of course - we take a skill with us. For example, if we visit friends, we might take our music resources so we can lead a session after some free play and a snack.
For us, it's about targeted outings and new experiences rather than going to the same group is the same hall with the same slightly battered resources ... I think it was Covid that changed our outlook to be honest with you!
How do you organiser outings with your children? Do you do similar to us or something different?
30 days wild
We talked about the 30 days wild challenge from the Wildlife Trust in last month’s newsletter. It’s not too late to sign up and join in, using the online resources –
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/30dayswild.
National week of play
The Early Years Alliance’s National Week of Play will run from 13-19 June this year. The focus is on eco-sustainability and how children can protect the planet. You will find more information here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/national-week-play-2022.
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Safeguarding updates
Early years in mind
Early years in mind is a new website from the Anna Freud Centre, focusing on supporting the mental health of babies, young children and their families. More information here –
https://www.annafreud.org/early-years/
Children in poverty
Research by The Nuffield Foundation in 2021 states that more than one in three children under 5 are living in poverty in the UK. With the cost of living rising further, concerns over the impact of poverty on our youngest children are growing. Do you have a list of local agencies to signpost for parents if they are struggling?
More information in this link –
https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/publications/changing-patterns-of-poverty-in-early-childhood
Tackling child abuse
The Govt has launched a campaign called 'Together we can tackle child abuse'. The resources are for everyone in the community, including early years providers and parents.
There is a simple mnemonic – ABC – to remind people that they should look out for changes in appearance, behaviour and / or communication.
More information here –
https://tacklechildabuse.campaign.gov.uk
Children and coking
Another child has sadly died from choking at a nursery – we must take time to read up on choking risks and change our ways of working (if necessary) to support babies and children. This DfE page from the ‘help for early years providers’ website is a useful starting point for your professional development –
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety.
Emergency planning guidance
The Govt has released new guidance for early years providers on emergency planning and response. You might find it useful to read through and bookmark the guidance for future reference –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings
Online safety
Channel 4 has produced a documentary on the Metaverse, which looks at the harmful content young people could be exposed to on the 3D virtual online community. You can watch it here and might want to signpost it to parents, so they can better support their children’s online safety at home –
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/inside-the-metaverse-are-you-safe-dispatches
Main changes to KCSIE 2022
The Department for Education (DfE) has published an updated version of its statutory Keeping children safe in education guidance for schools in England, which will come into force on 01 September 2022.
The EYFS 2021 states we must be aware of KCSIE, though it’s not legislation for early years, it is important that you and any staff read section 1.
There are some big changes for 2022 including:
**Focus on preventative education – how providers deliver safeguarding as part of the curriculum. For the early years this might include, for example, teaching children about staying safe online.
**Peer on peer abuse has changed to child on child abuse to draw attention to the fact that abuse can happen between children of different ages.
**Practitioners are reminded that children might not feel ready or know how to tell someone they are being abused / neglected. They might not, for example, know experiences are harmful.
**For trustee led organisations, safeguarding training must be delivered at induction and regularly updated.
**The role of the DSL is now in Annex C. The guidance states sole proprietors cannot be the DSL in their setting – I am not sure how that will translate in small nurseries (for example).
**As part of changes to safer recruitment, note that a CV can only be accepted alongside a full application form. Settings should consider online searches as part of due diligence in the recruitment process.
**There is a new paragraph on domestic abuse in Annex F.
The guidance is here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
Ofcom and cyberbullying
Ofcom has released the second episode of their new podcast series Life Online which explores themes around online safety. This episode centres on cyberbullying and includes three teenagers sharing their own experiences of online bullying. More information here –
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/threat-of-online-bullying-greater-than-offline
Cost of living crisis
I have included this in the safeguarding section of my newsletter because it’s a real safeguarding risk if a family are in poverty and we know the crisis is only going to get worse.
I am planning a webinar around August / September time to look at some of the ways we can help ourselves and families to mitigate the financial issues they might be facing. We have already been sharing our cost-effective meal solutions with our families to help them budget cooking costs at the weekends and letting them know where we have been able to save money.
I always signpost the Money Saving Expert website as well –
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/.
..................................................................................
Webinars, training and CPD opportunities
Free Childcare.co.uk webinars for June
All webinars start at 7.30pm and are free on the night they are presented – you will find them here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Webinars for June 2022 will cover:
**Tues 7th – Role play in the early years.
**Tues 14th – Toileting.
**Tues 21st – Multicultural teaching.
**Tues 28th – Provision mapping and SEND.
Webinars are then recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again on the webinar player –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Reflecting on professional development
It’s not enough to do the odd course and attend some training – you need to think about what you learned, what you changed because of the training and how it has impacted on outcomes for children.
You will find a free ‘reflection on learning’ sheet at the bottom of the Childcare.co.uk webinars page –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
New quality framework for Scotland
Scottish childminders will be inspected using the new quality framework from June 2022 and should spend time reading through it and getting to grips with the new and updated information –
https://www.careinspectorate.com/images/documents/6578/Quality%20framework%20for%20early%20learning%20and%20childcare%202022%20-%20final.pdf?.
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Health and safety
Monkeypox
We are hearing a lot about Monkeypox on the news, but Public Health England (UK Health Protection Agency) has yet to update the Dec 2019 advice for primary care –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/850059/Monkeypox_information_for_primary_care.pdf.
As with any risk of infection, let parents know that if they or their children have come into contact with Monkeypox, they should stay at home and speak to the Local Authority for further advice.
Sun cream
Now the warmer weather is coming, settings will be starting to think about sun cream and dusting off parent permission forms.
If you have children in your setting who are allergic to nuts, you might want to talk to all parents about the risks posed by sun cream formulations which contain nut oils.
You don’t need a written policy but if you have one, you might also want to update the wording and you can reflect the changes on your permission form if it’s an issue.
You will find permission forms in the ‘new parent forms’ section of the childcare.co.uk paperwork page –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpaperwork.
Latest Covid-19 news for England
We are to live with Covid-19 as a respiratory illness. The exclusion table from the UK Health Protection Agency has been updated –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities/exclusion-table.
Latest Covid-19 news for Scotland
You can keep updated here –
https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/.
Latest Covid-19 news for Wales
See the Care Inspectorate website here –
https://careinspectorate.wales/coronavirus-covid-19.
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SEND in the early years
Children with education, health and care plans
Reports tell us that there are a record number of children with SEND Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans. I have 2 webinars coming up to support providers – one in June on the provision mapping for children with SEND and one in August on the impact of the pandemic on children with SEND. I am planning more for the future as well to continue raising awareness of children with SEND and how we can support them in the early years. The Nursery World article is here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/record-number-of-send-children-with-education-health-and-care-plans
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Ofsted updates
Inspection concerns raised
This article in Nursery World magazine reflects what we have been hearing from colleagues in the sector about Ofsted inspection. Respondents to their online survey claim they have suffered intimidation and judgements made unfairly due to the impact of Covid and staffing problems.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/analysis-settings-raise-concerns-after-bad-inspection-experiences-nursery-world-survey
Ofsted complaints procedures
If you are unhappy with the way Ofsted reached their inspection judgement you should always complain. Bear in mind the 1st complaint is made on the day of inspection, directly to the inspector while they are in your setting; the 2nd complaint also goes to the inspector and requires him/her to give you a written response, using the evidence s/he collected during inspection. If you are still unhappy with the inspector’s response, you can then put in a 3rd compliant.
You will find more information about the Ofsted complaints procedure here –
https://www.gov.uk/complain-ofsted-report.
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Learning and development
A question about outings
A childminder colleague wrote and asked us how we plan our outings at Knutsford Childminding. Do we go out every day, once a week or ...? This is my reply which I hope you find useful.
We do a mixture to be honest – but we make sure that every outing links to something the children are interested in, learning, exploring etc.
For example, we were learning about Bee Day last week, so we went to a shop that sells honey and looked round the hives. What we avoid are groups without purpose, where we don't engage.
When we go anywhere in a group - which is important for socialising of course - we take a skill with us. For example, if we visit friends, we might take our music resources so we can lead a session after some free play and a snack.
For us, it's about targeted outings and new experiences rather than going to the same group is the same hall with the same slightly battered resources ... I think it was Covid that changed our outlook to be honest with you!
How do you organiser outings with your children? Do you do similar to us or something different?
30 days wild
We talked about the 30 days wild challenge from the Wildlife Trust in last month’s newsletter. It’s not too late to sign up and join in, using the online resources –
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/30dayswild.
National week of play
The Early Years Alliance’s National Week of Play will run from 13-19 June this year. The focus is on eco-sustainability and how children can protect the planet. You will find more information here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/national-week-play-2022.
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Safeguarding updates
Early years in mind
Early years in mind is a new website from the Anna Freud Centre, focusing on supporting the mental health of babies, young children and their families. More information here –
https://www.annafreud.org/early-years/
Children in poverty
Research by The Nuffield Foundation in 2021 states that more than one in three children under 5 are living in poverty in the UK. With the cost of living rising further, concerns over the impact of poverty on our youngest children are growing. Do you have a list of local agencies to signpost for parents if they are struggling?
More information in this link –
https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/publications/changing-patterns-of-poverty-in-early-childhood
Tackling child abuse
The Govt has launched a campaign called 'Together we can tackle child abuse'. The resources are for everyone in the community, including early years providers and parents.
There is a simple mnemonic – ABC – to remind people that they should look out for changes in appearance, behaviour and / or communication.
More information here – https://tacklechildabuse.campaign.gov.uk
Children and coking
Another child has sadly died from choking at a nursery – we must take time to read up on choking risks and change our ways of working (if necessary) to support babies and children. This DfE page from the ‘help for early years providers’ website is a useful starting point for your professional development –
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety.
Emergency planning guidance
The Govt has released new guidance for early years providers on emergency planning and response. You might find it useful to read through and bookmark the guidance for future reference –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings
Online safety
Channel 4 has produced a documentary on the Metaverse, which looks at the harmful content young people could be exposed to on the 3D virtual online community. You can watch it here and might want to signpost it to parents, so they can better support their children’s online safety at home –
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/inside-the-metaverse-are-you-safe-dispatches
Main changes to KCSIE 2022
The Department for Education (DfE) has published an updated version of its statutory Keeping children safe in education guidance for schools in England, which will come into force on 01 September 2022.
The EYFS 2021 states we must be aware of KCSIE, though it’s not legislation for early years, it is important that you and any staff read section 1.
There are some big changes for 2022 including:
**Focus on preventative education – how providers deliver safeguarding as part of the curriculum. For the early years this might include, for example, teaching children about staying safe online.
**Peer on peer abuse has changed to child on child abuse to draw attention to the fact that abuse can happen between children of different ages.
**Practitioners are reminded that children might not feel ready or know how to tell someone they are being abused / neglected. They might not, for example, know experiences are harmful.
**For trustee led organisations, safeguarding training must be delivered at induction and regularly updated.
**The role of the DSL is now in Annex C. The guidance states sole proprietors cannot be the DSL in their setting – I am not sure how that will translate in small nurseries (for example).
**As part of changes to safer recruitment, note that a CV can only be accepted alongside a full application form. Settings should consider online searches as part of due diligence in the recruitment process.
**There is a new paragraph on domestic abuse in Annex F.
The guidance is here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
Ofcom and cyberbullying
Ofcom has released the second episode of their new podcast series Life Online which explores themes around online safety. This episode centres on cyberbullying and includes three teenagers sharing their own experiences of online bullying. More information here –
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/threat-of-online-bullying-greater-than-offline
Cost of living crisis
I have included this in the safeguarding section of my newsletter because it’s a real safeguarding risk if a family are in poverty and we know the crisis is only going to get worse.
I am planning a webinar around August / September time to look at some of the ways we can help ourselves and families to mitigate the financial issues they might be facing. We have already been sharing our cost-effective meal solutions with our families to help them budget cooking costs at the weekends and letting them know where we have been able to save money.
I always signpost the Money Saving Expert website as well –
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/.
..................................................................................
Webinars, training and CPD opportunities
Free Childcare.co.uk webinars for June
All webinars start at 7.30pm and are free on the night they are presented – you will find them here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Webinars for June 2022 will cover:
**Tues 7th – Role play in the early years.
**Tues 14th – Toileting.
**Tues 21st – Multicultural teaching.
**Tues 28th – Provision mapping and SEND.
Webinars are then recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again on the webinar player –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Reflecting on professional development
It’s not enough to do the odd course and attend some training – you need to think about what you learned, what you changed because of the training and how it has impacted on outcomes for children.
You will find a free ‘reflection on learning’ sheet at the bottom of the Childcare.co.uk webinars page –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
May 2022 newsletter
We are well into spring now and the children in our early years setting have enjoyed tidying and planting in the garden. Hopefully the rain will keep our seedlings and flowers watered. We are also growing caterpillars and they have gone into their sleep stage – everyone is very excited, wondering when the butterflies will pop out and say hello.
I hope you are having a good spring so far! Here are some updates...
General bits and bobs
Early years funding report
The latest study from the Early Years Alliance on early years funding is entitled ‘too little, too late’. I think that says it all really, doesn’t it?
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/too-little-too-late-report.
Can childminders host families from Ukraine?
See the answer in this response from DfE –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Childminders-hosting-people-from-Ukraine-England.pdf.
Solid food guidance launched
New guidance on how to safely introduce solid food for toddlers has been launched by the Govt’s Office for Health Improvement. The new campaign aims to support parents to safely introduce their children to solid food. You can find more information to share with parents and use in the setting on the Food for Life Weaning Club website –
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/
30 days wild activities
We did the 30 days wild activities last year and it was great fun – to be honest, we didn’t finish it all in one month because we were busy with other things as well, but we stretched it over a few months and it didn't reduce the impact. Have you signed up yet?
https://childsplayabc.wordpress.com/2022/04/11/30-days-wild-2021-sign-up
Non-prescribed medication - update
Do you ask parents to get non-prescribed medication from the doctor?
This latest information from BMA (updated 10.3.2022) could not be clearer - 'Non-prescription or over-the-counter medication does not need a GP signature or authorisation in order for a school, nursery or childminder to give it.'
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/managing-workload/prescribing-over-the-counter-medicines-in-nurseries-and-schools
Early years ratios on the Govt agenda
We fought against changes to ratios many years ago when pretty much all early years sectors joined together and petitioned against the suggestion that we accepted increased ratios. It appears that views have changed for childminders – in a recent poll on the Independent Childminders Facebook group, 90% of those who responded said they would welcome further ratio flexibility, so they could offer more spaces to children and their families.
However, the Govt seems to think this would lead to cheaper childcare places – I don’t see this happening because we deserve to earn a reasonable income for the extra work we do. What it will do, however, is allow childminders to increase ratios without living in constant fear of an Ofsted inspector telling them they are ‘over ratio’ during inspection.
Do I want the flexibility to take on extra children? No.
Am I going to stand in the way of childminders who want that flexibility? No.
Thank you to everyone who has messaged me.
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Tax and national insurance / HMRC
Filing your accounts
You can now file your 2021-22 accounts with HMRC. I like to do mine early because then I know how much I will need to save / pay HMRC for the year ahead.
It’s best to do all the working out first and then set aside some time when you are less likely to be interrupted so you can concentrate on putting the right figures in the right boxes. You will need 3 main figures – income – expenses = total.
My blog here answers many of the frequently asked questions we receive on the Independent Childminders Facebook group about childminder accounts –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/working-out-your-tax-return.
Childminder accounts are pretty straightforward. However, if you are unsure, or your accounts are complex, you might find it useful to employ a specialist accountant.
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Covid-19 updates – 04.2022 onwards
The latest Govt plan is that we learn to live with Covid and manage it like we manage all other respiratory infections –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-next-steps-for-living-with-covid
Child has symptoms such as a high temperature or a constant new cough –
**There is no requirement to test.
**The child should stay at home for 3 days.
**They need to be temperature free and well enough to manage the normal daily routines before returning to the setting.
More updated guidance from the Govt about children and Covid-19 here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-symptoms-of-a-respiratory-infection-including-covid-19#Children
Childminder has symptoms
The NHS guidance states that, ‘Many people will no longer be infectious to others after 5 days and advises you to –
**Try and stay at home for 5 days.
**Avoid contact with others if you have to go out – for example, waer a face covering and stay away from busy places.
Childminders cannot continue to work when they have Covid-19 symptoms. Testing is no longer required.
Childminder’s child has symptoms
**There is no requirement to test.
**Advice is that the child should shield from the rest of the family.
**Parents, carers and assistants (if relevant) must be informed.
**A risk assessment must be in place.
**Childminders might choose to work elsewhere with Ofsted approval – see the guidance below.
The latest information from DfE is here –
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/03/18/childminders-can-continue-to-operate-from-home-if-someone-in-their-house-has-tested-positive-for-covid/.
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Safeguarding updates
Protecting children from domestic abuse
This is a useful website – part of the Govt’s commitment to support children by ensuring all children who are experiencing domestic abuse receive timely support.
https://www.operationencompass.org/
This is a useful article to read as well – it focuses on the impact on children which is a question often posed during Ofsted inspections –
https://www.earlyyearseducator.co.uk/news/article/nearly-two-thirds-of-uk-adults-are-unaware-children-are-now-recognised-as-victims-of-domestic-abuse.
Recording children’s attendance
It is not a requirement in the EYFS 2021 to record children’s attendance to the minute. However, this expectation does come up quite regularly in inspections.
I note that a nursery was recently downgraded to ‘requires improvement’ and one of the reasons was that their clock was wrong, so they can’t record accurate arrival and departure times; I note a before and after school club was given a ‘not met’ judgement because they ticked children in and out rather than recording the time.
It is a grey area in the EYFS. We know that accurate record keeping is essential for safeguarding / child protection and insurance reasons – however, I am not aware of it being argued legally with Ofsted given the EYFS wording. If anyone has feedback on this one, please let me know.
Button batteries
Children can die if they swallow button batteries, often found in the back of toys, remote controls, car keys, musical greetings cards, calculators, weighing scales and other small electronic devices. The best way to protect children is to keep them away from button batteries away from them – if they are in something children use, the compartment should be sealed and checked regularly, including before and after play.
https://www.capt.org.uk/button-battery-safety
Latest safeguarding case reviews
The latest reviews are listed on the NSPCC website. I keep updated with these as they inform my professional development and help me to write safeguarding / child protection training.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/case-reviews/recently-published-case-reviews.
Children’s digital wellbeing
These resources from the South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) aim to provide advice and help for professionals, parents and carers in supporting children’s wellbeing online –
https://swgfl.org.uk/topics/digital-wellbeing/
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Ofsted updates
Ofsted inspection in 2022
I run regular free webinars on the www.childcare.co.uk/webinars platform about Ofsted inspection outcomes which aim to look at how you work and what you can do to prepare for Ofsted.
I have also recently written this blog for colleagues who cannot manage to get on the free webinars due to family or work commitments –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-inspection-in-2022.
Education recovery from the pandemic
Ofsted has produced a second report into how early years providers are getting on post-pandemic.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-spring-2022/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-spring-2022
Ofsted’s 5 year strategy
Ofsted has just published its 5 year strategy – Ofsted has stated it will focus its work on raising outcomes for early years children AND according to this article in the Guardian, 'The watchdog is also promising to work with the government to try to simplify the regulatory regime for childminders.' That will be brilliant if it brings more independent childminders on board - we have noticed an increase in newly registered colleagues joining the group...
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/apr/26/ofsted-will-step-up-early-years-focus-to-address-lockdown-impact
Childcare register requirements
Ofsted has updated guidance to make it easier for providers on the Childcare Register to understand how they are regulated and inspected.
Ofsted state that you can find the 'Framework for regulation of providers on the childcare Register' and 'Carrying out Childcare Register inspections' guidance on this website:
Framework – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/framework-for-the-regulation-of-provision-on-the-childcare-register/regulation-and-inspection-framework-for-services-on-the-childcare-register.
Carrying out inspections - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrying-out-childcare-register-inspections.
Paying Ofsted’s annual fee
Some providers have not received reminders to pay their annual fee and have then received letters stating they will be closed down. Ofsted are now mostly using emails to send out invoices – the emails require providers to follow a link to see their invoice. However, many providers are suspicious of emails with links in them, which is causing some issues and / or the emails go to junk.
Ofsted is encouraging providers to pay their annual fee by direct debit. Ofsted stay that, ‘Making payments to Ofsted this way is quick to set up, saves you time each year and ensures your fees are paid on time so you stay registered’ and point providers to this form –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-your-ofsted-annual-registration-fee-by-direct-debit.
Displaying paediatric first aid certificates
A childminder asked me about this because her inspector told her that her paediatric first aid certificate had to be displayed. The requirement is clearly set out in the EYFS 3.25: 'Providers should display (or make available to parents) staff PFA certificates or a list of staff who have a current PFA certificate.'
EYFS 2021 – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.
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Professional development
Free MIFFY online training
MIFFY (My First 5 Years) are regularly uploading new, free content on YouTube including this short (but information packed) discussion on the power of play –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCVZjDaxegE&ab_channel=MyFirstFiveYears.
Cognitive development article
This is a good article from Becki Ralph on cognitive development in the early years –
https://www.mffy.com/blog/the-sensorimotor-stage-of-cognitive-development-explained
Are you ready for inspection?
I’m not great with podcasts to be honest – I don’t have a long attention span for listening. However, I have been engaging with these short podcasts from Jigsaw Early Years Consultancy on Ofsted inspection preparation for a while now and find them informative –
https://open.spotify.com/show/2R6tUh2cvRo3hmADLqFUyC.
Sustainability and climate change
Do you include this in your early years curriculum? I ran a very well attended webinar recently which talked about how to teach children about sustainability and climate change in easy to understand ways.
The Department for Education has recently announced the launch of its new sustainability and climate change strategy with an aim of transitioning to net zero and supporting education and skills in what it calls ‘a changing world’.
Activities include getting involved in special days such as Earth Day and pointing out times when you save water (washing hands) power (turning off lights) etc.
You might find the resources useful –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy/sustainability-and-climate-change-a-strategy-for-the-education-and-childrens-services-systems
Children and sensory needs
I have been doing a lot of work on the senses recently for a new webinar. I have also been looking at toilet readiness for another webinar ... busy, busy! Imagine my delight when I found an excellent article on the ERIC website which combines the 2 subjects. I will do something with it for a future webinar I am sure but for now here’s the article –
https://www.eric.org.uk/sensory-needs-and-toileting.
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Training and consultancy
I am continuing to offer targeted support through online meetings for childminders and early years settings who feel they need a little support before inspection or to help with areas of practice between inspections.
I also have a full library of recently updated e-books which can be purchased from my website –
www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk.
Upcoming FREE webinars from Childcare.co.uk
The following webinars are planned for May 2022 –
3rd – Putting together a safeguarding file.
10th – Books to support learning.
17th – Ofsted and professional development.
24th – Missed opportunities for maths.
31st – Role play in the early years.
You can access the webinars here:
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
The webinars are free on the night they are presented. They are recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again:
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find this newsletter useful and informative. Please share the link so colleagues get access to up to date information.
Chat soon, Sarah.
I hope you are having a good spring so far! Here are some updates...
General bits and bobs
Early years funding report
The latest study from the Early Years Alliance on early years funding is entitled ‘too little, too late’. I think that says it all really, doesn’t it?
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/too-little-too-late-report.
Can childminders host families from Ukraine?
See the answer in this response from DfE –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Childminders-hosting-people-from-Ukraine-England.pdf.
Solid food guidance launched
New guidance on how to safely introduce solid food for toddlers has been launched by the Govt’s Office for Health Improvement. The new campaign aims to support parents to safely introduce their children to solid food. You can find more information to share with parents and use in the setting on the Food for Life Weaning Club website –
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/
30 days wild activities
We did the 30 days wild activities last year and it was great fun – to be honest, we didn’t finish it all in one month because we were busy with other things as well, but we stretched it over a few months and it didn't reduce the impact. Have you signed up yet?
https://childsplayabc.wordpress.com/2022/04/11/30-days-wild-2021-sign-up
Non-prescribed medication - update
Do you ask parents to get non-prescribed medication from the doctor?
This latest information from BMA (updated 10.3.2022) could not be clearer - 'Non-prescription or over-the-counter medication does not need a GP signature or authorisation in order for a school, nursery or childminder to give it.'
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/managing-workload/prescribing-over-the-counter-medicines-in-nurseries-and-schools
Early years ratios on the Govt agenda
We fought against changes to ratios many years ago when pretty much all early years sectors joined together and petitioned against the suggestion that we accepted increased ratios. It appears that views have changed for childminders – in a recent poll on the Independent Childminders Facebook group, 90% of those who responded said they would welcome further ratio flexibility, so they could offer more spaces to children and their families.
However, the Govt seems to think this would lead to cheaper childcare places – I don’t see this happening because we deserve to earn a reasonable income for the extra work we do. What it will do, however, is allow childminders to increase ratios without living in constant fear of an Ofsted inspector telling them they are ‘over ratio’ during inspection.
Do I want the flexibility to take on extra children? No.
Am I going to stand in the way of childminders who want that flexibility? No.
Thank you to everyone who has messaged me.
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Tax and national insurance / HMRC
Filing your accounts
You can now file your 2021-22 accounts with HMRC. I like to do mine early because then I know how much I will need to save / pay HMRC for the year ahead.
It’s best to do all the working out first and then set aside some time when you are less likely to be interrupted so you can concentrate on putting the right figures in the right boxes. You will need 3 main figures – income – expenses = total.
My blog here answers many of the frequently asked questions we receive on the Independent Childminders Facebook group about childminder accounts –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/working-out-your-tax-return.
Childminder accounts are pretty straightforward. However, if you are unsure, or your accounts are complex, you might find it useful to employ a specialist accountant.
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Covid-19 updates – 04.2022 onwards
The latest Govt plan is that we learn to live with Covid and manage it like we manage all other respiratory infections –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-next-steps-for-living-with-covid
Child has symptoms such as a high temperature or a constant new cough –
**There is no requirement to test.
**The child should stay at home for 3 days.
**They need to be temperature free and well enough to manage the normal daily routines before returning to the setting.
More updated guidance from the Govt about children and Covid-19 here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-symptoms-of-a-respiratory-infection-including-covid-19#Children
Childminder has symptoms
The NHS guidance states that, ‘Many people will no longer be infectious to others after 5 days and advises you to –
**Try and stay at home for 5 days.
**Avoid contact with others if you have to go out – for example, waer a face covering and stay away from busy places.
Childminders cannot continue to work when they have Covid-19 symptoms. Testing is no longer required.
Childminder’s child has symptoms
**There is no requirement to test.
**Advice is that the child should shield from the rest of the family.
**Parents, carers and assistants (if relevant) must be informed.
**A risk assessment must be in place.
**Childminders might choose to work elsewhere with Ofsted approval – see the guidance below.
The latest information from DfE is here –
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/03/18/childminders-can-continue-to-operate-from-home-if-someone-in-their-house-has-tested-positive-for-covid/.
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Safeguarding updates
Protecting children from domestic abuse
This is a useful website – part of the Govt’s commitment to support children by ensuring all children who are experiencing domestic abuse receive timely support.
https://www.operationencompass.org/
This is a useful article to read as well – it focuses on the impact on children which is a question often posed during Ofsted inspections –
https://www.earlyyearseducator.co.uk/news/article/nearly-two-thirds-of-uk-adults-are-unaware-children-are-now-recognised-as-victims-of-domestic-abuse.
Recording children’s attendance
It is not a requirement in the EYFS 2021 to record children’s attendance to the minute. However, this expectation does come up quite regularly in inspections.
I note that a nursery was recently downgraded to ‘requires improvement’ and one of the reasons was that their clock was wrong, so they can’t record accurate arrival and departure times; I note a before and after school club was given a ‘not met’ judgement because they ticked children in and out rather than recording the time.
It is a grey area in the EYFS. We know that accurate record keeping is essential for safeguarding / child protection and insurance reasons – however, I am not aware of it being argued legally with Ofsted given the EYFS wording. If anyone has feedback on this one, please let me know.
Button batteries
Children can die if they swallow button batteries, often found in the back of toys, remote controls, car keys, musical greetings cards, calculators, weighing scales and other small electronic devices. The best way to protect children is to keep them away from button batteries away from them – if they are in something children use, the compartment should be sealed and checked regularly, including before and after play.
https://www.capt.org.uk/button-battery-safety
Latest safeguarding case reviews
The latest reviews are listed on the NSPCC website. I keep updated with these as they inform my professional development and help me to write safeguarding / child protection training.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/case-reviews/recently-published-case-reviews.
Children’s digital wellbeing
These resources from the South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) aim to provide advice and help for professionals, parents and carers in supporting children’s wellbeing online –
https://swgfl.org.uk/topics/digital-wellbeing/
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Ofsted updates
Ofsted inspection in 2022
I run regular free webinars on the www.childcare.co.uk/webinars platform about Ofsted inspection outcomes which aim to look at how you work and what you can do to prepare for Ofsted.
I have also recently written this blog for colleagues who cannot manage to get on the free webinars due to family or work commitments –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-inspection-in-2022.
Education recovery from the pandemic
Ofsted has produced a second report into how early years providers are getting on post-pandemic.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-spring-2022/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-spring-2022
Ofsted’s 5 year strategy
Ofsted has just published its 5 year strategy – Ofsted has stated it will focus its work on raising outcomes for early years children AND according to this article in the Guardian, 'The watchdog is also promising to work with the government to try to simplify the regulatory regime for childminders.' That will be brilliant if it brings more independent childminders on board - we have noticed an increase in newly registered colleagues joining the group...
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/apr/26/ofsted-will-step-up-early-years-focus-to-address-lockdown-impact
Childcare register requirements
Ofsted has updated guidance to make it easier for providers on the Childcare Register to understand how they are regulated and inspected.
Ofsted state that you can find the 'Framework for regulation of providers on the childcare Register' and 'Carrying out Childcare Register inspections' guidance on this website:
Framework – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/framework-for-the-regulation-of-provision-on-the-childcare-register/regulation-and-inspection-framework-for-services-on-the-childcare-register.
Carrying out inspections - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrying-out-childcare-register-inspections.
Paying Ofsted’s annual fee
Some providers have not received reminders to pay their annual fee and have then received letters stating they will be closed down. Ofsted are now mostly using emails to send out invoices – the emails require providers to follow a link to see their invoice. However, many providers are suspicious of emails with links in them, which is causing some issues and / or the emails go to junk.
Ofsted is encouraging providers to pay their annual fee by direct debit. Ofsted stay that, ‘Making payments to Ofsted this way is quick to set up, saves you time each year and ensures your fees are paid on time so you stay registered’ and point providers to this form –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-your-ofsted-annual-registration-fee-by-direct-debit.
Displaying paediatric first aid certificates
A childminder asked me about this because her inspector told her that her paediatric first aid certificate had to be displayed. The requirement is clearly set out in the EYFS 3.25: 'Providers should display (or make available to parents) staff PFA certificates or a list of staff who have a current PFA certificate.'
EYFS 2021 – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.
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Professional development
Free MIFFY online training
MIFFY (My First 5 Years) are regularly uploading new, free content on YouTube including this short (but information packed) discussion on the power of play –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCVZjDaxegE&ab_channel=MyFirstFiveYears.
Cognitive development article
This is a good article from Becki Ralph on cognitive development in the early years –
https://www.mffy.com/blog/the-sensorimotor-stage-of-cognitive-development-explained
Are you ready for inspection?
I’m not great with podcasts to be honest – I don’t have a long attention span for listening. However, I have been engaging with these short podcasts from Jigsaw Early Years Consultancy on Ofsted inspection preparation for a while now and find them informative –
https://open.spotify.com/show/2R6tUh2cvRo3hmADLqFUyC.
Sustainability and climate change
Do you include this in your early years curriculum? I ran a very well attended webinar recently which talked about how to teach children about sustainability and climate change in easy to understand ways.
The Department for Education has recently announced the launch of its new sustainability and climate change strategy with an aim of transitioning to net zero and supporting education and skills in what it calls ‘a changing world’.
Activities include getting involved in special days such as Earth Day and pointing out times when you save water (washing hands) power (turning off lights) etc.
You might find the resources useful –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy/sustainability-and-climate-change-a-strategy-for-the-education-and-childrens-services-systems
Children and sensory needs
I have been doing a lot of work on the senses recently for a new webinar. I have also been looking at toilet readiness for another webinar ... busy, busy! Imagine my delight when I found an excellent article on the ERIC website which combines the 2 subjects. I will do something with it for a future webinar I am sure but for now here’s the article –
https://www.eric.org.uk/sensory-needs-and-toileting.
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Training and consultancy
I am continuing to offer targeted support through online meetings for childminders and early years settings who feel they need a little support before inspection or to help with areas of practice between inspections.
I also have a full library of recently updated e-books which can be purchased from my website –
www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk.
Upcoming FREE webinars from Childcare.co.uk
The following webinars are planned for May 2022 –
3rd – Putting together a safeguarding file.
10th – Books to support learning.
17th – Ofsted and professional development.
24th – Missed opportunities for maths.
31st – Role play in the early years.
You can access the webinars here:
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
The webinars are free on the night they are presented. They are recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again:
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find this newsletter useful and informative. Please share the link so colleagues get access to up to date information.
Chat soon, Sarah.
April 2022 newsletter
Hello, I hope you are all well. Welcome to April and spring and the start of British summer time.
The year is galloping on and in our early years setting we are busy with our spring activities, spotting new growth, planting seeds, sorting out the garden and marvelling at how the seasons change. Where possible, we link our learning to books and support vocabulary through stories, songs, rhymes and conversations.
Here are some general updates for early years providers:
Engaging Families Toolkit
Barnsley Council has produced a toolkit for professionals to help them better engage families to improve outcomes for children and young people. You can download the Engaging Families Toolkit here: https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/media/15665/engaging-families-toolkit.pdf
Funding review
A group of MPs asked the Govt to review early years funding. The Govt said ‘no’. More information in this article from Nursery World magazine:
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/government-rejects-calls-to-review-childcare-funding.
First aid expectations from DfE – England only
DfE has released this update to first aid requirements which includes reference to all early years providers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-aid-in-schools/first-aid-in-schools-early-years-and-further-education.
Progress checks – lots of questions
We are receiving a lot of questions about how to do progress checks to comply with the EYFS 2021. The way early years providers do progress checks has changed. You will find easy to follow guidance which you can use as sentence starters here: www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs. There is a sample progress check form as well.
If you find it useful you can use the Birth to 5 Matters guidance – this conversation between me and Nancy Stewart might be a useful starting point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAsKhUY6yvA&t=1433s&ab_channel=Childcare.co.uk.
If you have a concern about a child’s progress when you have written the progress check, you should complete a Targeted Plan (also on the link above). This will show parents that you are focusing on certain areas and is something you would be able to share with Ofsted during inspection as evidence that while you are not grading the child, you are keeping a close eye on their progress.
New guidance on weaning
New guidance on how to safely introduce children to solid food has been published by the Government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).
Health minister Maria Caulfield said, ‘The first 1,001 days are crucial for development and impact a child’s health for the rest of their life. Every child should have a solid foundation on which to build their health and I am determined to level up the opportunities and support for all children, no matter their background or where they grow up. This campaign will ensure parents have the support and confidence to introduce their babies to solid food and ensure they have the opportunity to thrive and achieve their full potential.’
You might find it useful to read the guidance and signpost it for parents:
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/.
Birth to 5 Matters – new leaflet for parents
If you use Birth to 5 Matters to support children's learning, the team has produced a short two-page parent leaflet which explains how Birth to 5 Matters is used by early years providers, including in childminding settings:
https://birthto5matters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/B25M-Parent-Leaflet-A5-4pp-art.pdf.
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Covid-19 updates
Covid-19 notifications
Early years providers no longer need to inform Ofsted or the Dept for Education about positive cases of Covid-19. However, your Local Authority might still have some notification requirements.
Update for childminders - England
The Dept for Education has confirmed that, from Thursday 17 March, if someone in a childminder’s household has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, childminders can continue to operate at home.
Childminders are advised to follow the steps below to reduce the risk of onward transmission:
**The person who has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms should avoid contact with the children being cared for in the setting.
**Where possible, use separate toilet and handwashing facilities. If this is not possible, maintain extra cleaning and hygiene routines, particularly after the person has used the facilities.
**Notify parents, carers, and any assistants that someone has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, as soon as reasonably possible and maintain open communication with them throughout.
**Consider the need to reduce the spread of COVID-19 with mitigations, such as ventilation and extra cleaning and hygiene routines. They should be applied where practical and safe to do so. Additional information on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is available in guidance published by the Cabinet Office.
**Comply with health and safety law by reviewing your risk assessment. The risk assessment must demonstrate that the provision of childcare in your setting is safe, and how you will put into place any additional but proportionate measures.
Note that the guidance states that childminders can also consider using alternative places to operate such as other childminders’ houses, where possible.
Coronavirus toolkit archived
The free coronavirus toolkit from Childcare.co.uk has now been archived. The website page has been left online because Ofsted are still asking about changes made during the pandemic so you can refer to it if you've forgotten all the amazing ways you adapted your service to support children and families.
Documents that have been removed will pop up in different places over the coming months as the information is re-purposed.
The revised toolkit is here:
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit
Thank you to everyone who let us know that you found the free toolkit documents useful - your positive feedback was what kept Childcare.co.uk adding more free guidance and information for everyone!
Education recovery from DfE – published Dec 2021
This publication from DfE is interesting because it talks about some of the ‘catch up strategies’ early years providers have been using to support children’s learning during the pandemic. There are some useful points which we can develop for our early years children and it’s good to see childminder viewpoints included:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-autumn-2021/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-autumn
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Ofsted updates
New from Ofsted
**Early years childcare and enforcement policy – hopefully you will never need it but it’s here if you want to check something:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-and-childcare-ofsteds-enforcement-policy.
**Reporting serious incidents to Ofsted – Ofsted registered childminders, Ofsted registered nannies, nurseries and pre-schools must use this form (not email) to report serious incidents to Ofsted. Ofsted state that the layout of the form has been updated today to make it more user-friendly and accessible: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident.
**Ofsted’s guidance on what they consider to be a serious incident:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childcare-significant-events-to-notify-ofsted-about.
Childcare.co.uk and other early years organisations were consulted on the new guidance and Ofsted listened to our comments and feedback.
Ofsted announcement
Ofsted announced recently that they are going to be focusing on the early years ‘for the next 5 years’ and doing some research into how to support children better. More in this article from TES (free to read):
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/ofsted-can-have-most-impact-early-years-says-spielman.
Ofsted vodcast from
This has recently been released on the Foundation Years (DfE) platform:
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/03/vodcast-on-ofsted-inspections-and-the-new-eyfs/.
You might find this guidance for childminders interesting as well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vJrCPk4bOI&t=49s&ab_channel=Childcare.co.uk
What is Ofsted’s definition of the curriculum?
Ofsted signpost the educational programmes in the EYFS, used alongside their definitions of intent, implementation and impact detailed in the Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook.
Ofsted does not have a preferred curriculum. They are looking at the programme you put in place to take children from where they are to where you want them to be (Phil Mimms, Ofsted).
Ofsted early years inspection handbook:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
What is Ofsted’s view of teaching, planning and assessment?
Does Ofsted expect to see curriculum in writing?
No. Each provider needs to consider whether they need something in writing or not.
Ofsted will comment on the impact of the curriculum on outcomes for children.
Ofsted has added more information to the early years inspection handbook about what they do and do not expect to see.
What is Ofsted’s view on children sitting while a practitioner teaches them?
Ofsted point us back to the definition of teaching – child development knowledge – the way activities are set up and how staff want children to learn.
It is up to the provider to decide what they want children to learn and how they are going to teach. This goes back to the first 2 of the 3 Is – intent and implementation.
Do I need to make changes for Ofsted?
Ofsted remind early years providers – don’t do anything ‘for Ofsted’. Do what you do for the children – read the handbook – know what inspectors are looking at – have confidence in your practice. The final judgement the inspector considers is ‘what is it like to be a child here?’
Updates in brief:
**Ofsted do not inspect us against whether or not we use Development Matters 2021. It’s up to you how you support children’s progress. Ofsted will want to know about your curriculum and how you track children to make sure they are making progress from their starting points.
**Ofsted does not have a ‘preferred view’ of the curriculum. You will be expected to talk about – explain – justify what you do and how you do it.
**Ofsted does not look for internal data assessment – if you need to write it down, think about how effectively you capture and share significant moments with parents.
**Ofsted will focus on interactions with children – asking open questions, getting down to child’s level, giving eye contact and waiting for them to put together their reply before rushing in to answer for them.
**The curriculum must be a ‘progression model’ – sequencing skills and knowledge so children make progress.
**Ofsted might talk to the children to find out what they ‘know and remember’. how can you prepare them for a stranger asking questions?
**If Ofsted ask you to set up an activity for them to observe and you don’t normally work that way, think about how else you can show evidence of teaching.
**There is a reading and vocabulary focus during inspection, so make sure you read at least a couple of books. Point to the words and a few significant letters while you read. Choose the right books to engage all the children and if one wanders off, make sure there is something productive for them to do.
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Some questions that have come up recently - answered
Do I need to ask parents about their child’s dentist?
*There is a requirement in the new EYFS 2021 to promote the health of children including their oral health.
**SOME Local Authorities (including mine) have advised providers to ask, 'Who is your child's dentist?' on introduction paperwork - maybe the child registration form. This then gives you an 'in' to discuss the importance of registering with the dentist and visiting the dentist regularly if the box is not filled in.
**Ofsted are inspecting oral health - not by looking in children's mouths but by asking how you are supporting parents to take their child to the dentist and how you are supporting children to eat and drink healthily, brush teeth etc.
**There is NO expectation that you brush teeth in the setting unless you want to.
**Ofsted inspectors MIGHT ask parents how you have supported their child's oral health during conversations with them.
Do I need to lock children’s paperwork away?
When GDPR was introduced in 2018, the Information Commissioners Office advised that it is best practice for data protection to have somewhere lockable for children’s paperwork. This is to keep the paperwork as secure as possible.
ICO advise a ‘clear desk policy’ – not necessarily in writing, but clearly evidenced by the fact that you put everything related to children and their families away when you have finished with it so it cannot be accessed by family members or children’s parents (if they come into the setting).
You should lock any tablets, laptops which contain children’s information and phones as well, so information cannot be stolen. You must report any data breaches including thefts to Ofsted and the Information Commissioners Office.
How long do I need to keep paperwork when a child leaves?
Retention periods are in a free guidance document here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork#gdpr.
How much evidence of partnership working do I need?
Childminders all know the scenario – we try and try to work in partnership, but the local pre-school or nursery refuses to talk to us. This leads to Ofsted telling us we haven’t tried hard enough to set up partnership working and have failed the child as a result.
I note that I have yet to read any nursery or pre-school reports where they have been criticised for not working in partnership with childminders – I have commented on this to Ofsted several times.
With advance written parental permission you might ring and speak to the manager / key person, visit the nursery and ask to speak to them, send a letter with a request for a call back, share the child’s learning documentation and ask for comments and feedback, link to a child’s theme after reading the newsletter etc.
I think it is important to show you have tried to work in partnership and to focus on those times when you have been successful – for example, the key person at nursery has shared some information which has allowed you to support the child’s learning in your setting more effectively.
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Professional development
Updated data protection documents on Childcare.co.uk
Childcare.co.uk is working on updating their series of FREE childminder documents – some new documents have been added and the rest have given a wash and brush up for 2022. I hope you like the new layout and typography:
**Data protection - https://www.childcare.co.uk/dataprotection.
Updated free policies
Here are some recently updated free policies for childminders from Childcare.co.uk –
**Illness and infection control – removing the Covid-19 guidance.
**Complaints – including a photo of the new Ofsted poster.
**Health and safety – changes related to Covid-19 guidance.
**Healthy eating – including new links to the EYFS 2021 signposted documents.
Link – https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies
Speech and language support
Beth Morrant is a speech and language specialist. There are lots of interesting blogs on her website which are great for providers and useful for sharing new tips with parents. this blog focuses on how to help toddlers with their talking:
https://www.thespeechandlanguagegarden.com/post/5-fun-things-to-do-to-help-toddlers-with-their-talking.
Schemas support learning
Teach early years has released a new article on schematic play which you might find interesting: https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/schematic-play.
Free training
The My First Five Years team of Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg are continuing to produce free training videos which they put onto their YouTube Channel when finished. Recent recordings include ‘Becoming a Mathematician’ and ‘Learning through Play’. They are great for sharing with parents as well as watching as a practitioner for your CPD:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnuTchHjczLvWOCcY-OLdg/videos
Upcoming FREE webinars from Childcare.co.uk
The following webinars are planned for April 2022:
5th – Toolkits to support teaching.
12th – Easter holiday break.
19th – Easter holiday break.
26th – Planning a May theme.
The following webinars are planned for May 2022:
3rd – Putting together a safeguarding file.
10th – Books to support learning.
17th – Ofsted and professional development.
24th – Missed opportunities for maths.
31st – Role play in the early years.
You can access the webinars here:
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
The webinars are free on the night they are presented. They are recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again:
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find this newsletter useful and informative. Please share the link so colleagues get access to up to date information.
Chat soon, Sarah.
The year is galloping on and in our early years setting we are busy with our spring activities, spotting new growth, planting seeds, sorting out the garden and marvelling at how the seasons change. Where possible, we link our learning to books and support vocabulary through stories, songs, rhymes and conversations.
Here are some general updates for early years providers:
Engaging Families Toolkit
Barnsley Council has produced a toolkit for professionals to help them better engage families to improve outcomes for children and young people. You can download the Engaging Families Toolkit here: https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/media/15665/engaging-families-toolkit.pdf
Funding review
A group of MPs asked the Govt to review early years funding. The Govt said ‘no’. More information in this article from Nursery World magazine:
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/government-rejects-calls-to-review-childcare-funding.
First aid expectations from DfE – England only
DfE has released this update to first aid requirements which includes reference to all early years providers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-aid-in-schools/first-aid-in-schools-early-years-and-further-education.
Progress checks – lots of questions
We are receiving a lot of questions about how to do progress checks to comply with the EYFS 2021. The way early years providers do progress checks has changed. You will find easy to follow guidance which you can use as sentence starters here: www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs. There is a sample progress check form as well.
If you find it useful you can use the Birth to 5 Matters guidance – this conversation between me and Nancy Stewart might be a useful starting point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAsKhUY6yvA&t=1433s&ab_channel=Childcare.co.uk.
If you have a concern about a child’s progress when you have written the progress check, you should complete a Targeted Plan (also on the link above). This will show parents that you are focusing on certain areas and is something you would be able to share with Ofsted during inspection as evidence that while you are not grading the child, you are keeping a close eye on their progress.
New guidance on weaning
New guidance on how to safely introduce children to solid food has been published by the Government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).
Health minister Maria Caulfield said, ‘The first 1,001 days are crucial for development and impact a child’s health for the rest of their life. Every child should have a solid foundation on which to build their health and I am determined to level up the opportunities and support for all children, no matter their background or where they grow up. This campaign will ensure parents have the support and confidence to introduce their babies to solid food and ensure they have the opportunity to thrive and achieve their full potential.’
You might find it useful to read the guidance and signpost it for parents:
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/.
Birth to 5 Matters – new leaflet for parents
If you use Birth to 5 Matters to support children's learning, the team has produced a short two-page parent leaflet which explains how Birth to 5 Matters is used by early years providers, including in childminding settings:
https://birthto5matters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/B25M-Parent-Leaflet-A5-4pp-art.pdf.
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Covid-19 updates
Covid-19 notifications
Early years providers no longer need to inform Ofsted or the Dept for Education about positive cases of Covid-19. However, your Local Authority might still have some notification requirements.
Update for childminders - England
The Dept for Education has confirmed that, from Thursday 17 March, if someone in a childminder’s household has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, childminders can continue to operate at home.
Childminders are advised to follow the steps below to reduce the risk of onward transmission:
**The person who has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms should avoid contact with the children being cared for in the setting.
**Where possible, use separate toilet and handwashing facilities. If this is not possible, maintain extra cleaning and hygiene routines, particularly after the person has used the facilities.
**Notify parents, carers, and any assistants that someone has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, as soon as reasonably possible and maintain open communication with them throughout.
**Consider the need to reduce the spread of COVID-19 with mitigations, such as ventilation and extra cleaning and hygiene routines. They should be applied where practical and safe to do so. Additional information on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is available in guidance published by the Cabinet Office.
**Comply with health and safety law by reviewing your risk assessment. The risk assessment must demonstrate that the provision of childcare in your setting is safe, and how you will put into place any additional but proportionate measures.
Note that the guidance states that childminders can also consider using alternative places to operate such as other childminders’ houses, where possible.
Coronavirus toolkit archived
The free coronavirus toolkit from Childcare.co.uk has now been archived. The website page has been left online because Ofsted are still asking about changes made during the pandemic so you can refer to it if you've forgotten all the amazing ways you adapted your service to support children and families.
Documents that have been removed will pop up in different places over the coming months as the information is re-purposed.
The revised toolkit is here:
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit
Thank you to everyone who let us know that you found the free toolkit documents useful - your positive feedback was what kept Childcare.co.uk adding more free guidance and information for everyone!
Education recovery from DfE – published Dec 2021
This publication from DfE is interesting because it talks about some of the ‘catch up strategies’ early years providers have been using to support children’s learning during the pandemic. There are some useful points which we can develop for our early years children and it’s good to see childminder viewpoints included:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-autumn-2021/education-recovery-in-early-years-providers-autumn
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Ofsted updates
New from Ofsted
**Early years childcare and enforcement policy – hopefully you will never need it but it’s here if you want to check something:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-and-childcare-ofsteds-enforcement-policy.
**Reporting serious incidents to Ofsted – Ofsted registered childminders, Ofsted registered nannies, nurseries and pre-schools must use this form (not email) to report serious incidents to Ofsted. Ofsted state that the layout of the form has been updated today to make it more user-friendly and accessible: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident.
**Ofsted’s guidance on what they consider to be a serious incident:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childcare-significant-events-to-notify-ofsted-about.
Childcare.co.uk and other early years organisations were consulted on the new guidance and Ofsted listened to our comments and feedback.
Ofsted announcement
Ofsted announced recently that they are going to be focusing on the early years ‘for the next 5 years’ and doing some research into how to support children better. More in this article from TES (free to read):
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/ofsted-can-have-most-impact-early-years-says-spielman.
Ofsted vodcast from
This has recently been released on the Foundation Years (DfE) platform:
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/03/vodcast-on-ofsted-inspections-and-the-new-eyfs/.
You might find this guidance for childminders interesting as well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vJrCPk4bOI&t=49s&ab_channel=Childcare.co.uk
What is Ofsted’s definition of the curriculum?
Ofsted signpost the educational programmes in the EYFS, used alongside their definitions of intent, implementation and impact detailed in the Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook.
Ofsted does not have a preferred curriculum. They are looking at the programme you put in place to take children from where they are to where you want them to be (Phil Mimms, Ofsted).
Ofsted early years inspection handbook:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
What is Ofsted’s view of teaching, planning and assessment?
- Teaching – the definition is in the inspection handbook (linked above). It’s what you do to help a child practice or understand something. It’s not children sat in rows while they are ‘taught’ by someone at the front of the classroom.
- Planning – Ofsted does not advocate a particular method of planning. It’s up to each provider to determine their practices and explain them to Ofsted.
- Assessment – isn’t about paperwork, it’s about knowing the children and knowing what they can do. Ofsted does not have a pre-determined view of what paperwork should look like and will not look at documentation.
Does Ofsted expect to see curriculum in writing?
No. Each provider needs to consider whether they need something in writing or not.
Ofsted will comment on the impact of the curriculum on outcomes for children.
Ofsted has added more information to the early years inspection handbook about what they do and do not expect to see.
What is Ofsted’s view on children sitting while a practitioner teaches them?
Ofsted point us back to the definition of teaching – child development knowledge – the way activities are set up and how staff want children to learn.
It is up to the provider to decide what they want children to learn and how they are going to teach. This goes back to the first 2 of the 3 Is – intent and implementation.
Do I need to make changes for Ofsted?
Ofsted remind early years providers – don’t do anything ‘for Ofsted’. Do what you do for the children – read the handbook – know what inspectors are looking at – have confidence in your practice. The final judgement the inspector considers is ‘what is it like to be a child here?’
Updates in brief:
**Ofsted do not inspect us against whether or not we use Development Matters 2021. It’s up to you how you support children’s progress. Ofsted will want to know about your curriculum and how you track children to make sure they are making progress from their starting points.
**Ofsted does not have a ‘preferred view’ of the curriculum. You will be expected to talk about – explain – justify what you do and how you do it.
**Ofsted does not look for internal data assessment – if you need to write it down, think about how effectively you capture and share significant moments with parents.
**Ofsted will focus on interactions with children – asking open questions, getting down to child’s level, giving eye contact and waiting for them to put together their reply before rushing in to answer for them.
**The curriculum must be a ‘progression model’ – sequencing skills and knowledge so children make progress.
**Ofsted might talk to the children to find out what they ‘know and remember’. how can you prepare them for a stranger asking questions?
**If Ofsted ask you to set up an activity for them to observe and you don’t normally work that way, think about how else you can show evidence of teaching.
**There is a reading and vocabulary focus during inspection, so make sure you read at least a couple of books. Point to the words and a few significant letters while you read. Choose the right books to engage all the children and if one wanders off, make sure there is something productive for them to do.
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Some questions that have come up recently - answered
Do I need to ask parents about their child’s dentist?
*There is a requirement in the new EYFS 2021 to promote the health of children including their oral health.
**SOME Local Authorities (including mine) have advised providers to ask, 'Who is your child's dentist?' on introduction paperwork - maybe the child registration form. This then gives you an 'in' to discuss the importance of registering with the dentist and visiting the dentist regularly if the box is not filled in.
**Ofsted are inspecting oral health - not by looking in children's mouths but by asking how you are supporting parents to take their child to the dentist and how you are supporting children to eat and drink healthily, brush teeth etc.
**There is NO expectation that you brush teeth in the setting unless you want to.
**Ofsted inspectors MIGHT ask parents how you have supported their child's oral health during conversations with them.
Do I need to lock children’s paperwork away?
When GDPR was introduced in 2018, the Information Commissioners Office advised that it is best practice for data protection to have somewhere lockable for children’s paperwork. This is to keep the paperwork as secure as possible.
ICO advise a ‘clear desk policy’ – not necessarily in writing, but clearly evidenced by the fact that you put everything related to children and their families away when you have finished with it so it cannot be accessed by family members or children’s parents (if they come into the setting).
You should lock any tablets, laptops which contain children’s information and phones as well, so information cannot be stolen. You must report any data breaches including thefts to Ofsted and the Information Commissioners Office.
How long do I need to keep paperwork when a child leaves?
Retention periods are in a free guidance document here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork#gdpr.
How much evidence of partnership working do I need?
Childminders all know the scenario – we try and try to work in partnership, but the local pre-school or nursery refuses to talk to us. This leads to Ofsted telling us we haven’t tried hard enough to set up partnership working and have failed the child as a result.
I note that I have yet to read any nursery or pre-school reports where they have been criticised for not working in partnership with childminders – I have commented on this to Ofsted several times.
With advance written parental permission you might ring and speak to the manager / key person, visit the nursery and ask to speak to them, send a letter with a request for a call back, share the child’s learning documentation and ask for comments and feedback, link to a child’s theme after reading the newsletter etc.
I think it is important to show you have tried to work in partnership and to focus on those times when you have been successful – for example, the key person at nursery has shared some information which has allowed you to support the child’s learning in your setting more effectively.
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Professional development
Updated data protection documents on Childcare.co.uk
Childcare.co.uk is working on updating their series of FREE childminder documents – some new documents have been added and the rest have given a wash and brush up for 2022. I hope you like the new layout and typography:
**Data protection - https://www.childcare.co.uk/dataprotection.
Updated free policies
Here are some recently updated free policies for childminders from Childcare.co.uk –
**Illness and infection control – removing the Covid-19 guidance.
**Complaints – including a photo of the new Ofsted poster.
**Health and safety – changes related to Covid-19 guidance.
**Healthy eating – including new links to the EYFS 2021 signposted documents.
Link – https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies
Speech and language support
Beth Morrant is a speech and language specialist. There are lots of interesting blogs on her website which are great for providers and useful for sharing new tips with parents. this blog focuses on how to help toddlers with their talking:
https://www.thespeechandlanguagegarden.com/post/5-fun-things-to-do-to-help-toddlers-with-their-talking.
Schemas support learning
Teach early years has released a new article on schematic play which you might find interesting: https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/schematic-play.
Free training
The My First Five Years team of Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce-Clegg are continuing to produce free training videos which they put onto their YouTube Channel when finished. Recent recordings include ‘Becoming a Mathematician’ and ‘Learning through Play’. They are great for sharing with parents as well as watching as a practitioner for your CPD:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnuTchHjczLvWOCcY-OLdg/videos
Upcoming FREE webinars from Childcare.co.uk
The following webinars are planned for April 2022:
5th – Toolkits to support teaching.
12th – Easter holiday break.
19th – Easter holiday break.
26th – Planning a May theme.
The following webinars are planned for May 2022:
3rd – Putting together a safeguarding file.
10th – Books to support learning.
17th – Ofsted and professional development.
24th – Missed opportunities for maths.
31st – Role play in the early years.
You can access the webinars here:
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
The webinars are free on the night they are presented. They are recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again:
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find this newsletter useful and informative. Please share the link so colleagues get access to up to date information.
Chat soon, Sarah.
March 2022 newsletter
Welcome to March!
This year seems to be moving very quickly but I imagine a 5 week month will slow things down a little. I hope you are all staying well and looking after your wellbeing - winter is tough enough without all the other stuff that's going on in the world at the moment.
Here are some general updates:
Responding to war
This might be useful reading for staff explaining to their own children as well as older children in the setting -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/13865002
New schemas blog
I have written a quick blog on schemas -
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/schemas.
Levelling up – the new Govt initiative
The Govt has released a new document ‘Levelling up’ – you can find out more in the Early Years Alliance newsletter –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/02/government-reveals-levelling-white-paper.
According to this Nursery World article, the Govt has been accused by many of missing opportunities for early years in its plan –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/government-accused-of-missing-an-opportunity-with-its-levelling-up-plan
Physical activity and disabled children
For the first time, DfE has produced guidance on physical activity for disabled children.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/physical-activity-in-disabled-children-and-disabled-young-people-evidence-review
The guidelines from the UK chief medical officers, which apply to children aged 2 – 17 years, recommend daily levels of physical activity to support those with disabilities to improve their physical and mental health.
An infographic has also been published to share with parents -
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1055018/infographic-physical-activity-for-disabled-children-and-disabled-young-people.pdf.
Colouring in the Queen
Do your children enjoy colouring in? This link was shared with me – there are lots of different colouring pictures for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in July -
https://www.colouringheroes.com/jubilee
Fun activities for March
World Book Day is coming up on Thursday 3rd March. You will find more information here -
https://www.worldbookday.com/.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members will find lots of fun activity ideas for some popular children’s books here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/resources.
Support for providers who have fussy eaters
Do you have fussy eaters in your early years setting? This blog might be interesting -
https://juliangrenier.blogspot.com/2022/02/worries-and-anxieties-of-fussy-eaters.html.
Children might like to engage with this health food scanner app from the NHS website to help them make better food choices –
https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/food-facts/nhs-food-scanner-app/.
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Covid-19 latest
Living with Covid
The Government has announced an end to pretty much all Covid restrictions and says we must learn to ‘live with Covid’ and ‘take personal responsibility’.
DfE has updated the ‘Actions for Early Years’ guidance to reflect the changes –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
Reporting Covid to Ofsted
Providers no longer need to inform Ofsted about positive cases of Covid in the household.
Your Local Authority might still want you to report to them – you should check locally.
Updated illness and infection control policy
The FREE Childcare.co.uk illness and infection control policy has been updated to reflect changes in Govt advice -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies
Note: guidance for Scotland and Wales might be different from England – you should check locally.
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Frequently asked questions... answered
Some questions taken from posts on the Independent Childminders Facebook group...
I’ve received an email from Ofsted about inspection – what next?
Ofsted are catching up on overdue inspections. They announced last month that they would email overdue providers to ask when they were working, so inspectors can schedule inspections. You might find this blog helpful to support you with preparing for inspection – https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/tips-for-ofsted-inspection.
What are you recording for children’s learning?
Some providers have been talking on the Independent childminders Facebook group about their concerns over knowing what their children can and cannot yet do. They say they know the information day-to-day but go blank when there’s an Ofsted inspector in the house. If this is a question you have been asking yourself, you might find my upcoming webinar on Tuesday 5th April 2022 on learning and development toolkits useful –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
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Safeguarding updates
Safeguarding paperwork retention
A childminder asked about retention periods for safeguarding paperwork and whether the policies on Childcare.co.uk accurately reflect this.
The policies and guidance on the Childcare.co.uk website provide you with an overview of, for example, child protection and document retention information.
Beyond that, it is important to know what your Local Authority expectations are in relation to retention.
For example, some Local Authorities provide a document transfer form and state that all safeguarding documentation must be passed on to the child’s next setting when they leave or go to school. The provider passing them on should retain a signed transfer form.
In other Local Authorities, the expectation is that the provider keeps the forms until the child is 21 years and 3 months old (Limitation Act, 1980); some Local authorities state to retain documents ‘for 25 years’ (legislation covering this unclear); some Local Authorities use the retention period ‘until the child is 25 years old’ which is a school requirement (Information and Records Management Society (IRMS), 2019).
You will find more information in this useful NSPCC document –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/briefings/child-protection-records-retention-storage-guidance.
This is one of the reasons why it is important to engage with Local Authority safeguarding training in addition to the Educare training, free safeguarding webinars and support documents available through Childcare.co.uk.
Toxic trio – new name
The toxic trio of domestic abuse, mental ill health and substance misuse is also known as 'the trilogy of risk' or ‘people with multiple and complex needs’. The NHS now uses the term 'the trio of vulnerabilities' to describe this safeguarding risk.
You might want to update your policy.
Safer internet day
Did you do some activities – or did you miss it? If so, there are resources on the website –
https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2022/educational-resources.
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Ofsted latest news
Myths, stereotypes and tokenism
I would like to address some recent Ofsted feedback about cultural stereotypes.
There is a big difference between, for example –
...Reading a book about Chinese New Year, visiting the Chinese Arch and supermarket, making Chinese food, talking about gifts received by Chinese children at New Year and comparing them with the gifts the children in your setting received at Christmas ... and colouring a picture of a lantern because you need to do something quickly.
...Inviting a child’s parent into the setting to talk about a home festival, trying some special food, listening to music and joining in with dance linked to the festival... and making a Diva lamp without any awareness of why you are doing it.
...Saying ‘in Africa, children live in lots of different types of houses including...’ and then reading a book such as ‘Handa’s Surprise’... and saying ‘all children in Africa live in mud huts and carry baskets of fruit on their heads.’
Your resources should be a mirror, so your children see themselves and their friends represented. However, we also need to teach children about life beyond the playroom door and that means having unbiased, inclusive and age-appropriate conversations with them about the wider world.
Things you can do include:
...Check your toys are inclusive and allow the children to see their home and family lives in the setting.
...Ensure you tell stories / read books with background - such as when reading the book above.
...Plan your activities carefully so they are not tokenistic or superficial.
...Do not display cultural artefacts without giving the children any background information.
...Recognise the difference between celebrating something with the children and marking a special day that might have relevance to someone else.
Parent conversations during inspection
Where possible, DfE has told Ofsted that they need to talk to parents during your inspection. Sometimes they catch them on the doorstep - other times they call them. One of the questions inspectors often ask parents is whether they know their child's 'next steps' - the things you are working on next together to support their learning.
It is a requirement of the EYFS to share information with parents about the EYFS 7 areas of learning and to tell them about children's activities and experiences in the setting - and it is a requirement to support home learning - so they should have some knowledge of what you are doing with their child.
Think about: how would your parents reply to that question? Would they know what to say? A colleague lost her outstanding grade recently because a parent didn't know...
Ofsted and DfE
In this post on the Independent Childminders Facebook group, I try and make the relationship between Ofsted and the Department for Education clearer for members because I often see Ofsted criticised for things that they do not have any influence over...
The Department for Education write the legislation - the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Yes, Ofsted is invited to give feedback but so do the early years sector and support organisations.
Once it's written, DfE tell Ofsted to inspect providers based on the EYFS which is a legal document. Ofsted do what DfE tell them to do - they don't make things up - they have to refer back to the EYFS.
This means that Ofsted don't have a choice how they inspect - for example, the EYFS (DfE document) says 'Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious'. DfE then produce further healthy eating guidance which clarifies what they expect us to do and what they want Ofsted to look for during inspection. Ofsted's job is to come out and use the law and the DfE guidance to decide whether we are compliant or not.
It is not your inspector who has made up the rules. It's taken a lot of work by a lot of people to ensure the extra guidance documents that explain the rules are published for everyone to follow - or not. It's always your choice how you work. So it looks like this -
The law -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
An example of some of the guidance –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Providers used to say inspection was like a test without the syllabus. After a lot of very hard work we now have the syllabus. It is, of course, up to you whether you want to refer to it or wing it.
What’s coming through in reports?
Independence is coming through in a lot of the feedback I'm hearing at the moment - not doing things for a child they can or should be able to do for themselves... Some inspectors are expecting too much of little ones as a result! Be ready to show you know your children is the answer I think...
Giving children time to think – we see this one a lot. The practitioner asks a question and panics when the child starts picking their nose or looking away, so they re-phrase to try and get the child’s attention back. The inspector says the practitioner did not give the child time to think. Count to 15 after asking a question – I know it feels like a long time but you need to show you give children time to process.
No paediatric first aid – while we were advised by Ofsted some time ago that it was ok to let first aid lapse if you can prove it’s out of date because of covid and you can show that you have a new course booked, inspectors are not accepting this as a valid reason and a number of childminders have lost their grades as a result. Please do not work without a valid paediatric first aid certificate.
Displays – I know that, in many cases, parents aren’t coming into the setting anymore but, to comply with the EYFS, you must display your Ofsted registration certificate and the latest Ofsted parent poster (updated 2021 – same picture, different wording at the bottom). Your Local Authority might also expect you to display their safeguarding details. You should have a folder to show Ofsted your other certificates such as paediatric first aid, vehicle insurance and ICO registration etc.
DfE food safety guidance
A childminder reports that she was told by her Ofsted inspector, 'I wouldn't get outstanding because some children had brought juice from home in their drinking cups'.
This is not the first time I have been told this has happened since DfE launched the latest guidance in the 'Help for early years' website.
Best advice - stick to water or milk and ask parents to support you with this at home.
Yes, I know some children refuse to drink water - if that is the case, my advice is to put together a care plan, noting the medical reason for the juice and whichever professional advised parents to give the juice and be ready to share it with your inspector.
Help for early years providers -
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety
Free care plan to adapt -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
Update: a member was curious why I suggested a care plan for something like this. As I explained in my reply, ‘when members are at risk of losing their grades for this and ask my advice and I know there is a very simple fix I feel I would be remiss not to suggest it for those who find it useful...’
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Professional development
Pre-reading and pre-writing
Useful short videos to share with parents about what comes before reading and what comes before writing from Alistair Bryce Clegg and Jennie Johnson, the team who have just launched the My First Five Years parent app -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnuTchHjczLvWOCcY-OLdg/videos
SEND and the pandemic
Latest blog from Foundation Years (DfE) about supporting children with SEND during the pandemic. Good for CPD - and we note there are a lot of questions coming up during inspection about how children with SEND are supported in early years so it's a good one to mention you have read if you are asked -
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/02/blog-all-of-our-children-all-of-our-responsibility/
The case for guided play in the early years
We know that Ofsted expect us to demonstrate a balance of adult-led and adult-guided teaching during inspection and we recognise the value of child initiated play. This blog from Early Education looks at the value of guided play, as part of your teaching toolkit –
https://early-education.org.uk/can-guided-play-enhance-younger-childrens-learning/
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Upcoming free webinars
All webinars are free on the night they are presented –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
They are recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Webinars for March include:
1st – EYFS 2021: 6 months on.
8th – Enabling environments in the early years.
15th – Continuous provision and how it supports learning.
22nd – Quality improvement.
29th – Planning an April theme.
Note: the ‘themed planning’ webinars are a new addition, introduced after consultation with providers who asked me to write them. I will present 3 of them (February is available on the Webinar Player) and see how it goes – so far, they are proving popular.
What webinars do you want to watch?
I have ideas of course, but I am always happy to write for colleagues. I am currently working on a webinar about toilet training, a subject which came up a lot in the chat section during a recent webinar on supporting children’s emotions... if you have any pressing topics you would like to cover, please let me know.
I welcome constructive feedback and news stories. Thank you. Sarah.
This year seems to be moving very quickly but I imagine a 5 week month will slow things down a little. I hope you are all staying well and looking after your wellbeing - winter is tough enough without all the other stuff that's going on in the world at the moment.
Here are some general updates:
Responding to war
This might be useful reading for staff explaining to their own children as well as older children in the setting -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/13865002
New schemas blog
I have written a quick blog on schemas -
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/schemas.
Levelling up – the new Govt initiative
The Govt has released a new document ‘Levelling up’ – you can find out more in the Early Years Alliance newsletter –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2022/02/government-reveals-levelling-white-paper.
According to this Nursery World article, the Govt has been accused by many of missing opportunities for early years in its plan –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/government-accused-of-missing-an-opportunity-with-its-levelling-up-plan
Physical activity and disabled children
For the first time, DfE has produced guidance on physical activity for disabled children.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/physical-activity-in-disabled-children-and-disabled-young-people-evidence-review
The guidelines from the UK chief medical officers, which apply to children aged 2 – 17 years, recommend daily levels of physical activity to support those with disabilities to improve their physical and mental health.
An infographic has also been published to share with parents -
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1055018/infographic-physical-activity-for-disabled-children-and-disabled-young-people.pdf.
Colouring in the Queen
Do your children enjoy colouring in? This link was shared with me – there are lots of different colouring pictures for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in July -
https://www.colouringheroes.com/jubilee
Fun activities for March
World Book Day is coming up on Thursday 3rd March. You will find more information here -
https://www.worldbookday.com/.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members will find lots of fun activity ideas for some popular children’s books here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/resources.
Support for providers who have fussy eaters
Do you have fussy eaters in your early years setting? This blog might be interesting -
https://juliangrenier.blogspot.com/2022/02/worries-and-anxieties-of-fussy-eaters.html.
Children might like to engage with this health food scanner app from the NHS website to help them make better food choices –
https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/food-facts/nhs-food-scanner-app/.
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Covid-19 latest
Living with Covid
The Government has announced an end to pretty much all Covid restrictions and says we must learn to ‘live with Covid’ and ‘take personal responsibility’.
DfE has updated the ‘Actions for Early Years’ guidance to reflect the changes –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
Reporting Covid to Ofsted
Providers no longer need to inform Ofsted about positive cases of Covid in the household.
Your Local Authority might still want you to report to them – you should check locally.
Updated illness and infection control policy
The FREE Childcare.co.uk illness and infection control policy has been updated to reflect changes in Govt advice -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies
Note: guidance for Scotland and Wales might be different from England – you should check locally.
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Frequently asked questions... answered
Some questions taken from posts on the Independent Childminders Facebook group...
I’ve received an email from Ofsted about inspection – what next?
Ofsted are catching up on overdue inspections. They announced last month that they would email overdue providers to ask when they were working, so inspectors can schedule inspections. You might find this blog helpful to support you with preparing for inspection – https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/tips-for-ofsted-inspection.
What are you recording for children’s learning?
Some providers have been talking on the Independent childminders Facebook group about their concerns over knowing what their children can and cannot yet do. They say they know the information day-to-day but go blank when there’s an Ofsted inspector in the house. If this is a question you have been asking yourself, you might find my upcoming webinar on Tuesday 5th April 2022 on learning and development toolkits useful –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
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Safeguarding updates
Safeguarding paperwork retention
A childminder asked about retention periods for safeguarding paperwork and whether the policies on Childcare.co.uk accurately reflect this.
The policies and guidance on the Childcare.co.uk website provide you with an overview of, for example, child protection and document retention information.
Beyond that, it is important to know what your Local Authority expectations are in relation to retention.
For example, some Local Authorities provide a document transfer form and state that all safeguarding documentation must be passed on to the child’s next setting when they leave or go to school. The provider passing them on should retain a signed transfer form.
In other Local Authorities, the expectation is that the provider keeps the forms until the child is 21 years and 3 months old (Limitation Act, 1980); some Local authorities state to retain documents ‘for 25 years’ (legislation covering this unclear); some Local Authorities use the retention period ‘until the child is 25 years old’ which is a school requirement (Information and Records Management Society (IRMS), 2019).
You will find more information in this useful NSPCC document –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/briefings/child-protection-records-retention-storage-guidance.
This is one of the reasons why it is important to engage with Local Authority safeguarding training in addition to the Educare training, free safeguarding webinars and support documents available through Childcare.co.uk.
Toxic trio – new name
The toxic trio of domestic abuse, mental ill health and substance misuse is also known as 'the trilogy of risk' or ‘people with multiple and complex needs’. The NHS now uses the term 'the trio of vulnerabilities' to describe this safeguarding risk.
You might want to update your policy.
Safer internet day
Did you do some activities – or did you miss it? If so, there are resources on the website –
https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2022/educational-resources.
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Ofsted latest news
Myths, stereotypes and tokenism
I would like to address some recent Ofsted feedback about cultural stereotypes.
There is a big difference between, for example –
...Reading a book about Chinese New Year, visiting the Chinese Arch and supermarket, making Chinese food, talking about gifts received by Chinese children at New Year and comparing them with the gifts the children in your setting received at Christmas ... and colouring a picture of a lantern because you need to do something quickly.
...Inviting a child’s parent into the setting to talk about a home festival, trying some special food, listening to music and joining in with dance linked to the festival... and making a Diva lamp without any awareness of why you are doing it.
...Saying ‘in Africa, children live in lots of different types of houses including...’ and then reading a book such as ‘Handa’s Surprise’... and saying ‘all children in Africa live in mud huts and carry baskets of fruit on their heads.’
Your resources should be a mirror, so your children see themselves and their friends represented. However, we also need to teach children about life beyond the playroom door and that means having unbiased, inclusive and age-appropriate conversations with them about the wider world.
Things you can do include:
...Check your toys are inclusive and allow the children to see their home and family lives in the setting.
...Ensure you tell stories / read books with background - such as when reading the book above.
...Plan your activities carefully so they are not tokenistic or superficial.
...Do not display cultural artefacts without giving the children any background information.
...Recognise the difference between celebrating something with the children and marking a special day that might have relevance to someone else.
Parent conversations during inspection
Where possible, DfE has told Ofsted that they need to talk to parents during your inspection. Sometimes they catch them on the doorstep - other times they call them. One of the questions inspectors often ask parents is whether they know their child's 'next steps' - the things you are working on next together to support their learning.
It is a requirement of the EYFS to share information with parents about the EYFS 7 areas of learning and to tell them about children's activities and experiences in the setting - and it is a requirement to support home learning - so they should have some knowledge of what you are doing with their child.
Think about: how would your parents reply to that question? Would they know what to say? A colleague lost her outstanding grade recently because a parent didn't know...
Ofsted and DfE
In this post on the Independent Childminders Facebook group, I try and make the relationship between Ofsted and the Department for Education clearer for members because I often see Ofsted criticised for things that they do not have any influence over...
The Department for Education write the legislation - the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Yes, Ofsted is invited to give feedback but so do the early years sector and support organisations.
Once it's written, DfE tell Ofsted to inspect providers based on the EYFS which is a legal document. Ofsted do what DfE tell them to do - they don't make things up - they have to refer back to the EYFS.
This means that Ofsted don't have a choice how they inspect - for example, the EYFS (DfE document) says 'Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious'. DfE then produce further healthy eating guidance which clarifies what they expect us to do and what they want Ofsted to look for during inspection. Ofsted's job is to come out and use the law and the DfE guidance to decide whether we are compliant or not.
It is not your inspector who has made up the rules. It's taken a lot of work by a lot of people to ensure the extra guidance documents that explain the rules are published for everyone to follow - or not. It's always your choice how you work. So it looks like this -
The law -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
An example of some of the guidance –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Providers used to say inspection was like a test without the syllabus. After a lot of very hard work we now have the syllabus. It is, of course, up to you whether you want to refer to it or wing it.
What’s coming through in reports?
Independence is coming through in a lot of the feedback I'm hearing at the moment - not doing things for a child they can or should be able to do for themselves... Some inspectors are expecting too much of little ones as a result! Be ready to show you know your children is the answer I think...
Giving children time to think – we see this one a lot. The practitioner asks a question and panics when the child starts picking their nose or looking away, so they re-phrase to try and get the child’s attention back. The inspector says the practitioner did not give the child time to think. Count to 15 after asking a question – I know it feels like a long time but you need to show you give children time to process.
No paediatric first aid – while we were advised by Ofsted some time ago that it was ok to let first aid lapse if you can prove it’s out of date because of covid and you can show that you have a new course booked, inspectors are not accepting this as a valid reason and a number of childminders have lost their grades as a result. Please do not work without a valid paediatric first aid certificate.
Displays – I know that, in many cases, parents aren’t coming into the setting anymore but, to comply with the EYFS, you must display your Ofsted registration certificate and the latest Ofsted parent poster (updated 2021 – same picture, different wording at the bottom). Your Local Authority might also expect you to display their safeguarding details. You should have a folder to show Ofsted your other certificates such as paediatric first aid, vehicle insurance and ICO registration etc.
DfE food safety guidance
A childminder reports that she was told by her Ofsted inspector, 'I wouldn't get outstanding because some children had brought juice from home in their drinking cups'.
This is not the first time I have been told this has happened since DfE launched the latest guidance in the 'Help for early years' website.
Best advice - stick to water or milk and ask parents to support you with this at home.
Yes, I know some children refuse to drink water - if that is the case, my advice is to put together a care plan, noting the medical reason for the juice and whichever professional advised parents to give the juice and be ready to share it with your inspector.
Help for early years providers -
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety
Free care plan to adapt -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
Update: a member was curious why I suggested a care plan for something like this. As I explained in my reply, ‘when members are at risk of losing their grades for this and ask my advice and I know there is a very simple fix I feel I would be remiss not to suggest it for those who find it useful...’
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Professional development
Pre-reading and pre-writing
Useful short videos to share with parents about what comes before reading and what comes before writing from Alistair Bryce Clegg and Jennie Johnson, the team who have just launched the My First Five Years parent app -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnuTchHjczLvWOCcY-OLdg/videos
SEND and the pandemic
Latest blog from Foundation Years (DfE) about supporting children with SEND during the pandemic. Good for CPD - and we note there are a lot of questions coming up during inspection about how children with SEND are supported in early years so it's a good one to mention you have read if you are asked -
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2022/02/blog-all-of-our-children-all-of-our-responsibility/
The case for guided play in the early years
We know that Ofsted expect us to demonstrate a balance of adult-led and adult-guided teaching during inspection and we recognise the value of child initiated play. This blog from Early Education looks at the value of guided play, as part of your teaching toolkit –
https://early-education.org.uk/can-guided-play-enhance-younger-childrens-learning/
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Upcoming free webinars
All webinars are free on the night they are presented –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
They are recorded for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Webinars for March include:
1st – EYFS 2021: 6 months on.
8th – Enabling environments in the early years.
15th – Continuous provision and how it supports learning.
22nd – Quality improvement.
29th – Planning an April theme.
Note: the ‘themed planning’ webinars are a new addition, introduced after consultation with providers who asked me to write them. I will present 3 of them (February is available on the Webinar Player) and see how it goes – so far, they are proving popular.
What webinars do you want to watch?
I have ideas of course, but I am always happy to write for colleagues. I am currently working on a webinar about toilet training, a subject which came up a lot in the chat section during a recent webinar on supporting children’s emotions... if you have any pressing topics you would like to cover, please let me know.
I welcome constructive feedback and news stories. Thank you. Sarah.
February 2022 newsletter
Welcome to February - I hope the new year has started well for you. To colleagues who are struggling, we can do this!!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Neil Leitch from the Early Years Alliance who has been awarded an MBE in the new year honours list – well deserved. I have always found Neil’s common sense, down to earth approach to early years refreshing and I generally find myself nodding along to everything he says – plus, he never forgets childminders!
More congratulations!
Congratulations to my colleagues Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce Clegg on the launch of their new ‘My First Five Years’ (MFFY) app. Jennie was the owner of the Kids Allowed chain which operated nurseries in the north-west and Alistair is very well-known for his training work.
I have been reviewing the app over the last few months and I think it’s a brilliant resource for parents and nannies in its current format and, with a few tweaks, it would also support childminders who are working with early years children.
It is currently available on Apple platform with an Android version to follow in the spring.
You will find more information on the website here - https://www.mffy.com/.
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Money matters
HMRC accounts submission countdown
The deadline for your 2020/2021 accounts submission to HMRC is fast approaching. By 31st January 2022 you must be ready to submit 3 figures for self-employment - total income - total expenses = net income for the year. You will also need the total of any grants you claimed to hand.
You will need to find your login details for HMRC and check they work so if you have to update them, you can do it before the end of the month because there are fines for late submission.
You will find FREE guidance for calculating your accounts from Childcare.co.uk here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
If you are an employer
Did you know that you might be able to claim back statutory sick pay at the moment?
You will find more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-back-statutory-sick-pay-paid-to-employees-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19.
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Learning and development
During 2021, I kept a record of all the blogs I read and articles I perused and videos I watched, just to see how much CPD I averaged a month. It was surprised to see it was generally over 40 individual CPD ‘things’ a month! I intend keeping that up this year, but not writing it down.
Some of the mantras I use when catching up and sharing links and writing this newsletter include:
**It’s not what you read, it’s how you use it to improve your setting and ways of working.
**It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.
**Try to bend everything back to improving outcomes for children.
Speech and language
Do you follow Beth Morrant from the Speech and Language Garden?
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/beth-morrant-1b75701b4
She writes regular blogs which support professional development.
Foundation years vodcast
The latest DfE / Foundation Years vodcast for early years providers features a nursery owner and a childminder talking about how they have managed the recent EYFS reforms in their settings -
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2021/12/new-vodcast-on-the-help-for-early-years-providers-online-resource
How do you teach?
The best approach in early years is, in my opinion, usually blended. For example, some of the tmie the children follow and develop their own fascinations (child initiated play)... some of the time we play alongside the children, introducing new ideas and scaffolding their learning (adult guided play)... some of the time, we lead the children to help them learn new things and to introduce new learning (adult-led play).
A new study suggests that adult guided play is as effective as adult led teaching for children’s learning and development. You can read more in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/guided-play-as-effective-as-adult-led-instruction-for-children-s-learning-and-development
However, note that Ofsted are looking for some adult-led instruction during inspection – for example, adult-led reading and music and movement sessions; our last Ofsted inspector also asked us about our phonics games, using Letters and Sounds phase 1, for our pre-school children.
The characteristics of effective learning
Whenever I go out to chat to settings or childminders as a trainer, or discuss work with colleagues as an online consultant, the characteristics of effective learning come up as an area of confusion.
We know they are part of the EYFS statutory framework and we must use them but the recent change in definition in the EYFS 2021 has muddied the waters even more – are they ‘how children learn’ or are they ‘the rates at which children learn’? Is the explanation in the Development Matters 2021 guidance or the Birth to 5 Matters 2021 guidance correct? What should we do with them in our day to day work?
This blog from Elaine at Keeping Early Years Unique might help to demystify them slightly -
https://www.keyu.co.uk/keyu-blogs/the-keyu-blog/.
Reading and phonics
I note a few recent articles on the subjects of reading and phonics in schools including:
Why shared reading should be a priority from TES https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/eyfs/why-shared-reading-must-be-early-priority
Also, this one on phonics is worth a skim – while it doesn’t directly affect early years, it’s useful to know what is happening in schools, to stay updated and to enable discussions with parents –
https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rev3.3314.
This article in the Guardian talks about a new study which shows the current way of teaching children to read, proposed in the Rose Report (2006) and implemented through a small number of phonics reading schemes, might not be fit for purpose –
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/jan/19/focus-on-phonics-to-teach-reading-is-failing-children-says-landmark-study.
Maths and Birth to 5 Matters
This is a really good, short video with Dr Helen Williams and Dr Andrea Lancaster, which explains how the maths section of Birth to 5 Matters works in practice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67uaLCa5N9I&ab_channel=EarlyEducation
The importance of shared reading
This article in TES magazine talks about the importance of shared reading for comprehension in the early years. It refers to how the quality of the home literacy environment improves children’s life chances – this can also relate to ensuring early years providers have a quality literacy environment.
I have discussed in previous training how the DfE has changed the literacy educational programme to include ‘comprehension’ which was previously in communication and language. The change now aligns understanding with reading and writing as it is an essential underpinning skill -
https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/eyfs/why-shared-reading-must-be-early-priority.
Supporting children to understand their emotions
This article in Parenta magazine from Katie Rose White (a laughter facilitator) is a good read – it walks us through how to recognise children’s emotions so they learn to express and release the emotion in a safe way – this in turn help children to strengthen their resilience.
https://www.parenta.com/2022/01/01/creatively-expressing-emotions/
Adult-led / adult-guided teaching
Which do you prefer? According to a Nursery World report, a new study from the University of Cambridge found that ‘teaching younger children through guided play can support key aspects of their learning and development at least as well, and sometimes better, than traditional, direct instruction.’
The researchers state: ‘If children are given the freedom to explore, but with some gentle guidance, it can be very good for their education.’ The article is here - https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.13730.
You might want to think about how that impacts on your pedagogy / teaching and be ready to discuss it with your Ofsted inspector.
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Safeguarding updates
Domestic Abuse Act 2021
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 aims to raise awareness and understanding and strengthens the support for victims of abuse.
Victoria Atkins MP, Minister for Safeguarding says "Domestic abuse is an abhorrent crime perpetrated on victims and their families by those who should love and care for them. This landmark Bill will help transform the response to domestic abuse, helping to prevent offending, protect victims and ensure they have the support they need."
If you are concerned about domestic abuse, you might provide information about where they can find local support. If you are concerned about the impact on the child, which will always be there, you should
Keeping children safe in education 2021
This document is signposted in the EYFS – section 1 is important for all providers.
I read that they are already looking to update it for the 2022 version – I will share when I know more.
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Ofsted updates
There is quite a lot to share from Ofsted this month, so here goes!
When is my inspection due?
I hear this question so often! If you have been inspected by Ofsted at any time after August 2016 and you received a good or outstanding grade, it is likely that you will not be on Ofsted’s ‘urgent’ list unless something related to safeguarding flags up on the system.
If you have not been inspected during this ‘cycle’ (since August 2016) and / or you are a new provider over 30 months since registration and / or you have a requires improvement or inadequate grade, you will be on someone’s list. Ofsted are sending out emails at the moment to overdue childminders so they can book inspections over the next few months.
Inspections continue into 2022
Ofsted confirmed (5.1.2022) that they are continuing with early years inspections.
They have said they will prioritise providers who are overdue inspection from the last cycle, providers 30+ months from starting date, providers with an inadequate grade and safeguarding concerns. Registration and approvals work will also continue.
Ofsted state that they will check whether a setting feels that it can go ahead with the inspection during the notification call and that if the setting requests a deferral, that they would look at that request 'favourably and sensitively', unless they have urgent safeguarding concerns.
Ofsted have asked us to share their deferral policy with everyone –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deferring-ofsted-inspections.
Ofsted introduce new guidance – or do they?
Some time ago, Ofsted said during one of their meetings that they would introduce new reporting guidance, to make it clearer what they wanted settings, childminders and registered nannies to report to them. This is a commonly asked question, so we were grateful that this might be clarified.
When the guidance was released, members were horrified by the level of intrusion and detail required by Ofsted. Articles were written and they were widely criticised on Twitter and social media platforms for the unworkable guidance.
Ofsted quickly withdrew the guidance for updating! Watch this space...
Covid is an exceptional circumstance for ratios
Ofsted has confirmed that staff absences due to covid are considered an exceptional circumstance and, if affected, you can change your ratios for a short time while staffing issues are resolved. This means, for example, childminders can care for 4 or 5 children on their own when they would normally have an assistant in the setting.
Ofsted also confirm that this situation might be a scenario where they would favourably consider allowing a provider to defer their inspection. You will find more information about inspection deferral here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deferring-ofsted-inspections.
Inspecting childminders on maternity leave
We are hearing about childminders who have been approached by Ofsted to have inspections while they are on maternity leave. Childminders tell us they have put all their toys away and are concentrating on their babies – we heard from one childminder who was approached for inspection just a few days after giving birth.
Not only does the childminder lose their grade (met or not met are the only grades available if you have a ‘no children on roll’ inspection) but they also talk about the unfairness of being inspected and the stress that an inspection causes while caring for a tiny baby which should be their main focus.
You must inform Ofsted when you go on maternity leave – keep them updated about the birth (name and date of birth of the baby) – and let them know when you return to work.
I have spoken to Ofsted on behalf of childcare.co.uk members and the only recourse at the moment if you are approached for inspection is to ask for a deferment using the document above. However, I advise you to put in a complaint – it will not impact on your inspection outcome and it will raise awareness of the issue at Ofsted HQ and hopefully encourage them to rethink their policy.
How do I register an assistant?
This is another frequently asked question on my website and in emails.
The previously used EY2 form is no longer on the Ofsted website – you use this instead – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-report-new-adults-in-the-home
They will also need an enhanced, home-based DBS from here - https://www.ofsteddbsapplication.co.uk/
They must be employed if their days / hours are set.
You will find more information in the 2nd blog down here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff
Also I have an e-book of full of guidance documents and forms for staff management if you find it useful – www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk
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Health and safety
Staff / childminder wellbeing
The NHS has released a blog on the 5 steps to wellness and mental wellbeing. You can read all about them here –
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/five-steps-to-mental-wellbeing/
Choking
According to a recent report in Nursery World magazine, nursery group Bright Horizons has been fined £800,000 over the death of a ten-month-old boy who choked on mango while unsupervised for several minutes.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/bright-horizons-fined-800-000-over-toddler-death.
I noted in my newsletter a few months ago that choking is high on Ofsted’s inspection agenda at the moment – so make sure food it cut up properly, you don’t offer circular food, toys are checked for choking hazards, outside areas are swept clean before children play etc.
You might also want to source YouTube videos of how to resolve a choking incident so your and your staff skills and knowledge are up to date.
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Covid-19 changes
Advice and support
The advice is changing rapidly – if you are unsure, you should contact your Local Authority or the DfE Covid helpline for more guidance – https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe.
The DfE ‘actions for early years’ guidance was also updated in January - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
Stop abuse together
You might want to share details of the Govt’s new ‘stop abuse together’ campaign with parents –
https://stopabusetogether.campaign.gov.uk/
Isolation times cut – England
Self-isolation times have been cut to 5 days in England – if you test negative on an LFT 2 days in a row. This new policy has apparently been introduced to help get people back to work quicker and the economy moving again.
All the latest guidance documents for childminders are detailed here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-self-isolation-changes.
The ‘Actions for early years providers’ guidance from DfE is updated regularly -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
Reporting cases of Covid
At the time of writing (end of January 2022), you still need to report every case of covid to Ofsted using the serious incident form - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-ofsted-if-you-have-a-covid-19-incident-at-your-childcare-business
You will also need to inform your local authority. NHS test and trace have taken over all contact tracing from settings so they will make any phone calls required as a result of local outbreaks being identified.
Early years providers are required to comply with requests from test and trace for, for example, phone numbers and names of parents – this is covered by data protection legislation so you don’t need to worry about getting parents’ permission.
Covid sick pay scheme
If you're an employer, you might be able to use the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme to claim back employees' coronavirus-related Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). More information here -
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-back-statutory-sick-pay-paid-to-employees-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19.
Covid is an exceptional circumstance - ENGLAND
DfE has confirmed that ratios can be relaxed for Covid-19 reasons using the exceptional circumstances clause (requirement 3.31) in the EYFS 2021
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/early-years-settings-told-they-can-relax-ratios-as-covid-deemed-an-exceptional-circumstance
Some think it's the slippery slope to them increasing ratios... some think they are throwing us under a bus... some are pleased that DfE have confirmed we can be flexible ... it’s a real Marmite decision.
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Professional development opportunities
FREE February webinars
1st – Recent Ofsted inspection outcomes
8th – Supporting emotions in the early years
15th – Planning a March theme
The final week in February is half term, so we will break for a week.
FREE March webinars
**Enabling environments
**Continuous provision planning
**Quality improvement
**Toolkits to support learning
**Ofsted and professional development.
You can book webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
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March advance notice
Birth to 5 Matters conference
Birth to 5 Matters are organising lots of short, easy to access training sessions in March. I have been asked to present one ... which I am happy to do because I love the document so much.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on the Birth to 5 Matters website because there is lots of new content added regularly –
https://birthto5matters.org.uk/.
Ofsted Big Conversation North West open meeting
The next open meeting with Ofsted is on Sat 12th March, 9.30-1.30pm - there will be a recording available if you have a ticket and can't make it on the day.
It was going to be a hybrid (online and face to face) meeting) but it has been decided, in view of the rising cases of Covid-19, to keep everyone safe and to run the meeting online only. This means it's now open to everyone across the country, not just in the North West.
Ofsted will be there so you can put your questions to them.
The keynote speaker is Alistair Bryce Clegg.
This is your chance to engage with Ofsted at the very highest level and to voice your concerns directly to them!
You can buy a ticket using this link - https://nwobc.co.uk/event/nwobc-march-2022
Blogs and articles
I am happy to blog or write an article on any subject to support colleagues. Please contact me and I will see what I can do!
Chat soon, Sarah
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Neil Leitch from the Early Years Alliance who has been awarded an MBE in the new year honours list – well deserved. I have always found Neil’s common sense, down to earth approach to early years refreshing and I generally find myself nodding along to everything he says – plus, he never forgets childminders!
More congratulations!
Congratulations to my colleagues Jennie Johnson and Alistair Bryce Clegg on the launch of their new ‘My First Five Years’ (MFFY) app. Jennie was the owner of the Kids Allowed chain which operated nurseries in the north-west and Alistair is very well-known for his training work.
I have been reviewing the app over the last few months and I think it’s a brilliant resource for parents and nannies in its current format and, with a few tweaks, it would also support childminders who are working with early years children.
It is currently available on Apple platform with an Android version to follow in the spring.
You will find more information on the website here - https://www.mffy.com/.
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Money matters
HMRC accounts submission countdown
The deadline for your 2020/2021 accounts submission to HMRC is fast approaching. By 31st January 2022 you must be ready to submit 3 figures for self-employment - total income - total expenses = net income for the year. You will also need the total of any grants you claimed to hand.
You will need to find your login details for HMRC and check they work so if you have to update them, you can do it before the end of the month because there are fines for late submission.
You will find FREE guidance for calculating your accounts from Childcare.co.uk here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
If you are an employer
Did you know that you might be able to claim back statutory sick pay at the moment?
You will find more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-back-statutory-sick-pay-paid-to-employees-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19.
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Learning and development
During 2021, I kept a record of all the blogs I read and articles I perused and videos I watched, just to see how much CPD I averaged a month. It was surprised to see it was generally over 40 individual CPD ‘things’ a month! I intend keeping that up this year, but not writing it down.
Some of the mantras I use when catching up and sharing links and writing this newsletter include:
**It’s not what you read, it’s how you use it to improve your setting and ways of working.
**It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.
**Try to bend everything back to improving outcomes for children.
Speech and language
Do you follow Beth Morrant from the Speech and Language Garden?
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/beth-morrant-1b75701b4
She writes regular blogs which support professional development.
Foundation years vodcast
The latest DfE / Foundation Years vodcast for early years providers features a nursery owner and a childminder talking about how they have managed the recent EYFS reforms in their settings -
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2021/12/new-vodcast-on-the-help-for-early-years-providers-online-resource
How do you teach?
The best approach in early years is, in my opinion, usually blended. For example, some of the tmie the children follow and develop their own fascinations (child initiated play)... some of the time we play alongside the children, introducing new ideas and scaffolding their learning (adult guided play)... some of the time, we lead the children to help them learn new things and to introduce new learning (adult-led play).
A new study suggests that adult guided play is as effective as adult led teaching for children’s learning and development. You can read more in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/guided-play-as-effective-as-adult-led-instruction-for-children-s-learning-and-development
However, note that Ofsted are looking for some adult-led instruction during inspection – for example, adult-led reading and music and movement sessions; our last Ofsted inspector also asked us about our phonics games, using Letters and Sounds phase 1, for our pre-school children.
The characteristics of effective learning
Whenever I go out to chat to settings or childminders as a trainer, or discuss work with colleagues as an online consultant, the characteristics of effective learning come up as an area of confusion.
We know they are part of the EYFS statutory framework and we must use them but the recent change in definition in the EYFS 2021 has muddied the waters even more – are they ‘how children learn’ or are they ‘the rates at which children learn’? Is the explanation in the Development Matters 2021 guidance or the Birth to 5 Matters 2021 guidance correct? What should we do with them in our day to day work?
This blog from Elaine at Keeping Early Years Unique might help to demystify them slightly -
https://www.keyu.co.uk/keyu-blogs/the-keyu-blog/.
Reading and phonics
I note a few recent articles on the subjects of reading and phonics in schools including:
Why shared reading should be a priority from TES https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/eyfs/why-shared-reading-must-be-early-priority
Also, this one on phonics is worth a skim – while it doesn’t directly affect early years, it’s useful to know what is happening in schools, to stay updated and to enable discussions with parents –
https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rev3.3314.
This article in the Guardian talks about a new study which shows the current way of teaching children to read, proposed in the Rose Report (2006) and implemented through a small number of phonics reading schemes, might not be fit for purpose –
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/jan/19/focus-on-phonics-to-teach-reading-is-failing-children-says-landmark-study.
Maths and Birth to 5 Matters
This is a really good, short video with Dr Helen Williams and Dr Andrea Lancaster, which explains how the maths section of Birth to 5 Matters works in practice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67uaLCa5N9I&ab_channel=EarlyEducation
The importance of shared reading
This article in TES magazine talks about the importance of shared reading for comprehension in the early years. It refers to how the quality of the home literacy environment improves children’s life chances – this can also relate to ensuring early years providers have a quality literacy environment.
I have discussed in previous training how the DfE has changed the literacy educational programme to include ‘comprehension’ which was previously in communication and language. The change now aligns understanding with reading and writing as it is an essential underpinning skill -
https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/eyfs/why-shared-reading-must-be-early-priority.
Supporting children to understand their emotions
This article in Parenta magazine from Katie Rose White (a laughter facilitator) is a good read – it walks us through how to recognise children’s emotions so they learn to express and release the emotion in a safe way – this in turn help children to strengthen their resilience.
https://www.parenta.com/2022/01/01/creatively-expressing-emotions/
Adult-led / adult-guided teaching
Which do you prefer? According to a Nursery World report, a new study from the University of Cambridge found that ‘teaching younger children through guided play can support key aspects of their learning and development at least as well, and sometimes better, than traditional, direct instruction.’
The researchers state: ‘If children are given the freedom to explore, but with some gentle guidance, it can be very good for their education.’ The article is here - https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.13730.
You might want to think about how that impacts on your pedagogy / teaching and be ready to discuss it with your Ofsted inspector.
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Safeguarding updates
Domestic Abuse Act 2021
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 aims to raise awareness and understanding and strengthens the support for victims of abuse.
Victoria Atkins MP, Minister for Safeguarding says "Domestic abuse is an abhorrent crime perpetrated on victims and their families by those who should love and care for them. This landmark Bill will help transform the response to domestic abuse, helping to prevent offending, protect victims and ensure they have the support they need."
If you are concerned about domestic abuse, you might provide information about where they can find local support. If you are concerned about the impact on the child, which will always be there, you should
Keeping children safe in education 2021
This document is signposted in the EYFS – section 1 is important for all providers.
I read that they are already looking to update it for the 2022 version – I will share when I know more.
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Ofsted updates
There is quite a lot to share from Ofsted this month, so here goes!
When is my inspection due?
I hear this question so often! If you have been inspected by Ofsted at any time after August 2016 and you received a good or outstanding grade, it is likely that you will not be on Ofsted’s ‘urgent’ list unless something related to safeguarding flags up on the system.
If you have not been inspected during this ‘cycle’ (since August 2016) and / or you are a new provider over 30 months since registration and / or you have a requires improvement or inadequate grade, you will be on someone’s list. Ofsted are sending out emails at the moment to overdue childminders so they can book inspections over the next few months.
Inspections continue into 2022
Ofsted confirmed (5.1.2022) that they are continuing with early years inspections.
They have said they will prioritise providers who are overdue inspection from the last cycle, providers 30+ months from starting date, providers with an inadequate grade and safeguarding concerns. Registration and approvals work will also continue.
Ofsted state that they will check whether a setting feels that it can go ahead with the inspection during the notification call and that if the setting requests a deferral, that they would look at that request 'favourably and sensitively', unless they have urgent safeguarding concerns.
Ofsted have asked us to share their deferral policy with everyone –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deferring-ofsted-inspections.
Ofsted introduce new guidance – or do they?
Some time ago, Ofsted said during one of their meetings that they would introduce new reporting guidance, to make it clearer what they wanted settings, childminders and registered nannies to report to them. This is a commonly asked question, so we were grateful that this might be clarified.
When the guidance was released, members were horrified by the level of intrusion and detail required by Ofsted. Articles were written and they were widely criticised on Twitter and social media platforms for the unworkable guidance.
Ofsted quickly withdrew the guidance for updating! Watch this space...
Covid is an exceptional circumstance for ratios
Ofsted has confirmed that staff absences due to covid are considered an exceptional circumstance and, if affected, you can change your ratios for a short time while staffing issues are resolved. This means, for example, childminders can care for 4 or 5 children on their own when they would normally have an assistant in the setting.
Ofsted also confirm that this situation might be a scenario where they would favourably consider allowing a provider to defer their inspection. You will find more information about inspection deferral here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deferring-ofsted-inspections.
Inspecting childminders on maternity leave
We are hearing about childminders who have been approached by Ofsted to have inspections while they are on maternity leave. Childminders tell us they have put all their toys away and are concentrating on their babies – we heard from one childminder who was approached for inspection just a few days after giving birth.
Not only does the childminder lose their grade (met or not met are the only grades available if you have a ‘no children on roll’ inspection) but they also talk about the unfairness of being inspected and the stress that an inspection causes while caring for a tiny baby which should be their main focus.
You must inform Ofsted when you go on maternity leave – keep them updated about the birth (name and date of birth of the baby) – and let them know when you return to work.
I have spoken to Ofsted on behalf of childcare.co.uk members and the only recourse at the moment if you are approached for inspection is to ask for a deferment using the document above. However, I advise you to put in a complaint – it will not impact on your inspection outcome and it will raise awareness of the issue at Ofsted HQ and hopefully encourage them to rethink their policy.
How do I register an assistant?
This is another frequently asked question on my website and in emails.
The previously used EY2 form is no longer on the Ofsted website – you use this instead – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-report-new-adults-in-the-home
They will also need an enhanced, home-based DBS from here - https://www.ofsteddbsapplication.co.uk/
They must be employed if their days / hours are set.
You will find more information in the 2nd blog down here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/staff
Also I have an e-book of full of guidance documents and forms for staff management if you find it useful – www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk
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Health and safety
Staff / childminder wellbeing
The NHS has released a blog on the 5 steps to wellness and mental wellbeing. You can read all about them here –
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/five-steps-to-mental-wellbeing/
Choking
According to a recent report in Nursery World magazine, nursery group Bright Horizons has been fined £800,000 over the death of a ten-month-old boy who choked on mango while unsupervised for several minutes.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/bright-horizons-fined-800-000-over-toddler-death.
I noted in my newsletter a few months ago that choking is high on Ofsted’s inspection agenda at the moment – so make sure food it cut up properly, you don’t offer circular food, toys are checked for choking hazards, outside areas are swept clean before children play etc.
You might also want to source YouTube videos of how to resolve a choking incident so your and your staff skills and knowledge are up to date.
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Covid-19 changes
Advice and support
The advice is changing rapidly – if you are unsure, you should contact your Local Authority or the DfE Covid helpline for more guidance – https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe.
The DfE ‘actions for early years’ guidance was also updated in January - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
Stop abuse together
You might want to share details of the Govt’s new ‘stop abuse together’ campaign with parents –
https://stopabusetogether.campaign.gov.uk/
Isolation times cut – England
Self-isolation times have been cut to 5 days in England – if you test negative on an LFT 2 days in a row. This new policy has apparently been introduced to help get people back to work quicker and the economy moving again.
All the latest guidance documents for childminders are detailed here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-self-isolation-changes.
The ‘Actions for early years providers’ guidance from DfE is updated regularly -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
Reporting cases of Covid
At the time of writing (end of January 2022), you still need to report every case of covid to Ofsted using the serious incident form - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-ofsted-if-you-have-a-covid-19-incident-at-your-childcare-business
You will also need to inform your local authority. NHS test and trace have taken over all contact tracing from settings so they will make any phone calls required as a result of local outbreaks being identified.
Early years providers are required to comply with requests from test and trace for, for example, phone numbers and names of parents – this is covered by data protection legislation so you don’t need to worry about getting parents’ permission.
Covid sick pay scheme
If you're an employer, you might be able to use the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme to claim back employees' coronavirus-related Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). More information here -
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-back-statutory-sick-pay-paid-to-employees-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19.
Covid is an exceptional circumstance - ENGLAND
DfE has confirmed that ratios can be relaxed for Covid-19 reasons using the exceptional circumstances clause (requirement 3.31) in the EYFS 2021
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/early-years-settings-told-they-can-relax-ratios-as-covid-deemed-an-exceptional-circumstance
Some think it's the slippery slope to them increasing ratios... some think they are throwing us under a bus... some are pleased that DfE have confirmed we can be flexible ... it’s a real Marmite decision.
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Professional development opportunities
FREE February webinars
1st – Recent Ofsted inspection outcomes
8th – Supporting emotions in the early years
15th – Planning a March theme
The final week in February is half term, so we will break for a week.
FREE March webinars
**Enabling environments
**Continuous provision planning
**Quality improvement
**Toolkits to support learning
**Ofsted and professional development.
You can book webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
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March advance notice
Birth to 5 Matters conference
Birth to 5 Matters are organising lots of short, easy to access training sessions in March. I have been asked to present one ... which I am happy to do because I love the document so much.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on the Birth to 5 Matters website because there is lots of new content added regularly –
https://birthto5matters.org.uk/.
Ofsted Big Conversation North West open meeting
The next open meeting with Ofsted is on Sat 12th March, 9.30-1.30pm - there will be a recording available if you have a ticket and can't make it on the day.
It was going to be a hybrid (online and face to face) meeting) but it has been decided, in view of the rising cases of Covid-19, to keep everyone safe and to run the meeting online only. This means it's now open to everyone across the country, not just in the North West.
Ofsted will be there so you can put your questions to them.
The keynote speaker is Alistair Bryce Clegg.
This is your chance to engage with Ofsted at the very highest level and to voice your concerns directly to them!
You can buy a ticket using this link - https://nwobc.co.uk/event/nwobc-march-2022
Blogs and articles
I am happy to blog or write an article on any subject to support colleagues. Please contact me and I will see what I can do!
Chat soon, Sarah
January 2022 newsletter
Wishing you all a happy Christmas and a restful new year!
We don’t know what 2022 will bring, but we do know that the last year has been challenging for many colleagues and friends.
My 2021 ‘the year that was’ blog is here if you would like a read - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/reflecting-on-the-year-that-was. I am sure it echoes what many of us have been through during the year.
Looking after yourself
I talk about the importance of wellbeing in my 2021 ‘the year that was’ blog.
To those who have felt overwhelmed over the last term – I hope you took some time out for YOU! Typically, early years providers aren’t very good at putting ourselves first – we tend to think about our families and the tiddly peeps and we come last. It’s not just early years providers who struggle – the latest teacher wellbeing index is saying similar things –
https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/resources/for-organisations/research/teacher-wellbeing-index/.
It’s important to spend time on your self-care, doing whatever works for you, whether it’s mindfulness or yoga, spending time with family or journaling.
Free winter wellbeing resources
Childcare.co.uk are committed to helping with provider’s wellbeing as much as possible. With this in mind, members stated that they would like easy access to free winter planning resources, outside play ideas and personal wellbeing guidance, so Childcare.co.uk has put together a page of free resources for everyone which I hope you find useful –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/winter-wellbeing
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Money stuff
Government spending review
The Govt announced earlier this year that providers who care for funded children will receive up to 17p per child additional funding from April next year for funded 3 and 4 year olds (unless you are in an area where it’s capped). I say ‘up to’ because Local Authorities (LAs) make local decisions on how much of the Govt money they pass through to providers, so your increase might be slightly less than the 17p per hour suggested by the Govt.
The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) and Disability Access Funding (DAF) will also increase from April 2022 – more information on the www.gov.uk website.
National minimum / living wage
The national minimum / living wage will increase from April next year. If you have staff, you should inform them about the increase and let them know it will be reflected in their April 2022 wages.
If you are unsure, I recommend the ACAS website for all things staff related.
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Health and safety updates
Public Health England changes
Public Health England (PHE) was replaced by the UK Health Security Agency a while ago. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) website states that it is ‘responsible for planning, preventing and responding to external health threats, and providing intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage.’ However, I note that most of the PHE documentation – for example, the information about exclusions from childcare settings, still has the PHE logo on it. I am keeping an eye on the changes but have not yet updated any policies to the catchy new name.
Icy conditions and winter weather
Slip and trip accidents increase during Autumn and Winter season for many different reasons including darker days, leaves and wet paths, ice and snow etc. There is advice on how to keep yourself and children safe in this Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance –
https://www.hse.gov.uk/logistics/slips-trips-bad-weather.htm.
Winter food reminders
Tragic deaths from choking in early years settings recently have led to a focus during Ofsted inspection on food presentation. During a recent inspection, an Ofsted inspector noted a nursery did not cut up food for children’s meals and were unaware of the choking risks – and graded the nursery inadequate for this and other reasons.
The food safety guidance signposted in the EYFS 2021 states: ‘Tragically, a child dies in the UK every month from choking and hundreds more require hospital treatment. It can happen quickly and it can happen to anyone. Babies and young children’s immune systems are not as strong and developed as adults’ which means they are more vulnerable to infections which can lead to food poisoning. It is important to take extra care with hygiene and preparing food safely.’
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust has lots of advice on its website about food and choking:
**Do not serve round food – quarter grapes, cherries, sausages, sprouts etc before serving.
**Anything smaller than a 2p can get stuck – cut cheese, meat, vegetables etc into long sticks.
**Hard food can cause choking – par-boil hard vegetables and avoid hard sweets, lollies, ice cubes etc.
Sit with the children and model taking small mouthfuls, chewing properly and swallowing. If they have a habit of putting too much in their mouths, reduce what is on their plates and remind them to chew and swallow before taking another mouthful.
Modern day slavery
The Govt guidance on how to spot signs of modern-day slavery and support victims was updated in November 2021. If you have concerns that a child or family are at risk, you should report to your Local Authority –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modern-slavery-how-to-identify-and-support-victims.
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Questions from colleagues researched and answered...
Q – what are the rules on babies in car seats?
We don’t want to see any babies or children restrained for longer than necessary. For example, if they get up out of a small cot, sit in a highchair to eat and then go into a car seat to travel to the setting, they might have been restrained for a hour or more already in the morning.
At the same time, we must consider car seat safety – babies are at a greater risk of asphyxiation if they fall asleep in car seats because of the way their heads fall forwards. As well as restricted air flow, babies and young children who sit in a semi-upright position for a prolonged period may feel strain on their still-developing spine.
All this means we should minimise the time babies and young children spend in car seats. While there is no legal time limit, the Lullaby Trust suggests a 2 hour limit and on long journeys they should be taken out during regular breaks to allow them to move around freely –
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/car-seats-and-sids/.
Q – what is the legal age for keeping children in rear facing seats?
The UK Govt states that height-based seats (known as i-size) must be rear-facing until the child is over 15 months old. Once the child is 15 months old, you can use a forward-facing child car seat. The website also states that, if you choose a weight-based seat, size 0 is suitable for 0 – 13 kg and must be a rear-facing baby carrier or rear-facing baby seat using a harness. You will find more guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules.
However, general safety advice states that all infants and toddlers should be securely strapped into a rear-facing seat as long as possible until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer. Guidance advises children are safest in rear facing seats up to age 4.
Q – is there any new weaning advice about not putting straps on the highchair in case of choking?
The ‘help for early years providers’ website from DfE has a page on choking.
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety
The DfE website advises: ‘Infants and young children should be seated safely in a highchair or appropriately sized low chair while eating. Infants and young children should never be left alone while they are eating, and staff should be familiar with paediatric first aid advice for children who are choking.’
There isn’t any advice from the Govt about not using straps in a highchair – straps are there to keep children safe and there is nothing to suggest they shouldn’t be used. Health and safety advice suggests that as soon as a child can sit on a chair at the table, they should be transitioned.
Supervision is essential at mealtimes – the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) has been updated to state that children must be ‘adequately supervised, including whilst eating’ (EYFS requirement 3.29). Adequate supervision suggests there is an adult at the table who can quickly remove a child from highchair straps if they are choking, to administer appropriate first aid. Therefore, it makes sense to risk assess highchair straps to ensure they are quick release and not old / sticking – this will allow staff to remove the child, while the straps continue to do their job of keeping children safe from climbing out and stop them sliding down / out through the hole at the bottom.
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Covid-19 updates
Updated Actions for early years
The ‘Actions for early years’ guidance has been updated to reflect changes in Govt policy relating to the new Omicrom version of the virus –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
NHS Test and Trace have taken over all contact responsibility from settings, so if a child tests positive for Covid-19 it will be up to NHS Test and Trace to contact parents / close contacts, not you.
DfE advises LFTs are done twice weekly over the holidays and providers should test the day before they go back to work in January.
Changing rules
We are aware that the Covid-19 situation is fluid and rules may change, depending on latest Govt information. Please keep an eye on the Independent Childminders Facebook group posts for more details - when there are important changes, admin pin the posts to the top of the group to help you find them.
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Ofsted updates
Inspections paused in December
Ofsted paused early years inspections for 2 weeks before Christmas to allow providers to make ‘contingency plans’ for January. They stated that they would continue with compliance visits. While this took the pressure off early years providers and schools to ‘perform’ during inspection, it also led to concerns about what inspection might look like in the new year. There have been a lot of worried mutterings in the sector recently about inspection – this is something I will continue to challenge respectfully through the work of the Ofsted Big Conversation.
Early years safeguarding handbook
Ofsted have updated the early years safeguarding handbook which they use during inspection to check our safeguarding is robust. There aren’t a lot of changes for early years providers – most of the changes relate to updates we discussed last year to the revised Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021 guidance – sexting, upskirting, peer on peer abuse etc.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills
This is in addition to updates to the early years inspection handbook we discussed last year.
Inspection outcomes
I did quite a lot of work on recent inspection outcomes for my newsletter in December. In this newsletter, I wanted to share some of the reasons why childminders have been downgraded from outstanding to good...
**Do more of something you are already doing.
This is a very common inspection comment – providers feel they are working at an outstanding level but the inspector has to find something to write.
**Give children longer to answer questions.
This is common as well – it usually stems from provider nerves.
**Make the garden better for an under 1 year old.
When I followed this one up with the provider, they told me the inspector couldn’t define ‘better’.
**Engage with the other setting a child attends.
This is particularly problematic when the other setting simply won't engage. In this instance, the provider told me she had a letter from the other setting clearly stating they didn’t have the time or inclination to share with a childminder. I think it is important to have a positive engagement story ready to share with your inspector.
**Promote independence.
In this instance, a child asked for help wiping his nose and the inspector felt the childminder should not have done something for the child that the child could do for himself.
**Inspector gives outstanding – Ofsted quality assurance downgrades the provider to good by removing a few superlatives to make it read more like a ‘good’ report.
In this instance, the childminder did complain but Ofsted, who are currently reviewing themselves without external challenge, refused to uphold the complaint.
I am not sharing to ‘bash’ Ofsted – quite the opposite, they have a job to do. I am sharing to say, if you feel you have a legitimate concern about the outcome of your Ofsted inspection, the Ofsted Big Conversation groups across the country are there to help you. This is the link for the North West steering group –
https://nwobc.co.uk/.
Complaints about Ofsted
There is a groundswell of concern at the moment in schools following Amanda Spielman’s recent news that she expects most of them will have their outstanding grades removed in the next series of inspections.
This also sits alongside the general early years sector unrest that some inspectors are telling providers they will not get outstanding before they set foot on the premises. I would like to think this is a one-off, but I am hearing it all too often from childminders and group providers.
If an inspector says this to you, I advise you to complain to Ofsted before the inspection starts. We have been told by Ofsted that all grades are available to all providers. Yes, they start with ‘good’ and it’s up to you to show them you are better than good, but if you use the Ofsted early years inspection handbook to demonstrate you are outstanding, then that grade must be an option.
The latest (Sept 2021) version of the early years inspection handbook, which includes information about what Ofsted are grading us against for each of the inspection judgements, is here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
Updates to the Ofsted early years inspection handbook - 15.12.2021
Ofsted state the following updates have been made to their inspection handbook:
Paragraph 35: Clarification on timing of re-inspection of providers judged ‘requires improvement’.
Paragraph 36: Clarification that where a provider is no longer meeting requirements, we ‘usually’ take steps to cancel their registration.
Paragraph 101: Clarification that when inspectors discuss children’s learning and development with staff, there will be a particular focus on communication and language.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Updates to the Ofsted inspection guidance page - 15.12.2021
Ofsted state that the guidance page, ‘Ofsted EIF inspections and the EYFS’ has been updated following
feedback from the early years sector and the DfE.
Ofsted have also added this supportive note to the press release - ‘We acknowledge that this is a busy time for all providers for various reasons, therefore there is no expectation that this should be read by a certain date. It’s there to be helpful and provide clarity on inspection related queries – get to it when you can!’
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs/registered-early-years-providers
Ofsted annual report 2021
Ofsted’s 2021 annual report was published in December 2021 and I thought a walk-through of some of the main points might be useful.
About children...
**Chief inspector Amanda Spielman noted, ‘Almost all children felt the impact of Covid-19 and the resulting restrictions to some extent. Many of the youngest children had their development and progress hampered, with some even regressing. Given the vital importance to children of a good start in life and the learning potential of the youngest children, this must not be overlooked.’
**The annual report highlights research carried out by Ofsted on the impact of the first lockdown on children and notes that 44% of providers reported children’s personal, social and emotional development had fallen behind.
**Differences in children’s physical development were also noted, with a loss in physical confidence among children that had less access to outdoor space during lockdown.
**Children’s behaviour has sometimes been negatively impacted be covid and mixing restrictions.
About provision...
The report states, ‘Almost half of providers we spoke to in the autumn term rated financial difficulties among the top three challenges they faced, having absorbed additional costs (such as for personal protective equipment) alongside reduced income. Some said that government funding was an issue, including funding for increased numbers of children with SEND, and a few were worried about having to repay their government loan.’
**Ofsted state that many providers made changes to their curriculum and the care they offered children to support their wellbeing and health and to provide targeted support in areas they might have fallen behind – for example, maths or communication and language.
**Ofsted recognise the impact on provision as well – for example, challenges of the pandemic on managing sufficiency with less take-up of spaces due to, for example, home working initiatives and some parental reluctance to send children back to group provision.
About staff...
**Staff training was highlighted in the report as having a positive outcome on practice.
**Ofsted recognise the negative impact of ‘bubbles’ on staff as well as children.
**There is a positive note – the report states: ‘The education and social care sectors have been under tremendous strain, and their staff have generally worked tirelessly in children’s interests.’
Inspection focus...
**The report talks about Ofsted’s return to routine inspections and notes that there has been a reduction in childminders meeting the requirements of their registration.
We will focus on this in future webinars and support blogs.
**Ofsted also note that around 3,920 providers had their registration cancelled in 2020/21. The report states that, of these 62 were ‘serious issues such as unsuitable people, consistent failure to meet learning, development, safeguarding and/or welfare requirements, causing physical harm to children or leaving children unattended for significant periods of time.'
You can read the full report here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1038508/Ofsted_Annual_Report_2020_to_2021.pdf
...........................................
Upcoming training and webinars from Childcare.co.uk
FREE January webinars
4th – Action planning for 2022
11th – Safeguarding audit for 2022
18th – Paperwork in 2022
25th – Planning for progress in 2022
FREE February webinars
1st – Recent Ofsted inspection outcomes
8th – Supporting emotions in the early years
15th – Planning a March theme
The final week in February is half term, so we will break for a week.
You can book webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Thank you to colleagues for suggesting webinar subjects. What free webinars would you like to see in March? Please drop me an email and let me know.
...........................................
March advance notice
Birth to 5 Matters conference
Birth to 5 Matters are organising lots of short, easy to access training sessions in March. I have been asked to present one ... which I am happy to do because I love the document so much.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on the Birth to 5 Matters website because there is lots of new content added regularly –
https://birthto5matters.org.uk/.
OBC North west open meeting
The next Ofsted Big Conversation north west open meeting is a hybrid meeting, so anyone can attend from all over the country. The speakers will be amazing, Ofsted will be in attendance to answer questions and much more...
You can buy tickets and find out more here - https://nwobc.co.uk/event/nwobc-march-2022-hybrid
Blogs and articles
I am happy to blog or write an article on any subject to support colleagues. Please contact me and I will see what I can do!
Chat soon, Sarah
We don’t know what 2022 will bring, but we do know that the last year has been challenging for many colleagues and friends.
My 2021 ‘the year that was’ blog is here if you would like a read - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/reflecting-on-the-year-that-was. I am sure it echoes what many of us have been through during the year.
Looking after yourself
I talk about the importance of wellbeing in my 2021 ‘the year that was’ blog.
To those who have felt overwhelmed over the last term – I hope you took some time out for YOU! Typically, early years providers aren’t very good at putting ourselves first – we tend to think about our families and the tiddly peeps and we come last. It’s not just early years providers who struggle – the latest teacher wellbeing index is saying similar things –
https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/resources/for-organisations/research/teacher-wellbeing-index/.
It’s important to spend time on your self-care, doing whatever works for you, whether it’s mindfulness or yoga, spending time with family or journaling.
Free winter wellbeing resources
Childcare.co.uk are committed to helping with provider’s wellbeing as much as possible. With this in mind, members stated that they would like easy access to free winter planning resources, outside play ideas and personal wellbeing guidance, so Childcare.co.uk has put together a page of free resources for everyone which I hope you find useful –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/winter-wellbeing
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Money stuff
Government spending review
The Govt announced earlier this year that providers who care for funded children will receive up to 17p per child additional funding from April next year for funded 3 and 4 year olds (unless you are in an area where it’s capped). I say ‘up to’ because Local Authorities (LAs) make local decisions on how much of the Govt money they pass through to providers, so your increase might be slightly less than the 17p per hour suggested by the Govt.
The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) and Disability Access Funding (DAF) will also increase from April 2022 – more information on the www.gov.uk website.
National minimum / living wage
The national minimum / living wage will increase from April next year. If you have staff, you should inform them about the increase and let them know it will be reflected in their April 2022 wages.
If you are unsure, I recommend the ACAS website for all things staff related.
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Health and safety updates
Public Health England changes
Public Health England (PHE) was replaced by the UK Health Security Agency a while ago. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) website states that it is ‘responsible for planning, preventing and responding to external health threats, and providing intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage.’ However, I note that most of the PHE documentation – for example, the information about exclusions from childcare settings, still has the PHE logo on it. I am keeping an eye on the changes but have not yet updated any policies to the catchy new name.
Icy conditions and winter weather
Slip and trip accidents increase during Autumn and Winter season for many different reasons including darker days, leaves and wet paths, ice and snow etc. There is advice on how to keep yourself and children safe in this Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance –
https://www.hse.gov.uk/logistics/slips-trips-bad-weather.htm.
Winter food reminders
Tragic deaths from choking in early years settings recently have led to a focus during Ofsted inspection on food presentation. During a recent inspection, an Ofsted inspector noted a nursery did not cut up food for children’s meals and were unaware of the choking risks – and graded the nursery inadequate for this and other reasons.
The food safety guidance signposted in the EYFS 2021 states: ‘Tragically, a child dies in the UK every month from choking and hundreds more require hospital treatment. It can happen quickly and it can happen to anyone. Babies and young children’s immune systems are not as strong and developed as adults’ which means they are more vulnerable to infections which can lead to food poisoning. It is important to take extra care with hygiene and preparing food safely.’
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust has lots of advice on its website about food and choking:
**Do not serve round food – quarter grapes, cherries, sausages, sprouts etc before serving.
**Anything smaller than a 2p can get stuck – cut cheese, meat, vegetables etc into long sticks.
**Hard food can cause choking – par-boil hard vegetables and avoid hard sweets, lollies, ice cubes etc.
Sit with the children and model taking small mouthfuls, chewing properly and swallowing. If they have a habit of putting too much in their mouths, reduce what is on their plates and remind them to chew and swallow before taking another mouthful.
Modern day slavery
The Govt guidance on how to spot signs of modern-day slavery and support victims was updated in November 2021. If you have concerns that a child or family are at risk, you should report to your Local Authority –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modern-slavery-how-to-identify-and-support-victims.
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Questions from colleagues researched and answered...
Q – what are the rules on babies in car seats?
We don’t want to see any babies or children restrained for longer than necessary. For example, if they get up out of a small cot, sit in a highchair to eat and then go into a car seat to travel to the setting, they might have been restrained for a hour or more already in the morning.
At the same time, we must consider car seat safety – babies are at a greater risk of asphyxiation if they fall asleep in car seats because of the way their heads fall forwards. As well as restricted air flow, babies and young children who sit in a semi-upright position for a prolonged period may feel strain on their still-developing spine.
All this means we should minimise the time babies and young children spend in car seats. While there is no legal time limit, the Lullaby Trust suggests a 2 hour limit and on long journeys they should be taken out during regular breaks to allow them to move around freely –
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/car-seats-and-sids/.
Q – what is the legal age for keeping children in rear facing seats?
The UK Govt states that height-based seats (known as i-size) must be rear-facing until the child is over 15 months old. Once the child is 15 months old, you can use a forward-facing child car seat. The website also states that, if you choose a weight-based seat, size 0 is suitable for 0 – 13 kg and must be a rear-facing baby carrier or rear-facing baby seat using a harness. You will find more guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules.
However, general safety advice states that all infants and toddlers should be securely strapped into a rear-facing seat as long as possible until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer. Guidance advises children are safest in rear facing seats up to age 4.
Q – is there any new weaning advice about not putting straps on the highchair in case of choking?
The ‘help for early years providers’ website from DfE has a page on choking.
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety
The DfE website advises: ‘Infants and young children should be seated safely in a highchair or appropriately sized low chair while eating. Infants and young children should never be left alone while they are eating, and staff should be familiar with paediatric first aid advice for children who are choking.’
There isn’t any advice from the Govt about not using straps in a highchair – straps are there to keep children safe and there is nothing to suggest they shouldn’t be used. Health and safety advice suggests that as soon as a child can sit on a chair at the table, they should be transitioned.
Supervision is essential at mealtimes – the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) has been updated to state that children must be ‘adequately supervised, including whilst eating’ (EYFS requirement 3.29). Adequate supervision suggests there is an adult at the table who can quickly remove a child from highchair straps if they are choking, to administer appropriate first aid. Therefore, it makes sense to risk assess highchair straps to ensure they are quick release and not old / sticking – this will allow staff to remove the child, while the straps continue to do their job of keeping children safe from climbing out and stop them sliding down / out through the hole at the bottom.
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Covid-19 updates
Updated Actions for early years
The ‘Actions for early years’ guidance has been updated to reflect changes in Govt policy relating to the new Omicrom version of the virus –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
NHS Test and Trace have taken over all contact responsibility from settings, so if a child tests positive for Covid-19 it will be up to NHS Test and Trace to contact parents / close contacts, not you.
DfE advises LFTs are done twice weekly over the holidays and providers should test the day before they go back to work in January.
Changing rules
We are aware that the Covid-19 situation is fluid and rules may change, depending on latest Govt information. Please keep an eye on the Independent Childminders Facebook group posts for more details - when there are important changes, admin pin the posts to the top of the group to help you find them.
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Ofsted updates
Inspections paused in December
Ofsted paused early years inspections for 2 weeks before Christmas to allow providers to make ‘contingency plans’ for January. They stated that they would continue with compliance visits. While this took the pressure off early years providers and schools to ‘perform’ during inspection, it also led to concerns about what inspection might look like in the new year. There have been a lot of worried mutterings in the sector recently about inspection – this is something I will continue to challenge respectfully through the work of the Ofsted Big Conversation.
Early years safeguarding handbook
Ofsted have updated the early years safeguarding handbook which they use during inspection to check our safeguarding is robust. There aren’t a lot of changes for early years providers – most of the changes relate to updates we discussed last year to the revised Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021 guidance – sexting, upskirting, peer on peer abuse etc.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills
This is in addition to updates to the early years inspection handbook we discussed last year.
Inspection outcomes
I did quite a lot of work on recent inspection outcomes for my newsletter in December. In this newsletter, I wanted to share some of the reasons why childminders have been downgraded from outstanding to good...
**Do more of something you are already doing.
This is a very common inspection comment – providers feel they are working at an outstanding level but the inspector has to find something to write.
**Give children longer to answer questions.
This is common as well – it usually stems from provider nerves.
**Make the garden better for an under 1 year old.
When I followed this one up with the provider, they told me the inspector couldn’t define ‘better’.
**Engage with the other setting a child attends.
This is particularly problematic when the other setting simply won't engage. In this instance, the provider told me she had a letter from the other setting clearly stating they didn’t have the time or inclination to share with a childminder. I think it is important to have a positive engagement story ready to share with your inspector.
**Promote independence.
In this instance, a child asked for help wiping his nose and the inspector felt the childminder should not have done something for the child that the child could do for himself.
**Inspector gives outstanding – Ofsted quality assurance downgrades the provider to good by removing a few superlatives to make it read more like a ‘good’ report.
In this instance, the childminder did complain but Ofsted, who are currently reviewing themselves without external challenge, refused to uphold the complaint.
I am not sharing to ‘bash’ Ofsted – quite the opposite, they have a job to do. I am sharing to say, if you feel you have a legitimate concern about the outcome of your Ofsted inspection, the Ofsted Big Conversation groups across the country are there to help you. This is the link for the North West steering group –
https://nwobc.co.uk/.
Complaints about Ofsted
There is a groundswell of concern at the moment in schools following Amanda Spielman’s recent news that she expects most of them will have their outstanding grades removed in the next series of inspections.
This also sits alongside the general early years sector unrest that some inspectors are telling providers they will not get outstanding before they set foot on the premises. I would like to think this is a one-off, but I am hearing it all too often from childminders and group providers.
If an inspector says this to you, I advise you to complain to Ofsted before the inspection starts. We have been told by Ofsted that all grades are available to all providers. Yes, they start with ‘good’ and it’s up to you to show them you are better than good, but if you use the Ofsted early years inspection handbook to demonstrate you are outstanding, then that grade must be an option.
The latest (Sept 2021) version of the early years inspection handbook, which includes information about what Ofsted are grading us against for each of the inspection judgements, is here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
Updates to the Ofsted early years inspection handbook - 15.12.2021
Ofsted state the following updates have been made to their inspection handbook:
Paragraph 35: Clarification on timing of re-inspection of providers judged ‘requires improvement’.
Paragraph 36: Clarification that where a provider is no longer meeting requirements, we ‘usually’ take steps to cancel their registration.
Paragraph 101: Clarification that when inspectors discuss children’s learning and development with staff, there will be a particular focus on communication and language.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Updates to the Ofsted inspection guidance page - 15.12.2021
Ofsted state that the guidance page, ‘Ofsted EIF inspections and the EYFS’ has been updated following
feedback from the early years sector and the DfE.
Ofsted have also added this supportive note to the press release - ‘We acknowledge that this is a busy time for all providers for various reasons, therefore there is no expectation that this should be read by a certain date. It’s there to be helpful and provide clarity on inspection related queries – get to it when you can!’
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs/registered-early-years-providers
Ofsted annual report 2021
Ofsted’s 2021 annual report was published in December 2021 and I thought a walk-through of some of the main points might be useful.
About children...
**Chief inspector Amanda Spielman noted, ‘Almost all children felt the impact of Covid-19 and the resulting restrictions to some extent. Many of the youngest children had their development and progress hampered, with some even regressing. Given the vital importance to children of a good start in life and the learning potential of the youngest children, this must not be overlooked.’
**The annual report highlights research carried out by Ofsted on the impact of the first lockdown on children and notes that 44% of providers reported children’s personal, social and emotional development had fallen behind.
**Differences in children’s physical development were also noted, with a loss in physical confidence among children that had less access to outdoor space during lockdown.
**Children’s behaviour has sometimes been negatively impacted be covid and mixing restrictions.
About provision...
The report states, ‘Almost half of providers we spoke to in the autumn term rated financial difficulties among the top three challenges they faced, having absorbed additional costs (such as for personal protective equipment) alongside reduced income. Some said that government funding was an issue, including funding for increased numbers of children with SEND, and a few were worried about having to repay their government loan.’
**Ofsted state that many providers made changes to their curriculum and the care they offered children to support their wellbeing and health and to provide targeted support in areas they might have fallen behind – for example, maths or communication and language.
**Ofsted recognise the impact on provision as well – for example, challenges of the pandemic on managing sufficiency with less take-up of spaces due to, for example, home working initiatives and some parental reluctance to send children back to group provision.
About staff...
**Staff training was highlighted in the report as having a positive outcome on practice.
**Ofsted recognise the negative impact of ‘bubbles’ on staff as well as children.
**There is a positive note – the report states: ‘The education and social care sectors have been under tremendous strain, and their staff have generally worked tirelessly in children’s interests.’
Inspection focus...
**The report talks about Ofsted’s return to routine inspections and notes that there has been a reduction in childminders meeting the requirements of their registration.
We will focus on this in future webinars and support blogs.
**Ofsted also note that around 3,920 providers had their registration cancelled in 2020/21. The report states that, of these 62 were ‘serious issues such as unsuitable people, consistent failure to meet learning, development, safeguarding and/or welfare requirements, causing physical harm to children or leaving children unattended for significant periods of time.'
You can read the full report here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1038508/Ofsted_Annual_Report_2020_to_2021.pdf
...........................................
Upcoming training and webinars from Childcare.co.uk
FREE January webinars
4th – Action planning for 2022
11th – Safeguarding audit for 2022
18th – Paperwork in 2022
25th – Planning for progress in 2022
FREE February webinars
1st – Recent Ofsted inspection outcomes
8th – Supporting emotions in the early years
15th – Planning a March theme
The final week in February is half term, so we will break for a week.
You can book webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Thank you to colleagues for suggesting webinar subjects. What free webinars would you like to see in March? Please drop me an email and let me know.
...........................................
March advance notice
Birth to 5 Matters conference
Birth to 5 Matters are organising lots of short, easy to access training sessions in March. I have been asked to present one ... which I am happy to do because I love the document so much.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on the Birth to 5 Matters website because there is lots of new content added regularly –
https://birthto5matters.org.uk/.
OBC North west open meeting
The next Ofsted Big Conversation north west open meeting is a hybrid meeting, so anyone can attend from all over the country. The speakers will be amazing, Ofsted will be in attendance to answer questions and much more...
You can buy tickets and find out more here - https://nwobc.co.uk/event/nwobc-march-2022-hybrid
Blogs and articles
I am happy to blog or write an article on any subject to support colleagues. Please contact me and I will see what I can do!
Chat soon, Sarah
December 2021 newsletter
Happy December!
Here's a festive picture of our childminder Christmas tree at the local church a few years ago. The children were so proud of their work!
If you follow the monthly planning for childcare.co.uk gold members you will already have your December planning in place and have sent your letters to Father Christmas. If not, you need to start that process quickly to be sure of a reply before the big day.
We write to: Santa/Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland XM4 5HQ.
The next time I publish a newsletter it will be the new year. Thinking back over 2021, what is your abiding memory? I think mine will be the ongoing worry of how to manage the risks posed by Covid-19 in a home-based setting. Thinking to myself, ‘I can’t be ill’, ‘I can’t not work’ and the worry that a child might bring Covid into the household after we’ve avoided it for so long.
Working through a pandemic shows our resilience and how amazing we all are, doesn’t it? As we go into a new year, I think we should be incredibly proud of ourselves.
General updates in early years land
Climate change
We have been thinking about climate change a lot recently – the COP26 summit brought it into focus and the older children were aware that important people were meeting to talk about problems in the world.
Climate change will be added to the primary curriculum – and it is important we teach it, in age-appropriate ways, to our early years children. I am planning a webinar in March 2022 to help you plan your activities for Earth Day in April ... keep an eye on upcoming webinars for more information – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Things to do if there is a positive Covid-19 case in your household
If you or a family member tests positive you must:
**Close to all children / families and visitors.
**Phone the DfE coronavirus helpline and inform them – 0800 046 8687.
Note: you might be asked to give parent / family details for NHS Test and Trace so have them close by.
**Report to Ofsted using this form (not phone or email) – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident.
Tip: phone the DfE coronavirus helpline before reporting to Ofsted because there is a tick box on the Ofsted form asking if you have informed DfE.
**Report the positive case to your local authority.
What next? Organise online shopping, take care of yourself / your family member and hope you feel better soon.
Note: there is an option to work from other premises. Ofsted state: 'childminders can continue to look after children on other premises – e.g. other domestic premises or approved non-domestic premises. It may be beneficial to have backup arrangements in place by building relationships with local childminders with whom you may be able to work in the event that you have a positive case in your household.'
You will need to review your risk assessment and make sure your insurance covers you. If you choose this option, you MUST inform Ofsted. You will find more information about this here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/download/dfe-additional-q-and-a.pdf.
The latest Covid-19 information from DfE is here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-self-isolation-changes.
Strong Early Years London
I have been doing some work behind the scenes with the team behind Strong Early Years London, ensuring childminder viewpoints are heard in the consultations and services offered are appropriate for childminders to access.
Strong Early Years London is a scheme set up with money from the Lord Mayor’s fund and there are free webinars, information sessions and advice helplines and more available to support early years providers.
You can find out more about how the project might help you here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/strong-early-years-london-launches-online-business-advice-hub.
Updated childminder organiser
This incredibly popular resource is free from Childcare.co.uk.
I update it annually and always listen to colleague requests and add them where possible.
After requests from colleagues for 2022 I have added:
**Page to view / for children to decorate for 2022
**Professional development tracker
**Page numbers for spring, summer, autumn and winter
**Updated dates for spring, summer and autumn
I hope you find the changes useful.
FREE here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganis
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Ofsted
Here are a few updates from recent inspection reports...
Childminding staff and suitability letters
If you are a childminder and have staff, you must wait for their suitability letter to come through before you can allow them to be unsupervised with children. While Ofsted say you can increase your ratios as soon as you take on a new staff member, the lack of suitability letter and the fact they cannot be left unsupervised with children can cause some problems. For example, you can’t ask them to go outside with a group of children on their own because you have to be with them and you cannot ask them to do the school run on their own.
We are aware that the Capita, enhanced, home-based DBS checks can take months to come through and Ofsted suitability letters can take further months to be processed. For example, the last time I employed a staff member, it took 6 months from her start date to receipt of her suitability letter, so we know it can be a long process for many childminders.
Please bear this in mind when making decisions about staff and taking on new children. During inspection, Ofsted might feel that you have not deployed staff effectively while you are waiting for their suitability letter to come through and effectively doing all the work yourself.
Partnership working with other settings
A childminder was graded good – not outstanding. Her report reads outstanding to me, apart from this:
;To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop a consistent approach to the sharing of information on what children are learning and their progress, with other settings that children may also attend.’ This is the only recommendation and it is mentioned 3 times in the report.
It has always been a battle to share information with other settings and I know many childminders would agree with me that they do all the sharing and other settings either ignore them or rebuff their approaches.
My advice is to have a positive ‘story in your head’ about how you shared something with another setting. Maybe the child was learning about something at their other setting and you did some complementary activities or maybe you sent information to the other setting about a child’s ‘wow moment’ and they acknowledged it and agreed to build on it while the child was there.
Don’t let other settings’ inability to comply with the EYFS drag down your inspection result!
Recording children’s attendance
You must record a child’s attendance accurately – check your clock is correct and check staff are noting arrival and departure to the minute (not rounding up or down). You can use a diary, a file or a sheet for each child / the group of children – it’s up to you.
If you are concerned about a child’s erratic attendance or if parents fail to bring their child on the expected day, you must follow up – it could be a safeguarding concern.
Baby talk and young children
We know from the non-statutory Development Matters 2021 curriculum guidance that, ‘Using exaggerated intonation and a sing-song voice (infant-directed speech) helps babies tune in to language’ (communication and language, birth to 3). However, this is not the same as using ‘baby talk’ words like ‘dodi’ (dummy), ‘ta’ (thank you) and ‘birdie’ (bird).
We are role models for children’s speech and language development and it is important that we use the correct words, in English – and where appropriate in the child’s home language. Think about how you and your staff (if relevant) speak to children and ensure you are always using the correct vocabulary which will help them to learn to speak well.
Sharing the key person role with staff
I know a lot of childminders with staff who are afraid to let go of the key person role. However, it is important that the role is shared, especially so staff have the opportunity to get to know each child really well. It is not enough for staff to play and care for children – they must also know what children are learning and where their individual planning is going next.
For example, if asked during Ofsted inspection, all staff who work in a room need to know what the child enjoys doing, what he is learning, whether he has any challenges to his learning, his next steps etc.
You could do this through regular weekly meetings with staff to ensure everyone is updated or through staff making brief notes when they are playing with children which are shared with other staff in the room at the end of the day. It’s up to you how you work.
Accessing water
The requirement in the EYFS 2021 is that all children must be able to freely access drinking water through the day. In a recent inspection, the provider was graded good – not outstanding because, ‘some children are not able to access drinking water independently as it is not within easy reach. This sometimes results in less confident children not always freely getting a drink when they need one.’ This is the only reason given for the childminder receiving a good rather than outstanding grade – the rest of the report reads outstanding to me.
It is important that children can reach their water – babies as well as older children – both inside and in the garden. Water should always be taken on outings as well. – even short school runs.
Personal reflection– it is important to use inspection feedback from other providers and comments in reports like the ones above to inform our practice – not to get cross or disheartened, but to recognise how we can improve our own practice. However, reading some recent reports, it does make me wonder what more the provider needed to do to get outstanding!
..................................................................
Health and safety / safeguarding updates
Safeguarding children online
During a recent online safeguarding webinar, we talked about the various ways we can keep children safe online. I mentioned a few books including ‘Goldilocks’ by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross, ‘Digiduck’s big decision’ on the Childnet website, ‘Chicken Clicking’ by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross, ‘Smartie Penguin’ from Childnet and other similar stories for children.
Colleagues noted in the webinar chat that some of the stories are too old for their early years children. That’s fine – not a problem – use the pictures and change the words. We are all amazing storytellers in the early years. The most important thing is that we are sharing online safety messages with children.
Updates for Scotland
Updated child protection guidance for Scottish colleagues –
https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-guidance-child-protection-scotland-2021/.
Updated fire protection guidance for Scottish colleagues –
https://www.careinspectorate.com/images/documents/1844/Guidance_for_childminders_on_fire_precautions_in_domestic_childminding_premises.pdf.
You might need to update your safeguarding / child protection policy and fire safety risk assessment.
Children and choking
Following on from a devastating choking incident in a nursery, Ofsted are taking choking hazards in reports. A nursery was downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’ recently because staff did not chop up fruit and vegetables for children before serving them.
It is very important that you risk assess choking hazards throughout your setting – toys, food, natural resources outside etc and manage choking well as part of your daily and ongoing risk assessment.
Free only anaphylaxis training
Thank you to my colleague from Minding Kids for signposting this free anaphylaxis training course from the Anaphylaxis Campaign –
https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/information-training/allergywise-training/for-families-and-carers-of-pre-school-children/
If you need do write a care plan for a child, you will find free documentation here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork.
Healthy children
In addition to the choking spotlight, I think it’s important that all providers consider health and safety, especially now, with Covid-19 cases rampant in some areas and other illnesses popping up after a year of mask wearing and isolation.
The latest health protection guidance from Public Health England is here -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities.
However, it’s not always useful, especially if you want to exclude a child and the guidance says they can continue attending – this just causes conflict between providers and parents.
My general rule of thumb has always been – if a child is not well enough to attend the setting and get involved in our normal daily routines, then they need to be at home. This means if they are not well enough to play outside most of the day, come on our outings, eat their meals etc then they are not well enough for childcare. The lines blur when parents say their child is fine and send them with Calpol – I would hope parents have more respect for their childcare provider and the other children in the setting than to do this, especially as Calpol can mask the symptoms of Covid-19 such as a high temperature.
If you are having issues with parents, remember you are self-employed for a reason – to be in control of your business. You might need to make some tough decisions. My advice is to start a timeline and record your concerns, conversations, findings etc in case a malicious complaint is made to Ofsted.
Childhood obesity
A recent report from the National Child Measurement Programme shows an increase in the percentage of 4 and 5 year-olds classed as obese.
Early years providers can help by keeping children moving and ensuring they are eating well. this includes, for example, keeping an eye on portion sizes and working with parents to ensure children eat healthy food most (if not all) the time.
We know this will be an Ofsted focus alongside oral hygiene. There are recorded webinars gold childcare.co.uk members can watch again on both these important early years subjects here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
..................................................................
Paperwork questions
Planning for progress
I’ve been asked to discuss planning by a colleague. She wants to know whether she needs to plan or not, now the EYFS 2021 has been revised and the Ofsted early years inspection handbook states we don’t need written information.
The answer is, yes, you need a plan – it does not matter whether it is a written plan or an ‘in your head’ plan. Your plan starts with –
**Children’s starting points – children’s knowledge and skills at home.
**Children’s ‘all about me’ – information about their home and family lives.
**Your daily routines and your continuous provision
You improve your plan when you observe children’s play –
**Reflect on what the child can do and say and what the child cannot yet do and say.
**The child’s new interests and any schemas they are using in their play.
**Information from parents about home play and learning.
**Information shared with other settings and / or professionals if relevant.
You plan for progress through –
**Improving the environment for the child or providing new resources.
**Playing with the children – you are the best resource.
**Popping in some teaching – reading books, singing songs, introducing new ideas etc.
**Themed teaching and learning opportunities – if used.
**Setting out invitations to play which you support through ‘on the spot’ interactions.
You need to reflect on impact – think about what you are doing and its value – is it having an impact on outcomes for children? I have included some simple reflection sheets which will help you to focus on the important areas of ‘planning for progress.
Paperwork questions
I receive a lot of questions about what paperwork providers need for day-to-day work and for Ofsted. Ofsted say that we shouldn’t put files together for them, but we know there is certain evidence we will need. It makes sense to me to have all my certificates together and a safeguarding file – I use them regularly and they are there when my inspector visits.
However, it is important to note that Ofsted will only ask to look at statutory paperwork – for example, the Progress Check at 2, registers, accident and first aid forms, medication forms etc. Your inspector should not ask you for tracking data – this will be discussed instead.
..................................................................
Questions I have been asked the most this week:
How do I notify Ofsted about a serious incident?
Use this form – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident
What do I have to inform if I / a family member has Covid?
Use this form –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-ofsted-if-you-have-a-covid-19-incident-at-your-childcare-business
A family member has Covid – do I have to close?
Yes – see page 2 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/download/dfe-q-and-a-for-16-august.pdf
Variations of this question –
I have a shed in the garden – do I need to close? Yes
I am double vaccinated – do I need to close? Yes
I can work from other premises - what do I need to do? Close your setting and inform Ofsted what you are doing using the serious incident form (yes I know the title doesn’t fit the notification).
I am a close contact and unvaccinated – do I have to close?
Yes, because you are not double vaccinated.
Should I advise parents to do LFT or PCR for their child?
PCR if the child has any of the 3 main symptoms.
Ofsted are coming – what should I do?
Watch some of my old webinars if you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member ... read the EYFS and know the new requirements ... read the Ofsted early years inspection handbook and know the new requirements.
Webinars – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
EYFS 2021 –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974907/EYFS_framework_-_March_2021.pdf
Ofsted EY inspection handbook 2021 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Do I need to do tracking for Ofsted?
No, but you need to know the child’s progress from their starting points. It’s up to you how you show this but your inspector will expect you to talk about the children’s likes, dislikes, interests and learning.
..................................................................
Training and consultancy
Latest childminder paperwork updates
Do you keep an eye on latest updates for childminders? This page might be useful for your bookmarks – it is updated regularly - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminders.
Consultancy service
I offer a 1.5 / 2 hour pre-inspection audit online (using Zoom or similar) for all types of early years provider including childminders, nurseries and pre-schools. The pre-inspection audit includes a full walk-through of your upcoming inspection, from the phone call to the visit itself, to help you write your Ofsted inspection to do list. Please contact me for more details – [email protected]
Professional development in 2022
In my latest blog, I think about my professional development for 2021 and how I am going to carry colleagues along on my business improvement journey into 2022. I do a lot of reading, but I feel it could be more focused; I do a lot of wafting between subjects, but I feel it could be more focused too. Do you want to come on my journey with me? Here’s the blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/professional-development-for-2022.
Upcoming webinars for January 2022
I have just finished planning the free Childcare.co.uk webinars for January 2022. The webinars take a lot of work – I spend ages researching them and then I write the handout. Then it takes me some time to put the PowerPoint presentation together, deciding what slides will work best for maximum input. They wouldn’t be worthwhile without support – thank you to all the early years colleagues who have supported me by turning up on Tuesday nights through 2021.
Here are the planned webinars for January 2022 – you might notice a common theme!
4th Jan at 7.30pm – Action planning in 2022
11th Jan at 7.30pm – Safeguarding audit for 2022
18th Jan at 7.30pm – Paperwork for 2022
25th Jan at 7.30pm – Planning for progress in 2022.
You can sign up to the free webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
I hope you have a lovely month full of festive fun and a restful break.
All the best for 2021.
Sarah x
Here's a festive picture of our childminder Christmas tree at the local church a few years ago. The children were so proud of their work!
If you follow the monthly planning for childcare.co.uk gold members you will already have your December planning in place and have sent your letters to Father Christmas. If not, you need to start that process quickly to be sure of a reply before the big day.
We write to: Santa/Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland XM4 5HQ.
The next time I publish a newsletter it will be the new year. Thinking back over 2021, what is your abiding memory? I think mine will be the ongoing worry of how to manage the risks posed by Covid-19 in a home-based setting. Thinking to myself, ‘I can’t be ill’, ‘I can’t not work’ and the worry that a child might bring Covid into the household after we’ve avoided it for so long.
Working through a pandemic shows our resilience and how amazing we all are, doesn’t it? As we go into a new year, I think we should be incredibly proud of ourselves.
General updates in early years land
Climate change
We have been thinking about climate change a lot recently – the COP26 summit brought it into focus and the older children were aware that important people were meeting to talk about problems in the world.
Climate change will be added to the primary curriculum – and it is important we teach it, in age-appropriate ways, to our early years children. I am planning a webinar in March 2022 to help you plan your activities for Earth Day in April ... keep an eye on upcoming webinars for more information – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Things to do if there is a positive Covid-19 case in your household
If you or a family member tests positive you must:
**Close to all children / families and visitors.
**Phone the DfE coronavirus helpline and inform them – 0800 046 8687.
Note: you might be asked to give parent / family details for NHS Test and Trace so have them close by.
**Report to Ofsted using this form (not phone or email) – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident.
Tip: phone the DfE coronavirus helpline before reporting to Ofsted because there is a tick box on the Ofsted form asking if you have informed DfE.
**Report the positive case to your local authority.
What next? Organise online shopping, take care of yourself / your family member and hope you feel better soon.
Note: there is an option to work from other premises. Ofsted state: 'childminders can continue to look after children on other premises – e.g. other domestic premises or approved non-domestic premises. It may be beneficial to have backup arrangements in place by building relationships with local childminders with whom you may be able to work in the event that you have a positive case in your household.'
You will need to review your risk assessment and make sure your insurance covers you. If you choose this option, you MUST inform Ofsted. You will find more information about this here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/download/dfe-additional-q-and-a.pdf.
The latest Covid-19 information from DfE is here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-self-isolation-changes.
Strong Early Years London
I have been doing some work behind the scenes with the team behind Strong Early Years London, ensuring childminder viewpoints are heard in the consultations and services offered are appropriate for childminders to access.
Strong Early Years London is a scheme set up with money from the Lord Mayor’s fund and there are free webinars, information sessions and advice helplines and more available to support early years providers.
You can find out more about how the project might help you here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/strong-early-years-london-launches-online-business-advice-hub.
Updated childminder organiser
This incredibly popular resource is free from Childcare.co.uk.
I update it annually and always listen to colleague requests and add them where possible.
After requests from colleagues for 2022 I have added:
**Page to view / for children to decorate for 2022
**Professional development tracker
**Page numbers for spring, summer, autumn and winter
**Updated dates for spring, summer and autumn
I hope you find the changes useful.
FREE here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganis
..................................................................
Ofsted
Here are a few updates from recent inspection reports...
Childminding staff and suitability letters
If you are a childminder and have staff, you must wait for their suitability letter to come through before you can allow them to be unsupervised with children. While Ofsted say you can increase your ratios as soon as you take on a new staff member, the lack of suitability letter and the fact they cannot be left unsupervised with children can cause some problems. For example, you can’t ask them to go outside with a group of children on their own because you have to be with them and you cannot ask them to do the school run on their own.
We are aware that the Capita, enhanced, home-based DBS checks can take months to come through and Ofsted suitability letters can take further months to be processed. For example, the last time I employed a staff member, it took 6 months from her start date to receipt of her suitability letter, so we know it can be a long process for many childminders.
Please bear this in mind when making decisions about staff and taking on new children. During inspection, Ofsted might feel that you have not deployed staff effectively while you are waiting for their suitability letter to come through and effectively doing all the work yourself.
Partnership working with other settings
A childminder was graded good – not outstanding. Her report reads outstanding to me, apart from this:
;To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop a consistent approach to the sharing of information on what children are learning and their progress, with other settings that children may also attend.’ This is the only recommendation and it is mentioned 3 times in the report.
It has always been a battle to share information with other settings and I know many childminders would agree with me that they do all the sharing and other settings either ignore them or rebuff their approaches.
My advice is to have a positive ‘story in your head’ about how you shared something with another setting. Maybe the child was learning about something at their other setting and you did some complementary activities or maybe you sent information to the other setting about a child’s ‘wow moment’ and they acknowledged it and agreed to build on it while the child was there.
Don’t let other settings’ inability to comply with the EYFS drag down your inspection result!
Recording children’s attendance
You must record a child’s attendance accurately – check your clock is correct and check staff are noting arrival and departure to the minute (not rounding up or down). You can use a diary, a file or a sheet for each child / the group of children – it’s up to you.
If you are concerned about a child’s erratic attendance or if parents fail to bring their child on the expected day, you must follow up – it could be a safeguarding concern.
Baby talk and young children
We know from the non-statutory Development Matters 2021 curriculum guidance that, ‘Using exaggerated intonation and a sing-song voice (infant-directed speech) helps babies tune in to language’ (communication and language, birth to 3). However, this is not the same as using ‘baby talk’ words like ‘dodi’ (dummy), ‘ta’ (thank you) and ‘birdie’ (bird).
We are role models for children’s speech and language development and it is important that we use the correct words, in English – and where appropriate in the child’s home language. Think about how you and your staff (if relevant) speak to children and ensure you are always using the correct vocabulary which will help them to learn to speak well.
Sharing the key person role with staff
I know a lot of childminders with staff who are afraid to let go of the key person role. However, it is important that the role is shared, especially so staff have the opportunity to get to know each child really well. It is not enough for staff to play and care for children – they must also know what children are learning and where their individual planning is going next.
For example, if asked during Ofsted inspection, all staff who work in a room need to know what the child enjoys doing, what he is learning, whether he has any challenges to his learning, his next steps etc.
You could do this through regular weekly meetings with staff to ensure everyone is updated or through staff making brief notes when they are playing with children which are shared with other staff in the room at the end of the day. It’s up to you how you work.
Accessing water
The requirement in the EYFS 2021 is that all children must be able to freely access drinking water through the day. In a recent inspection, the provider was graded good – not outstanding because, ‘some children are not able to access drinking water independently as it is not within easy reach. This sometimes results in less confident children not always freely getting a drink when they need one.’ This is the only reason given for the childminder receiving a good rather than outstanding grade – the rest of the report reads outstanding to me.
It is important that children can reach their water – babies as well as older children – both inside and in the garden. Water should always be taken on outings as well. – even short school runs.
Personal reflection– it is important to use inspection feedback from other providers and comments in reports like the ones above to inform our practice – not to get cross or disheartened, but to recognise how we can improve our own practice. However, reading some recent reports, it does make me wonder what more the provider needed to do to get outstanding!
..................................................................
Health and safety / safeguarding updates
Safeguarding children online
During a recent online safeguarding webinar, we talked about the various ways we can keep children safe online. I mentioned a few books including ‘Goldilocks’ by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross, ‘Digiduck’s big decision’ on the Childnet website, ‘Chicken Clicking’ by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross, ‘Smartie Penguin’ from Childnet and other similar stories for children.
Colleagues noted in the webinar chat that some of the stories are too old for their early years children. That’s fine – not a problem – use the pictures and change the words. We are all amazing storytellers in the early years. The most important thing is that we are sharing online safety messages with children.
Updates for Scotland
Updated child protection guidance for Scottish colleagues –
https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-guidance-child-protection-scotland-2021/.
Updated fire protection guidance for Scottish colleagues –
https://www.careinspectorate.com/images/documents/1844/Guidance_for_childminders_on_fire_precautions_in_domestic_childminding_premises.pdf.
You might need to update your safeguarding / child protection policy and fire safety risk assessment.
Children and choking
Following on from a devastating choking incident in a nursery, Ofsted are taking choking hazards in reports. A nursery was downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’ recently because staff did not chop up fruit and vegetables for children before serving them.
It is very important that you risk assess choking hazards throughout your setting – toys, food, natural resources outside etc and manage choking well as part of your daily and ongoing risk assessment.
Free only anaphylaxis training
Thank you to my colleague from Minding Kids for signposting this free anaphylaxis training course from the Anaphylaxis Campaign –
https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/information-training/allergywise-training/for-families-and-carers-of-pre-school-children/
If you need do write a care plan for a child, you will find free documentation here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork.
Healthy children
In addition to the choking spotlight, I think it’s important that all providers consider health and safety, especially now, with Covid-19 cases rampant in some areas and other illnesses popping up after a year of mask wearing and isolation.
The latest health protection guidance from Public Health England is here -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities.
However, it’s not always useful, especially if you want to exclude a child and the guidance says they can continue attending – this just causes conflict between providers and parents.
My general rule of thumb has always been – if a child is not well enough to attend the setting and get involved in our normal daily routines, then they need to be at home. This means if they are not well enough to play outside most of the day, come on our outings, eat their meals etc then they are not well enough for childcare. The lines blur when parents say their child is fine and send them with Calpol – I would hope parents have more respect for their childcare provider and the other children in the setting than to do this, especially as Calpol can mask the symptoms of Covid-19 such as a high temperature.
If you are having issues with parents, remember you are self-employed for a reason – to be in control of your business. You might need to make some tough decisions. My advice is to start a timeline and record your concerns, conversations, findings etc in case a malicious complaint is made to Ofsted.
Childhood obesity
A recent report from the National Child Measurement Programme shows an increase in the percentage of 4 and 5 year-olds classed as obese.
Early years providers can help by keeping children moving and ensuring they are eating well. this includes, for example, keeping an eye on portion sizes and working with parents to ensure children eat healthy food most (if not all) the time.
We know this will be an Ofsted focus alongside oral hygiene. There are recorded webinars gold childcare.co.uk members can watch again on both these important early years subjects here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
..................................................................
Paperwork questions
Planning for progress
I’ve been asked to discuss planning by a colleague. She wants to know whether she needs to plan or not, now the EYFS 2021 has been revised and the Ofsted early years inspection handbook states we don’t need written information.
The answer is, yes, you need a plan – it does not matter whether it is a written plan or an ‘in your head’ plan. Your plan starts with –
**Children’s starting points – children’s knowledge and skills at home.
**Children’s ‘all about me’ – information about their home and family lives.
**Your daily routines and your continuous provision
You improve your plan when you observe children’s play –
**Reflect on what the child can do and say and what the child cannot yet do and say.
**The child’s new interests and any schemas they are using in their play.
**Information from parents about home play and learning.
**Information shared with other settings and / or professionals if relevant.
You plan for progress through –
**Improving the environment for the child or providing new resources.
**Playing with the children – you are the best resource.
**Popping in some teaching – reading books, singing songs, introducing new ideas etc.
**Themed teaching and learning opportunities – if used.
**Setting out invitations to play which you support through ‘on the spot’ interactions.
You need to reflect on impact – think about what you are doing and its value – is it having an impact on outcomes for children? I have included some simple reflection sheets which will help you to focus on the important areas of ‘planning for progress.
Paperwork questions
I receive a lot of questions about what paperwork providers need for day-to-day work and for Ofsted. Ofsted say that we shouldn’t put files together for them, but we know there is certain evidence we will need. It makes sense to me to have all my certificates together and a safeguarding file – I use them regularly and they are there when my inspector visits.
However, it is important to note that Ofsted will only ask to look at statutory paperwork – for example, the Progress Check at 2, registers, accident and first aid forms, medication forms etc. Your inspector should not ask you for tracking data – this will be discussed instead.
..................................................................
Questions I have been asked the most this week:
How do I notify Ofsted about a serious incident?
Use this form – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident
What do I have to inform if I / a family member has Covid?
Use this form –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-ofsted-if-you-have-a-covid-19-incident-at-your-childcare-business
A family member has Covid – do I have to close?
Yes – see page 2 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/download/dfe-q-and-a-for-16-august.pdf
Variations of this question –
I have a shed in the garden – do I need to close? Yes
I am double vaccinated – do I need to close? Yes
I can work from other premises - what do I need to do? Close your setting and inform Ofsted what you are doing using the serious incident form (yes I know the title doesn’t fit the notification).
I am a close contact and unvaccinated – do I have to close?
Yes, because you are not double vaccinated.
Should I advise parents to do LFT or PCR for their child?
PCR if the child has any of the 3 main symptoms.
Ofsted are coming – what should I do?
Watch some of my old webinars if you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member ... read the EYFS and know the new requirements ... read the Ofsted early years inspection handbook and know the new requirements.
Webinars – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
EYFS 2021 –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974907/EYFS_framework_-_March_2021.pdf
Ofsted EY inspection handbook 2021 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Do I need to do tracking for Ofsted?
No, but you need to know the child’s progress from their starting points. It’s up to you how you show this but your inspector will expect you to talk about the children’s likes, dislikes, interests and learning.
..................................................................
Training and consultancy
Latest childminder paperwork updates
Do you keep an eye on latest updates for childminders? This page might be useful for your bookmarks – it is updated regularly - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminders.
Consultancy service
I offer a 1.5 / 2 hour pre-inspection audit online (using Zoom or similar) for all types of early years provider including childminders, nurseries and pre-schools. The pre-inspection audit includes a full walk-through of your upcoming inspection, from the phone call to the visit itself, to help you write your Ofsted inspection to do list. Please contact me for more details – [email protected]
Professional development in 2022
In my latest blog, I think about my professional development for 2021 and how I am going to carry colleagues along on my business improvement journey into 2022. I do a lot of reading, but I feel it could be more focused; I do a lot of wafting between subjects, but I feel it could be more focused too. Do you want to come on my journey with me? Here’s the blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/professional-development-for-2022.
Upcoming webinars for January 2022
I have just finished planning the free Childcare.co.uk webinars for January 2022. The webinars take a lot of work – I spend ages researching them and then I write the handout. Then it takes me some time to put the PowerPoint presentation together, deciding what slides will work best for maximum input. They wouldn’t be worthwhile without support – thank you to all the early years colleagues who have supported me by turning up on Tuesday nights through 2021.
Here are the planned webinars for January 2022 – you might notice a common theme!
4th Jan at 7.30pm – Action planning in 2022
11th Jan at 7.30pm – Safeguarding audit for 2022
18th Jan at 7.30pm – Paperwork for 2022
25th Jan at 7.30pm – Planning for progress in 2022.
You can sign up to the free webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
I hope you have a lovely month full of festive fun and a restful break.
All the best for 2021.
Sarah x
November 2021 newsletter
Welcome to November!
I have always liked autumn – there are a wealth of outside-based activities to explore and the teaching opportunities are endless, limited only by our imagination.
It’s been a busy time for professional development – I have been writing webinars and ensuring group planning is ready to go for next year.
I have also started updates on the FREE childminder organiser for 2022 – if you have any suggestions for changes to improve it, please let me know - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser
General news from the early years sector
How are your occupancy levels?
Reports state that generally occupancy is below pre-Covid-19 rates. It’s important to make the most of your free or paid-for Childcare.co.uk profile.
You will find some profile writing tips here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/writing-your-profile.
Don’t forget to log into your account regularly and check for parents looking for childcare. Write them a short, professional introduction to yourself and your service and ensure your contact details are updated so they can reply to you.
Early years calls for more support
I have been reading news articles recently about the urgent need for Government funding into the early years. Everyone needs money – especially early years and SEND. This is a powerful article from EYE magazine from SEND charity NASEN –
https://www.earlyyearseducator.co.uk/features/article/we-need-to-urgently-ramp-up-the-investment-into-early-years
There was a march on 20th October to Downing Street by nursery schools asking for protection from cuts as well –
https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1658291/march-downing-street-nursery-schools
According to this Nursery World article, we have been promised investment. Let’s hope it comes quickly –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/education-secretary-announces-plans-to-invest-in-early-years-staff
Ofsted - new childminder registrations
Ofsted has signposted this updated page for all providers –
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/providing-childcare-services-in-england
There is also this page for newly registering childminders –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-register-as-a-childminder
Reporting incidents to Ofsted
Instead of using the email address, Ofsted want us to use this form –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident#what-you-must-tell-ofsted
‘Ofsted state in a recent post on the Childcare Registration Facebook page:
Did you know that you now need to use the early years incident online form to report:
• allegations that someone living, working or looking after children on the premises has committed serious harm or abuse
• anything that might affect the suitability of someone on the premises to look after children
• a serious accident, injury or illness to a child, for example food poisoning
• a child’s death.
The form can be accessed here -
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident#what-you-must-tell-ofsted.
Ofsted state: 'As an Ofsted registered provider, you are required to notify Ofsted of any significant events or changes occurring at or affecting your provision. Further details about what you need to notify Ofsted about can be found in the EYFS.’
Do you have staff?
If so, you need to inform them about the latest wage rise information. From April 2022 the national living wage will increase by 6.6%. The increase means a full-time worker will get £1,074 extra a year before tax.
The UK ‘national living wage’, which applies to workers aged 23 and over, is to rise from £8.91 to £9.50 an hour from next April. For those aged 21 to 22, the minimum will go up from £8.36 to £9.18.
While we have been informed in the budget that funding will be increased, it is unlikely to cover this substantial pay rise for staff. You might find it useful to prepare for this by making changes to your budgeting, raising parent fees and cutting back on outgoings etc.
I find ACAS the best source of updated information for staff -
www.acas.org.uk/national-minimum-wage-entitlement.
Funded childcare – operational guidance update
DfE has updated the operational guidance for funded childcare. The links to the specification for a level 3 SEND qualification, level 3 SENCO job description and free SEND resources have been updated on page 35 of the operational guidance. The guidance states: ‘We want all early years staff to feel confident that they can support a child with SEND to access and enjoy their early years setting and their full entitlement. Our workforce strategy sets out how we will support staff to offer good quality provision to children with SEND. The department worked with organisations specialising in SEND to develop a specification for a Level 3 SEND qualification, a Level 3 SENCO job description and case studies, and to produce a package of free SEND resources specific to the early years."
You will find the latest version of the operational guidance here dated 22nd October 2021 -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-la-and-early-years-provider-guide.
Nursey closes after choking incident
Jelly Beans Nursery in Ashford, Kent recently closed after a child died from choking.
It is important all providers are aware of the risks of choking and all Ofsted approved paediatric first aid courses must include a section on choking. When did you last audit your resources and setting generally to reduce the risk of choking in children? Do you follow latest advice from the DfE on foods and how to cut them up safely? Do you check your setting for, for example, button batteries? Do you sit with children, so they are fully supervised at meal times?
Note the new guidance from DfE about choking and how to prepare foods -
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety.
Note the EYFS 2021 requirement 3.29 has been updated to state: ‘Providers must ensure that children are adequately supervised, including whilst eating, and decide how to deploy staff to ensure children’s needs are met.’ EYFS 2021 - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974907/EYFS_framework_-_March_2021.pdf.
......................................................................
Covid-19 updates
We receive so many questions about the latest Covid-19 advice. Childcare.co.uk are keeping this page of news and updates from DfE regularly updated –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-self-isolation-changes.
Covid-19 continues
What restrictions have you kept in place? Do you still clean every day and ensure your setting is as germ free as possible? Have you noticed an increase in childhood illnesses due to lack of mixing over the last few years?
Latest information from DfE makes it clear we have to learn to live with Covid-19. It will be in the population forever and while the current policy of allowing children from Covid positive households to attend settings continues, many believe it will be impossible to avoid infection.
If there are cases of Covid-19 you must report to Ofsted, your Local Authority and DfE.
Latest covid-19 guidance causes concern
The latest Covid-19 guidance from DfE states 2 different things:
**If a childminder has a positive case in the household they must close.
**If there is a positive case in a child’s household the child can still attend the setting.
This has caused outrage in most early years settings because it puts all providers at risk – we know there is no way a child will be in a positive household and fully isolated for 10 days from the positive parent or older sibling.
A recent poll on the Independent Childminders Facebook group highlighted member concerns in both the poll results and the comments and member comments will be shared with DfE in future meetings.
The latest Actions for Early Years Providers guidance is here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
Financial support for Covid-19
DfE has withdrawn the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme on 30 September 2021. Claims for September needed to be submitted by 14 October 2021 and any amendments must be made by 28 October 2021.
You will find the latest information about support available here – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care
......................................................................
DfE updates
DfE suggests increasing ratios
Back in 2012, I campaigned against ratio changes and worked with Childcare.co.uk to raise a huge petition. At the time, we won and Liz Truss, the then Education minister went ahead with introducing childminder agencies but put ratios changes to one side.
The suggestion that we can take on more children under 5 has been raised again recently by the DfE as a way to ... apparently ... cut costs.
This is not about cutting costs – let’s be clear here. It’s about chronic Government underfunding. A recent freedom of information request from the Early Years Alliance has shown that the Government knows it is underfunding the ‘free’ childcare offer ... and clearly they think that allowing us to take on more children will somehow reduce our costs.
While the reasoning behind the suggested change is obviously disingenuous, I won’t campaign against the changes again this time because I believe a lot of childminders would welcome them. Of course, if they do allow more children in ratios, it would need to be carefully risk assessed to ensure the needs of all the children were fully met ... and equally of course, it wouldn’t mean that providers had to accept more early years children, just that they could if it worked for them and their families.
Childminders can already vary ratios
Ofsted confirm, on the Childcare Registration Facebook page, that there are already circumstances when childminders can increase their ratios from 3 under 5s. Ofsted state:
‘There are a couple of things to think about if you want to make an exception to the number of children you care for as a childminder. You should never care for more than six children aged under eight. You can make an exception to the number of children you care for under the age of five (so long as you don’t care for more than six children under eight in total) as long as you can meet the needs of all the children in your care. Inspectors will check that you are able to meet all children’s individual learning and care needs when they visit you. Please, as we trust you will, think about whether it’s not only the right thing for you but the right thing for the children.’
Note the wording Ofsted use here – if there is a problem and Ofsted are called to investigate and the inspector notes you have more than 3 under 5s, they will invariably say ‘over ratio’, regardless of the relaxation of rules. It is always your responsibility to ensure children’s care and learning needs are met.
......................................................................
Health and safety updates
Magnet safety
The Child Accident Prevention Trust are highlighting the dangers of children swallowing magnets.
Magnets are found in toys, jewellery and fridge magnets. They can be bought cheaply from online marketplaces.
If swallowed, they can stick together inside a child’s intestines and burn holes through their gut. The injuries can be life-threatening.
More information here - https://www.capt.org.uk/magnet-safety.
Food hygiene
A childminder asked me whether childminders need to be registered with food hygiene as a food business.
Yes, all childminders must be registered as food businesses with their local authority.
Since Jan 2014 Ofsted have done this for us (to reduce the administrative burden on newly registering childminders) - https://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/startingup/childminders.
You need to be using Safer Food Better Business for Childminders - you can buy it or download and print it from here - https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/publication/sfbb-tagd-childminders-fullcol-pack0513.pdf.
Note that Safer Food Better Business for Childminders was updated in 2015 – a summary of the changes can be found here - https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/enf-e-16-008-childminders-pack.pdf.
UPDATE: Firework safety
It's Bonfire Night and Diwali coming up soon and both involve firework displays. As many of the group displays are cancelled due to covid, you will find information from CAPT to share with families who might be planning garden celebrations here - https://www.capt.org.uk/firework-safety
Guidance from RSPCA about animals and fireworks - https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/fireworks
ROSPA firework safety here - https://www.rospa.com/home-safety/advice/fireworks-safety
......................................................................
Safeguarding and child protection
Safeguarding updates in the EYFS 2021
I have been asked to share the main updates:
**Local Safeguarding Children Boards are now Local Safeguarding Partners – what is yours called?
**Information sharing guidance is now signposted in the EYFS.
**Online safety and cyber safety / cyber-attacks are highlighted.
**New staff must be supervised; in childminding settings, they must be supervised until the suitability letter has not been received from Ofsted – you might need to update your safer recruitment policy.
**Children must be supervised when eating.
**Oral health is now a requirement to support children’s oral health.
**Vaping and e-cigarettes have been added to the ‘no smoking’ rules – yo might need to update your Health and Safety Policy and any posters in the setting.
**Sleeping children – SIDS guidance is signposted.
**Healthy eating – latest guidance including advice about choking on the ‘help for early years’ website.
**First aid must be at least half face-to-face.
More safeguarding training
I have been asked for more safeguarding webinars. The schedule is full up to the end of December - I will look at including more in the new year.
If you are a childcare.co.uk gold member you can access free training on the website - www.childcare.co.uk/training.
......................................................................
Oral hygiene
A colleague asked me for more information about the new oral health requirement in the EYFS 2021 – she wanted my views on how Ofsted might inspect oral health. Ofsted have said they won’t look at children’s teeth but they will expect us to take steps to support parents with oral hygiene at home and to have conversations with parents about their child’s oral health.
Feedback from a childminder’s recent Ofsted inspection outcome suggests that if we note a concern about oral health, we must follow it up with parents and, if relevant, other agencies and professionals.
Here are some top tips
**If you brush children’s teeth in the setting, dentists advise you wait 30 minutes after eating to protect enamel – children’s teeth have thinner enamel than adult.
**The British Dental Association says brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes with a fluoride toothpaste is best.
**Children should be supervised until age 7.
**The NHS supervised toothbrushing programme was designed to support children from vulnerable and / or chaotic families who may need toothbrushing support if children are at risk of poor oral health. The programme is not intended to replace home brushing.
**NHS advise to brush ‘at least’ twice daily and to brush at night and ‘at least’ on one other occasion.
Oral health webinar – useful links
I delivered a recent oral health webinar – there were thousands of providers online, all waiting to hear about the latest guidance from DfE and how the new oral health requirements in the EYFS 2021 might impact on their settings and ways of working. I managed to get on the chat after we’d finished and pulled out some links to share on the group:
**Lots of information from DfE about supporting oral health here –
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/oral-health
**NHS guidance states to brush children’s teeth ‘at least’ twice a day –
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/taking-care-of-childrens-teeth/
**Change4Life sugar swaps – https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/food-facts/sugar/sugar-swaps-for-kids
**Supervised tooth brushing programme with additional Covid-19 guidance – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes/covid-19-guidance-for-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes-in-early-years-and-school-settings
I hope by the end of the webinar colleagues felt confident to tackle this new requirement in their settings.
......................................................................
Professional development
I have been busy with my professional development over the last few weeks. I have read magazines and articles, updated my safeguarding / child protection knowledge, written new webinars and guides and generally been a busy bee.
I often hear childminders saying ‘we don’t get any support any more’. Very few self-employed people do get support – they find out what they need to know from reading and researching. Gone are the days when Local Authorities had budgets for childminder support networks or similar – we all have to find our own way.
This is why online groups such as the Facebook Independent Childminders group is so important. Find our more here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders.
Upcoming webinars
FREE webinars planned for November will cover:
Tues 2nd – Gender in the early years
Tues 9th – Make time for maths
Tues 16th – Keeping children safe online
Tues 23rd – Healthy eating
All webinars are free and interactive on the night they are delivered. You can log in here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
If you are a childcare.co.uk gold member and you miss a live webinar, you can watch a recording here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
If you have any questions, please contact me. Sarah.
I have always liked autumn – there are a wealth of outside-based activities to explore and the teaching opportunities are endless, limited only by our imagination.
It’s been a busy time for professional development – I have been writing webinars and ensuring group planning is ready to go for next year.
I have also started updates on the FREE childminder organiser for 2022 – if you have any suggestions for changes to improve it, please let me know - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser
General news from the early years sector
How are your occupancy levels?
Reports state that generally occupancy is below pre-Covid-19 rates. It’s important to make the most of your free or paid-for Childcare.co.uk profile.
You will find some profile writing tips here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/writing-your-profile.
Don’t forget to log into your account regularly and check for parents looking for childcare. Write them a short, professional introduction to yourself and your service and ensure your contact details are updated so they can reply to you.
Early years calls for more support
I have been reading news articles recently about the urgent need for Government funding into the early years. Everyone needs money – especially early years and SEND. This is a powerful article from EYE magazine from SEND charity NASEN –
https://www.earlyyearseducator.co.uk/features/article/we-need-to-urgently-ramp-up-the-investment-into-early-years
There was a march on 20th October to Downing Street by nursery schools asking for protection from cuts as well –
https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1658291/march-downing-street-nursery-schools
According to this Nursery World article, we have been promised investment. Let’s hope it comes quickly –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/education-secretary-announces-plans-to-invest-in-early-years-staff
Ofsted - new childminder registrations
Ofsted has signposted this updated page for all providers –
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/providing-childcare-services-in-england
There is also this page for newly registering childminders –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-register-as-a-childminder
Reporting incidents to Ofsted
Instead of using the email address, Ofsted want us to use this form –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident#what-you-must-tell-ofsted
‘Ofsted state in a recent post on the Childcare Registration Facebook page:
Did you know that you now need to use the early years incident online form to report:
• allegations that someone living, working or looking after children on the premises has committed serious harm or abuse
• anything that might affect the suitability of someone on the premises to look after children
• a serious accident, injury or illness to a child, for example food poisoning
• a child’s death.
The form can be accessed here -
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident#what-you-must-tell-ofsted.
Ofsted state: 'As an Ofsted registered provider, you are required to notify Ofsted of any significant events or changes occurring at or affecting your provision. Further details about what you need to notify Ofsted about can be found in the EYFS.’
Do you have staff?
If so, you need to inform them about the latest wage rise information. From April 2022 the national living wage will increase by 6.6%. The increase means a full-time worker will get £1,074 extra a year before tax.
The UK ‘national living wage’, which applies to workers aged 23 and over, is to rise from £8.91 to £9.50 an hour from next April. For those aged 21 to 22, the minimum will go up from £8.36 to £9.18.
While we have been informed in the budget that funding will be increased, it is unlikely to cover this substantial pay rise for staff. You might find it useful to prepare for this by making changes to your budgeting, raising parent fees and cutting back on outgoings etc.
I find ACAS the best source of updated information for staff -
www.acas.org.uk/national-minimum-wage-entitlement.
Funded childcare – operational guidance update
DfE has updated the operational guidance for funded childcare. The links to the specification for a level 3 SEND qualification, level 3 SENCO job description and free SEND resources have been updated on page 35 of the operational guidance. The guidance states: ‘We want all early years staff to feel confident that they can support a child with SEND to access and enjoy their early years setting and their full entitlement. Our workforce strategy sets out how we will support staff to offer good quality provision to children with SEND. The department worked with organisations specialising in SEND to develop a specification for a Level 3 SEND qualification, a Level 3 SENCO job description and case studies, and to produce a package of free SEND resources specific to the early years."
You will find the latest version of the operational guidance here dated 22nd October 2021 -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-la-and-early-years-provider-guide.
Nursey closes after choking incident
Jelly Beans Nursery in Ashford, Kent recently closed after a child died from choking.
It is important all providers are aware of the risks of choking and all Ofsted approved paediatric first aid courses must include a section on choking. When did you last audit your resources and setting generally to reduce the risk of choking in children? Do you follow latest advice from the DfE on foods and how to cut them up safely? Do you check your setting for, for example, button batteries? Do you sit with children, so they are fully supervised at meal times?
Note the new guidance from DfE about choking and how to prepare foods -
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety.
Note the EYFS 2021 requirement 3.29 has been updated to state: ‘Providers must ensure that children are adequately supervised, including whilst eating, and decide how to deploy staff to ensure children’s needs are met.’ EYFS 2021 - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974907/EYFS_framework_-_March_2021.pdf.
......................................................................
Covid-19 updates
We receive so many questions about the latest Covid-19 advice. Childcare.co.uk are keeping this page of news and updates from DfE regularly updated –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-self-isolation-changes.
Covid-19 continues
What restrictions have you kept in place? Do you still clean every day and ensure your setting is as germ free as possible? Have you noticed an increase in childhood illnesses due to lack of mixing over the last few years?
Latest information from DfE makes it clear we have to learn to live with Covid-19. It will be in the population forever and while the current policy of allowing children from Covid positive households to attend settings continues, many believe it will be impossible to avoid infection.
If there are cases of Covid-19 you must report to Ofsted, your Local Authority and DfE.
Latest covid-19 guidance causes concern
The latest Covid-19 guidance from DfE states 2 different things:
**If a childminder has a positive case in the household they must close.
**If there is a positive case in a child’s household the child can still attend the setting.
This has caused outrage in most early years settings because it puts all providers at risk – we know there is no way a child will be in a positive household and fully isolated for 10 days from the positive parent or older sibling.
A recent poll on the Independent Childminders Facebook group highlighted member concerns in both the poll results and the comments and member comments will be shared with DfE in future meetings.
The latest Actions for Early Years Providers guidance is here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
Financial support for Covid-19
DfE has withdrawn the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme on 30 September 2021. Claims for September needed to be submitted by 14 October 2021 and any amendments must be made by 28 October 2021.
You will find the latest information about support available here – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care
......................................................................
DfE updates
DfE suggests increasing ratios
Back in 2012, I campaigned against ratio changes and worked with Childcare.co.uk to raise a huge petition. At the time, we won and Liz Truss, the then Education minister went ahead with introducing childminder agencies but put ratios changes to one side.
The suggestion that we can take on more children under 5 has been raised again recently by the DfE as a way to ... apparently ... cut costs.
This is not about cutting costs – let’s be clear here. It’s about chronic Government underfunding. A recent freedom of information request from the Early Years Alliance has shown that the Government knows it is underfunding the ‘free’ childcare offer ... and clearly they think that allowing us to take on more children will somehow reduce our costs.
While the reasoning behind the suggested change is obviously disingenuous, I won’t campaign against the changes again this time because I believe a lot of childminders would welcome them. Of course, if they do allow more children in ratios, it would need to be carefully risk assessed to ensure the needs of all the children were fully met ... and equally of course, it wouldn’t mean that providers had to accept more early years children, just that they could if it worked for them and their families.
Childminders can already vary ratios
Ofsted confirm, on the Childcare Registration Facebook page, that there are already circumstances when childminders can increase their ratios from 3 under 5s. Ofsted state:
‘There are a couple of things to think about if you want to make an exception to the number of children you care for as a childminder. You should never care for more than six children aged under eight. You can make an exception to the number of children you care for under the age of five (so long as you don’t care for more than six children under eight in total) as long as you can meet the needs of all the children in your care. Inspectors will check that you are able to meet all children’s individual learning and care needs when they visit you. Please, as we trust you will, think about whether it’s not only the right thing for you but the right thing for the children.’
Note the wording Ofsted use here – if there is a problem and Ofsted are called to investigate and the inspector notes you have more than 3 under 5s, they will invariably say ‘over ratio’, regardless of the relaxation of rules. It is always your responsibility to ensure children’s care and learning needs are met.
......................................................................
Health and safety updates
Magnet safety
The Child Accident Prevention Trust are highlighting the dangers of children swallowing magnets.
Magnets are found in toys, jewellery and fridge magnets. They can be bought cheaply from online marketplaces.
If swallowed, they can stick together inside a child’s intestines and burn holes through their gut. The injuries can be life-threatening.
More information here - https://www.capt.org.uk/magnet-safety.
Food hygiene
A childminder asked me whether childminders need to be registered with food hygiene as a food business.
Yes, all childminders must be registered as food businesses with their local authority.
Since Jan 2014 Ofsted have done this for us (to reduce the administrative burden on newly registering childminders) - https://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/startingup/childminders.
You need to be using Safer Food Better Business for Childminders - you can buy it or download and print it from here - https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/publication/sfbb-tagd-childminders-fullcol-pack0513.pdf.
Note that Safer Food Better Business for Childminders was updated in 2015 – a summary of the changes can be found here - https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/enf-e-16-008-childminders-pack.pdf.
UPDATE: Firework safety
It's Bonfire Night and Diwali coming up soon and both involve firework displays. As many of the group displays are cancelled due to covid, you will find information from CAPT to share with families who might be planning garden celebrations here - https://www.capt.org.uk/firework-safety
Guidance from RSPCA about animals and fireworks - https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/fireworks
ROSPA firework safety here - https://www.rospa.com/home-safety/advice/fireworks-safety
......................................................................
Safeguarding and child protection
Safeguarding updates in the EYFS 2021
I have been asked to share the main updates:
**Local Safeguarding Children Boards are now Local Safeguarding Partners – what is yours called?
**Information sharing guidance is now signposted in the EYFS.
**Online safety and cyber safety / cyber-attacks are highlighted.
**New staff must be supervised; in childminding settings, they must be supervised until the suitability letter has not been received from Ofsted – you might need to update your safer recruitment policy.
**Children must be supervised when eating.
**Oral health is now a requirement to support children’s oral health.
**Vaping and e-cigarettes have been added to the ‘no smoking’ rules – yo might need to update your Health and Safety Policy and any posters in the setting.
**Sleeping children – SIDS guidance is signposted.
**Healthy eating – latest guidance including advice about choking on the ‘help for early years’ website.
**First aid must be at least half face-to-face.
More safeguarding training
I have been asked for more safeguarding webinars. The schedule is full up to the end of December - I will look at including more in the new year.
If you are a childcare.co.uk gold member you can access free training on the website - www.childcare.co.uk/training.
......................................................................
Oral hygiene
A colleague asked me for more information about the new oral health requirement in the EYFS 2021 – she wanted my views on how Ofsted might inspect oral health. Ofsted have said they won’t look at children’s teeth but they will expect us to take steps to support parents with oral hygiene at home and to have conversations with parents about their child’s oral health.
Feedback from a childminder’s recent Ofsted inspection outcome suggests that if we note a concern about oral health, we must follow it up with parents and, if relevant, other agencies and professionals.
Here are some top tips
**If you brush children’s teeth in the setting, dentists advise you wait 30 minutes after eating to protect enamel – children’s teeth have thinner enamel than adult.
**The British Dental Association says brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes with a fluoride toothpaste is best.
**Children should be supervised until age 7.
**The NHS supervised toothbrushing programme was designed to support children from vulnerable and / or chaotic families who may need toothbrushing support if children are at risk of poor oral health. The programme is not intended to replace home brushing.
**NHS advise to brush ‘at least’ twice daily and to brush at night and ‘at least’ on one other occasion.
Oral health webinar – useful links
I delivered a recent oral health webinar – there were thousands of providers online, all waiting to hear about the latest guidance from DfE and how the new oral health requirements in the EYFS 2021 might impact on their settings and ways of working. I managed to get on the chat after we’d finished and pulled out some links to share on the group:
**Lots of information from DfE about supporting oral health here –
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/oral-health
**NHS guidance states to brush children’s teeth ‘at least’ twice a day –
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/taking-care-of-childrens-teeth/
**Change4Life sugar swaps – https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/food-facts/sugar/sugar-swaps-for-kids
**Supervised tooth brushing programme with additional Covid-19 guidance – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes/covid-19-guidance-for-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes-in-early-years-and-school-settings
I hope by the end of the webinar colleagues felt confident to tackle this new requirement in their settings.
......................................................................
Professional development
I have been busy with my professional development over the last few weeks. I have read magazines and articles, updated my safeguarding / child protection knowledge, written new webinars and guides and generally been a busy bee.
I often hear childminders saying ‘we don’t get any support any more’. Very few self-employed people do get support – they find out what they need to know from reading and researching. Gone are the days when Local Authorities had budgets for childminder support networks or similar – we all have to find our own way.
This is why online groups such as the Facebook Independent Childminders group is so important. Find our more here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders.
Upcoming webinars
FREE webinars planned for November will cover:
Tues 2nd – Gender in the early years
Tues 9th – Make time for maths
Tues 16th – Keeping children safe online
Tues 23rd – Healthy eating
All webinars are free and interactive on the night they are delivered. You can log in here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
If you are a childcare.co.uk gold member and you miss a live webinar, you can watch a recording here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
If you have any questions, please contact me. Sarah.
October 2021 newsletter
Hello! I hope you are all well. Welcome to my latest newsletter.
My aim is to keep everyone updated with changes and new information and to clarify points raised on forums and groups.
It’s been a busy September here at Knutsford Childminding, supporting new children in the setting – plus, of course, we’ve had a new EYFS to get to grips with, but we have, as always, rolled with the changes and embraced everything new and different. So far this month, in my early years setting, we have:
There is also a new poster from Foundation Years –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Early-Years-Choking-Hazards-Table_FINAL_21-Sept-2021.pdf.
Ofsted myth busting - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs/registered-early-years-providers.
What are the main questions at the moment?
The main questions coming through the Independent Childminders Facebook group are about tracking children’s progress. The expectations have changed and we are all wrestling with the same questions. It's not easy because we all work differently and while the new guidance is refreshing and a wonderful return to play for many, it's worrying for others who like a visual representation of how children are getting on.
The thinking is that if we know child development and we have a good curriculum running in the background so we cover everything children need to learn, then we should be able to trust our judgement - to know when a child is struggling without tracking their every move.
However, there is nothing stopping you from record keeping if that's what you want to do – you can use the ‘Quick Assessment Checks’ from Childcare.co.uk if you have a concern about a child’s progress and, in my opinion, Birth to 5 Matters is an excellent way of checking your thoughts every so often. Just make sure play comes before paperwork...
Oral health and the Progress Check at 2
If you note a child’s poor oral health in the Progress Check at 2, you must be able to explain to Ofsted how you have followed this up. It is not enough to say you are concerned – a very well-established childminder was graded requires improvement by Ofsted recently because she didn’t push for more support for the family, even though they had asked for help and been put on an 18 month waiting list by the dentist.
We know from this article in Nursery World magazine that health check and other delays are causing issues for children and families but that was not enough for the Ofsted inspector in this case –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/backlog-and-virtual-visits-are-impacting-health-checks.
We didn’t know that childminders could be downgraded for raising something and then being let down by other agencies and / or professionals, who were unable to follow-up their concerns and support families. This is obviously causing a lot of concern amongst childminders and we are asking Ofsted further questions to clarify – but, in the meantime, make sure you have a clear timeline of what you have done and how it has impacted on outcomes for the child.
For the future, remember that this goes for anything you note on the Progress Check at 2 – if you are concerned, you need to write a ‘Targeted Plan’ for the child which records the concern and the steps you are taking to support the child and the family (if necessary). This must be followed up regularly, so you have a clear way forwards.
Sample Progress Check and Targeted Plan documentation free here – www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
EYFS changes in brief
**The focus is on improving literacy so make sure you read with the children every day.
**All the educational programmes have been re-worded - you might need to reflect some changes in your curriculum. Gold Childcare.co.uk members can find updated curriculum guidance here –www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
**Settings have been inspired to do lots of oral health activities – there is no requirement to brush children’s teeth unless you want to – but you do need to consider the impact of the new EYFS requirement to support oral health on your practice.
**The lessening of paperwork expectations in the revised EYFS are generally going down well with providers – however, there are some who still want paperwork as a safety blanket. This is fine – nobody is taking it away from you.
**Don’t forget to move any record keeping you currently do for health and self-care into PSED.
**The new food guidance from the DfE is not going down well with providers, parents or children – however, it is here and we will have to work on making sense of it – I have included the link at the start of this newsletter.
Childcare.co.uk are here to support you
**For gold members, there is a page full of guidance - www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs
**For ALL members there are webinars coming up – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
**For gold members, there are webinars to watch on various subjects linked to the changes -
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
**An insulting comment from Children and Families Minister Vicky Ford was challenged by Childcare.co.uk in this letter –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/letter-to-vicky-ford.
You can read more about her comment and the fallout in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/children-s-minister-accused-of-insulting-childminders-over-closures.
Let me know if you need any more support and I'll see what I can do...
More about Birth to 5 Matters
In this conversation with Donna Gaywood - Project Coordinator for Birth to 5 Matters – we talk about how to use Birth to 5 Matters in daily practice and offer support to early years providers who are unsure how the non-statutory Birth to 5 Matters guidance will help them with the observation, assessment and planning cycle –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPx3fukLNis.
Donna and I talk about how to use Birth to 5 Matters to learn more about children’s starting points and how to support children’s initial and ongoing learning.
The Birth to 5 Matters website is at www.birthto5matters.org.uk.
Updated ‘What to expect, when?’ for parents
Now called ‘What to expect in the EYFS – a guide for parents’.
It needs some updating – there are errors, so I don’t advise rushing out to buy it –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/What-to-expect-in-the-EYFS-complete-FINAL-16.09-compressed.pdf.
New guidance for working with children with SEND
A new ‘Celebratory approach to working with children with SEND’ from DfE, written by Pen Green Centre. I really like this and think it will be an excellent resource –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/A-Celebratory-Approach-to-Working-with-Children-with-SEND-FINAL.pdf.
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Covid-19
News in brief
**Isolation bubbles have ended in schools and early years settings are no longer expected to keep children in ‘small consistent bubbles’.
**Children can attend settings if parents test positive – however, you might want your own risk assessment on this one. You will find more information about what DfE are saying here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-19-august-2021.
**With the new term, we note that children are starting out of school clubs and activities and mixing much more than before the holidays. This might cause some concern among providers who are still shielding family or trying to stay ‘safe’. I advise you to speak to parents so you can measure what risk you are prepared to take.
**Group settings are getting air quality meters – but not childminders.
**The National Children’s Bureau are campaigning for more support for children who are struggling with the effects of the pandemic.
**Covid-19 related closures are causing providers financial hardship.
Covid-19 and ‘lockdown babies’
We note a lot of questions on the Independent Childminders Facebook group over recent months about how providers can better support ‘lockdown babies’ – babies who are anything from 6 months to 18 months and have not left their parents arms until they are suddenly put into childcare so parents can return to work.
These ‘lockdown babies’ are typically struggling with attachment, leaving parents, speech and language, lack of play, screaming and crying throughout the day etc. Some cannot sit for meals, wash their hands, use mark making resources, make a tower with Lego or reach any of the typical 1 / 1.5-year milestones.
As a childminder working on your own – or as a provider in a group setting – only you know your coping threshold. It’s hard for the ‘lockdown babies’, but it’s also hard for you and you need to be kind to yourself and honest about what you can manage. We want to support these babies to settle in, with calm and patience, but we must also consider our own wellbeing.
Vaccination a condition of employment?
Should the Covid-19 vaccine be a condition of employment in the early years? Nursery World tackle this divisive subject here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/early-years-sector-split-over-making-covid-vaccine-a-condition-of-employment
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Local Authority planning permission – childminders
This is the only guidance LAs have when considering planning for childminders –
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/ppg4.pdf
It is found in the archived Govt document ‘Planning Policy Guidance 4: Industrial, commercial development and small firms’ – working from home’ section. There is no known current guidance published by Government. The guidance states in paragraphs 32 and 33 –
32. ‘Many small businesses and other non-residential uses are started by people working in their own homes, and technological innovations are likely to increase the incidence of home working. Home working does not necessarily require planning permission. Permission is not normally required where the use of part of a dwelling-house for business purposes does not change the overall character of the property's use as a single dwelling. For example, the use by a householder of a room as an office, or childminding complying with the Department of Health's standard recommended ratios2, would be unlikely to mean that the character of the house's use as a single dwelling had ceased and would not normally require planning permission. Those considering working from home are advised to seek the advice of their local planning authority at an early stage.
33. Once the business or non-residential use of the property ceases to be ancillary to its use as a single dwelling because, for example, the business has grown and the use of the dwelling for activities related to the business has intensified, a material change of use for which planning permission is required is likely to have taken place. The likelihood of there having been such a material change of use may be indicated where the business or non-residential use generates visitors, traffic, noise or fumes over and above what might be expected if the property were in use as a single dwelling without any ancillary use. Local planning authorities should take steps to ensure that such developments are effectively controlled and should be prepared to refuse planning permission or to use their enforcement powers where appropriate.’
As a general rule, if you stick to the EYFS'6 children under 8' rule with 1 childminder working from their home, they will leave you alone. However, this decision is at the discretion of each Local Authority.
Planning are likely to get involved if:
**You change part of your house for use solely for childminding and / or...
**You add a cabin or other building and / or...
**You take on a staff member and / or...
**The number of cars arriving and departing are considered to cause a nuisance - for example, you live in a cul-de-sac and it's noticeably busier and / or...
**There is increased noise from your property during the day and / or...
**They receive a neighbour or other type of complaint about you.
If any of these happen, your local planning department might require you to apply for a Certificate of Lawful Use.
You will find more information here –
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/56/working_from_home
Important note: if your Local Authority planning department receive a neighbour complaint (malicious or not - they don't care) they will need to be seen to do something - and that's usually to require you to get a Certificate of Lawful Use, even if you are only caring for the usual 6 under 8s with 1 childminder working alone...
Your LA planning department has wide-ranging powers - they can, if they want to, shut you down, or make you work on limited hours, with limited numbers of children, or make you cut back from having staff to working on your own - they also work alongside all the other agencies such as the police and Ofsted.
Some childminders work 'under the radar' quietly with staff and extra children or from cabins in the garden and do not have any problems from neighbours. Planning issues tend to arise when neighbours put in complaints. I hope this provides clarity...
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Sleeping children and the EYFS 2021
The revised EYFS 2021 requirement 3.60 states: ‘Sleeping children must be frequently checked to ensure that they are safe’ and footnote 60 links to this NHS guidance on SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) –
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/
The guidance on the NHS SIDS website advises, for example, no smoking; always put baby on their back to sleep; ensure baby does not get tangled in bedding; no co-sleeping; ensure baby is the right temperature.
However, there is no guidance on how often sleeping children must be checked. Anecdotal evidence from providers who have had recent inspections suggests Ofsted want to see them carrying out regular visual checks on sleeping babies and children, but feedback on how often this should happen and what to do if the provider has a visual monitor is patchy.
Note that the NHS SIDS advice states that one of the ways you can prevent SIDS is to: ‘place your baby in the "feet to foot" position – with their feet touching the end of the cot, Moses basket, or pram’. There is nothing in the NHS SIDS guidance to suggest lie flat buggies are unsafe for sleep, but we do know from Lullaby Trust guidance that car seats may cause babies to sleep in unsafe positions –
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/car-seats-and-sids/. However, the Lullaby Trust guidance is not signposted in the EYFS 2021.
EYFS 2021 requirement 3.60 goes on to state: ‘Being safe includes ensuring that cots / bedding are in good condition and suited to the age of the child, and that infants are placed down to sleep safely in line with latest government safety guidance’ and footnote 61 links to a second page of NHS advice on reducing the risk of SIDS –
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/reduce-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome/
There is nothing on this page to suggest babies cannot sleep in buggies or prams. On the Lullaby Trust website, it advises against covering buggies with a blanket, or anything that stops air circulating, in hot weather but, again, this page is not signposted in the EYFS.
EYFS 2021 requirement 3.61 states: ‘providers should ensure that an adequate supply of clean bedding...’ so if you use a cot or buggy / pram for sleep, you should ensure covers are provided for each child. Anecdotal evidence from providers who have had recent inspections suggests that bedding such as blankets etc should be changed between children and this would link to previously available with Covid-19 guidance – however, the EYFS does not specify.
There is no requirement in the EYFS 2021 to ask for parental permission before sleeping babies in prams or buggies. You will note on the Childcare.co.uk ‘free childminder paperwork’ page in the document ‘permissions’ it asks parents to tick to confirm they are aware that: ‘Sleeping babies and children might be laid down in lie flat buggies, on a sofa bed or in a travel cot depending on their age, preference and the time of day (if we have to leave for a school run). If a child goes to sleep in the car seat during an outing they will be taken out on our return.’
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
On reflection, I have updated the statement to cover: ‘Sleeping babies and children might be laid down in lie flat buggies, prams, on a sofa bed or in a travel cot depending on their age, preference and the time of day – for example, if we have to leave for a school run. Sleeping babies and children will be frequently checked and bedding will be washed between children. If a baby or child goes to sleep in a car seat during an outing they will be taken out on our return’ – you might want to update your form, using this wording. A new form will be on Childcare.co.uk soon.
A further conversation with parents might then be useful to signpost the latest NHS SIDS guidance website to parents and advise them about, for example, not covering their pram with a blanket, putting baby to sleep on their back, not sleeping baby routinely in a car seat etc.
I cannot find any further information which Ofsted inspectors might use to say that lie-flat buggies are unsafe or to require providers to ask for written parental permission before putting babies to sleep in lie-flat buggies, so if an inspector makes these sorts of comments, I suggest you ask them, 'Where does it require that in the EYFS?' or request they share their source so we can update future guidance.
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Myths, stereotypes and tokenism
I would like to address some recent Ofsted feedback about cultural stereotypes. There is a big difference between, for example –
...Reading a book about Chinese New Year, visiting the Chinese Arch and supermarket, making Chinese food, talking about gifts received by Chinese children at New Year and comparing them with the gifts the children in your setting received at Christmas ... and colouring a picture of a lantern because you need to do something quickly.
...Inviting a child’s parent into the setting to talk about a home festival, trying some special food, listening to music and joining in with dance linked to the festival... and making a Diva lamp without any awareness of why you are doing it.
...Saying ‘in Africa, children live in lots of different types of houses including...’ and then reading a book such as ‘Handa’s Surprise’... and saying ‘all children in Africa live in mud huts and carry baskets of fruit on their heads.’
Your resources should be a mirror, so your children see themselves and their friends represented. However, we also need to teach children about life beyond the playroom door and that means having unbiased, inclusive and age-appropriate conversations with them about the wider world.
Things you can do include:
...Check your toys are inclusive and allow the children to see their home and family lives in the setting.
...Ensure you tell stories / read books with background - such as when reading the book above.
...Plan your activities carefully so they are not tokenistic or superficial.
...Do not display cultural artefacts without giving the children any background information.
...Recognise the difference between celebrating something with the children and marking a special day that might have relevance to someone else.
..................................................
Staff and the petrol crisis
I’ve been asked to research: What should you do if your assistant can’t get into work because of the fuel crisis?
Think about your ratios – there is some flexibility built into the EYFS 2021 which allows you to go over ratio for a short time in exceptional circumstances, but staff must do everything they can to get into work on time. Speak to them and discuss what alternative arrangements they can make.
If nobody can bring them and they are not able to access public transport, they might ask to take annual leave or, if that’s used up, they might request unpaid leave. It is up to you whether you authorise it or they take unauthorised absence instead.
After any unauthorised absence, call your staff member in for a supervision meeting and talk about the steps they took to get to work. Go through scenarios with them and ask them to think about how they will resolve this type of issue in the future.
ACAS are always a useful source of information and support.
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Upcoming webinars
I have added some new webinars – free on the night they are presented. They are all presented on Tuesday nights at 7.30pm, linked here https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars and include –
5th October – The 3 Is and cultural capital – provider request – linked to the Ofsted inspection handbook expectations.
12th October – Children’s character, interests and talents – noting the revised Ofsted inspection handbook wording for the ‘personal development’ judgement.
19th October – Core books for early years providers – using the ‘Development Matters 2021 guidance as a starting point and looking at core books to support children’s vocabulary.
Week off for half term
2nd November – Gender in the early years – provider request.
9th November – Make time for maths – provider request.
16th November – Keeping children safe online – linked to the Ofsted inspection focus on online safety and changes to the EYFS to include more online safety legislation.
23rd November – Health Eating in the early years – provider request – and linked to the revised DfE guidance.
I hope you find these monthly newsletters useful. Please ask me if you would like me to cover any topics.
Thank you, Sarah.
My aim is to keep everyone updated with changes and new information and to clarify points raised on forums and groups.
It’s been a busy September here at Knutsford Childminding, supporting new children in the setting – plus, of course, we’ve had a new EYFS to get to grips with, but we have, as always, rolled with the changes and embraced everything new and different. So far this month, in my early years setting, we have:
- Updated our menus to take account of latest food safety advice from DfE –
There is also a new poster from Foundation Years –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Early-Years-Choking-Hazards-Table_FINAL_21-Sept-2021.pdf.
- Reviewed and updated our safeguarding policy and added some safeguarding policy writing guidance to the Childcare.co.uk website (gold member benefit) –
- Delivered webinars for Childcare.co.uk on the EYFS changes – webinars are always free on the night they are presented –
- Reviewed the changes to the Ofsted early years inspection handbook and noted the Ofsted statements that they will not look at paperwork beyond the statutory. They have recognised that they have, in part, driven the paperwork mountains that have, in turn, driven so many colleagues out of the early years and added to stress levels unnecessarily.
Ofsted myth busting - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs/registered-early-years-providers.
- Written updated parent guidance for the EYFS 2021 changes to help early years providers comply with the EYFS requirement to inform parents about the EYFS and where they can find more information –
What are the main questions at the moment?
The main questions coming through the Independent Childminders Facebook group are about tracking children’s progress. The expectations have changed and we are all wrestling with the same questions. It's not easy because we all work differently and while the new guidance is refreshing and a wonderful return to play for many, it's worrying for others who like a visual representation of how children are getting on.
The thinking is that if we know child development and we have a good curriculum running in the background so we cover everything children need to learn, then we should be able to trust our judgement - to know when a child is struggling without tracking their every move.
However, there is nothing stopping you from record keeping if that's what you want to do – you can use the ‘Quick Assessment Checks’ from Childcare.co.uk if you have a concern about a child’s progress and, in my opinion, Birth to 5 Matters is an excellent way of checking your thoughts every so often. Just make sure play comes before paperwork...
Oral health and the Progress Check at 2
If you note a child’s poor oral health in the Progress Check at 2, you must be able to explain to Ofsted how you have followed this up. It is not enough to say you are concerned – a very well-established childminder was graded requires improvement by Ofsted recently because she didn’t push for more support for the family, even though they had asked for help and been put on an 18 month waiting list by the dentist.
We know from this article in Nursery World magazine that health check and other delays are causing issues for children and families but that was not enough for the Ofsted inspector in this case –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/backlog-and-virtual-visits-are-impacting-health-checks.
We didn’t know that childminders could be downgraded for raising something and then being let down by other agencies and / or professionals, who were unable to follow-up their concerns and support families. This is obviously causing a lot of concern amongst childminders and we are asking Ofsted further questions to clarify – but, in the meantime, make sure you have a clear timeline of what you have done and how it has impacted on outcomes for the child.
For the future, remember that this goes for anything you note on the Progress Check at 2 – if you are concerned, you need to write a ‘Targeted Plan’ for the child which records the concern and the steps you are taking to support the child and the family (if necessary). This must be followed up regularly, so you have a clear way forwards.
Sample Progress Check and Targeted Plan documentation free here – www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
EYFS changes in brief
**The focus is on improving literacy so make sure you read with the children every day.
**All the educational programmes have been re-worded - you might need to reflect some changes in your curriculum. Gold Childcare.co.uk members can find updated curriculum guidance here –www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
**Settings have been inspired to do lots of oral health activities – there is no requirement to brush children’s teeth unless you want to – but you do need to consider the impact of the new EYFS requirement to support oral health on your practice.
**The lessening of paperwork expectations in the revised EYFS are generally going down well with providers – however, there are some who still want paperwork as a safety blanket. This is fine – nobody is taking it away from you.
**Don’t forget to move any record keeping you currently do for health and self-care into PSED.
**The new food guidance from the DfE is not going down well with providers, parents or children – however, it is here and we will have to work on making sense of it – I have included the link at the start of this newsletter.
Childcare.co.uk are here to support you
**For gold members, there is a page full of guidance - www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs
**For ALL members there are webinars coming up – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
**For gold members, there are webinars to watch on various subjects linked to the changes -
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
**An insulting comment from Children and Families Minister Vicky Ford was challenged by Childcare.co.uk in this letter –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/letter-to-vicky-ford.
You can read more about her comment and the fallout in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/children-s-minister-accused-of-insulting-childminders-over-closures.
Let me know if you need any more support and I'll see what I can do...
More about Birth to 5 Matters
In this conversation with Donna Gaywood - Project Coordinator for Birth to 5 Matters – we talk about how to use Birth to 5 Matters in daily practice and offer support to early years providers who are unsure how the non-statutory Birth to 5 Matters guidance will help them with the observation, assessment and planning cycle –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPx3fukLNis.
Donna and I talk about how to use Birth to 5 Matters to learn more about children’s starting points and how to support children’s initial and ongoing learning.
The Birth to 5 Matters website is at www.birthto5matters.org.uk.
Updated ‘What to expect, when?’ for parents
Now called ‘What to expect in the EYFS – a guide for parents’.
It needs some updating – there are errors, so I don’t advise rushing out to buy it –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/What-to-expect-in-the-EYFS-complete-FINAL-16.09-compressed.pdf.
New guidance for working with children with SEND
A new ‘Celebratory approach to working with children with SEND’ from DfE, written by Pen Green Centre. I really like this and think it will be an excellent resource –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/A-Celebratory-Approach-to-Working-with-Children-with-SEND-FINAL.pdf.
..................................................
Covid-19
News in brief
**Isolation bubbles have ended in schools and early years settings are no longer expected to keep children in ‘small consistent bubbles’.
**Children can attend settings if parents test positive – however, you might want your own risk assessment on this one. You will find more information about what DfE are saying here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-19-august-2021.
**With the new term, we note that children are starting out of school clubs and activities and mixing much more than before the holidays. This might cause some concern among providers who are still shielding family or trying to stay ‘safe’. I advise you to speak to parents so you can measure what risk you are prepared to take.
**Group settings are getting air quality meters – but not childminders.
**The National Children’s Bureau are campaigning for more support for children who are struggling with the effects of the pandemic.
**Covid-19 related closures are causing providers financial hardship.
Covid-19 and ‘lockdown babies’
We note a lot of questions on the Independent Childminders Facebook group over recent months about how providers can better support ‘lockdown babies’ – babies who are anything from 6 months to 18 months and have not left their parents arms until they are suddenly put into childcare so parents can return to work.
These ‘lockdown babies’ are typically struggling with attachment, leaving parents, speech and language, lack of play, screaming and crying throughout the day etc. Some cannot sit for meals, wash their hands, use mark making resources, make a tower with Lego or reach any of the typical 1 / 1.5-year milestones.
As a childminder working on your own – or as a provider in a group setting – only you know your coping threshold. It’s hard for the ‘lockdown babies’, but it’s also hard for you and you need to be kind to yourself and honest about what you can manage. We want to support these babies to settle in, with calm and patience, but we must also consider our own wellbeing.
Vaccination a condition of employment?
Should the Covid-19 vaccine be a condition of employment in the early years? Nursery World tackle this divisive subject here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/early-years-sector-split-over-making-covid-vaccine-a-condition-of-employment
..................................................
Local Authority planning permission – childminders
This is the only guidance LAs have when considering planning for childminders –
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/ppg4.pdf
It is found in the archived Govt document ‘Planning Policy Guidance 4: Industrial, commercial development and small firms’ – working from home’ section. There is no known current guidance published by Government. The guidance states in paragraphs 32 and 33 –
32. ‘Many small businesses and other non-residential uses are started by people working in their own homes, and technological innovations are likely to increase the incidence of home working. Home working does not necessarily require planning permission. Permission is not normally required where the use of part of a dwelling-house for business purposes does not change the overall character of the property's use as a single dwelling. For example, the use by a householder of a room as an office, or childminding complying with the Department of Health's standard recommended ratios2, would be unlikely to mean that the character of the house's use as a single dwelling had ceased and would not normally require planning permission. Those considering working from home are advised to seek the advice of their local planning authority at an early stage.
33. Once the business or non-residential use of the property ceases to be ancillary to its use as a single dwelling because, for example, the business has grown and the use of the dwelling for activities related to the business has intensified, a material change of use for which planning permission is required is likely to have taken place. The likelihood of there having been such a material change of use may be indicated where the business or non-residential use generates visitors, traffic, noise or fumes over and above what might be expected if the property were in use as a single dwelling without any ancillary use. Local planning authorities should take steps to ensure that such developments are effectively controlled and should be prepared to refuse planning permission or to use their enforcement powers where appropriate.’
As a general rule, if you stick to the EYFS'6 children under 8' rule with 1 childminder working from their home, they will leave you alone. However, this decision is at the discretion of each Local Authority.
Planning are likely to get involved if:
**You change part of your house for use solely for childminding and / or...
**You add a cabin or other building and / or...
**You take on a staff member and / or...
**The number of cars arriving and departing are considered to cause a nuisance - for example, you live in a cul-de-sac and it's noticeably busier and / or...
**There is increased noise from your property during the day and / or...
**They receive a neighbour or other type of complaint about you.
If any of these happen, your local planning department might require you to apply for a Certificate of Lawful Use.
You will find more information here –
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/56/working_from_home
Important note: if your Local Authority planning department receive a neighbour complaint (malicious or not - they don't care) they will need to be seen to do something - and that's usually to require you to get a Certificate of Lawful Use, even if you are only caring for the usual 6 under 8s with 1 childminder working alone...
Your LA planning department has wide-ranging powers - they can, if they want to, shut you down, or make you work on limited hours, with limited numbers of children, or make you cut back from having staff to working on your own - they also work alongside all the other agencies such as the police and Ofsted.
Some childminders work 'under the radar' quietly with staff and extra children or from cabins in the garden and do not have any problems from neighbours. Planning issues tend to arise when neighbours put in complaints. I hope this provides clarity...
..................................................
Sleeping children and the EYFS 2021
The revised EYFS 2021 requirement 3.60 states: ‘Sleeping children must be frequently checked to ensure that they are safe’ and footnote 60 links to this NHS guidance on SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) –
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/
The guidance on the NHS SIDS website advises, for example, no smoking; always put baby on their back to sleep; ensure baby does not get tangled in bedding; no co-sleeping; ensure baby is the right temperature.
However, there is no guidance on how often sleeping children must be checked. Anecdotal evidence from providers who have had recent inspections suggests Ofsted want to see them carrying out regular visual checks on sleeping babies and children, but feedback on how often this should happen and what to do if the provider has a visual monitor is patchy.
Note that the NHS SIDS advice states that one of the ways you can prevent SIDS is to: ‘place your baby in the "feet to foot" position – with their feet touching the end of the cot, Moses basket, or pram’. There is nothing in the NHS SIDS guidance to suggest lie flat buggies are unsafe for sleep, but we do know from Lullaby Trust guidance that car seats may cause babies to sleep in unsafe positions –
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/car-seats-and-sids/. However, the Lullaby Trust guidance is not signposted in the EYFS 2021.
EYFS 2021 requirement 3.60 goes on to state: ‘Being safe includes ensuring that cots / bedding are in good condition and suited to the age of the child, and that infants are placed down to sleep safely in line with latest government safety guidance’ and footnote 61 links to a second page of NHS advice on reducing the risk of SIDS –
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/reduce-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome/
There is nothing on this page to suggest babies cannot sleep in buggies or prams. On the Lullaby Trust website, it advises against covering buggies with a blanket, or anything that stops air circulating, in hot weather but, again, this page is not signposted in the EYFS.
EYFS 2021 requirement 3.61 states: ‘providers should ensure that an adequate supply of clean bedding...’ so if you use a cot or buggy / pram for sleep, you should ensure covers are provided for each child. Anecdotal evidence from providers who have had recent inspections suggests that bedding such as blankets etc should be changed between children and this would link to previously available with Covid-19 guidance – however, the EYFS does not specify.
There is no requirement in the EYFS 2021 to ask for parental permission before sleeping babies in prams or buggies. You will note on the Childcare.co.uk ‘free childminder paperwork’ page in the document ‘permissions’ it asks parents to tick to confirm they are aware that: ‘Sleeping babies and children might be laid down in lie flat buggies, on a sofa bed or in a travel cot depending on their age, preference and the time of day (if we have to leave for a school run). If a child goes to sleep in the car seat during an outing they will be taken out on our return.’
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
On reflection, I have updated the statement to cover: ‘Sleeping babies and children might be laid down in lie flat buggies, prams, on a sofa bed or in a travel cot depending on their age, preference and the time of day – for example, if we have to leave for a school run. Sleeping babies and children will be frequently checked and bedding will be washed between children. If a baby or child goes to sleep in a car seat during an outing they will be taken out on our return’ – you might want to update your form, using this wording. A new form will be on Childcare.co.uk soon.
A further conversation with parents might then be useful to signpost the latest NHS SIDS guidance website to parents and advise them about, for example, not covering their pram with a blanket, putting baby to sleep on their back, not sleeping baby routinely in a car seat etc.
I cannot find any further information which Ofsted inspectors might use to say that lie-flat buggies are unsafe or to require providers to ask for written parental permission before putting babies to sleep in lie-flat buggies, so if an inspector makes these sorts of comments, I suggest you ask them, 'Where does it require that in the EYFS?' or request they share their source so we can update future guidance.
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Myths, stereotypes and tokenism
I would like to address some recent Ofsted feedback about cultural stereotypes. There is a big difference between, for example –
...Reading a book about Chinese New Year, visiting the Chinese Arch and supermarket, making Chinese food, talking about gifts received by Chinese children at New Year and comparing them with the gifts the children in your setting received at Christmas ... and colouring a picture of a lantern because you need to do something quickly.
...Inviting a child’s parent into the setting to talk about a home festival, trying some special food, listening to music and joining in with dance linked to the festival... and making a Diva lamp without any awareness of why you are doing it.
...Saying ‘in Africa, children live in lots of different types of houses including...’ and then reading a book such as ‘Handa’s Surprise’... and saying ‘all children in Africa live in mud huts and carry baskets of fruit on their heads.’
Your resources should be a mirror, so your children see themselves and their friends represented. However, we also need to teach children about life beyond the playroom door and that means having unbiased, inclusive and age-appropriate conversations with them about the wider world.
Things you can do include:
...Check your toys are inclusive and allow the children to see their home and family lives in the setting.
...Ensure you tell stories / read books with background - such as when reading the book above.
...Plan your activities carefully so they are not tokenistic or superficial.
...Do not display cultural artefacts without giving the children any background information.
...Recognise the difference between celebrating something with the children and marking a special day that might have relevance to someone else.
..................................................
Staff and the petrol crisis
I’ve been asked to research: What should you do if your assistant can’t get into work because of the fuel crisis?
Think about your ratios – there is some flexibility built into the EYFS 2021 which allows you to go over ratio for a short time in exceptional circumstances, but staff must do everything they can to get into work on time. Speak to them and discuss what alternative arrangements they can make.
If nobody can bring them and they are not able to access public transport, they might ask to take annual leave or, if that’s used up, they might request unpaid leave. It is up to you whether you authorise it or they take unauthorised absence instead.
After any unauthorised absence, call your staff member in for a supervision meeting and talk about the steps they took to get to work. Go through scenarios with them and ask them to think about how they will resolve this type of issue in the future.
ACAS are always a useful source of information and support.
..................................................
Upcoming webinars
I have added some new webinars – free on the night they are presented. They are all presented on Tuesday nights at 7.30pm, linked here https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars and include –
5th October – The 3 Is and cultural capital – provider request – linked to the Ofsted inspection handbook expectations.
12th October – Children’s character, interests and talents – noting the revised Ofsted inspection handbook wording for the ‘personal development’ judgement.
19th October – Core books for early years providers – using the ‘Development Matters 2021 guidance as a starting point and looking at core books to support children’s vocabulary.
Week off for half term
2nd November – Gender in the early years – provider request.
9th November – Make time for maths – provider request.
16th November – Keeping children safe online – linked to the Ofsted inspection focus on online safety and changes to the EYFS to include more online safety legislation.
23rd November – Health Eating in the early years – provider request – and linked to the revised DfE guidance.
I hope you find these monthly newsletters useful. Please ask me if you would like me to cover any topics.
Thank you, Sarah.
September 2021 newsletter
Hello and welcome to September.
After a rather soggy August we are hopeful at Knutsford Childminding that we might get a later summer... I wonder!? I have added the picture so we can all see a little sunshine...
We have been busy filling our spaces for the new term. We realised earlier in the year that 2 children were leaving for school, so we were immediately proactive with our advertising on Childcare.co.uk and delighted to say that we had a flurry of enquiries. It’s always a good idea to keep your profile regularly updated.
You will find some free profile writing guidance here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/writing-your-profile.
In other news, we have been busy consulting with Department for Education and Ofsted on behalf of childminders and working with various agencies in the background to ensure the latest information is immediately available and disseminated to everyone as quickly as possible through the Independent Childminders Facebook group – and, of course, this newsletter.
If you are not already a member, you can join the group, which is owned and managed by Childcare.co.uk, here –
https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/.
Let’s look at a roundup of recent news and updates which impact on the early years sector...
COVID-19
Actions for early years updated
After consultation with the sector, DfE have released an updated version of their ‘actions for early years’ Covid-19 guidance –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/actions-for-early-years-and-childcare-providers-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.
Updated childminder Covid-19 guidance
DfE have provided 2 new guidance documents answering some FAQs. They are linked in this press release –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-19-august-2021.
I note in the first guidance document, DfE have attempted to answer the 'can providers charge parents if we have to close or parents cannot attend due to covid?' question.
On 18th August, DfE published answers to 3 more frequently asked questions from 16th August 2021:
**Can a childminder continue to work in their home (or other registered domestic premises) when a household member is self-isolating due to close contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19?
**What should a childminder do when a household member is self-isolating due to having Covid-18 symptoms or testing positive for Covid-1i?
**If I cannot childmind at my home because of a confirmed case, can I childmind somewhere else?
.................................................................................
STATUTORY AND GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS UPDATED
Revised EYFS
September marks the introduction of a revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) in England and a revised Ofsted early years inspection handbook. Both documents are essential reading.
To support delivery of the revised educational programmes in the EYFS 2021, we also have 2 new non-statutory guidance documents – Development Matters (2021) and Birth to 5 matters (2021).
I talked about how to use these documents in my newsletter last month and you can watch my webinars on the new educational programmes here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
There are many more webinars to come in the next few months which will, hopefully, help everyone to unpick the new requirements. Webinars are free on the night they are presented –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Will 'What to expect, when?' be updated?
With the EYFS 2021 start date getting closer, I have received a lot of messages from colleagues asking this question, so I wrote to Action for Children - who currently publish the guidance - and asked them direct. Sadly, they said no.
.................................................................................
OFSTED INFORMATION
Ofsted childminder updates
Ofsted answer lots of different questions asked by early years providers in this conversation between me and Wendy Radcliffe / Phil Minns –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/ofsted-eyfs-2021.
Ofsted have also recorded this webinar for childminders –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIo8jXucIv4
Waiting for a child to respond
An unintended consequence of the following article by Sean Harford at Ofsted was repeated actions on early years inspection reports stating 'the childminder / nursery / practitioner did not leave enough time for younger children to think and respond to a question before moving onto the next.'
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2019/08/01/changes-to-the-way-ofsted-inspects-and-reports/
I recommend 3 ways to manage the situation during inspection, especially if you are a bit nervous...
1. Remove the stress - instead of asking direct questions, say things like 'I think we have 3, let's count together'. The technique of using 4 statements to 1 question, to support vocabulary development, can be found in the revised Development Matters guidance as well.
2. Don't ask a direct yes / no question of a child you know will freeze. Instead, offer them a choice or give them the opportunity to talk about something they like to discuss.
3. If you do ask a direct question, count to at least 10 (ideally 15) in your head to allow the child processing time. The child must take in the question, think about the answer, translate it if they speak English as a second or additional language and then decide if they want to reply. We shouldn’t be putting them, or ourselves, under this sort of pressure when there is an inspector in the setting.
These suggested strategies will be much easier to use if you practice them. Don't do anything for Ofsted you wouldn't normally do in your day-to-day work!!
.................................................................................
FOOD HYGIENE AND SAFETY
DfE food safety advice
The new food safety guidance from DfE for early years providers has caused quite a kerfuffle on the childminding groups recently – you can read the guidance here - https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/get-help-to-improve-your-practice/food-safety-.
I collated a series of questions from members for DfE and they took the time to reply.
DfE state in their reply that the information on the food safety resource was produced in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England (PHE) and they had to ensure all the information was agreed with every department before it was published.
DfE go on to say: ‘One of the reasons why the advice may be slightly different on the ‘Help for Early Years Providers, Food Safety’ page and the other guidance ... is that there are differing requirements for parents and for regulated provision. Registered early years providers are required to provide food that is healthy and nutritious for children as set out in the EYFS framework. Parents do not have to follow this, therefore the advice for them is softer with suggestions of how to make things healthier for their children. This is why the advice for providers might be seen as different or to go further.’
In relation to the points raised by members, in most instances DfE say that we have to defer to the new food safety guidance. This covers the new advice covering, for example:
**Cheese – cut in strips, not cubes
**No nuts before 6 months old and then crushed, ground or smooth up to age 5
**No sausages, bacon, crackers, crisps – salt content
**No fruit juice – even diluted
**No raisins as a snack; chop raisins in main meals after 12 months
**No popcorn
**No seeds
**No pâté
**Avoid biscuits, crisps and cakes – fat content
**Limit sugar where possible; no sugary snacks; don’t add sugar to food
In relation to packed lunches sent into the setting by parents, DfE advise: ‘The EYFS states that where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious. If as an early years provider you allow parents to provide their own food for their children, then as part of the EYFS children must be helped to make healthy choices in relation to food. This might mean that you decide to talk to parents and explain that in your setting you only offer healthy foods, therefore if they are providing their own food for their children to please not send in chocolate or cakes.’
In relation to drinks parents give children at home, DfE state: ‘The advice from DHSC supported by the dental and medical health professions is that it is recommended that only water or milk should be offered. When children reach school they are only provided with water and milk to drink. Only offering these healthy drinks in your setting will help children become healthier and also prepare them for mealtimes in school.’
I noted provider concerns in my comments to DfE that children will generally only eat what they are offered at home and there may be a lot of wastage – plus children might not eat in the setting – if providers follow the new guidance. There was also provider concern that the new guidance might cause conflict between settings and parents. DfE state in reply to this: ‘The EYFS states that where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious.’
Food hygiene and safety training
It is not a requirement of the EYFS or other legislation to do a food hygiene and safety training course, but you might find one useful to update your skills and knowledge.
Did you know, for example, that the latest advice for reheating food is to ensure it is above 82 degrees in the centre? I thought it was still 75 degrees until I re-took my Educare level 2 course recently through the www.childcare.co.uk/training portal.
.................................................................................
EYFS UPDATE FOCUS
Supporting oral health
I am delighted to share these new resources for Childcare.co.uk gold members - https://www.childcare.co.uk/oral-health.
In addition to the new resources and a new Childcare.co.uk Oral Health webinar in September, useful links include:
Public Health England ‘Health matters – child dental health’ resource for professionals (2017) –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-child-dental-health/health-matters-child-dental-health
Note: the Public Health England supervised toothbrushing programme was first published in 2016. It has been updated over recent months to support providers who want to continue offering toothbrushing through the pandemic. You will find the latest guidance online – the latest is here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes/covid-19-guidance-for-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes-in-early-years-and-school-settings.
If you want to find out more, there is an NHS free e-learning module here –
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/childrens-oral-health/.
If you need more support for yourself, or to signpost to parents, the oral health foundation has a free dental health helpline here –
https://www.dentalhealth.org/dental-helpline.
.................................................................................
STAFF NEWS
Do you pay your staff correctly?
If you have staff, it is important to know how much to pay them. You need to reflect wage rises as they happen and you need to be aware of how their wages change when their age changes. This article shows how nurseries which made wage mistakes were included on a recently produced HMRC ‘naming and shaming’ list, including a nursery which did not increase a staff member’s wage when they were in the 2nd year of their apprenticeship –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/nurseries-included-on-wages-naming-and-shaming-list
If you need support with staff wages, my go-to was always the ACAS website.
.................................................................................
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Updated website
I have been busy updating this website! It was a little out of date in some of the introduction areas so I have worked through them and revised it ready for the September 2021 changes. I hope you find the information useful.
If you do spot anything I have missed, please let me know.
Are you ready for September?
With rapidly changing expectations and a new inspection framework from 1st September 2021, it is more important than ever that we keep up to date.
These newsletters will help you – they are packed full of hints and tips and links to more information.
Other things you should be doing in September include:
**Check your curriculum – does it fully reflect the revised EYFS educational programmes? Childcare.co.uk gold members will find a revised curriculum here – www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
**Update your policies – they should be revised at least annually as well as when something changes. Childcare.co.uk make policies available free here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies-september-2021.
**Review information sharing with parents – how well do you keep parents updated about their child’s learning, development and progress, including supporting children’s home learning? It is a requirement in the EYFS and a question inspectors are asking parents. These information sheets for Childcare.co.uk gold members are a good starting point –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs/parents.
**Update health and safety – in addition to adding changes to your Safer Food Better Business food hygiene diary every 3 months, you should also review your risk assessments regularly. This does not mean lots of writing – it means checking the environment, resources, equipment etc and critically evaluating whether it is still appropriate for the children in the setting.
**Stay on top of Covid-19 changes – it is important that you know what DfE expectations are and note when they change. This newsletter will help.
Webinars for September
All webinars are delivered on Tuesdays at 7.30pm and free on the night they are presented...
Tues 7th – EYFS 2021 update. The focus is on how the changes will impact your practice.
Tues 14th – A guide to quick assessment checks.
Tues 21st – Updating your safeguarding policy.
Tues 28th – Oral health.
I am planning more free webinars for October – thank you to colleagues who have suggested subjects for me to cover next.
Watch out for new free webinars appearing on the list here -
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
If you have any comments or questions, please message me.
After a rather soggy August we are hopeful at Knutsford Childminding that we might get a later summer... I wonder!? I have added the picture so we can all see a little sunshine...
We have been busy filling our spaces for the new term. We realised earlier in the year that 2 children were leaving for school, so we were immediately proactive with our advertising on Childcare.co.uk and delighted to say that we had a flurry of enquiries. It’s always a good idea to keep your profile regularly updated.
You will find some free profile writing guidance here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/writing-your-profile.
In other news, we have been busy consulting with Department for Education and Ofsted on behalf of childminders and working with various agencies in the background to ensure the latest information is immediately available and disseminated to everyone as quickly as possible through the Independent Childminders Facebook group – and, of course, this newsletter.
If you are not already a member, you can join the group, which is owned and managed by Childcare.co.uk, here –
https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/.
Let’s look at a roundup of recent news and updates which impact on the early years sector...
COVID-19
Actions for early years updated
After consultation with the sector, DfE have released an updated version of their ‘actions for early years’ Covid-19 guidance –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/actions-for-early-years-and-childcare-providers-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.
Updated childminder Covid-19 guidance
DfE have provided 2 new guidance documents answering some FAQs. They are linked in this press release –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/covid-19-august-2021.
I note in the first guidance document, DfE have attempted to answer the 'can providers charge parents if we have to close or parents cannot attend due to covid?' question.
On 18th August, DfE published answers to 3 more frequently asked questions from 16th August 2021:
**Can a childminder continue to work in their home (or other registered domestic premises) when a household member is self-isolating due to close contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19?
**What should a childminder do when a household member is self-isolating due to having Covid-18 symptoms or testing positive for Covid-1i?
**If I cannot childmind at my home because of a confirmed case, can I childmind somewhere else?
.................................................................................
STATUTORY AND GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS UPDATED
Revised EYFS
September marks the introduction of a revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2021) in England and a revised Ofsted early years inspection handbook. Both documents are essential reading.
To support delivery of the revised educational programmes in the EYFS 2021, we also have 2 new non-statutory guidance documents – Development Matters (2021) and Birth to 5 matters (2021).
I talked about how to use these documents in my newsletter last month and you can watch my webinars on the new educational programmes here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
There are many more webinars to come in the next few months which will, hopefully, help everyone to unpick the new requirements. Webinars are free on the night they are presented –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Will 'What to expect, when?' be updated?
With the EYFS 2021 start date getting closer, I have received a lot of messages from colleagues asking this question, so I wrote to Action for Children - who currently publish the guidance - and asked them direct. Sadly, they said no.
.................................................................................
OFSTED INFORMATION
Ofsted childminder updates
Ofsted answer lots of different questions asked by early years providers in this conversation between me and Wendy Radcliffe / Phil Minns –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/ofsted-eyfs-2021.
Ofsted have also recorded this webinar for childminders –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIo8jXucIv4
Waiting for a child to respond
An unintended consequence of the following article by Sean Harford at Ofsted was repeated actions on early years inspection reports stating 'the childminder / nursery / practitioner did not leave enough time for younger children to think and respond to a question before moving onto the next.'
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2019/08/01/changes-to-the-way-ofsted-inspects-and-reports/
I recommend 3 ways to manage the situation during inspection, especially if you are a bit nervous...
1. Remove the stress - instead of asking direct questions, say things like 'I think we have 3, let's count together'. The technique of using 4 statements to 1 question, to support vocabulary development, can be found in the revised Development Matters guidance as well.
2. Don't ask a direct yes / no question of a child you know will freeze. Instead, offer them a choice or give them the opportunity to talk about something they like to discuss.
3. If you do ask a direct question, count to at least 10 (ideally 15) in your head to allow the child processing time. The child must take in the question, think about the answer, translate it if they speak English as a second or additional language and then decide if they want to reply. We shouldn’t be putting them, or ourselves, under this sort of pressure when there is an inspector in the setting.
These suggested strategies will be much easier to use if you practice them. Don't do anything for Ofsted you wouldn't normally do in your day-to-day work!!
.................................................................................
FOOD HYGIENE AND SAFETY
DfE food safety advice
The new food safety guidance from DfE for early years providers has caused quite a kerfuffle on the childminding groups recently – you can read the guidance here - https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/get-help-to-improve-your-practice/food-safety-.
I collated a series of questions from members for DfE and they took the time to reply.
DfE state in their reply that the information on the food safety resource was produced in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health England (PHE) and they had to ensure all the information was agreed with every department before it was published.
DfE go on to say: ‘One of the reasons why the advice may be slightly different on the ‘Help for Early Years Providers, Food Safety’ page and the other guidance ... is that there are differing requirements for parents and for regulated provision. Registered early years providers are required to provide food that is healthy and nutritious for children as set out in the EYFS framework. Parents do not have to follow this, therefore the advice for them is softer with suggestions of how to make things healthier for their children. This is why the advice for providers might be seen as different or to go further.’
In relation to the points raised by members, in most instances DfE say that we have to defer to the new food safety guidance. This covers the new advice covering, for example:
**Cheese – cut in strips, not cubes
**No nuts before 6 months old and then crushed, ground or smooth up to age 5
**No sausages, bacon, crackers, crisps – salt content
**No fruit juice – even diluted
**No raisins as a snack; chop raisins in main meals after 12 months
**No popcorn
**No seeds
**No pâté
**Avoid biscuits, crisps and cakes – fat content
**Limit sugar where possible; no sugary snacks; don’t add sugar to food
In relation to packed lunches sent into the setting by parents, DfE advise: ‘The EYFS states that where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious. If as an early years provider you allow parents to provide their own food for their children, then as part of the EYFS children must be helped to make healthy choices in relation to food. This might mean that you decide to talk to parents and explain that in your setting you only offer healthy foods, therefore if they are providing their own food for their children to please not send in chocolate or cakes.’
In relation to drinks parents give children at home, DfE state: ‘The advice from DHSC supported by the dental and medical health professions is that it is recommended that only water or milk should be offered. When children reach school they are only provided with water and milk to drink. Only offering these healthy drinks in your setting will help children become healthier and also prepare them for mealtimes in school.’
I noted provider concerns in my comments to DfE that children will generally only eat what they are offered at home and there may be a lot of wastage – plus children might not eat in the setting – if providers follow the new guidance. There was also provider concern that the new guidance might cause conflict between settings and parents. DfE state in reply to this: ‘The EYFS states that where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious.’
Food hygiene and safety training
It is not a requirement of the EYFS or other legislation to do a food hygiene and safety training course, but you might find one useful to update your skills and knowledge.
Did you know, for example, that the latest advice for reheating food is to ensure it is above 82 degrees in the centre? I thought it was still 75 degrees until I re-took my Educare level 2 course recently through the www.childcare.co.uk/training portal.
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EYFS UPDATE FOCUS
Supporting oral health
I am delighted to share these new resources for Childcare.co.uk gold members - https://www.childcare.co.uk/oral-health.
In addition to the new resources and a new Childcare.co.uk Oral Health webinar in September, useful links include:
- Health Visitors oral health guidance for parents (2017) –
Public Health England ‘Health matters – child dental health’ resource for professionals (2017) –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-child-dental-health/health-matters-child-dental-health
- Public Health England toolkit on oral health (2017) –
- Dental health ‘Dental Buddy’ activities for providers to support planning. The website includes an EYFS link and activity ideas for National Smile Month –
- National Smile Month is in May – June and promoted by the Oral Health Foundation. You will find more information here - https://www.dentalhealth.org/national-smile-month.
- Public Health England factsheet about how to support a healthy mouth to share with parents –
Note: the Public Health England supervised toothbrushing programme was first published in 2016. It has been updated over recent months to support providers who want to continue offering toothbrushing through the pandemic. You will find the latest guidance online – the latest is here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes/covid-19-guidance-for-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes-in-early-years-and-school-settings.
If you want to find out more, there is an NHS free e-learning module here –
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/childrens-oral-health/.
If you need more support for yourself, or to signpost to parents, the oral health foundation has a free dental health helpline here –
https://www.dentalhealth.org/dental-helpline.
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STAFF NEWS
Do you pay your staff correctly?
If you have staff, it is important to know how much to pay them. You need to reflect wage rises as they happen and you need to be aware of how their wages change when their age changes. This article shows how nurseries which made wage mistakes were included on a recently produced HMRC ‘naming and shaming’ list, including a nursery which did not increase a staff member’s wage when they were in the 2nd year of their apprenticeship –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/nurseries-included-on-wages-naming-and-shaming-list
If you need support with staff wages, my go-to was always the ACAS website.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Updated website
I have been busy updating this website! It was a little out of date in some of the introduction areas so I have worked through them and revised it ready for the September 2021 changes. I hope you find the information useful.
If you do spot anything I have missed, please let me know.
Are you ready for September?
With rapidly changing expectations and a new inspection framework from 1st September 2021, it is more important than ever that we keep up to date.
These newsletters will help you – they are packed full of hints and tips and links to more information.
Other things you should be doing in September include:
**Check your curriculum – does it fully reflect the revised EYFS educational programmes? Childcare.co.uk gold members will find a revised curriculum here – www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
**Update your policies – they should be revised at least annually as well as when something changes. Childcare.co.uk make policies available free here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies-september-2021.
**Review information sharing with parents – how well do you keep parents updated about their child’s learning, development and progress, including supporting children’s home learning? It is a requirement in the EYFS and a question inspectors are asking parents. These information sheets for Childcare.co.uk gold members are a good starting point –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs/parents.
**Update health and safety – in addition to adding changes to your Safer Food Better Business food hygiene diary every 3 months, you should also review your risk assessments regularly. This does not mean lots of writing – it means checking the environment, resources, equipment etc and critically evaluating whether it is still appropriate for the children in the setting.
**Stay on top of Covid-19 changes – it is important that you know what DfE expectations are and note when they change. This newsletter will help.
Webinars for September
All webinars are delivered on Tuesdays at 7.30pm and free on the night they are presented...
Tues 7th – EYFS 2021 update. The focus is on how the changes will impact your practice.
Tues 14th – A guide to quick assessment checks.
Tues 21st – Updating your safeguarding policy.
Tues 28th – Oral health.
I am planning more free webinars for October – thank you to colleagues who have suggested subjects for me to cover next.
Watch out for new free webinars appearing on the list here -
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
If you have any comments or questions, please message me.
August 2021 newsletter
By the time I publish this newsletter it will be 1 month before the changes to the EYFS take effect – that’s one month left to prepare.
I have planned a webinar for September week 1, following colleague requests for more guidance – that’s the first date available after I finish working through the new curriculum expectations for the 7 areas of learning. You will find the popular training webinars – free on the night they are presented – here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
CHANGES TO THE EYFS
Conversation with Ofsted - Ofsted answer lots of different questions asked by early years providers in this conversation between me and Wendy Radcliffe and Phil Minns –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/ofsted-eyfs-2021.
Childcare.co.uk has released a NEW page of support for providers implementing the revised EYFS from Sept 2021. The page includes FREE guidance for writing the Progress Check at 2, updated free policies and other documentation and some GOLD member guidance to curriculum planning and assessment - https://www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs
More support from Childcare.co.uk
You will find 2 discussions with Julian Grenier – lead writer of the non-statutory Development Matters guidance – on YouTube free to watch –
Part 1 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters
Part 2 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/development-matters-2
You will also find a discussion with Nancy Stewart about the Birth to 5 matters guidance –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/birth-to-5-matters.
That’s 3 times this year I’ve had to do my hair! If you want to know what DfE are thinking and saying – the messaging is consistent – you should watch this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF5gDIIFysg.
Curriculum from September
Is your curriculum ready for September? Ofsted do not expect you to sit and write a new curriculum – most of what you are already doing will be just fine. You might decide, after reading the revised Early Years Foundation Stage educational programmes that you want to make some changes or update some areas that are not working for your current children, but you shouldn’t need to do a lot beyond that.
If you want to see how a progression curriculum works and you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member, there is a sample one here that you can use ‘as is’ and adapt for your children and ways of working – www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
Guidance for curriculum
The current Development matters 2012 has been repurposed as a curriculum guide. It is totally different from the original. You can buy it on EBay or it is available online.
The original version of Development Matters (2012) will be out of date 1st September because it does not align with the new educational programmes in the EYFS 2021. The early adopter version of the Development Matters curriculum guidance is out of date now - it was updated a week or so ago.
DfE have now announced that the recently revised version had some errors in it - from what I can see is that DfE have updated pages 50, 53, 54, 55 (PSED) and pages 64 and 65 (PD). If you have already ordered a copy you will need to print the 6 revised pages from the online document here -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/development-matters--2.
If you have not ordered / received it yet, I advise you to check your supplier is going to send you the latest version first...
Observation from September
I read a post on the Independent Childminders Facebook page recently about observation – our member was asking whether she needed to do it any more from September.
As I noted in my newsletter last month, the value of observation has not diminished. What has changed is the expectation to record keep beyond the statutory. Only write things down if you feel they will have value – for you, parents or the child.
Assessment from September
Yes, I have put together some simple, basic assessment checks for Childcare.co.uk gold members to access – www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs. However, they are only there if you need them to support children’s learning, development and progress.
Most children will make good progress – they do not need any checks – they will be engaging with the curriculum and learning new things.
Other children might seem to be struggling or their progress might appear to have stalled. If you have a niggle and you feel that you need to do some written assessment beyond the statutory Progress Check at 2, the Quick Assessment Checks and more in-depth monitoring tools are available for you to use.
Guidance for assessment
The current (2012) Development Matters guidance has been updated. It has also been renamed ‘Birth to 5 matters’. If you like using the 3 column (unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments) format to use as a guide to practice (not a tick list) you can find it online, or buy a copy, here –
https://www.birthto5matters.org.uk/.
Planning from September
Planning includes –
**Your curriculum – the knowledge and skills you want children to learn
**Your daily routines
**Individual / next steps for each child
**Group activities
**Themes – if you use them – for your older children
**Getting the environment and resources right
You know your planning is working well when children are happy, engaged and learning new things. You know you have a problem when wellbeing is low and children are restless or behaviour is poor.
Tracking from September
The current way of tracking progress, ticking lists from Development Matters 2012 or Early Years Outcomes 2013 is outdated. It does not fit with the messages coming out of DfE and Ofsted which state that providers should prioritise practice over paperwork. This is because observation has become synonymous with record keeping, next steps have become about pressuring children to move on constantly and assessment has become too reliant on tick lists and it is taking practitioners away from the children.
Development Matters 2012 will be out of date in September - it does not align with the EYFS 2021 educational programmes (see my future webinars – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Development Matters 2012 has been a useful resource for the last 8 years but it does not reflect latest thinking either. What DfE / Ofsted are saying is to focus on the children, not the paperwork. Most children will get along just fine and if a child needs some extra support, that's when you might want to track ... but not using out of date statements that are no longer considered best practice.
Childcare.co.uk has released guidance to support this but it is not for every child – it should only be completed for those children who you feel might be at risk of falling behind – ww.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
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OFSTED INSPECTION CHANGES - ENGLAND
Ofsted myth busting
Ofsted inspection myth busting continues –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs.
Maths during inspection
The Education Endowment Foundation has released a new report which advises early years providers to use times in the day such as snack time to support children’s mathematical development.
The report states: ‘It is crucial, then, that we start early and make sure that all young people—regardless of background—have access to great mathematics teaching in the early years and at primary school’ and ‘'Once children fall behind, it is hard for them to catch up and they are likely to fall further behind throughout school.’
We know Ofsted are watching for maths during inspection and it is important to recognise that maths opportunities are everywhere - but I don’t think there are many providers who need to be reminded about the importance of counting and introducing maths vocabulary when making food.
The report is here - https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/early-maths/.
Variations to ratios – EYFS 2021
Ofsted have not changed the variations rules in the EYFS 2021. The wording still says that we can be flexible about ratios to support
However, I receive a lot of messages from colleagues asking me about variations and saying they are worried about Ofsted. My reply is to ask them why they are worried about Ofsted! If your practice is consistent and your routines are in place and the children are making good progress then the inspector will see it - if not, then you shouldn't be doing the variation because you are not managing it well and the inspector will say over ratio. There is a sample risk assessment here – https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminder-variations-updated-information-032019.
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COVID-19 UPDATES
Contacting DfE
If you have questions about whether to isolate and when you should stay open or close, my advice is to contact the DfE Covid-19 helpline –
https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe.
Changes to the rules have caused absolute chaos over the last few weeks (see the attached Nursery World article) and I am sure there will be more to come –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/change-to-test-and-trace-and-self-isolation-rules-causes-utter-confusion-in-nurseries.
Best advice – DfE say they will close settings if there is a local outbreak. Settings do not need to make decisions about whether to close or not. However, this is causing upset for many providers so... either wait for Test and Trace to contact you or close, it is your decision.
Step 4 recovery changes
Step 4 of the Covid recovery plan will be from 19th July at the earliest and the DfE has updated ‘actions for early years – see the 2nd document down on this list for more information –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
You will notice that the document is much shorter than previously because DfE have removed restrictions on –
**Children attending more than 1 setting
**Parents coming into the setting
**Trips / outings
**Messy play
**Keeping children in small, consistent groups
**Face coverings
**Playgroups
**Singing
**Isolating if you are a close contact - under 18s and double vaccinated adults only.
Like everyone else in the early years, Early Years Alliance has published their anger at the Govt’s lack of clarity for providers - https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2021/07/alliance-criticises-lack-clarity-early-years-education-bubbles-are-scrapped.
Covid update - close contacts and isolation
The DfE advice has changed about isolation, partly due to the impact on children's learning with settings closing. DfE state: 'Our priority is for you to deliver face-to-face, high quality education and childcare to all children. The evidence is clear that being out of education and childcare causes significant harm to educational attainment, life chances, mental and physical health.'
NHS Test and Trace have taken over all contact tracing so if there is a positive case they are the ones who will decide whether you need to close or not. DfE state: 'Close contacts will now be identified via NHS Test and Trace and education settings will no longer be expected to undertake contact tracing.'
DfE now talk about local outbreaks instead of individual cases. The guidance states: 'You should have outbreak management plans outlining how you would operate if there were an outbreak in your setting or local area.' You will find an example in files ion the Independent Childminders Facebook group.
Please take a moment to read through the updated 'Actions for early years' guidance before making decisions about what to do if there is a positive case reported to you - you might not have to close. DfE state: 'Contacts from a setting will only be traced by NHS Test and Trace where the positive case specifically identifies the individual as being a close contact. This is likely to be a small number of individuals who would be most at risk of contracting COVID-19 due to the nature of the close contact.'
Note the guidance says ‘should’ not ‘must’ ... also note Ofsted are inspecting providers on their response to the pandemic but mostly questions are about safeguarding and supporting children’s learning through lockdown and beyond.
The plan is in files here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/.
Guidance for parents
DfE has provided information for parents about step 4 of the Govt's plan for covid. You might want to read it first before you share this link with them –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/step-4-update-what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges.
Changes to isolation rules
In step 4 of the Govt covid strategy, restrictions will be lifted in lots of areas of practice as above.
DfE states that this is a Govt policy decision based on infection rates going up but no increased evidence of hospitalisations or deaths.
What will this mean in the future for childminders? Well... DfE are still looking at different scenarios.
Here's how it seems to work - the PM makes an announcement and then it filters through the different Govt departments who talk to stakeholders and get questions and then go through Public Health England and other agencies to make decisions... it can take weeks!
There was an emergency DfE meeting with early years stakeholders at the beginning of July. Childcare.co.uk attended alongside colleagues from nursery groups and asked questions on behalf of members. However, it was clear that answers to questions about self-isolation for close (or very close) contacts, how track and trace will work for childminders, isolation for16 and 17 year old unvaccinated students and family members, differences between how households, childminding settings vs settings will be treated and more have not been decided yet.
DfE states that the detail is still being worked out... but, for now, the questions have been asked and it's a waiting game.
Covid-19 disapplications
All disapplications are due to end on 31st August. The disapplications have mostly been used by group settings, allowing flexibility for staffing and staff deployment.
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OTHER BITS AND BOBS
New food safety resource
A new resource from DfE has caused a kerfuffle on the childminding groups over the last few weeks. The resource advocates, for example, taking the skin off sausages and not giving children raisins or popcorn due to the choking risks. The page also includes advice on safe weaning, foods to avoid, how to prepare food safely to avoid choking and preparing food hygienically.
You will find it here - https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/get-help-to-improve-your-practice/food-safety-.
Free childminder policies
The policies for Childcare.co.uk have been slimmed down to statutory plus useful and updated for September 2021.
You will find them here (Word versions for gold members – PDF versions for everyone) –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies-september-2021.
Information sheets for parents
A recent poll on the Independent Childminders Facebook group told me that, instead of lengthy and usually unnecessary policies and procedures, members would appreciate some simple one-page information sheets for parents, to share when, for example, a parent asks a question. I hope you find the sheets quick and easy to use - they can be sent to parents 'as is' if you are happy with them or quickly adapted.
They are free for Childcare.co.uk gold members –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs/parents
Watch out for norovirus
As this article from Nursery World magazine states, norovirus is on the increase in early years settings and we need to be aware of how to support children and families and the guidelines for exclusion and deep cleaning if there is an outbreak –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/norovirus-on-the-rise-in-childcare-settings.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Upcoming webinars
Throughout July and August, the webinars will look in detail at the revisions to each of the 7 areas of learning educational programmes in the EYFS 2021. Webinars for September will cover different subjects within the 7 areas, to support providers as they get to grips with the changes.
You can sign up for the free webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members can watch the webinars again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Changes to webinar certificates
Childcare.co.uk has changed the way webinars and certificates are accessed. Instead of receiving a link at the end of the webinar, members who attend will find their own ‘my certificates’ section when they log in to sign into a webinar – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
The new certificates are generated after the webinar and now show the member’s name and date completed.
Reviewing your professional development
Self-reflection is important – especially after you have accessed training, read blogs or done other types of professional development. To support you with this, Childcare.co.uk has published a free training reflection sheet to use alongside the webinars – or for your use as you do other types of CPD.
You will find it here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Keeping safeguarding updated
For Ofsted: Ofsted does not specify a timescale. They ask: do you know the information you need to know to effectively manage safeguarding / child protection in the setting? This blog gives more details -
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2016/12/05/inspecting-safeguarding-in-the-early-years-a-reminder-of-the-guidance-and-some-commonly-asked-questions/
For your Local Authority: they all give different timescales which you might need to comply with if you are a funded provider, so you need to check locally.
For yourself: do you feel confident you can answer safeguarding questions during inspection? Do you know what to do if a child makes a disclosure? Do you know how to handle allegations? You might find this Q & A useful –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childmin.../safeguarding-q-and-a
For your staff: do they have the safeguarding knowledge they need for day-to-day practice and to answer questions, when they are feeling under pressure, during inspection?
For paperwork: is your policy up to date? Are all your written policies cohesive (statutory in writing: safeguarding and complaints)? Are policies readable and easy to follow in an emergency? If an inspector asks you to show them your disclosure procedures or asks a question about types of abuse, do you have them to hand and are they recently reviewed? I have an Updating your safeguarding policy' webinar coming up in September –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Staying updated
There are lots of ways for early years providers to stay updated in addition to these monthly newsletters and the free webinars. Your Local Authority safeguarding website and the NSPCC website are useful to bookmark; I have some early years providers on twitter and read magazines such as Nursery World regularly to help me stay informed with changes in the sector. How do you keep yourself and your professional development fresh? Let me know for the next newsletter and I will make a list!
Training and consultancy
I offer one-to-one consultancy @ £40 / hour. The session will cover whatever you need – for example:
**Training...
**Question and answer...
**Ofsted preparation...
**Help to recover from a setback...
**Paperwork support... etc.
The training and consultancy is offered over Zoom (or similar).
Payment must be made in advance through PayPal or bank transfer.
Please contact me: [email protected] for more information about how I can help you and to set up a date and time.
I hope you find this newsletter useful. Please let me know if there is anything you want me to include. If you want more detail, I will be happy to write a blog.
Chat soon, Sarah
I have planned a webinar for September week 1, following colleague requests for more guidance – that’s the first date available after I finish working through the new curriculum expectations for the 7 areas of learning. You will find the popular training webinars – free on the night they are presented – here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
CHANGES TO THE EYFS
Conversation with Ofsted - Ofsted answer lots of different questions asked by early years providers in this conversation between me and Wendy Radcliffe and Phil Minns –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/ofsted-eyfs-2021.
Childcare.co.uk has released a NEW page of support for providers implementing the revised EYFS from Sept 2021. The page includes FREE guidance for writing the Progress Check at 2, updated free policies and other documentation and some GOLD member guidance to curriculum planning and assessment - https://www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs
More support from Childcare.co.uk
You will find 2 discussions with Julian Grenier – lead writer of the non-statutory Development Matters guidance – on YouTube free to watch –
Part 1 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters
Part 2 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/development-matters-2
You will also find a discussion with Nancy Stewart about the Birth to 5 matters guidance –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/birth-to-5-matters.
That’s 3 times this year I’ve had to do my hair! If you want to know what DfE are thinking and saying – the messaging is consistent – you should watch this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF5gDIIFysg.
Curriculum from September
Is your curriculum ready for September? Ofsted do not expect you to sit and write a new curriculum – most of what you are already doing will be just fine. You might decide, after reading the revised Early Years Foundation Stage educational programmes that you want to make some changes or update some areas that are not working for your current children, but you shouldn’t need to do a lot beyond that.
If you want to see how a progression curriculum works and you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member, there is a sample one here that you can use ‘as is’ and adapt for your children and ways of working – www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
Guidance for curriculum
The current Development matters 2012 has been repurposed as a curriculum guide. It is totally different from the original. You can buy it on EBay or it is available online.
The original version of Development Matters (2012) will be out of date 1st September because it does not align with the new educational programmes in the EYFS 2021. The early adopter version of the Development Matters curriculum guidance is out of date now - it was updated a week or so ago.
DfE have now announced that the recently revised version had some errors in it - from what I can see is that DfE have updated pages 50, 53, 54, 55 (PSED) and pages 64 and 65 (PD). If you have already ordered a copy you will need to print the 6 revised pages from the online document here -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/development-matters--2.
If you have not ordered / received it yet, I advise you to check your supplier is going to send you the latest version first...
Observation from September
I read a post on the Independent Childminders Facebook page recently about observation – our member was asking whether she needed to do it any more from September.
As I noted in my newsletter last month, the value of observation has not diminished. What has changed is the expectation to record keep beyond the statutory. Only write things down if you feel they will have value – for you, parents or the child.
Assessment from September
Yes, I have put together some simple, basic assessment checks for Childcare.co.uk gold members to access – www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs. However, they are only there if you need them to support children’s learning, development and progress.
Most children will make good progress – they do not need any checks – they will be engaging with the curriculum and learning new things.
Other children might seem to be struggling or their progress might appear to have stalled. If you have a niggle and you feel that you need to do some written assessment beyond the statutory Progress Check at 2, the Quick Assessment Checks and more in-depth monitoring tools are available for you to use.
Guidance for assessment
The current (2012) Development Matters guidance has been updated. It has also been renamed ‘Birth to 5 matters’. If you like using the 3 column (unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments) format to use as a guide to practice (not a tick list) you can find it online, or buy a copy, here –
https://www.birthto5matters.org.uk/.
Planning from September
Planning includes –
**Your curriculum – the knowledge and skills you want children to learn
**Your daily routines
**Individual / next steps for each child
**Group activities
**Themes – if you use them – for your older children
**Getting the environment and resources right
You know your planning is working well when children are happy, engaged and learning new things. You know you have a problem when wellbeing is low and children are restless or behaviour is poor.
Tracking from September
The current way of tracking progress, ticking lists from Development Matters 2012 or Early Years Outcomes 2013 is outdated. It does not fit with the messages coming out of DfE and Ofsted which state that providers should prioritise practice over paperwork. This is because observation has become synonymous with record keeping, next steps have become about pressuring children to move on constantly and assessment has become too reliant on tick lists and it is taking practitioners away from the children.
Development Matters 2012 will be out of date in September - it does not align with the EYFS 2021 educational programmes (see my future webinars – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Development Matters 2012 has been a useful resource for the last 8 years but it does not reflect latest thinking either. What DfE / Ofsted are saying is to focus on the children, not the paperwork. Most children will get along just fine and if a child needs some extra support, that's when you might want to track ... but not using out of date statements that are no longer considered best practice.
Childcare.co.uk has released guidance to support this but it is not for every child – it should only be completed for those children who you feel might be at risk of falling behind – ww.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
...................................................................................................................................................
OFSTED INSPECTION CHANGES - ENGLAND
Ofsted myth busting
Ofsted inspection myth busting continues –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-eif-inspections-and-the-eyfs.
Maths during inspection
The Education Endowment Foundation has released a new report which advises early years providers to use times in the day such as snack time to support children’s mathematical development.
The report states: ‘It is crucial, then, that we start early and make sure that all young people—regardless of background—have access to great mathematics teaching in the early years and at primary school’ and ‘'Once children fall behind, it is hard for them to catch up and they are likely to fall further behind throughout school.’
We know Ofsted are watching for maths during inspection and it is important to recognise that maths opportunities are everywhere - but I don’t think there are many providers who need to be reminded about the importance of counting and introducing maths vocabulary when making food.
The report is here - https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/early-maths/.
Variations to ratios – EYFS 2021
Ofsted have not changed the variations rules in the EYFS 2021. The wording still says that we can be flexible about ratios to support
However, I receive a lot of messages from colleagues asking me about variations and saying they are worried about Ofsted. My reply is to ask them why they are worried about Ofsted! If your practice is consistent and your routines are in place and the children are making good progress then the inspector will see it - if not, then you shouldn't be doing the variation because you are not managing it well and the inspector will say over ratio. There is a sample risk assessment here – https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminder-variations-updated-information-032019.
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COVID-19 UPDATES
Contacting DfE
If you have questions about whether to isolate and when you should stay open or close, my advice is to contact the DfE Covid-19 helpline –
https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe.
Changes to the rules have caused absolute chaos over the last few weeks (see the attached Nursery World article) and I am sure there will be more to come –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/change-to-test-and-trace-and-self-isolation-rules-causes-utter-confusion-in-nurseries.
Best advice – DfE say they will close settings if there is a local outbreak. Settings do not need to make decisions about whether to close or not. However, this is causing upset for many providers so... either wait for Test and Trace to contact you or close, it is your decision.
Step 4 recovery changes
Step 4 of the Covid recovery plan will be from 19th July at the earliest and the DfE has updated ‘actions for early years – see the 2nd document down on this list for more information –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
You will notice that the document is much shorter than previously because DfE have removed restrictions on –
**Children attending more than 1 setting
**Parents coming into the setting
**Trips / outings
**Messy play
**Keeping children in small, consistent groups
**Face coverings
**Playgroups
**Singing
**Isolating if you are a close contact - under 18s and double vaccinated adults only.
Like everyone else in the early years, Early Years Alliance has published their anger at the Govt’s lack of clarity for providers - https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2021/07/alliance-criticises-lack-clarity-early-years-education-bubbles-are-scrapped.
Covid update - close contacts and isolation
The DfE advice has changed about isolation, partly due to the impact on children's learning with settings closing. DfE state: 'Our priority is for you to deliver face-to-face, high quality education and childcare to all children. The evidence is clear that being out of education and childcare causes significant harm to educational attainment, life chances, mental and physical health.'
NHS Test and Trace have taken over all contact tracing so if there is a positive case they are the ones who will decide whether you need to close or not. DfE state: 'Close contacts will now be identified via NHS Test and Trace and education settings will no longer be expected to undertake contact tracing.'
DfE now talk about local outbreaks instead of individual cases. The guidance states: 'You should have outbreak management plans outlining how you would operate if there were an outbreak in your setting or local area.' You will find an example in files ion the Independent Childminders Facebook group.
Please take a moment to read through the updated 'Actions for early years' guidance before making decisions about what to do if there is a positive case reported to you - you might not have to close. DfE state: 'Contacts from a setting will only be traced by NHS Test and Trace where the positive case specifically identifies the individual as being a close contact. This is likely to be a small number of individuals who would be most at risk of contracting COVID-19 due to the nature of the close contact.'
Note the guidance says ‘should’ not ‘must’ ... also note Ofsted are inspecting providers on their response to the pandemic but mostly questions are about safeguarding and supporting children’s learning through lockdown and beyond.
The plan is in files here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/.
Guidance for parents
DfE has provided information for parents about step 4 of the Govt's plan for covid. You might want to read it first before you share this link with them –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/step-4-update-what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges.
Changes to isolation rules
In step 4 of the Govt covid strategy, restrictions will be lifted in lots of areas of practice as above.
DfE states that this is a Govt policy decision based on infection rates going up but no increased evidence of hospitalisations or deaths.
What will this mean in the future for childminders? Well... DfE are still looking at different scenarios.
Here's how it seems to work - the PM makes an announcement and then it filters through the different Govt departments who talk to stakeholders and get questions and then go through Public Health England and other agencies to make decisions... it can take weeks!
There was an emergency DfE meeting with early years stakeholders at the beginning of July. Childcare.co.uk attended alongside colleagues from nursery groups and asked questions on behalf of members. However, it was clear that answers to questions about self-isolation for close (or very close) contacts, how track and trace will work for childminders, isolation for16 and 17 year old unvaccinated students and family members, differences between how households, childminding settings vs settings will be treated and more have not been decided yet.
DfE states that the detail is still being worked out... but, for now, the questions have been asked and it's a waiting game.
Covid-19 disapplications
All disapplications are due to end on 31st August. The disapplications have mostly been used by group settings, allowing flexibility for staffing and staff deployment.
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OTHER BITS AND BOBS
New food safety resource
A new resource from DfE has caused a kerfuffle on the childminding groups over the last few weeks. The resource advocates, for example, taking the skin off sausages and not giving children raisins or popcorn due to the choking risks. The page also includes advice on safe weaning, foods to avoid, how to prepare food safely to avoid choking and preparing food hygienically.
You will find it here - https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/get-help-to-improve-your-practice/food-safety-.
Free childminder policies
The policies for Childcare.co.uk have been slimmed down to statutory plus useful and updated for September 2021.
You will find them here (Word versions for gold members – PDF versions for everyone) –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderpolicies-september-2021.
Information sheets for parents
A recent poll on the Independent Childminders Facebook group told me that, instead of lengthy and usually unnecessary policies and procedures, members would appreciate some simple one-page information sheets for parents, to share when, for example, a parent asks a question. I hope you find the sheets quick and easy to use - they can be sent to parents 'as is' if you are happy with them or quickly adapted.
They are free for Childcare.co.uk gold members –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs/parents
Watch out for norovirus
As this article from Nursery World magazine states, norovirus is on the increase in early years settings and we need to be aware of how to support children and families and the guidelines for exclusion and deep cleaning if there is an outbreak –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/norovirus-on-the-rise-in-childcare-settings.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Upcoming webinars
Throughout July and August, the webinars will look in detail at the revisions to each of the 7 areas of learning educational programmes in the EYFS 2021. Webinars for September will cover different subjects within the 7 areas, to support providers as they get to grips with the changes.
You can sign up for the free webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members can watch the webinars again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Changes to webinar certificates
Childcare.co.uk has changed the way webinars and certificates are accessed. Instead of receiving a link at the end of the webinar, members who attend will find their own ‘my certificates’ section when they log in to sign into a webinar – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
The new certificates are generated after the webinar and now show the member’s name and date completed.
Reviewing your professional development
Self-reflection is important – especially after you have accessed training, read blogs or done other types of professional development. To support you with this, Childcare.co.uk has published a free training reflection sheet to use alongside the webinars – or for your use as you do other types of CPD.
You will find it here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Keeping safeguarding updated
For Ofsted: Ofsted does not specify a timescale. They ask: do you know the information you need to know to effectively manage safeguarding / child protection in the setting? This blog gives more details -
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2016/12/05/inspecting-safeguarding-in-the-early-years-a-reminder-of-the-guidance-and-some-commonly-asked-questions/
For your Local Authority: they all give different timescales which you might need to comply with if you are a funded provider, so you need to check locally.
For yourself: do you feel confident you can answer safeguarding questions during inspection? Do you know what to do if a child makes a disclosure? Do you know how to handle allegations? You might find this Q & A useful –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childmin.../safeguarding-q-and-a
For your staff: do they have the safeguarding knowledge they need for day-to-day practice and to answer questions, when they are feeling under pressure, during inspection?
For paperwork: is your policy up to date? Are all your written policies cohesive (statutory in writing: safeguarding and complaints)? Are policies readable and easy to follow in an emergency? If an inspector asks you to show them your disclosure procedures or asks a question about types of abuse, do you have them to hand and are they recently reviewed? I have an Updating your safeguarding policy' webinar coming up in September –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Staying updated
There are lots of ways for early years providers to stay updated in addition to these monthly newsletters and the free webinars. Your Local Authority safeguarding website and the NSPCC website are useful to bookmark; I have some early years providers on twitter and read magazines such as Nursery World regularly to help me stay informed with changes in the sector. How do you keep yourself and your professional development fresh? Let me know for the next newsletter and I will make a list!
Training and consultancy
I offer one-to-one consultancy @ £40 / hour. The session will cover whatever you need – for example:
**Training...
**Question and answer...
**Ofsted preparation...
**Help to recover from a setback...
**Paperwork support... etc.
The training and consultancy is offered over Zoom (or similar).
Payment must be made in advance through PayPal or bank transfer.
Please contact me: [email protected] for more information about how I can help you and to set up a date and time.
I hope you find this newsletter useful. Please let me know if there is anything you want me to include. If you want more detail, I will be happy to write a blog.
Chat soon, Sarah
July 2021 newsletter
Welcome to July! I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying the (hopefully) better weather.
It’s not been a good month for closures of early years settings, including childminder closures, as reported in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/tragic-figures-show-more-than-2-500-early-years-settings-have-closed.
I was asked to comment on an article about closures for The Key recently and noted that there are many, complex reasons why childminders are leaving the profession but the reasoning has changed – while there used to be a lot of providers citing Ofsted and inspection as the reason for leaving, after the pandemic the more common reason I am hearing is financial insecurity.
If there is anything I can do to help you stay in childminding – because goodness knows we need to retain the well qualified and amazing childcare professionals who are currently working – then please let me know.
Ofsted and inspection
Questions Ofsted are asking...
We can never really guess what Ofsted are focusing on during inspection, but we can look at inspection reports and get a feeling for the types of things providers are being asked to discuss. Here are some of the more recent subjects coming up:
**Curriculum – what do you plan to teach the children?
**How do you work – what is your pedagogy – how do you teach?
**First aid – did it run out during lockdown – did you use a disapplication? Is it now up-to-date?
**Parent engagement – especially Covid-19 related – for example, how did you keep parents updated with information if you were closed?
**What is it like to be a child here? This one comes through all inspections...
**What is going well? Can you identify your strengths and areas for improvement? You don’t need lengthy written information which Ofsted will not look at – you need to be able to talk about what you do well and where you are going next, to improve even more.
**What are your training priorities? Not just ‘what training have you done?’ but what impact has the training had on outcomes for children... so, you have done a course and you have reflected on it and you have made changes and they have helped raise outcomes for the children.
Observation confusion - England
I'm receiving a lot of messages asking 'do we need to do observations any more?'
Yes of course we do! The value of observations has not diminished. Observations - watching and listening - tell us about the child and what the child needs from us. We do them all the time, every second of the day, when we are playing and interacting.
The good news is that the revised EYFS 2021 will allow us even more time to observe because we will be spending more of our days playing with the children, without feeling tethered to record keeping.
What the Development Matters 2020 guidance is keen to do is make a distinction between observation, which has become synonymous with record keeping and noticing. Noticing is about watching, listening and developing 'on the spot' as you play - maybe by setting up another activity or introducing a new resource or reading a book or singing a song or challenging thinking or repetition... whatever the child needs.
How much you record will be totally up to you - a few notes, some wow moments for parents, a behaviour chart because you have concerns, a more detailed check to help you work with another agency...
DfE say to use your professional judgement to decide what you need for your children. The thinking is that if the child is getting along just fine, record keeping should be minimal.
Note: the Progress Check at 2 is still statutory. DfE confirm that we will not be expected to include grades, levels or words like 'emerging' and 'secure'. Childcare.co.uk will release new guidance on the Progress Check at 2 soon.
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Health and safety
Healthy eating week
Healthy eating week was in June – but the resources are still online and will help to inform your future planning. They will also be useful when planning activities linked to oral health –
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/hew.html.
Free potty-training guidance
This guidance might be useful to share with parents. it includes guidance about how to share your potty-training policy with parents, a sample flowchart (remember every child’s journey is unique, guidance on healthy bladder and bowels, factsheet on what to do when children withhold and a copy of the Bristol stool chart.
https://www.eric.org.uk/potty-training-package-including-policy-for-early-years-settings
Sleep – SIDS
Have you see the new links in the EYFS 2021 about safer sleep? We are being discouraged from referring to ‘cot death’ and instead to talk about ‘safer sleep’. The footnotes in the EYFS link to –
NHS advice on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/
Providers may find it helpful to refer to NHS advice for further information on safety of sleeping children: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/reduce-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome/.
Eating with children
The revised EYFS 2021 now states, ‘Providers must ensure that children are adequately supervised, including whilst eating, and decide how to deploy staff to ensure children’s needs are met.’
This might have changed due to the common practice in group provision of staff taking their lunch breaks in the building (but out of immediate ratio) when children are eating. However, we must also be aware of it as childminders and ensure children are supervised when eating.
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Safeguarding and child protection
No smoking / vaping
Note the change in the EYFS 2021 from ‘smoking’ to ‘smoking and vaping’. If you display ‘no smoking’ signs in your parent / staff areas, you might need to update them to include ‘no vaping’.
The Childcare.co.uk Health and Safety Policy will be updated shortly, ready for September.
Child Safeguarding Practice Review
You can read the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Annual Report (2020) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-safeguarding-practice-review-panel-annual-report-2020
Some of the identified themes you might want to reflect on when updating your safeguarding policy include:
Dental hygiene
There is a requirement in the EYFS 2021 to promote children’s oral health. This does not mean we must start brushing children’s teeth in the setting, but we do need to consider how we might support oral health at home and during the child’s time with us.
This might include, for example, adding ‘dentist’ details to the child’s All About Me form, so if the space isn’t filled in by parents we can talk to them about local dentists who might have spaces and encourage them to take their child for regular check-ups.
Risky play
Children need to learn to keep themselves safe – to do this, they need to learn about risk.
Ofsted are not talking about letting children play unsupervised in dangerous environments when they discuss risk – they are focusing on allowing children to learn about their bodies and skills and to make judgements about how much they can do and what is safe … and, of course, what is unsafe and when to ask for help.
For some children, risk is asking a friend to play because they might say ‘no’. For other children, risky play activities might include, for example, sliding on the mud or snow or woodwork.
During risky play, children test their physical skills and learn what they can and cannot do – they learn to risk assess and to take risks – they become independent and more in control of their own play. children who are taking risks will be using all their learning characteristics – they will be motivated by the exciting play opportunities you are offering them, totally engaged in what they are doing and using their critical thinking skills.
First, however, we need to talk to the children about what is happening – work with them to risk assess what they are about to do and have a conversation with them, using lots of open-ended questions to help them understand the risks they are taking.
There will be some children for whom risky play is more … risky … than others. These are the children who run headlong into situations without thinking of the consequences or the children who seem to engage with risk assessment and then go off and run headlong into situations …
Parents need to be on-side as well, understanding that their child might sometimes scrape a knee or bump an elbow.
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Covid 19 updates
Childminders: change to how to report covid-19 testing You can continue to order covid-19 test kits free here – https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests
You will now need to state your profession as ‘childminder’ when you are reporting your test results – https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result
Childcare.co.uk is aware that some childminder members are not happy with this change, especially if they are not keen on the title ‘childminder’ but it has apparently been made to allow DfE to monitor test results from different parts of the early years and childcare sector. Members are also questioning how the information will be used, since we already have to inform DfE, Local Authority and Ofsted about a positive result.
Childcare.co.uk will raise it during the next DfE early years meeting for further clarification.
Fifth SEISS grant – latest information from HMRC
The next self-employment income support grant will cover May to September 2021.
Payment will be based on how much your turnover has reduced in your 2020-2021 HMRC submission.
HMRC will release guidance on how to claim, if you are eligible, at the end of July.
You will find more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-employment-income-support-scheme-fifth-grant/self-employment-income-support-scheme-fifth-grant.
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The revised EYFS 2021
Reflecting on change
Think about your values – how you work. This will not change.
Safeguarding and welfare requirements changes = read up on the changes to the safeguarding and welfare section of the EYFS 2021 and:
**Add a question about which dentist parents use to your Child Registration Form so you can have an easy lead-in to a conversation with parents about their child’s oral health. Make sure you talk to your Ofsted inspector about healthy eating and drinking in the setting and ensure any food provided for the children during inspection is healthy.
**Check your Safeguarding Policy says the new name for your ‘local safeguarding partners’ – not LSCB.
**Remove any ‘no smoking’ posters – childminders don’t need them anyway, but if you do want to display something, it will need to say ‘no smoking or vaping’.
**Do you need to read up on cyber security and make any changes?
Assessment requirements – there aren’t any changes to the EYFS 2021 assessment requirements for early years providers but you might want to:
**Review your Progress Check at 2 form – you don’t need to grade the child within an age range or say whether they are ‘exceeding’ or ‘emerging’ any more. Your focus should be on what the child can and cannot yet do in the prime areas of learning.
**Assessment is the same – you watch, listen and note what the child can and cannot yet do. You use your observations (what you have noticed) to support the child’s ongoing learning.
**The early learning goals are not relevant to you – don’t try to use them in your curriculum or start using the headers used in the EYFS for the goals. It’s the educational programmes that are statutory, not the early learning goals for the early years.
Learning and development changes - read up on the changes to the learning and development section of the EYFS 2021 and:
**The EYFS talks about adult-guided teaching alongside child-initiated play and time for children to explore their interests. You might find it useful to reflect your pedagogy (teaching) and practice (environment, resources, routines) – do you need to make any changes?
**If you record lots of observations, assessments, tick lists, planning, tracking, summary reports, end of year assessments etc, think about their value. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater – but do ensure you are not spending more time record keeping than necessary.
**The new ‘Development Matters’ 2020 guidance has been repurposed and the 2012 version we have been using for the last 8 years does not align with the new educational programmes in the EYFS. As you read through the revised 2020 Development Matters guidance, think about whether you want to make any additions or changes to your curriculum.
**Note the Ofsted focus on early communication and language – reading books and developing children’s vocabulary. Think about how you will weave information about that into your learning walk.
**Look at the Birth to 5 Matters guidance and think about whether or not you find it useful. It’s not statutory but it does contain some good information which will support your practice.
You might also want to:
**Allow staff the freedom to play – put away the tablets, files and other record keeping for a week and see what happens next. Do staff know how to play? What are their comments after the week?
**Enhance staff CPD – if you have staff, they might need training on some of the new requirements.
**Ask your Local Authority about any record keeping changes now tick lists are a thing of the past.
**Keep parents informed about changes.
Important things to avoid include:
**Don’t feel you have to write a new curriculum – one of the intended aims of the changes is to reduce paperwork, not make yourself more busy-work. Childcare.co.uk will release some example curriculum guidance, but it’s up to you whether you use it or not. You might think that your curriculum is absolutely fine without making any changes!
**If you see assessment tick lists sold on the internet, walk away from them – one of the intended aims of the changes is to stop us from ticking lists and get us back to playing, interacting and being with the children. Childcare.co.uk will release some example assessment guidance, but it’s up to you whether you use it or not. You might think that you can assess perfectly well in your head.
**Don’t be rushed into making changes. You don’t have to do anything yet – there is plenty of time between now and September to decide whether you want to make any changes, talk to parents about how the changes will impact them and their children and evaluate whether they work for you or not.
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Last but not least...
The Early Years Alliance asked and asked the Government for funding information – how did they get to the funding rate they pay? Finally, the Govt has replied and their response clearly shows that they have been deliberately underfunding us, based on a flawed model that we would be fine because we would be working at capacity. This is clearly totally unacceptable.
You can read more in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/government-treatment-of-early-years-sector-during-pandemic-unforgivable.
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Guidance and planning
**The July planning has been sent to Childcare.co.uk to help gold members plan their intent, implementation and impact through the month.
**Upcoming webinars through July and August will look in detail at each of the 7 areas of learning, reviewing the curriculum and considering how it can be planned and implemented. Webinars are free on the night they are presented – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
**The Childcare.co.uk policies have been updated for September 2021 – more information to follow.
**Further guidance has been released for gold Childcare.co.uk gold members on curriculum and assessment from September 2021 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
Note: this link also contains links to FREE information for all members including, for example, free support to complete the statutory Progress Check at 2.
If you have any questions or would like to contribute ideas for contents, please let me know. Thank you, Sarah.
It’s not been a good month for closures of early years settings, including childminder closures, as reported in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/tragic-figures-show-more-than-2-500-early-years-settings-have-closed.
I was asked to comment on an article about closures for The Key recently and noted that there are many, complex reasons why childminders are leaving the profession but the reasoning has changed – while there used to be a lot of providers citing Ofsted and inspection as the reason for leaving, after the pandemic the more common reason I am hearing is financial insecurity.
If there is anything I can do to help you stay in childminding – because goodness knows we need to retain the well qualified and amazing childcare professionals who are currently working – then please let me know.
Ofsted and inspection
Questions Ofsted are asking...
We can never really guess what Ofsted are focusing on during inspection, but we can look at inspection reports and get a feeling for the types of things providers are being asked to discuss. Here are some of the more recent subjects coming up:
**Curriculum – what do you plan to teach the children?
**How do you work – what is your pedagogy – how do you teach?
**First aid – did it run out during lockdown – did you use a disapplication? Is it now up-to-date?
**Parent engagement – especially Covid-19 related – for example, how did you keep parents updated with information if you were closed?
**What is it like to be a child here? This one comes through all inspections...
**What is going well? Can you identify your strengths and areas for improvement? You don’t need lengthy written information which Ofsted will not look at – you need to be able to talk about what you do well and where you are going next, to improve even more.
**What are your training priorities? Not just ‘what training have you done?’ but what impact has the training had on outcomes for children... so, you have done a course and you have reflected on it and you have made changes and they have helped raise outcomes for the children.
Observation confusion - England
I'm receiving a lot of messages asking 'do we need to do observations any more?'
Yes of course we do! The value of observations has not diminished. Observations - watching and listening - tell us about the child and what the child needs from us. We do them all the time, every second of the day, when we are playing and interacting.
The good news is that the revised EYFS 2021 will allow us even more time to observe because we will be spending more of our days playing with the children, without feeling tethered to record keeping.
What the Development Matters 2020 guidance is keen to do is make a distinction between observation, which has become synonymous with record keeping and noticing. Noticing is about watching, listening and developing 'on the spot' as you play - maybe by setting up another activity or introducing a new resource or reading a book or singing a song or challenging thinking or repetition... whatever the child needs.
How much you record will be totally up to you - a few notes, some wow moments for parents, a behaviour chart because you have concerns, a more detailed check to help you work with another agency...
DfE say to use your professional judgement to decide what you need for your children. The thinking is that if the child is getting along just fine, record keeping should be minimal.
Note: the Progress Check at 2 is still statutory. DfE confirm that we will not be expected to include grades, levels or words like 'emerging' and 'secure'. Childcare.co.uk will release new guidance on the Progress Check at 2 soon.
..................................................................................................................................................
Health and safety
Healthy eating week
Healthy eating week was in June – but the resources are still online and will help to inform your future planning. They will also be useful when planning activities linked to oral health –
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/hew.html.
Free potty-training guidance
This guidance might be useful to share with parents. it includes guidance about how to share your potty-training policy with parents, a sample flowchart (remember every child’s journey is unique, guidance on healthy bladder and bowels, factsheet on what to do when children withhold and a copy of the Bristol stool chart.
https://www.eric.org.uk/potty-training-package-including-policy-for-early-years-settings
Sleep – SIDS
Have you see the new links in the EYFS 2021 about safer sleep? We are being discouraged from referring to ‘cot death’ and instead to talk about ‘safer sleep’. The footnotes in the EYFS link to –
NHS advice on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/
Providers may find it helpful to refer to NHS advice for further information on safety of sleeping children: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/reduce-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome/.
Eating with children
The revised EYFS 2021 now states, ‘Providers must ensure that children are adequately supervised, including whilst eating, and decide how to deploy staff to ensure children’s needs are met.’
This might have changed due to the common practice in group provision of staff taking their lunch breaks in the building (but out of immediate ratio) when children are eating. However, we must also be aware of it as childminders and ensure children are supervised when eating.
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Safeguarding and child protection
No smoking / vaping
Note the change in the EYFS 2021 from ‘smoking’ to ‘smoking and vaping’. If you display ‘no smoking’ signs in your parent / staff areas, you might need to update them to include ‘no vaping’.
The Childcare.co.uk Health and Safety Policy will be updated shortly, ready for September.
Child Safeguarding Practice Review
You can read the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Annual Report (2020) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-safeguarding-practice-review-panel-annual-report-2020
Some of the identified themes you might want to reflect on when updating your safeguarding policy include:
- Understanding what the child’s daily life is like
- Working with families where their engagement is reluctant and sporadic
- Critical thinking and challenge
- Responding to changing risk and need
- Sharing information in a timely and appropriate way
- Organisational leadership and culture for good outcomes
Dental hygiene
There is a requirement in the EYFS 2021 to promote children’s oral health. This does not mean we must start brushing children’s teeth in the setting, but we do need to consider how we might support oral health at home and during the child’s time with us.
This might include, for example, adding ‘dentist’ details to the child’s All About Me form, so if the space isn’t filled in by parents we can talk to them about local dentists who might have spaces and encourage them to take their child for regular check-ups.
Risky play
Children need to learn to keep themselves safe – to do this, they need to learn about risk.
Ofsted are not talking about letting children play unsupervised in dangerous environments when they discuss risk – they are focusing on allowing children to learn about their bodies and skills and to make judgements about how much they can do and what is safe … and, of course, what is unsafe and when to ask for help.
For some children, risk is asking a friend to play because they might say ‘no’. For other children, risky play activities might include, for example, sliding on the mud or snow or woodwork.
During risky play, children test their physical skills and learn what they can and cannot do – they learn to risk assess and to take risks – they become independent and more in control of their own play. children who are taking risks will be using all their learning characteristics – they will be motivated by the exciting play opportunities you are offering them, totally engaged in what they are doing and using their critical thinking skills.
First, however, we need to talk to the children about what is happening – work with them to risk assess what they are about to do and have a conversation with them, using lots of open-ended questions to help them understand the risks they are taking.
There will be some children for whom risky play is more … risky … than others. These are the children who run headlong into situations without thinking of the consequences or the children who seem to engage with risk assessment and then go off and run headlong into situations …
Parents need to be on-side as well, understanding that their child might sometimes scrape a knee or bump an elbow.
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Covid 19 updates
Childminders: change to how to report covid-19 testing You can continue to order covid-19 test kits free here – https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests
You will now need to state your profession as ‘childminder’ when you are reporting your test results – https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result
Childcare.co.uk is aware that some childminder members are not happy with this change, especially if they are not keen on the title ‘childminder’ but it has apparently been made to allow DfE to monitor test results from different parts of the early years and childcare sector. Members are also questioning how the information will be used, since we already have to inform DfE, Local Authority and Ofsted about a positive result.
Childcare.co.uk will raise it during the next DfE early years meeting for further clarification.
Fifth SEISS grant – latest information from HMRC
The next self-employment income support grant will cover May to September 2021.
Payment will be based on how much your turnover has reduced in your 2020-2021 HMRC submission.
HMRC will release guidance on how to claim, if you are eligible, at the end of July.
You will find more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-employment-income-support-scheme-fifth-grant/self-employment-income-support-scheme-fifth-grant.
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The revised EYFS 2021
Reflecting on change
Think about your values – how you work. This will not change.
Safeguarding and welfare requirements changes = read up on the changes to the safeguarding and welfare section of the EYFS 2021 and:
**Add a question about which dentist parents use to your Child Registration Form so you can have an easy lead-in to a conversation with parents about their child’s oral health. Make sure you talk to your Ofsted inspector about healthy eating and drinking in the setting and ensure any food provided for the children during inspection is healthy.
**Check your Safeguarding Policy says the new name for your ‘local safeguarding partners’ – not LSCB.
**Remove any ‘no smoking’ posters – childminders don’t need them anyway, but if you do want to display something, it will need to say ‘no smoking or vaping’.
**Do you need to read up on cyber security and make any changes?
Assessment requirements – there aren’t any changes to the EYFS 2021 assessment requirements for early years providers but you might want to:
**Review your Progress Check at 2 form – you don’t need to grade the child within an age range or say whether they are ‘exceeding’ or ‘emerging’ any more. Your focus should be on what the child can and cannot yet do in the prime areas of learning.
**Assessment is the same – you watch, listen and note what the child can and cannot yet do. You use your observations (what you have noticed) to support the child’s ongoing learning.
**The early learning goals are not relevant to you – don’t try to use them in your curriculum or start using the headers used in the EYFS for the goals. It’s the educational programmes that are statutory, not the early learning goals for the early years.
Learning and development changes - read up on the changes to the learning and development section of the EYFS 2021 and:
**The EYFS talks about adult-guided teaching alongside child-initiated play and time for children to explore their interests. You might find it useful to reflect your pedagogy (teaching) and practice (environment, resources, routines) – do you need to make any changes?
**If you record lots of observations, assessments, tick lists, planning, tracking, summary reports, end of year assessments etc, think about their value. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater – but do ensure you are not spending more time record keeping than necessary.
**The new ‘Development Matters’ 2020 guidance has been repurposed and the 2012 version we have been using for the last 8 years does not align with the new educational programmes in the EYFS. As you read through the revised 2020 Development Matters guidance, think about whether you want to make any additions or changes to your curriculum.
**Note the Ofsted focus on early communication and language – reading books and developing children’s vocabulary. Think about how you will weave information about that into your learning walk.
**Look at the Birth to 5 Matters guidance and think about whether or not you find it useful. It’s not statutory but it does contain some good information which will support your practice.
You might also want to:
**Allow staff the freedom to play – put away the tablets, files and other record keeping for a week and see what happens next. Do staff know how to play? What are their comments after the week?
**Enhance staff CPD – if you have staff, they might need training on some of the new requirements.
**Ask your Local Authority about any record keeping changes now tick lists are a thing of the past.
**Keep parents informed about changes.
Important things to avoid include:
**Don’t feel you have to write a new curriculum – one of the intended aims of the changes is to reduce paperwork, not make yourself more busy-work. Childcare.co.uk will release some example curriculum guidance, but it’s up to you whether you use it or not. You might think that your curriculum is absolutely fine without making any changes!
**If you see assessment tick lists sold on the internet, walk away from them – one of the intended aims of the changes is to stop us from ticking lists and get us back to playing, interacting and being with the children. Childcare.co.uk will release some example assessment guidance, but it’s up to you whether you use it or not. You might think that you can assess perfectly well in your head.
**Don’t be rushed into making changes. You don’t have to do anything yet – there is plenty of time between now and September to decide whether you want to make any changes, talk to parents about how the changes will impact them and their children and evaluate whether they work for you or not.
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Last but not least...
The Early Years Alliance asked and asked the Government for funding information – how did they get to the funding rate they pay? Finally, the Govt has replied and their response clearly shows that they have been deliberately underfunding us, based on a flawed model that we would be fine because we would be working at capacity. This is clearly totally unacceptable.
You can read more in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/government-treatment-of-early-years-sector-during-pandemic-unforgivable.
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Guidance and planning
**The July planning has been sent to Childcare.co.uk to help gold members plan their intent, implementation and impact through the month.
**Upcoming webinars through July and August will look in detail at each of the 7 areas of learning, reviewing the curriculum and considering how it can be planned and implemented. Webinars are free on the night they are presented – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
**The Childcare.co.uk policies have been updated for September 2021 – more information to follow.
**Further guidance has been released for gold Childcare.co.uk gold members on curriculum and assessment from September 2021 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/eyfs.
Note: this link also contains links to FREE information for all members including, for example, free support to complete the statutory Progress Check at 2.
If you have any questions or would like to contribute ideas for contents, please let me know. Thank you, Sarah.
June 2021 newsletter
Welcome to June!
We are thinking about introducing our summer activities this month with lots of focus on our outside provision as the weather (hopefully) improves.
Will you be making any changes to your ways of working as the country moves out of lockdown? We have been looking at our Covid-19 safe processes and don’t feel the need to do anything different just yet:
**We like our doorstep handovers and parents agree it is much easier for them and their children
**The setting is less cluttered which has led to the children being more focused, so we won’t be changing anything there.
**Our cleaning routines are manageable.
**We love our new conservatory sink and will be maintaining our new handwashing routines because they work so well.
**New parents can watch a video about our setting rather than come inside – nobody has said that’s a problem.
How do I know what I am talking about?
I had my advice questioned recently. I am always keen to engage in positive conversation and have taken part in some lively debates but, until recently it has always been respectful. On this occasion, a post was put on a Facebook group on which I am not a member, questioning why I had the right to share information with early years providers – in a not very polite or respectful way.
I always check my facts with the experts before delivering them – for example, when I talk about changes to the EYFS and guidance documents, I have already engaged with information from the Dept for Education, Wendy Ratcliffe (Ofsted), Julian Grenier (lead writer for Development Matters) and Nancy Stewart (lead for Birth to 5 Matters).
The 3 videos are all free to watch –
DfE – Childcare.co.uk is on the early years consultation group.
Wendy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXKk373Yyv4
Julian - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters
Second video with Julian here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/development-matters-2
Nancy Stewart - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/birth-to-5-matters
DfE are pushing Ofsted’s myth busting – the changes come from them because they write the policy. It was Wendy who said that things can change now – we don’t need the paperwork to prove what we are doing – they won’t ask for paperwork etc ... it was Julian who said that we could start looking at the changes now and it wouldn’t hurt us to implement some because they are there to make our curriculum better!! It’s not as if we are taking anything away by supporting learning even more is it?
With Nancy I was more focused on how we were going to use Birth to 5, but she said now people are reading it, they will be adopting bits and it’s all best practice anyway so again, we are adding to what we do, not taking away and Ofsted like to see professional development in action don’t they?
So, when I say: keep what record keeping has value for you and discard the rest, I have spoken to the experts first – and I am happy to share with you all that there will be more Ofsted myth busting to follow. Thank you.
Preparing for change
A lot of colleagues have told me they have seen the new EYFS 2021 (final version) and the Development Matters 2020 (to be updated) and the Birth to 5 Matters 2021 (final version) and they feel a little lost and are unsure what to do next. This is what I am doing...
**Sticking to my values and pedagogy – I love what we do here and I know the children flourish. We base our curriculum on play with some adult-guided ‘on the spot’ interventions; we have a quality environment and popular, well-used resources for each age range. That’s not going to change.
**Reviewing the curriculum – has it become a bit old and stale? The only way to check that is to look at it and reflect on –
-What I want the children to learn and do
-How well each child is getting on
-Whether children are learning through play through the day
-Our balance of inside and outside opportunities for play
A good blended curriculum might include, for example –
-Time to play and have fun
-Activities for each child depending on their play needs
-Links to the child’s current interests which change over time
-The daily routines
-Constantly enhanced continuous / core provision resources
-Themes – topics – projects linked to the time of year, seasons, weather etc
-Letters and Sounds phase 1 games for pre-schoolers
Being a reflective, open-minded practitioner, I want to see whether Development Matters 2020 and Birth to 5 Matters 2021 might have some useful ideas to enhance what I already do.
**Reading up on the changes – as a result I have planned webinars during May to cover –
-Changes to the EYFS 2021
-An overview of the new educational programmes in the EYFS 2021
-How we might deliver the new educational programmes, comparing Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters and finding what is most helpful from them.
These webinars are on the list so you can sign up and secure your space now – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
**Reviewing child development knowledge – I have delivered webinars and I am writing an Information Guide for colleagues. I will also plan webinars on starting points and the Progress Check at 2 in the future, to look at how we can record information without a tick list or expectations of grading the children.
**Looking at the specific changes in more detail – I have planned webinars to cover –
-The learning characteristics
-More focus on working without paperwork
-A curriculum for each of the 7 areas of learning (7 webinars to follow).
**Thinking about record keeping – I already delivered webinars on curriculum, observation, assessment and planning in 2021. The webinars are on the webinar player for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I plan to deliver more in the future if you missed them and cannot access them this way.
**Talking to parents about record keeping in the future – now is the time to stop unnecessary time-fillers that are taking me away from playing with the children. For example, we have agreed that next steps happen during play... taking photos stops me being in the activity with the children... reports take up time and have very little value... written observations take up time and don’t help me know the children any better than I already do.
This planning will take the webinars through to September, with plenty more to come next term!
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Updates for September 2021
NEW Ofsted inspection blog
I have looked at some of the comments coming from colleagues who have already had inspections since Ofsted re-started at the beginning of May and put them together into a blog which I hope you find useful –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-inspections-from-may-2021.
NEW video with Julian Grenier
As part of my commitment to information sharing, I have recorded a new video with Julian Grenier about how we might use the Development Matters guidance from September. Here are some approximate timings if you want to dip into the video to get answers to specific questions -
At 2.21 minutes - curriculum question
At 10.52 minutes - modifying the curriculum for the child question
At 15.49 minutes - starting points from September
At 29.30 minutes - Progress check at 2 question
At 37.13 minutes - we talk about partnership with other agencies
At 41.30 minutes - a question about the 'in the moment planning' (TM) approach and how it links with curriculum
At 45.45 minutes - Julian tells us about the 'core books' approach he uses at his nursery.
The video is here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/development-matters-2.
Development Matters 2020 updated
The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed to Childcare.co.uk that an update to the revised Development Matters 2020 is planned. They state that it will be published before the EYFS reforms become statutory this September.
Note: the non-statutory Development Matters 2020 guidance is a complete re-write of the assessment guidance we currently use – the title has been re-purposed, the guidance is new. It has been provided by DfE as a curriculum starting point, to be used alongside a good understanding of child development and knowledge of the child, their starting points and interests, their home and family learning, knowledge of the local area and children's play needs.
Changes to the educational programmes in the EYFS 2021
Following on from my webinar last night about the changes to the educational programmes in the EYFS 2021, I have been asked for more information by lots of colleagues. I have written a blog which I hope sets out the changes clearly –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/changes-to-the-educational-programmes .
There will be lots more free webinars to follow, focusing on each of the 7 areas of learning. You can sign up to watch them FREE here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
If you want to watch any of the webinars again, you need to be a gold childcare.co.uk member – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
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Covid-19 updates
Updated guidance
The DfE ‘Actions for Early Years’ guidance has been updated – 10th May 2021 – https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/984864/Actions_for_early_years_and_childcare_providers_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic.pdf.
DfE state: the guidance has been updated to reflect step 3 of the roadmap out of lockdown. Information has been included on staff wellbeing, clinically extremely vulnerable people, safe removal of face coverings, children attending more than one setting, visits to setting by external professionals, parent and child groups, organised performances, trips, childminders meeting other childminders. Notes:
**The part about children attending 2 settings is much clearer
**Trips to indoor spaces - information on page 56
**The Chief Medical Officer’s advice on singing has been updated
**Childminders can meet indoors but adults should ideally 2m distance
Covid-19 and inspection - Scotland
A nursery in Aberdeen was inspected by Care Commission in March and the inspector found poor infection control procedures in relation to Covid-19. The post-inspection report states:
“Our observations on both days lead us to conclude that significant improvements were required to ensure children were cared for in a safe environment. We noted a number of infection control practices that did not meet current guidance. This included inconsistences in staff and children’s hand washing practice, some staff not washing their hands at required times (for example after cleaning food from the floor, scraping children’s food plates or touching face coverings). Some children were encouraged and supported to wash their hands however not all, and some children were provided with a baby wipe rather than water and soap which is not in line with the appropriate guidance. Staff and children regularly touched bin lids which is an area of potential cross contamination, without washing their hands afterwards. Staff serving bread rolls with their hands rather than tongs, or allowing children to choose from a communal bowl.”
With Ofsted inspections due to start from today, I think it might be useful to learn from our colleagues in other countries who have already undergone inspections.
Coronavirus disapplications
Did you use any of the disapplications in your setting? If so, the DfE website has been updated to reflect Ofsted’s announcement that inspections have re-started from 4th May and to clarify that all providers must have an up-to-date paediatric first aid certificate. You will find the disapplication information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2/early-years-foundation-stage-coronavirus-disapplications
Free guidance for parents
Nursery World magazine reports that the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), the Breastfeeding Network and members of the First 1001 Days Movement, have consulted with Public Health England, to produce a guide to help organisations decide when and how to restart their face-to-face support services safely. The guidance is available to share with parents as a free download here –
https://www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/related_documents/NCT-BfN-GuideToDeliveringSupport-Covid19-V1.pdf.
Workforce concerns
More early years closures were reported in the latest Ofsted figures – more than 2000 since the start of the year. The reported closures are mostly childminders but also some group providers. There are concerns emerging throughout the sector that parents will not be able to find the breadth of childcare options they need when their restart work. You can read more in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/more-than-2-000-early-years-providers-lost-since-the-start-of-the-year.
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Safeguarding updates
Safeguarding reminder
It is important to keep outside doors locked so intruders cannot get in and children cannot leave unsupervised. However, if you have a door which automatically locks when you walk outside, make sure you have a key secreted somewhere or a lock safe on the outside wall. Do not risk your door closing and you getting locked outside while you have children in the house.
Similar scenario - keep car keys in your pocket, but we all have moments of inattention from time to time, so make sure you have spare car keys somewhere as well in case the door locks and children are inside.
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Professional development opportunities
Help for early years providers
The Dept for Education has released a new website with guidance on the changes to the EYFS including the educational programmes and suggestions for delivering the statutory framework. you can find the guidance here –
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/.
Oral health
The revised EYFS 2021 includes oral health in the health section of the framework. I am sure there will be a scramble by trainers to produce guidance – I have been including mention of the new requirement in my webinars for Childcare.co.uk. You might find this an interesting read from the Oral Health Foundation –
https://www.dentalhealth.org/early-years-foundation-stage.
Free training from Early Excellence
You might find some of these webinars interesting to watch –
https://earlyexcellence.com/get-equipped/training-videos/.
Helicopter stories
Have you heard of them? Do you use them in your setting? I was researching about them recently and found this useful guide on the Famly website –
https://www.famly.co/blog/once-upon-a-helicopter-story.
Supporting the characteristics of effective learning
They are the ‘characteristics of effective teaching and learning’ and we should hold them at the heart of our practice. In addition to knowing what children know and can do, we should also consider how they learn and use this to develop their knowledge. You will find lots of information in these free, easy to watch films from Siren Films –
https://www.sirenfilms.co.uk/library/.
30 days wild from the Wildlife Trust
June is ’30 days wild’ month. Are you taking part with your children? You will find free resources for early years providers on this link –
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/30-days-wild-2021-sign-your-pack.
The resources will be complemented by this free website from Earth Cubs –
https://earthcubs.com/.
Child safety week – 7th – 13th June is Child Safety Week.
The focus is on ‘Share because you care’. You can sign up to receive free resources here –
https://www.capt.org.uk/Pages/Category/child-safety-week.
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Upcoming webinars and guidance
New Information Guide – child development
I am currently working on a useful child development guide for providers which aims to take an early years provider perspective to children’s first 4 years (from birth to starting reception class). This guide aims to complement, not replace, your professional knowledge.
New webinars for June
Note: webinars are free on the night they are presented. You will find them listed on this link –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
The webinars are then recorded for childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
The following FREE webinars are planned for June 2021 –
**Pedagogy and Practice in 2021 – 1st June @ 7.30pm
**Planning in 2021 – 8th June @ 7.30pm
**Starting points in 2021 – 15th June @ 7.30pm
**The Progress Check at 2 in 2021 – 22nd June @ 7.30pm
**Ofsted inspection from Sept 2021 – 29th June @ 7.30pm
If you have any questions about the FREE webinars please ask.
I hope you find these newsletters useful - if You have any ideas for contents please let me know.
Chat soon, Sarah.
We are thinking about introducing our summer activities this month with lots of focus on our outside provision as the weather (hopefully) improves.
Will you be making any changes to your ways of working as the country moves out of lockdown? We have been looking at our Covid-19 safe processes and don’t feel the need to do anything different just yet:
**We like our doorstep handovers and parents agree it is much easier for them and their children
**The setting is less cluttered which has led to the children being more focused, so we won’t be changing anything there.
**Our cleaning routines are manageable.
**We love our new conservatory sink and will be maintaining our new handwashing routines because they work so well.
**New parents can watch a video about our setting rather than come inside – nobody has said that’s a problem.
How do I know what I am talking about?
I had my advice questioned recently. I am always keen to engage in positive conversation and have taken part in some lively debates but, until recently it has always been respectful. On this occasion, a post was put on a Facebook group on which I am not a member, questioning why I had the right to share information with early years providers – in a not very polite or respectful way.
I always check my facts with the experts before delivering them – for example, when I talk about changes to the EYFS and guidance documents, I have already engaged with information from the Dept for Education, Wendy Ratcliffe (Ofsted), Julian Grenier (lead writer for Development Matters) and Nancy Stewart (lead for Birth to 5 Matters).
The 3 videos are all free to watch –
DfE – Childcare.co.uk is on the early years consultation group.
Wendy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXKk373Yyv4
Julian - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters
Second video with Julian here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/development-matters-2
Nancy Stewart - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/birth-to-5-matters
DfE are pushing Ofsted’s myth busting – the changes come from them because they write the policy. It was Wendy who said that things can change now – we don’t need the paperwork to prove what we are doing – they won’t ask for paperwork etc ... it was Julian who said that we could start looking at the changes now and it wouldn’t hurt us to implement some because they are there to make our curriculum better!! It’s not as if we are taking anything away by supporting learning even more is it?
With Nancy I was more focused on how we were going to use Birth to 5, but she said now people are reading it, they will be adopting bits and it’s all best practice anyway so again, we are adding to what we do, not taking away and Ofsted like to see professional development in action don’t they?
So, when I say: keep what record keeping has value for you and discard the rest, I have spoken to the experts first – and I am happy to share with you all that there will be more Ofsted myth busting to follow. Thank you.
Preparing for change
A lot of colleagues have told me they have seen the new EYFS 2021 (final version) and the Development Matters 2020 (to be updated) and the Birth to 5 Matters 2021 (final version) and they feel a little lost and are unsure what to do next. This is what I am doing...
**Sticking to my values and pedagogy – I love what we do here and I know the children flourish. We base our curriculum on play with some adult-guided ‘on the spot’ interventions; we have a quality environment and popular, well-used resources for each age range. That’s not going to change.
**Reviewing the curriculum – has it become a bit old and stale? The only way to check that is to look at it and reflect on –
-What I want the children to learn and do
-How well each child is getting on
-Whether children are learning through play through the day
-Our balance of inside and outside opportunities for play
A good blended curriculum might include, for example –
-Time to play and have fun
-Activities for each child depending on their play needs
-Links to the child’s current interests which change over time
-The daily routines
-Constantly enhanced continuous / core provision resources
-Themes – topics – projects linked to the time of year, seasons, weather etc
-Letters and Sounds phase 1 games for pre-schoolers
Being a reflective, open-minded practitioner, I want to see whether Development Matters 2020 and Birth to 5 Matters 2021 might have some useful ideas to enhance what I already do.
**Reading up on the changes – as a result I have planned webinars during May to cover –
-Changes to the EYFS 2021
-An overview of the new educational programmes in the EYFS 2021
-How we might deliver the new educational programmes, comparing Development Matters and Birth to 5 Matters and finding what is most helpful from them.
These webinars are on the list so you can sign up and secure your space now – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
**Reviewing child development knowledge – I have delivered webinars and I am writing an Information Guide for colleagues. I will also plan webinars on starting points and the Progress Check at 2 in the future, to look at how we can record information without a tick list or expectations of grading the children.
**Looking at the specific changes in more detail – I have planned webinars to cover –
-The learning characteristics
-More focus on working without paperwork
-A curriculum for each of the 7 areas of learning (7 webinars to follow).
**Thinking about record keeping – I already delivered webinars on curriculum, observation, assessment and planning in 2021. The webinars are on the webinar player for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I plan to deliver more in the future if you missed them and cannot access them this way.
**Talking to parents about record keeping in the future – now is the time to stop unnecessary time-fillers that are taking me away from playing with the children. For example, we have agreed that next steps happen during play... taking photos stops me being in the activity with the children... reports take up time and have very little value... written observations take up time and don’t help me know the children any better than I already do.
This planning will take the webinars through to September, with plenty more to come next term!
..............................................................
Updates for September 2021
NEW Ofsted inspection blog
I have looked at some of the comments coming from colleagues who have already had inspections since Ofsted re-started at the beginning of May and put them together into a blog which I hope you find useful –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-inspections-from-may-2021.
NEW video with Julian Grenier
As part of my commitment to information sharing, I have recorded a new video with Julian Grenier about how we might use the Development Matters guidance from September. Here are some approximate timings if you want to dip into the video to get answers to specific questions -
At 2.21 minutes - curriculum question
At 10.52 minutes - modifying the curriculum for the child question
At 15.49 minutes - starting points from September
At 29.30 minutes - Progress check at 2 question
At 37.13 minutes - we talk about partnership with other agencies
At 41.30 minutes - a question about the 'in the moment planning' (TM) approach and how it links with curriculum
At 45.45 minutes - Julian tells us about the 'core books' approach he uses at his nursery.
The video is here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/development-matters-2.
Development Matters 2020 updated
The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed to Childcare.co.uk that an update to the revised Development Matters 2020 is planned. They state that it will be published before the EYFS reforms become statutory this September.
Note: the non-statutory Development Matters 2020 guidance is a complete re-write of the assessment guidance we currently use – the title has been re-purposed, the guidance is new. It has been provided by DfE as a curriculum starting point, to be used alongside a good understanding of child development and knowledge of the child, their starting points and interests, their home and family learning, knowledge of the local area and children's play needs.
Changes to the educational programmes in the EYFS 2021
Following on from my webinar last night about the changes to the educational programmes in the EYFS 2021, I have been asked for more information by lots of colleagues. I have written a blog which I hope sets out the changes clearly –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/changes-to-the-educational-programmes .
There will be lots more free webinars to follow, focusing on each of the 7 areas of learning. You can sign up to watch them FREE here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
If you want to watch any of the webinars again, you need to be a gold childcare.co.uk member – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
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Covid-19 updates
Updated guidance
The DfE ‘Actions for Early Years’ guidance has been updated – 10th May 2021 – https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/984864/Actions_for_early_years_and_childcare_providers_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic.pdf.
DfE state: the guidance has been updated to reflect step 3 of the roadmap out of lockdown. Information has been included on staff wellbeing, clinically extremely vulnerable people, safe removal of face coverings, children attending more than one setting, visits to setting by external professionals, parent and child groups, organised performances, trips, childminders meeting other childminders. Notes:
**The part about children attending 2 settings is much clearer
**Trips to indoor spaces - information on page 56
**The Chief Medical Officer’s advice on singing has been updated
**Childminders can meet indoors but adults should ideally 2m distance
Covid-19 and inspection - Scotland
A nursery in Aberdeen was inspected by Care Commission in March and the inspector found poor infection control procedures in relation to Covid-19. The post-inspection report states:
“Our observations on both days lead us to conclude that significant improvements were required to ensure children were cared for in a safe environment. We noted a number of infection control practices that did not meet current guidance. This included inconsistences in staff and children’s hand washing practice, some staff not washing their hands at required times (for example after cleaning food from the floor, scraping children’s food plates or touching face coverings). Some children were encouraged and supported to wash their hands however not all, and some children were provided with a baby wipe rather than water and soap which is not in line with the appropriate guidance. Staff and children regularly touched bin lids which is an area of potential cross contamination, without washing their hands afterwards. Staff serving bread rolls with their hands rather than tongs, or allowing children to choose from a communal bowl.”
With Ofsted inspections due to start from today, I think it might be useful to learn from our colleagues in other countries who have already undergone inspections.
Coronavirus disapplications
Did you use any of the disapplications in your setting? If so, the DfE website has been updated to reflect Ofsted’s announcement that inspections have re-started from 4th May and to clarify that all providers must have an up-to-date paediatric first aid certificate. You will find the disapplication information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2/early-years-foundation-stage-coronavirus-disapplications
Free guidance for parents
Nursery World magazine reports that the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), the Breastfeeding Network and members of the First 1001 Days Movement, have consulted with Public Health England, to produce a guide to help organisations decide when and how to restart their face-to-face support services safely. The guidance is available to share with parents as a free download here –
https://www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/related_documents/NCT-BfN-GuideToDeliveringSupport-Covid19-V1.pdf.
Workforce concerns
More early years closures were reported in the latest Ofsted figures – more than 2000 since the start of the year. The reported closures are mostly childminders but also some group providers. There are concerns emerging throughout the sector that parents will not be able to find the breadth of childcare options they need when their restart work. You can read more in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/more-than-2-000-early-years-providers-lost-since-the-start-of-the-year.
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Safeguarding updates
Safeguarding reminder
It is important to keep outside doors locked so intruders cannot get in and children cannot leave unsupervised. However, if you have a door which automatically locks when you walk outside, make sure you have a key secreted somewhere or a lock safe on the outside wall. Do not risk your door closing and you getting locked outside while you have children in the house.
Similar scenario - keep car keys in your pocket, but we all have moments of inattention from time to time, so make sure you have spare car keys somewhere as well in case the door locks and children are inside.
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Professional development opportunities
Help for early years providers
The Dept for Education has released a new website with guidance on the changes to the EYFS including the educational programmes and suggestions for delivering the statutory framework. you can find the guidance here –
https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/.
Oral health
The revised EYFS 2021 includes oral health in the health section of the framework. I am sure there will be a scramble by trainers to produce guidance – I have been including mention of the new requirement in my webinars for Childcare.co.uk. You might find this an interesting read from the Oral Health Foundation –
https://www.dentalhealth.org/early-years-foundation-stage.
Free training from Early Excellence
You might find some of these webinars interesting to watch –
https://earlyexcellence.com/get-equipped/training-videos/.
Helicopter stories
Have you heard of them? Do you use them in your setting? I was researching about them recently and found this useful guide on the Famly website –
https://www.famly.co/blog/once-upon-a-helicopter-story.
Supporting the characteristics of effective learning
They are the ‘characteristics of effective teaching and learning’ and we should hold them at the heart of our practice. In addition to knowing what children know and can do, we should also consider how they learn and use this to develop their knowledge. You will find lots of information in these free, easy to watch films from Siren Films –
https://www.sirenfilms.co.uk/library/.
30 days wild from the Wildlife Trust
June is ’30 days wild’ month. Are you taking part with your children? You will find free resources for early years providers on this link –
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/30-days-wild-2021-sign-your-pack.
The resources will be complemented by this free website from Earth Cubs –
https://earthcubs.com/.
Child safety week – 7th – 13th June is Child Safety Week.
The focus is on ‘Share because you care’. You can sign up to receive free resources here –
https://www.capt.org.uk/Pages/Category/child-safety-week.
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Upcoming webinars and guidance
New Information Guide – child development
I am currently working on a useful child development guide for providers which aims to take an early years provider perspective to children’s first 4 years (from birth to starting reception class). This guide aims to complement, not replace, your professional knowledge.
New webinars for June
Note: webinars are free on the night they are presented. You will find them listed on this link –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
The webinars are then recorded for childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
The following FREE webinars are planned for June 2021 –
**Pedagogy and Practice in 2021 – 1st June @ 7.30pm
**Planning in 2021 – 8th June @ 7.30pm
**Starting points in 2021 – 15th June @ 7.30pm
**The Progress Check at 2 in 2021 – 22nd June @ 7.30pm
**Ofsted inspection from Sept 2021 – 29th June @ 7.30pm
If you have any questions about the FREE webinars please ask.
I hope you find these newsletters useful - if You have any ideas for contents please let me know.
Chat soon, Sarah.
May 2021 newsletter
Hello again! Welcome to May.
I have delivered a series of 4 Ofsted preparation webinars through April 2021 for Childcare.co.uk – feedback from colleagues has been very positive. My aim is to help everyone feel empowered to manage their inspection from a place of knowledge – if we know what Ofsted are looking for during the inspection, we will feel better able to show them!
Ofsted announced that they are restarting full early years inspections from 4th May. They have said that they will visit overdue providers first - new starters who are over 30 months since first registration and providers who are still waiting for an inspection from the last cycle – so, if you weren't inspected between Aug 2016 - April 2020, expect a call. They are also planning to visit providers graded less than good (inadequate or RI).
You will find more information from Ofsted here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/education-inspections-in-the-summer-term
Childcare.co.uk do not want any early years providers to feel they have to pay for training on the new requirements. It will all be available free through the weekly webinars - www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Let’s look at some recent updates for early years providers...
Document updates
Ofsted early years inspection handbook - Ofsted have updated their early years inspection handbook. You will find the latest information in this blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-update-the-inspection-handbook.
The revised EYFS - the final version of the EYFS 2021 has now been published by DfE. It will be statutory from September 2021. We have been assured that it is the final version so if you want to print it, go ahead. Note that you don't necessarily need it printed, it's up to you –- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974907/EYFS_framework_-_March_2021.pdf
There is a brief summary of the changes here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
The main aims of the changes are to reduce paperwork and improve outcomes in communication and language.
Development Matters 2020 – the DfE Development Matters 2020 non-statutory guidance is a curriculum starting point based on the revised educational programmes in the EYFS 2021. It might be updated so my advice is to hang fire before printing. It's a curriculum starting point to enhance what you already do - you shouldn't need to make any big changes. It's worth reading to check your curriculum is up-to-date - http://development-matters.org.uk/
You can watch more information about the Development Matters guidance here -https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters
Birth to 5 Matters – the final version of the new Birth to 5 Matters guidance has been published and is now available to buy, download or use interactively online. It will be a useful resource to use alongside the revised EYFS 2021 and comes with its own website and links to lots more professional development opportunities and resources - https://www.birthto5matters.org.uk/.
You can watch more information about the Birth to 5 Matters guidance here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/birth-to-5-matters.
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Learning and development updates
Development Matters 2020 and Birth to 5 Matters - they are both non-statutory guidance... they will each be useful in their own way ... but I am being asked a lot of questions about why are they there and how they came about, so I thought a little history lesson might be useful...
**Development Matters 2012 was put together by Early Education and a huge team of sector colleagues and has served us well for 8 years. However, it became widely used as a tick list which wasn't intended.
**DfE updated the EYFS - changed the educational programmes and other bits and stated 'no more tick lists' with an aim to getting back to practice over paperwork. As a result, Development Matters 2012 needed to be updated as well because it was out of date.
**Instead of going back to the original team of writers, DfE asked Julian Grenier to write a new version but he was asked to write a curriculum guide linked to the new educational programmes, so he had to completely change the contents while retaining the title.
**Meanwhile in Early Education towers, there was a lot of concern about what had been done to the educational programmes in the EYFS 2021 and Development Matters 2012 ... so they got a team together and wrote their own guidance.
**However, they couldn't use the title Development Matters any more because it had already been used by DfE ... so they chose a new title 'Birth to 5 matters' and launched it earlier this week after a lot of consultation with the sector
I have planned some webinars in May to look at the differences and how they might be used – they will, as always, be free on the night they are presented here - www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Support for the new EYFS framework
In addition to my webinars which will be based on the new framework from now until the end of term, childcare.co.uk have commissioned the following videos which will support you:
Discussion about Birth to 3 Matters with the project lead Nancy Stewart - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/birth-to-5-matters
Discussion about Development Matters with the lead writer Dr Julian Grenier –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters
Promoting children’s wellbeing – Ofsted liked our colleague’s ‘Wow! Cloud’. You can read more in this blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/how-a-wow-cloud-is-used.
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Safeguarding and child protection updates
Online safety – the EYFS 2021 spotlights online safety guidance in requirement 3.4 which states -
‘To safeguard children and practitioners online, providers will find it helpful to refer to 'Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety considerations’’ and links here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-considerations.
Safeguarding toolkit – if you are looking for useful professional development opportunities, this safeguarding toolkit ‘has been developed to make learning from serious child safeguarding incidents more accessible to everyone who has a role to play to safeguard children and young people.’ You will find the toolkit here – https://www.childsafeguardingtoolkit.org.uk/
Teaching children about keeping safe online – there are a number of different online resources to support children’s use of the internet. ‘On the Internet’ is a book for pre-school children to help them learn what the internet can be used for - https://www.childnet.com/resources/a-learning-to-read-book
Smartie the Penguin is for children aged 3 to 7 years old -
https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin
Digiduck's Big Decision is also for 3+ year olds - https://www.childnet.com/resources/digiduck-stories
**Keeping Ofsted updated – ENGLAND – Ofsted only know what they know about you – their knowledge usually comes from their initial dealings with you, when you were originally registering and completed the medical form and did your original police, CRB or DBS check.
To ensure you continue to comply with the requirements, you must inform Ofsted about: ‘Any significant event likely to affect the suitability of the registered person or any person who cares for, or is in regular contact with, children on the premises to look after children.’
This includes, for example, other agency interventions for your own child, a change in your medication since you did the initial medical form, an operation or time off work for any reason.
You must inform Ofsted if anything changes that might affect your suitability to care for children – it is not up to you to decide whether they need to know or not.
You must inform Ofsted within 14 days of the change occurring - in reality, the sooner the better.
If Ofsted finds out that there was a change to your suitability – from you during inspection (because you blurt out ‘should I have told you about...?’ or they spot something) or because other agencies such as the police or social services inform them, their most likely course of action is to shut you down for up to 6 weeks pending investigation.
The times you must inform Ofsted about changes are detailed in the EYFS and they are also listed in a handy table format along with times you don't need to tell them about changes or accidents (for example), in the Early Years Compliance handbook from page 15 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-provider-non-compliance-action-by-ofsted.
To notify Ofsted you must use this form – not email or phone - https://www.report-childcare-incident.service.gov.uk/serious-incident/childcare/.
**Medication administration – ENGLAND - to comply with the EYFS 2017 / 2021 you must have written permission in advance from parents for every single medication or treatment and it must be recorded on a form and signed for by parents. Your Medication Policy should state that you will always ask parents for written permission.
If it's ongoing medication or treatment such as sun cream in summer, Sudocrem for a sore bottom or an emollient for over-washed hands or dry skin it can go on an 'ongoing medication permission' form which is regularly updated to check parents are still happy with what you are doing; if it's new medication brought by parents to treat an illness such as antibiotics it should go on a 'medication administration' form. You will find free sample forms here -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
Cyber security – the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published official guidance for best cyber-security practices in the early years sector. A link to the guidance is included in the EYFS 2021 - footnote 66.
NCSC state: ‘Regardless of the size and nature of your setting, the information that you hold is of value to a criminal. And although they may not target your setting directly, it's all too easy to be damaged by scam emails that cyber criminals send out indiscriminately to millions of businesses.’
Cyber-security is important because it links to your ICO registration and the GDPR legislation. It covers mobile phones, laptops, tablets and all the data you hold - children’s medical records, parent contact and payment details, photos of children, security and handover of safeguarding files, staff payroll details and other sensitive documents.
What does the guidance mean for you and your daily practice?
**Your data might be stolen by cyber-criminals.
**Your data or phone, tablet etc might be lost or broken.
**You might download a virus which damages or steals data.
Ways to protect your data
**Use passwords - the more complex the better - and change them regularly.
**Make regular, secure backups to an external hard drive or the cloud - don’t leave a backup device next to your computer.
**Keep phones, tablets, laptops, computers etc updated with the latest security.
**Don’t reply to dodgy-looking emails or click links from Facebook messages, even if you think you know the sender.
Ofsted and work experience students
We asked Ofsted: Do I need a DBS check for a one-day-a-week work experience student or assistant?
Ofsted answer: if an assistant will be working with a childminder only for a short period of time, they may not require registration with Ofsted. This is because it may not be practical for checks to be completed during their time at the setting. The provider must still notify Ofsted by email – [email protected] that they intend to have an assistant working with them and should query whether checks are needed or not. Anyone whose suitability has not been checked cannot be left unsupervised with children.
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In other news
We asked Dept for Education - can childminders go to groups with the children?
If a childminder wants to go to a parent and child group
DfE state that the parent and child group exemption applies to groups where parents attend with their child for the ‘benefit of children aged under five’. It is a legal requirement that parent and child groups must be organised by a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution, or a public body.
Childminders may attend these groups and should follow the guidance on ‘trips outside of the setting’ in the latest available version of ‘Actions for Early Years’ –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/actions-for-early-years-and-childcare-providers-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
If a childminder wants to organise a group including parents
DfE state that a childminder organising a formal group for under 5s and their parents should follow the guidance on parent and child groups. Childminder groups that include parents must not meet in homes or private gardens –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do.
If childminders want to organise their own group
DfE state that childminders can meet together with their own and minded children – registered childminders are exempt from the gatherings limit under the regulations for education and childcare and can meet inside or outside, following the ‘trips outside the setting’ advice (link above) and –
- Ensuring they are within ratios
- Minimising risks – following the controls in ‘Actions for Early Years’
- Distancing from the general public
- Focusing on hygiene and hand washing
- Taking account of national and local restrictions
- Adults socially distancing – DfE acknowledge children cannot be expected to distance
- Following singing guidance if relevant – singing guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-suggested-principles-of-safer-singing/covid-19-suggested-principles-of-safer-singing.
DfE state that childminders should also consider the guidance in the section ‘Childminders working with other childminders to look after more children together’ –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/actions-for-early-years-and-childcare-providers-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
At the latest DfE early years stakeholder meeting - 14.4.2021 - Childcare.co.uk asked DfE -
**Childminders have asked us to raise concerns about children not being allowed to attend 2 settings because of the way 'Actions for Early Years' is worded in relation to attending 2 settings.
Reply - DfE said they will look at it and, if they feel it is necessary, further clarifying the wording. However, they were clear that children can attend 2 settings if it's important for them - for example, children going to a childminder and pre-school or nursery to support parent working patterns or children's learning needs in the pre-school year.
There was another question in relation to older children attending a childminding setting. The 'Protective measures for holiday and after school' guidance has been updated to state: 'From 12 April, in line with the commencement of step 2 of the COVID-19 response – spring 2021, out-of-school settings and wraparound childcare providers can offer provision to all children, without restriction on the reasons for which they may attend' so that question has been answered.
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The next series of webinars
Webinars are free on the night they are presented. The next series of webinars will focus on changes to the EYFS -
**Changes to the EYFS 2021
**The educational programmes in the EYFS 2021
**A direct comparison between Development Matters 2020 and Birth to 5 Matters
**The characteristics of learning in the EYFS 2021.
You can sign up here - www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
I hoe you have found this newsletter useful and informative. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for articles or blogs in the future.
Thank you, Sarah.
April 2021 newsletter
Spring is here!
With spring can come snow as well as planting and growing – in our early years setting, we are busy in the garden getting ready for planting, but we are also thinking about how we can protect our new flowers and waiting until the last frosts before planting out our veggies.
We have had a big book sort out over the last few weeks – can you ever have too many books? After reflection, we decided that we might have a few too many, so we set ourselves a challenge to read or sell for charity. Progress has been slow but we are getting there. We have also decided to put together a new seasonal bookshelf which will help us to take children through a year in books.
We have also been looking at assessment in 2021 – how we will assess children’s progress, recognising that tick lists are a thing of the past. After delivering a webinar on the subject and having conversations with parents and doing lots of background reading and professional development – we are ready to make changes which will benefit engagements with the children while ensuring no child is left behind. These changes will, of course, be shared with colleagues when we have finished them.
Let’s look at news and updates in the early years world...
Covid-19 updates
Home testing and masks
Nurseries and other group providers have received home-testing kits and a delivery of masks from the Government – childminders can now ask for home testing kits and DfE has stated that childminders can arrange to collect 2-5 masks from local schools / nurseries.
There is now a guide on the .gov.uk website that covers different types of testing availability -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asymptomatic-testing-early-years-staff-in-different-settings
Updates to Actions for Early Years
The latest Actions for Early Years guidance is here. It is currently in PDF format but I do not suggest you buy it because it changes regularly –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
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Ofsted news
Ofsted latest - here are some updates for providers in England...
...Ofsted are waiting for Education Secretary to tell them when they can re-start inspections. They are not going to go ahead with the assurance visits – instead, they will re-start full education inspections as soon as DfE states it is safe – they hope to be back out here after Easter.
...The Ofsted early years inspection handbook will be updated after Easter to take account of covid-19
...Ofsted has stated that all inspectors will be retrained before inspections re-start
...When inspection restarts and they have finished catching up on the last inspection cycle, all early years providers will move from a 4 year cycle into a 6 year inspection window. This will be explained further in the inspection handbook update.
...Ofsted are currently planning for re-starting inspection, including thinking about who to visit first – their priority list will include those providers overdue inspection, providers over 30 months from start date and re-visits for RI and inadequate.
...Inspectors will follow latest advice from Public Health England before and during the inspection.
...If your paediatric first aid training is out of date, Ofsted will want to talk to you about what barriers have prevented you from completing the course.
...Inspectors will be looking in detail at children’s progress in the prime areas of learning. We know that there is a focus on communication and language and vocabulary acquisition - Ofsted state they will check that 'children remember and learn the basic vocabulary for later life'.
...Inspectors will only ask to look at statutory documentation - professional discussion during the learning walk and throughout the inspection will be used to cover the rest of the inspection.
Ofsted Gill Jones, talking at the Nursery World Business Summit (08.03.2021).
Ofsted and NELI
Gill Jones, deputy director of early education at Ofsted, mentioned the NELI early intervention programme for speech and language in the recent Nursery World Business Summit speech. I wanted to find out how her comments might impact on early years inspection, so I have spoken to Gill to ask for more information and written a blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/neli-and-early-years-providers
Ofsted big conversation north west – feedback 4.3.2020.
The minutes from the last steering group meeting with Ofsted, including answers to some of your questions, are here: https://nwobc.co.uk/
Main take-aways from the Ofsted presentation during the open meeting:
**Labour intensive record-keeping detracts from children's experiences.
**We will ask questions about assessment not look at dots on a graph.
**We will ask you about what children know on arrival and what they now know and can do.
**If you have applied / used a disapplication for, for example, paediatric first aid, we will want to know what best endeavours you have made to resolve the issues.
**Don't waste time or energy preparing for Ofsted inspection. Interact, play and get to know what children know and can do.
**We don't want to see paperwork for us. Do what is right for the children.
**We will ask you about your curriculum and why it is right for your children. We want to know what your children need to learn and how you do what you do.
I see a very positive repeating theme here ...
**Ofsted phone calls
If you are overdue an inspection you might receive a phone call from Ofsted – usually the 0300 123 1231 phone number but sometimes a mobile. It’s best to answer!
They will explain that it is not a graded phone call – they are just checking in to see how you are doing because it is so long since they have seen you and they want to, for example, review anything you have reported or has been reported to them since they last visited you.
They will ask you how you are getting on and what changes you have made as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions – how you coped if you had to close ... how you have supported children, staff and parents through the pandemic ... those sorts of questions.
There will be some safeguarding questions – what you would do if a child disclosed abuse ... who you need to contact if an allegation is made against you / a family or staff member ... whether you have an up-to-date first aid certificate and if not, what steps you are taking to get one.
You can read more information about safeguarding questions in the FAQs here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/safeguarding-q-and-a.
If you have staff, they might ask you how recruitment is going and talk through any challenges you have found over the last year.
They will likely ask about wellbeing - yours, children’s wellbeing and health etc. They will want to get a feel for how things are going, what changes you have made and how they have impacted on your ways of working.
The aim of the phone call from Ofsted’s point of view is to check in because they haven’t seen you for so long, without having to come out and do a visit, so it should be welcomed. Ofsted has stated that they will update us about restarting inspections as soon as they have the go-ahead from the education secretary... nothing has changed there.
Ofsted inspection safety
A lot of providers have raised concerns about how Ofsted will be safe entering settings. Ofsted are keen to reassure us that they will follow latest Public Health England advice. We will hopefully have more information about this over the coming weeks and when the Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook is updated after Easter.
Ofsted inspection anxiety
Now Ofsted has said they are looking to re-start inspections, I have received a number of messages from concerned colleagues asking for support. I have a series of 4 free Ofsted inspection webinars booked in for April – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
I have also written some guidance on inspection anxiety which is now available FREE for all providers on the Childcare.co.uk website - https://www.childcare.co.uk/ofsted-inspection-anxiety.
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Record keeping and EYFS changes
What’s new in the EYFS?
I have blogged –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-eyfs
Changes to the floor space requirements
DfE are aiming to clarify floor space for Forest School providers in the revised EYFS and I don’t think they mean the clarification to change anything for childminders because the definition of our work is that we are home-based.
If you want to make changes to the numbers of children you care for, it is very likely that you will need planning permission which can be expensive and take months to come through.
There is some guidance here which is due an update soon but is still relevant – https://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/planning-permission-rules-england.html
Taking on extra children will also depend on floor space so measure that carefully before you go any further. There is some guidance here which I will update when the EYFS 2020 is finally published to talk about the Forest School changes –
https://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/space-requirements-eyfs.html.
This childminder variations blog still contains up-to-date information –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminder-variations-updated-information-032019.
Making changes slowly and mindfully
The revised EYFS 2020 educational programmes will be statutory from September – it’s not far away, especially if you are a term-time only provider. There are changes to the wording in the EYFS, new educational programmes and revisions to guidance documents. Are you ready for the changes? What about your staff team?
One of the main points of feedback I am hearing from managers is that staff are worried about change and are not feeling confident about the new expectations. My answer is, first of all, to carefully plan your staff meetings and in-house training sessions between now and August so you cover child development knowledge and play – with different ages of children. These 2 aspects of practice will be essential if staff are to feel confident about putting down their tablets and re-engage with the children. Ofsted will be looking at staff knowledge of the children in their room / setting and how well staff play - interact – engage with the children, so it’s clear these 2 areas of practice are essential starting points.
I have covered them in my webinars which are available for childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I will continue to talk about them in future webinars as I unpick changes to the EYFS and educational programmes and support providers with guidance on Ofsted expectations in the future.
Observations in 2021
How many observations do I need to do? I am asked this question repeatedly, especially now Ofsted has stated that they will not look at any paperwork in relation to children's learning and development, apart from the Progress Check at 2 which is statutory in the EYFS.
There are 2 different types of observations and I think, if we recognise that, then we have answered the question:
**Observation - written: the child does or says something you want to jot down to share with parents or send in a quick WhatsApp or note for your own records because you have a concern about the child - for example, you are completing ABC behaviour observations.
**Observation - noticing: you play with the child, notice they are doing something new or struggling with a game or need a little bit of help and you support / scaffold their learning, on the spot, as it happens.
We observe children all the time, every second of the day. We write what has value to us, parent/s or the child. The rest is stored in our 'story about the child' memory box, to share verbally on request with Ofsted...
.......................................................................................
Safeguarding updates
**Safeguarding training FAQ - how often do I need to update?
For Ofsted: Ofsted does not specify a timescale. They ask: do you know the information you need to know to effectively manage safeguarding / child protection in the setting? This blog gives more details -
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2016/12/05/inspecting-safeguarding-in-the-early-years-a-reminder-of-the-guidance-and-some-commonly-asked-questions/
For your Local Authority: they all give different timescales which you might need to comply with if you are a funded provider, so you need to check locally.
For yourself: do you feel confident you can answer safeguarding questions during inspection? Do you know what to do if a child makes a disclosure? Do you know how to handle allegations? You might find this Q & A useful - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/safeguarding-q-and-a
For your staff: do they have the safeguarding knowledge they need for day-to-day practice and to answer questions, when they are feeling under pressure, during inspection?
For paperwork: is your policy up-to-date? Are all your written policies cohesive (statutory in writing: safeguarding and complaints)? Are policies readable and easy to follow in an emergency? If an inspector asks you to show them your disclosure procedures or asks a question about types of abuse, do you have them to hand and are they recently reviewed? I have recently delivered a 'Writing your safeguarding policy' webinar – gold Childcare.co.uk members can watch this very popular webinar again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
Domestic abuse
It’s a stressful time and domestic abuse is becoming a huge problem in the UK. Did you know that, according to a recent report, domestic abuse is more common during pregnancy and before baby reaches the age of 2 years? Babies and young children often cannot tell us what is wrong – so we need to look out for signs such as sudden changes in behaviour and ensure close working partnerships with parents.
You will find more information / guidance on the website For Baby’s Sake - https://www.forbabyssake.org.uk/.
Safeguarding – late arriving parents
It is a requirement of the EYFS that you have procedures in place if parents / carers fail to arrive to collect their child. But have you considered how emergency services will know who you are if parents have an accident and are unable to communicate?
Many years ago, in our early years setting we had a parent unavoidably delayed in an accident and afterwards when we reflected on the scenario we decided that it would have been helpful if they had something with them to say 'my child is with a childminder'. We tried a laminated card for a while but parents didn't always carry purses / wallets ... what they did have, however, was a key ring. So we bought a set of 'I am with my childminder' and my phone number key fobs from Fizzbomb jewellery on Facebook (other suppliers are available) and every new parent puts one on their car / house keyring. It works for us and is reassuring for parents.
I shared this information in my recent ‘Writing a Safeguarding Policy’ webinar which is available for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
.......................................................................................
HMRC news
Providers with staff – the national minimum wage rates increase on 1st April 2021.
**Apprentice - £4.30
**Under 18 - £4.62
**Age 18-20 - £6.56
**Age 21-22 - £8.36
**Age 23 and over - £8.91
You will find this information here - https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates.
Most early years providers will also have an increase for funded children this term – this increase is, according to DfE, provided in part to cover the wage increases.
.......................................................................................
Wellbeing review
How are you doing? It's tough a year into the pandemic ... don't be afraid to ask for support.
Your wellbeing
We all need to prioritise our wellbeing first – we cannot look after our staff wellbeing and children’s wellbeing if our own wellbeing cups are empty. Regular breaks, exercise, healthy eating, restful sleep – these all contribute to wellbeing. However, we also need to look at our workload and make sure we are not putting ourselves under pressure to do things that do not need to be done, for example –
**Providers are asking me questions about end of term summaries – why are you doing them? Do they have value for you, parents and the child?
**Providers are asking me about transition reports for schools – why are you doing them? What is the value of written reports? Will they be passed on by parents – will the school teachers read them?
**Providers are asking me what the best daily diary system is – my question back is: ‘can you talk to parents and send a quick WhatsApp photo or 2 through the day?’
Stopping making work - what I call busywork - for yourself is one of the first steps towards higher levels of practitioner wellbeing.
Children’s wellbeing
As most children are now back at school, practitioners have been asking for resources to share with parents because anxiety is niggling away at many of them. Here are a few useful websites for parents who are worried about sending their children back to school –
Childline - https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/school-college-and-work/school-college/school/
NSPCC - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/away-from-home/at-school/#cornavirus
Place2Be - https://www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/services-for-schools/mental-health-resources-for-schools/return-to-school-resources/
.......................................................................................
Business support
Business support documents and guidance
You might find it useful to look at the Hempsalls free business support package on the Foundation Years website, sponsored by DfE –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2021/01/hempsalls-business-map-for-early-years-providers/.
.......................................................................................
Upcoming webinars
The next set of FREE Childcare.co.uk webinars to be delivered during April 2021 cover –
**Ofsted inspection x 2 webinars
**Ofsted and teaching
**Ofsted inspection print list
These webinars are already filling up quickly – save your space now to avoid disappointment – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
New guidance documents
I am continuing to update older guides and write new content for Childcare.co.uk gold members. If you would like me to tackle any subjects, please let me know.
All the best, stay safe, Sarah
With spring can come snow as well as planting and growing – in our early years setting, we are busy in the garden getting ready for planting, but we are also thinking about how we can protect our new flowers and waiting until the last frosts before planting out our veggies.
We have had a big book sort out over the last few weeks – can you ever have too many books? After reflection, we decided that we might have a few too many, so we set ourselves a challenge to read or sell for charity. Progress has been slow but we are getting there. We have also decided to put together a new seasonal bookshelf which will help us to take children through a year in books.
We have also been looking at assessment in 2021 – how we will assess children’s progress, recognising that tick lists are a thing of the past. After delivering a webinar on the subject and having conversations with parents and doing lots of background reading and professional development – we are ready to make changes which will benefit engagements with the children while ensuring no child is left behind. These changes will, of course, be shared with colleagues when we have finished them.
Let’s look at news and updates in the early years world...
Covid-19 updates
Home testing and masks
Nurseries and other group providers have received home-testing kits and a delivery of masks from the Government – childminders can now ask for home testing kits and DfE has stated that childminders can arrange to collect 2-5 masks from local schools / nurseries.
There is now a guide on the .gov.uk website that covers different types of testing availability -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asymptomatic-testing-early-years-staff-in-different-settings
Updates to Actions for Early Years
The latest Actions for Early Years guidance is here. It is currently in PDF format but I do not suggest you buy it because it changes regularly –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
.......................................................................................
Ofsted news
Ofsted latest - here are some updates for providers in England...
...Ofsted are waiting for Education Secretary to tell them when they can re-start inspections. They are not going to go ahead with the assurance visits – instead, they will re-start full education inspections as soon as DfE states it is safe – they hope to be back out here after Easter.
...The Ofsted early years inspection handbook will be updated after Easter to take account of covid-19
...Ofsted has stated that all inspectors will be retrained before inspections re-start
...When inspection restarts and they have finished catching up on the last inspection cycle, all early years providers will move from a 4 year cycle into a 6 year inspection window. This will be explained further in the inspection handbook update.
...Ofsted are currently planning for re-starting inspection, including thinking about who to visit first – their priority list will include those providers overdue inspection, providers over 30 months from start date and re-visits for RI and inadequate.
...Inspectors will follow latest advice from Public Health England before and during the inspection.
...If your paediatric first aid training is out of date, Ofsted will want to talk to you about what barriers have prevented you from completing the course.
...Inspectors will be looking in detail at children’s progress in the prime areas of learning. We know that there is a focus on communication and language and vocabulary acquisition - Ofsted state they will check that 'children remember and learn the basic vocabulary for later life'.
...Inspectors will only ask to look at statutory documentation - professional discussion during the learning walk and throughout the inspection will be used to cover the rest of the inspection.
Ofsted Gill Jones, talking at the Nursery World Business Summit (08.03.2021).
Ofsted and NELI
Gill Jones, deputy director of early education at Ofsted, mentioned the NELI early intervention programme for speech and language in the recent Nursery World Business Summit speech. I wanted to find out how her comments might impact on early years inspection, so I have spoken to Gill to ask for more information and written a blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/neli-and-early-years-providers
Ofsted big conversation north west – feedback 4.3.2020.
The minutes from the last steering group meeting with Ofsted, including answers to some of your questions, are here: https://nwobc.co.uk/
Main take-aways from the Ofsted presentation during the open meeting:
**Labour intensive record-keeping detracts from children's experiences.
**We will ask questions about assessment not look at dots on a graph.
**We will ask you about what children know on arrival and what they now know and can do.
**If you have applied / used a disapplication for, for example, paediatric first aid, we will want to know what best endeavours you have made to resolve the issues.
**Don't waste time or energy preparing for Ofsted inspection. Interact, play and get to know what children know and can do.
**We don't want to see paperwork for us. Do what is right for the children.
**We will ask you about your curriculum and why it is right for your children. We want to know what your children need to learn and how you do what you do.
I see a very positive repeating theme here ...
**Ofsted phone calls
If you are overdue an inspection you might receive a phone call from Ofsted – usually the 0300 123 1231 phone number but sometimes a mobile. It’s best to answer!
They will explain that it is not a graded phone call – they are just checking in to see how you are doing because it is so long since they have seen you and they want to, for example, review anything you have reported or has been reported to them since they last visited you.
They will ask you how you are getting on and what changes you have made as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions – how you coped if you had to close ... how you have supported children, staff and parents through the pandemic ... those sorts of questions.
There will be some safeguarding questions – what you would do if a child disclosed abuse ... who you need to contact if an allegation is made against you / a family or staff member ... whether you have an up-to-date first aid certificate and if not, what steps you are taking to get one.
You can read more information about safeguarding questions in the FAQs here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/safeguarding-q-and-a.
If you have staff, they might ask you how recruitment is going and talk through any challenges you have found over the last year.
They will likely ask about wellbeing - yours, children’s wellbeing and health etc. They will want to get a feel for how things are going, what changes you have made and how they have impacted on your ways of working.
The aim of the phone call from Ofsted’s point of view is to check in because they haven’t seen you for so long, without having to come out and do a visit, so it should be welcomed. Ofsted has stated that they will update us about restarting inspections as soon as they have the go-ahead from the education secretary... nothing has changed there.
Ofsted inspection safety
A lot of providers have raised concerns about how Ofsted will be safe entering settings. Ofsted are keen to reassure us that they will follow latest Public Health England advice. We will hopefully have more information about this over the coming weeks and when the Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook is updated after Easter.
Ofsted inspection anxiety
Now Ofsted has said they are looking to re-start inspections, I have received a number of messages from concerned colleagues asking for support. I have a series of 4 free Ofsted inspection webinars booked in for April – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
I have also written some guidance on inspection anxiety which is now available FREE for all providers on the Childcare.co.uk website - https://www.childcare.co.uk/ofsted-inspection-anxiety.
.......................................................................................
Record keeping and EYFS changes
What’s new in the EYFS?
I have blogged –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-eyfs
Changes to the floor space requirements
DfE are aiming to clarify floor space for Forest School providers in the revised EYFS and I don’t think they mean the clarification to change anything for childminders because the definition of our work is that we are home-based.
If you want to make changes to the numbers of children you care for, it is very likely that you will need planning permission which can be expensive and take months to come through.
There is some guidance here which is due an update soon but is still relevant – https://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/planning-permission-rules-england.html
Taking on extra children will also depend on floor space so measure that carefully before you go any further. There is some guidance here which I will update when the EYFS 2020 is finally published to talk about the Forest School changes –
https://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/space-requirements-eyfs.html.
This childminder variations blog still contains up-to-date information –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminder-variations-updated-information-032019.
Making changes slowly and mindfully
The revised EYFS 2020 educational programmes will be statutory from September – it’s not far away, especially if you are a term-time only provider. There are changes to the wording in the EYFS, new educational programmes and revisions to guidance documents. Are you ready for the changes? What about your staff team?
One of the main points of feedback I am hearing from managers is that staff are worried about change and are not feeling confident about the new expectations. My answer is, first of all, to carefully plan your staff meetings and in-house training sessions between now and August so you cover child development knowledge and play – with different ages of children. These 2 aspects of practice will be essential if staff are to feel confident about putting down their tablets and re-engage with the children. Ofsted will be looking at staff knowledge of the children in their room / setting and how well staff play - interact – engage with the children, so it’s clear these 2 areas of practice are essential starting points.
I have covered them in my webinars which are available for childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I will continue to talk about them in future webinars as I unpick changes to the EYFS and educational programmes and support providers with guidance on Ofsted expectations in the future.
Observations in 2021
How many observations do I need to do? I am asked this question repeatedly, especially now Ofsted has stated that they will not look at any paperwork in relation to children's learning and development, apart from the Progress Check at 2 which is statutory in the EYFS.
There are 2 different types of observations and I think, if we recognise that, then we have answered the question:
**Observation - written: the child does or says something you want to jot down to share with parents or send in a quick WhatsApp or note for your own records because you have a concern about the child - for example, you are completing ABC behaviour observations.
**Observation - noticing: you play with the child, notice they are doing something new or struggling with a game or need a little bit of help and you support / scaffold their learning, on the spot, as it happens.
We observe children all the time, every second of the day. We write what has value to us, parent/s or the child. The rest is stored in our 'story about the child' memory box, to share verbally on request with Ofsted...
.......................................................................................
Safeguarding updates
**Safeguarding training FAQ - how often do I need to update?
For Ofsted: Ofsted does not specify a timescale. They ask: do you know the information you need to know to effectively manage safeguarding / child protection in the setting? This blog gives more details -
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2016/12/05/inspecting-safeguarding-in-the-early-years-a-reminder-of-the-guidance-and-some-commonly-asked-questions/
For your Local Authority: they all give different timescales which you might need to comply with if you are a funded provider, so you need to check locally.
For yourself: do you feel confident you can answer safeguarding questions during inspection? Do you know what to do if a child makes a disclosure? Do you know how to handle allegations? You might find this Q & A useful - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/safeguarding-q-and-a
For your staff: do they have the safeguarding knowledge they need for day-to-day practice and to answer questions, when they are feeling under pressure, during inspection?
For paperwork: is your policy up-to-date? Are all your written policies cohesive (statutory in writing: safeguarding and complaints)? Are policies readable and easy to follow in an emergency? If an inspector asks you to show them your disclosure procedures or asks a question about types of abuse, do you have them to hand and are they recently reviewed? I have recently delivered a 'Writing your safeguarding policy' webinar – gold Childcare.co.uk members can watch this very popular webinar again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
Domestic abuse
It’s a stressful time and domestic abuse is becoming a huge problem in the UK. Did you know that, according to a recent report, domestic abuse is more common during pregnancy and before baby reaches the age of 2 years? Babies and young children often cannot tell us what is wrong – so we need to look out for signs such as sudden changes in behaviour and ensure close working partnerships with parents.
You will find more information / guidance on the website For Baby’s Sake - https://www.forbabyssake.org.uk/.
Safeguarding – late arriving parents
It is a requirement of the EYFS that you have procedures in place if parents / carers fail to arrive to collect their child. But have you considered how emergency services will know who you are if parents have an accident and are unable to communicate?
Many years ago, in our early years setting we had a parent unavoidably delayed in an accident and afterwards when we reflected on the scenario we decided that it would have been helpful if they had something with them to say 'my child is with a childminder'. We tried a laminated card for a while but parents didn't always carry purses / wallets ... what they did have, however, was a key ring. So we bought a set of 'I am with my childminder' and my phone number key fobs from Fizzbomb jewellery on Facebook (other suppliers are available) and every new parent puts one on their car / house keyring. It works for us and is reassuring for parents.
I shared this information in my recent ‘Writing a Safeguarding Policy’ webinar which is available for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
.......................................................................................
HMRC news
Providers with staff – the national minimum wage rates increase on 1st April 2021.
**Apprentice - £4.30
**Under 18 - £4.62
**Age 18-20 - £6.56
**Age 21-22 - £8.36
**Age 23 and over - £8.91
You will find this information here - https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates.
Most early years providers will also have an increase for funded children this term – this increase is, according to DfE, provided in part to cover the wage increases.
.......................................................................................
Wellbeing review
How are you doing? It's tough a year into the pandemic ... don't be afraid to ask for support.
Your wellbeing
We all need to prioritise our wellbeing first – we cannot look after our staff wellbeing and children’s wellbeing if our own wellbeing cups are empty. Regular breaks, exercise, healthy eating, restful sleep – these all contribute to wellbeing. However, we also need to look at our workload and make sure we are not putting ourselves under pressure to do things that do not need to be done, for example –
**Providers are asking me questions about end of term summaries – why are you doing them? Do they have value for you, parents and the child?
**Providers are asking me about transition reports for schools – why are you doing them? What is the value of written reports? Will they be passed on by parents – will the school teachers read them?
**Providers are asking me what the best daily diary system is – my question back is: ‘can you talk to parents and send a quick WhatsApp photo or 2 through the day?’
Stopping making work - what I call busywork - for yourself is one of the first steps towards higher levels of practitioner wellbeing.
Children’s wellbeing
As most children are now back at school, practitioners have been asking for resources to share with parents because anxiety is niggling away at many of them. Here are a few useful websites for parents who are worried about sending their children back to school –
Childline - https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/school-college-and-work/school-college/school/
NSPCC - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/away-from-home/at-school/#cornavirus
Place2Be - https://www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/services-for-schools/mental-health-resources-for-schools/return-to-school-resources/
.......................................................................................
Business support
Business support documents and guidance
You might find it useful to look at the Hempsalls free business support package on the Foundation Years website, sponsored by DfE –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2021/01/hempsalls-business-map-for-early-years-providers/.
.......................................................................................
Upcoming webinars
The next set of FREE Childcare.co.uk webinars to be delivered during April 2021 cover –
**Ofsted inspection x 2 webinars
**Ofsted and teaching
**Ofsted inspection print list
These webinars are already filling up quickly – save your space now to avoid disappointment – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
New guidance documents
I am continuing to update older guides and write new content for Childcare.co.uk gold members. If you would like me to tackle any subjects, please let me know.
All the best, stay safe, Sarah
March 2021 newsletter
Welcome to March!
We are already seeing snowdrops in the garden and there will be buds on the trees and tulips pushing through the cold, hard ground soon. With the coming of spring, we will teach the children about new beginnings and the cycle of birth will start again.
Life is very different in a global pandemic but the seasonal cycles continue. Our pre-school planning for March, which is a 5 week month, will cover: animals around the world (World Wildlife Day), science explorers (World Science Week), spring nature hunts, water week (World Water Day) and spring changes in nature. Our little ones will be free to join in at their level of understanding and our core provision will continue to offer them the highest quality experiences to support their skills and knowledge.
Covid-19 news
School readiness – I am reading a lot of reports asking whether pre-school children will be school ready for September if they are not attending early years settings ... and last September I read repeated reports that children were not school ready. I think we need to investigate what the term ‘school ready’ actually means because it is not a phrase that is set in law or clearly defined anywhere.
We do have some clues about school readiness from Ofsted in this report - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/418819/Are_you_ready_Good_practice_in_school_readiness.pdf.
We also have some information from Childcare.co.uk here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/school-readiness-for-childminders.
You will find one of the articles I read here in the Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/18/fewer-uk-children-school-ready-after-covid-nursery-closures.
Wellbeing considerations - we must keep up our own wellbeing and promote wellbeing for our children and families. We know from supporting childminders through the current lockdown that feelings are running high and we know that many children are struggling too. The BBC have launched wellbeing resources on the Tiny Happy People website - https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/parent-wellbeing which you might want to share with parents.
**DfE meeting feedback - 10.2.2020 - Childcare.co.uk attended a DfE early years stakeholder meeting on behalf of all providers. Despite continued lobbying by the sector, DfE were unable to provide us with any timescales for at-home testing or priority vaccination. Read this update for more information -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/update-on-dfe-early-years-stakeholder-meeting
Vaccination policy for staff – if you have staff, you do not necessarily need a vaccination policy, but you do need to consider how you will manage vaccination:
**Your employee’s right to choose must be respected. Policies which state ‘no jab no job’ will not be defendable because it is not a mandatory inoculation.
**If the vaccination appointment is during the working day, staff must be treated equally and fairly (ACAS). Will you pay them – expect them to make up time – set travel time limits? Your policy must be fair and clearly explained.
**Time off might be needed if staff members have side effects – this will need planning in advance and the opportunity to take time off must be fair for all staff members and payment during any time off must be fair and clearly explained.
**Pregnant and breast-feeding staff should take advice from their midwife. You must not allow them to suffer detriment due to their protected characteristic (Equality Act 2010).
Community rapid testing issues - if you are having problems accessing community rapid testing because, for example, it's only offered during the day when you are working, DfE wrote to EVERY Local Authority yesterday with suggestions for how they can make it more accessible to early years providers. DfE state: 'We are continuing to work closely with colleagues across government and local authorities to secure the most effective approach to asymptomatic testing for the whole of the EY sector.'
I suggest you speak to your Local Authority and ask them if they have received and read the latest DfE guidance - and how they are going to act on it to support you!
Funded childcare / charging extra fees – the Govt funded hours for 3 and 4 year olds are typically very underfunded for most early years providers and parents who take nurseries to court for charging a 'top up' to the funding only serve to highlight this dreadful situation even more. In light of a recent judgement against a nursery group, I urge you to renew efforts to lobby DfE and Local Authorities to remove the word 'free' from funding – it's not free and it will never be free while providers are suffering financially as a result.
Also note that funding operational guidance states that funding is 'not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or additional activities'; and 'Parents can also expect to pay for other consumables or additional activities offered by the provider, such as nappies or trips' and 'childminders may offer a chargeable on-call service as part of their offer to parents.'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55812645
The funding operational guidance is here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/718181/Early_years_entitlements-operational_guidance.pdf
Actions for early years guidance - update 23.2.2021
The Actions for Early Years guidance has been updated and the new version is much easier to navigate. Myself and admin colleagues will be reading through it over the coming days to look for changes. DfE has combined some documents into it so in some places the information was already out here, but it's now all together in one document. At first reading, you might need to update your risk assessment in relation to, for example: wrap-around care, pregnancy, student placements, messy play, self-isolation, parent and child groups (note the word 'parent', not 'provider' - we are asking for clarification).
Childminders and asymptomatic testing - UPDATE 23.2.2021
DfE has extended the accessibility of home asymptomatic testing to include staff in all private, voluntary and independent nurseries. DfE state that the aim of this is to 'identify positive cases more quickly and break the chains of transmissions'. However, childminders still only have the option of accessing community testing - which many believe puts us at additional risk of infection. DfE state this is under review, so Childcare.co.uk will continue to lobby for an at-home testing option for those childminders who want to access it...
Promoting wellbeing – updated information from DfE
You might find it useful to read this guidance and share it with parents –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak
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Ofsted news
Inspection - while normal inspections are currently paused due to the lockdown, Ofsted are still carrying out registration inspections and taking regulatory action. Ofsted have said they will review the situation on March 8th at the earliest. We know there is a backlog of providers who have not had inspections from the last cycle – once these outstanding inspections are completed and Ofsted have caught up, we will all go into the next 6 year inspection window.
You can stay updated by reading the Ofsted rolling update –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update
There is often useful information shared on the Ofsted Childcare Registration Facebook page as well –
https://www.facebook.com/ChildcareRegistration.
Feedback from Ofsted visits from Sept-Dec 2020 – Ofsted have released data about their visits to registered early years providers from 1st Sept to 31st Dec 2020. Ofsted completed 569 interim inspections and 46 settings were given enforcement actions. The actions were mostly for safeguarding reasons relating to supervisions and safe recruitment practices. I delivered a series of webinars recently to cover staff recruitment and supervision - you can watch again if you are a childcare.co.uk gold member - www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Safeguarding questioning during inspection – feedback on the current method of inspecting newly registering childminders through online as well as face-to-face contact has been generally positive and childminders asked to me speak to Ofsted about whether this was likely to continue in the future. When I posed the question, Ofsted state that blended inspections have been trialled as an interim measure.
Covid-19 during inspection – providers asked whether Ofsted will judge providers on how they have dealt with / responded to the pandemic. Ofsted confirm that pandemic response will be discussed but providers will not be evaluated or judged on their individual response.
Paperwork and Ofsted inspection – the question about what documents you need for Ofsted inspection has been raised a lot recently. The new information coming out of DfE is that Ofsted inspectors will not ask to see documents relating to children’s learning and development, apart from the statutory Progress Check at 2. However, there is always going to be a certain amount of statutory paperwork relating to safeguarding and welfare requirements that they will want to see and there isn’t a definitive list, which leaves some providers confused about what to print and what to leave on the computer. I will work on this and share with providers...
Ofsted assurance calls – some early years providers have received assurance phone calls from Ofsted recently. Feedback from members tells us that the visits have been mostly well received, especially as providers felt safer without someone coming into the setting. During the short calls, Ofsted covered:
**About the setting: checking information such as children on roll and people in the household.
**Managing Covid-19: changes made; extra precautions taken; settling in arrangements.
**Safeguarding and welfare: first aid renewal date; safeguarding scenarios (FGM, allegations, radicalisation).
**Learning and development: awareness of the changes coming to the EYFS; 3 I’s in practice.
Colleagues did raise a concern about Ofsted calling while they were working and I advise you to let them know if the timing might, for example, mean you are unable to support the children’s learning or care effectively. If you have a visit, please let me know so I can update colleagues.
Note: Ofsted has now said they will be restarting inspection in the summer term (date under review). See the Ofsted rolling update for more information –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update.
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Department for Education news
EYFS consultation – DfE are consulting on small changes they have made to the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the revised EYFS 2020. They have already completed a consultation on the learning and development requirements - this is the final part of the process. The consultation finishes on 18th March; you will see the changes DfE are proposing to make are in red -
https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DRAFT-EYFS-Framework-for-comment-February-2021.pdf.
**Note: this is not for printing yet - there are likely to be a few tweaks.
Childminders andschool-aged children - update 23.2.2021
The 'Actions for Early Years' guidance has been updated and DfE has clarified the following information: 'Childminders can continue to look after all early years children. Until 8 March, childminders should continue to only look after those school-age children (from reception onwards) who are vulnerable or children of critical workers. From 8 March, childminders will be able to look after vulnerable children as normal, and all other children where parents are using the provision to support them to work, seek work, undertake education or training, or attend a medical appointment or address a medical need.'
Paediatric first aid – there is a paediatric first aid extension in place until the end of March. After this date you must have completed your first aid training – it is a condition of your registration. Paediatric first aid training should have a face-to-face element to comply with the requirements of the EYFS 2017 / 2020. Ofsted have stated that they will take into consideration whether those providers who have out of date paediatric first aid have made ‘reasonable attempts’ to access a course.
DfE are advertising new traineeships – childminders and group early years settings who meet the criteria detailed in the link below can apply for £1000 funding towards the cost of offering a 6 month to 1 year traineeship to a young person aged 19-24 who already has a level 3 qualification and needs support to find the right job role. The programme states: ‘A traineeship may be an option for young people with some previous employment but who lack the skills, experience and behaviours sought by employers. The traineeship in this case would aim to equip the trainee to secure sustainable employment in an apprenticeship or elsewhere.’
You can find more information about the traineeship programme here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-young-people-to-develop-the-skills-for-apprenticeships-and-sustainable-employment-framework-for-delivery/traineeships-framework-for-delivery-2020-to-2021-web-accessible-version
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Health and safety news
Button batteries – we must not underestimate the dangers of button batteries pose if children swallow them. if you have any toys or games with button batteries in them, make sure the compartments are totally sealed and check them regularly as part of your risk assessment reviews. This is a recent story to share with parents, to help them also understand the dangers of button batteries in toys at home –
https://www.capt.org.uk/news/button-battery-sofia-grace.
EYFS 2020 change – EYFS requirement 3.47 states that we must ensure: ‘Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious’. The current wording in the EYFS 2017 will be revised to include footnote 54 which states:
For example menus and guidance see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/example-menus-for-early-years-settings-in-england
Foundation years has added this and other useful links to a new healthy eating page their website - https://foundationyears.org.uk/2021/02/healthy-eating-and-safe-food-preparation/.
Supporting children’s mental health – this article is a good read if you are struggling to support a child’s mental health during this difficult period of continued lockdown. It reminds us what our priorities should be –
https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-01-26/helping-nursery-age-children-get-through-the-uncertainty-of-lockdown.
Safer internet day – every day should be safer internet day. Children are exposed to online dangers they cannot possibly understand. We include online safety as part of our curriculum and regularly share information with parents about how to keep their children safe online at home. You will find resources from the NSPCC here which you can use with the children all year round –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/schools/safer-internet-resources.
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Safeguarding news
Professional curiosity – when you read serious case reviews following child deaths, a repeating factor is that there were missed opportunities to support the child because professionals failed to use professional curiosity. This St John’s Ambulance guidance is useful for supporting your practice –
https://6282.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/SAFEGUARDING+YOURSELF+AND+OTHERS+2021+February+Professional+Curiosity.pdf.
Safeguarding during inspection - colleagues have asked me to share information about what Ofsted might ask during inspection. You might find this free Safeguarding Q & A useful -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/safeguarding-q-and-a.
Read through, check what you know and what you are unsure about and use it as a starting point for reading blogs and articles, watching YouTube clips, professional discussions with colleagues, researching more information etc.
Protecting children from FGM – it’s good to regularly update safeguarding knowledge. This quick read from the NSPCC will give you an overview of FGM and the part each of us can play in protecting children from sexual abuse -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/fgm.
The free training signposted here is recommended for all early years providers –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/female-genital-mutilation-resource-pack.
Online sexual bullying – Childnet have launched a new toolkit to help teachers / providers talk to older children about online sexual bullying concerns. You can find the toolkit here -
https://www.childnet.com/resources/just-a-joke.
Keeping disabled children safe online – the Ann Craft Trust has released guidance for keeping disabled children safe online –
https://www.anncrafttrust.org/how-to-stay-safe-online-guidance-for-adults-and-young-people-with-learning-disabilities/
.................................................................................................................
Professional development
New blog! My latest blog looks at the subject ‘changes are coming’ and reviews what we can be doing to prepare for changes to the statutory framework from Sept 2021. I have found over many years of practice that panic, rushed changes rarely help providers to stay organised, so I suggest we think of this as a slow plod towards compliance rather than a rush to get things done during the summer ... and start preparing by reading what we can about the changes now –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/change-is-coming.
Early Years TV – Early Years TV from my colleague Kathy Brodie covers a lot of subjects for your professional development and is free for a week, on the week the videos are released. You can sign up for the weekly emails here –
https://www.earlyyears.tv/.
Let’s talk science – I did a webinar recently with a speaker from the Canadian website: ‘Let’s Talk Science’, which covered STEM learning. I have written a STEM webinar for when I start to unpick the revised non-statutory Development Matters 2020 guidance, but I am always keen to improve my practice in this area. During the webinar, this free book was signposted –
https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/interactives/what-insect.
What is subitising and why is it important?
You will see subitising mentioned in the revised EYFS Early Learning Goals and it's part of the Development Matters 2020 guidance to the curriculum. Subitising is important because it is the starting point for all early maths learning. This is a useful free quick-watch video from Karen Wilding (Teaching Early Years Maths 3-5 on Facebook) about subitising –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KtifCNlYy4&fbclid&ab_channel=KarenWildingeymaths
Upcoming FREE webinars through March will cover -
**Child development 1 - ages 0 - 3
**Child development 2 - ages 3 - 4
**Core experiences and the EYFS 2020
**Writing your safeguarding policy
**Theorists in the early years
You can access these free webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Moving into April, I am keeping things flexible depending on what DfE decides to do about Ofsted inspections.
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In other news...
Supporting children who swear – I was asked this question recently by a childminder at her wits end with a child who would not stop swearing. I had some ideas of my own, but I wanted to share best practice as well and while scrolling for more guidance I came across this article in Nursery World magazine which you might find useful if this happens in your setting –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/features/article/behaviour-choice-words.
Guidance for the revised EYFS educational programmes - a link to Development Matters 2020 will be included in the EYFS 2020. It will be clear that DM2020 is not statutory and that Ofsted will not inspect using the guidance.
In addition to the revised DM2020, which is a curriculum starting point, early years providers will also be able to use an updated Development Matters 2012, which will be called ‘Birth to 5 Matters’. The guidance is not a tick list - but it might be a useful guide to assessment. There is an open consultation on the changes and the guidance can be downloaded here –
https://www.birthto5matters.org.uk/.
Settling in procedures – in this short blog for TES, Dr Julian Grenier asks us to re-think our settling in procedures to ensure every child is fully supported through the process –
https://www.tes.com/news/eyfs-are-we-getting-settling-all-wrong.
Safer recruitment procedures – if you want to take on staff, you must get your safer recruitment procedures right, or it could cost you time in the short term and wellbeing in the longer term, especially if Ofsted note something incorrect in your procedures or documents missing from your policy or staff files. Gold childcare.co.uk members can watch my webinar about safer recruitment procedures again here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I also note this useful blog on safer recruitment from The Key Leadership team –
https://www.thekeyleadership.co.uk/post/safer-recruitment-how-to-set-yourself-up-for-success-1.
I hope you find this newsletter informative. If you have any questions, please ask. Sarah
We are already seeing snowdrops in the garden and there will be buds on the trees and tulips pushing through the cold, hard ground soon. With the coming of spring, we will teach the children about new beginnings and the cycle of birth will start again.
Life is very different in a global pandemic but the seasonal cycles continue. Our pre-school planning for March, which is a 5 week month, will cover: animals around the world (World Wildlife Day), science explorers (World Science Week), spring nature hunts, water week (World Water Day) and spring changes in nature. Our little ones will be free to join in at their level of understanding and our core provision will continue to offer them the highest quality experiences to support their skills and knowledge.
Covid-19 news
School readiness – I am reading a lot of reports asking whether pre-school children will be school ready for September if they are not attending early years settings ... and last September I read repeated reports that children were not school ready. I think we need to investigate what the term ‘school ready’ actually means because it is not a phrase that is set in law or clearly defined anywhere.
We do have some clues about school readiness from Ofsted in this report - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/418819/Are_you_ready_Good_practice_in_school_readiness.pdf.
We also have some information from Childcare.co.uk here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/school-readiness-for-childminders.
You will find one of the articles I read here in the Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/18/fewer-uk-children-school-ready-after-covid-nursery-closures.
Wellbeing considerations - we must keep up our own wellbeing and promote wellbeing for our children and families. We know from supporting childminders through the current lockdown that feelings are running high and we know that many children are struggling too. The BBC have launched wellbeing resources on the Tiny Happy People website - https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/parent-wellbeing which you might want to share with parents.
**DfE meeting feedback - 10.2.2020 - Childcare.co.uk attended a DfE early years stakeholder meeting on behalf of all providers. Despite continued lobbying by the sector, DfE were unable to provide us with any timescales for at-home testing or priority vaccination. Read this update for more information -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/update-on-dfe-early-years-stakeholder-meeting
Vaccination policy for staff – if you have staff, you do not necessarily need a vaccination policy, but you do need to consider how you will manage vaccination:
**Your employee’s right to choose must be respected. Policies which state ‘no jab no job’ will not be defendable because it is not a mandatory inoculation.
**If the vaccination appointment is during the working day, staff must be treated equally and fairly (ACAS). Will you pay them – expect them to make up time – set travel time limits? Your policy must be fair and clearly explained.
**Time off might be needed if staff members have side effects – this will need planning in advance and the opportunity to take time off must be fair for all staff members and payment during any time off must be fair and clearly explained.
**Pregnant and breast-feeding staff should take advice from their midwife. You must not allow them to suffer detriment due to their protected characteristic (Equality Act 2010).
Community rapid testing issues - if you are having problems accessing community rapid testing because, for example, it's only offered during the day when you are working, DfE wrote to EVERY Local Authority yesterday with suggestions for how they can make it more accessible to early years providers. DfE state: 'We are continuing to work closely with colleagues across government and local authorities to secure the most effective approach to asymptomatic testing for the whole of the EY sector.'
I suggest you speak to your Local Authority and ask them if they have received and read the latest DfE guidance - and how they are going to act on it to support you!
Funded childcare / charging extra fees – the Govt funded hours for 3 and 4 year olds are typically very underfunded for most early years providers and parents who take nurseries to court for charging a 'top up' to the funding only serve to highlight this dreadful situation even more. In light of a recent judgement against a nursery group, I urge you to renew efforts to lobby DfE and Local Authorities to remove the word 'free' from funding – it's not free and it will never be free while providers are suffering financially as a result.
Also note that funding operational guidance states that funding is 'not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or additional activities'; and 'Parents can also expect to pay for other consumables or additional activities offered by the provider, such as nappies or trips' and 'childminders may offer a chargeable on-call service as part of their offer to parents.'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55812645
The funding operational guidance is here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/718181/Early_years_entitlements-operational_guidance.pdf
Actions for early years guidance - update 23.2.2021
The Actions for Early Years guidance has been updated and the new version is much easier to navigate. Myself and admin colleagues will be reading through it over the coming days to look for changes. DfE has combined some documents into it so in some places the information was already out here, but it's now all together in one document. At first reading, you might need to update your risk assessment in relation to, for example: wrap-around care, pregnancy, student placements, messy play, self-isolation, parent and child groups (note the word 'parent', not 'provider' - we are asking for clarification).
Childminders and asymptomatic testing - UPDATE 23.2.2021
DfE has extended the accessibility of home asymptomatic testing to include staff in all private, voluntary and independent nurseries. DfE state that the aim of this is to 'identify positive cases more quickly and break the chains of transmissions'. However, childminders still only have the option of accessing community testing - which many believe puts us at additional risk of infection. DfE state this is under review, so Childcare.co.uk will continue to lobby for an at-home testing option for those childminders who want to access it...
Promoting wellbeing – updated information from DfE
You might find it useful to read this guidance and share it with parents –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak
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Ofsted news
Inspection - while normal inspections are currently paused due to the lockdown, Ofsted are still carrying out registration inspections and taking regulatory action. Ofsted have said they will review the situation on March 8th at the earliest. We know there is a backlog of providers who have not had inspections from the last cycle – once these outstanding inspections are completed and Ofsted have caught up, we will all go into the next 6 year inspection window.
You can stay updated by reading the Ofsted rolling update –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update
There is often useful information shared on the Ofsted Childcare Registration Facebook page as well –
https://www.facebook.com/ChildcareRegistration.
Feedback from Ofsted visits from Sept-Dec 2020 – Ofsted have released data about their visits to registered early years providers from 1st Sept to 31st Dec 2020. Ofsted completed 569 interim inspections and 46 settings were given enforcement actions. The actions were mostly for safeguarding reasons relating to supervisions and safe recruitment practices. I delivered a series of webinars recently to cover staff recruitment and supervision - you can watch again if you are a childcare.co.uk gold member - www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Safeguarding questioning during inspection – feedback on the current method of inspecting newly registering childminders through online as well as face-to-face contact has been generally positive and childminders asked to me speak to Ofsted about whether this was likely to continue in the future. When I posed the question, Ofsted state that blended inspections have been trialled as an interim measure.
Covid-19 during inspection – providers asked whether Ofsted will judge providers on how they have dealt with / responded to the pandemic. Ofsted confirm that pandemic response will be discussed but providers will not be evaluated or judged on their individual response.
Paperwork and Ofsted inspection – the question about what documents you need for Ofsted inspection has been raised a lot recently. The new information coming out of DfE is that Ofsted inspectors will not ask to see documents relating to children’s learning and development, apart from the statutory Progress Check at 2. However, there is always going to be a certain amount of statutory paperwork relating to safeguarding and welfare requirements that they will want to see and there isn’t a definitive list, which leaves some providers confused about what to print and what to leave on the computer. I will work on this and share with providers...
Ofsted assurance calls – some early years providers have received assurance phone calls from Ofsted recently. Feedback from members tells us that the visits have been mostly well received, especially as providers felt safer without someone coming into the setting. During the short calls, Ofsted covered:
**About the setting: checking information such as children on roll and people in the household.
**Managing Covid-19: changes made; extra precautions taken; settling in arrangements.
**Safeguarding and welfare: first aid renewal date; safeguarding scenarios (FGM, allegations, radicalisation).
**Learning and development: awareness of the changes coming to the EYFS; 3 I’s in practice.
Colleagues did raise a concern about Ofsted calling while they were working and I advise you to let them know if the timing might, for example, mean you are unable to support the children’s learning or care effectively. If you have a visit, please let me know so I can update colleagues.
Note: Ofsted has now said they will be restarting inspection in the summer term (date under review). See the Ofsted rolling update for more information –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update.
.................................................................................................................
Department for Education news
EYFS consultation – DfE are consulting on small changes they have made to the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the revised EYFS 2020. They have already completed a consultation on the learning and development requirements - this is the final part of the process. The consultation finishes on 18th March; you will see the changes DfE are proposing to make are in red -
https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DRAFT-EYFS-Framework-for-comment-February-2021.pdf.
**Note: this is not for printing yet - there are likely to be a few tweaks.
Childminders andschool-aged children - update 23.2.2021
The 'Actions for Early Years' guidance has been updated and DfE has clarified the following information: 'Childminders can continue to look after all early years children. Until 8 March, childminders should continue to only look after those school-age children (from reception onwards) who are vulnerable or children of critical workers. From 8 March, childminders will be able to look after vulnerable children as normal, and all other children where parents are using the provision to support them to work, seek work, undertake education or training, or attend a medical appointment or address a medical need.'
Paediatric first aid – there is a paediatric first aid extension in place until the end of March. After this date you must have completed your first aid training – it is a condition of your registration. Paediatric first aid training should have a face-to-face element to comply with the requirements of the EYFS 2017 / 2020. Ofsted have stated that they will take into consideration whether those providers who have out of date paediatric first aid have made ‘reasonable attempts’ to access a course.
DfE are advertising new traineeships – childminders and group early years settings who meet the criteria detailed in the link below can apply for £1000 funding towards the cost of offering a 6 month to 1 year traineeship to a young person aged 19-24 who already has a level 3 qualification and needs support to find the right job role. The programme states: ‘A traineeship may be an option for young people with some previous employment but who lack the skills, experience and behaviours sought by employers. The traineeship in this case would aim to equip the trainee to secure sustainable employment in an apprenticeship or elsewhere.’
You can find more information about the traineeship programme here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-young-people-to-develop-the-skills-for-apprenticeships-and-sustainable-employment-framework-for-delivery/traineeships-framework-for-delivery-2020-to-2021-web-accessible-version
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Health and safety news
Button batteries – we must not underestimate the dangers of button batteries pose if children swallow them. if you have any toys or games with button batteries in them, make sure the compartments are totally sealed and check them regularly as part of your risk assessment reviews. This is a recent story to share with parents, to help them also understand the dangers of button batteries in toys at home –
https://www.capt.org.uk/news/button-battery-sofia-grace.
EYFS 2020 change – EYFS requirement 3.47 states that we must ensure: ‘Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious’. The current wording in the EYFS 2017 will be revised to include footnote 54 which states:
For example menus and guidance see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/example-menus-for-early-years-settings-in-england
Foundation years has added this and other useful links to a new healthy eating page their website - https://foundationyears.org.uk/2021/02/healthy-eating-and-safe-food-preparation/.
Supporting children’s mental health – this article is a good read if you are struggling to support a child’s mental health during this difficult period of continued lockdown. It reminds us what our priorities should be –
https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-01-26/helping-nursery-age-children-get-through-the-uncertainty-of-lockdown.
Safer internet day – every day should be safer internet day. Children are exposed to online dangers they cannot possibly understand. We include online safety as part of our curriculum and regularly share information with parents about how to keep their children safe online at home. You will find resources from the NSPCC here which you can use with the children all year round –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/schools/safer-internet-resources.
.................................................................................................................
Safeguarding news
Professional curiosity – when you read serious case reviews following child deaths, a repeating factor is that there were missed opportunities to support the child because professionals failed to use professional curiosity. This St John’s Ambulance guidance is useful for supporting your practice –
https://6282.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/SAFEGUARDING+YOURSELF+AND+OTHERS+2021+February+Professional+Curiosity.pdf.
Safeguarding during inspection - colleagues have asked me to share information about what Ofsted might ask during inspection. You might find this free Safeguarding Q & A useful -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/safeguarding-q-and-a.
Read through, check what you know and what you are unsure about and use it as a starting point for reading blogs and articles, watching YouTube clips, professional discussions with colleagues, researching more information etc.
Protecting children from FGM – it’s good to regularly update safeguarding knowledge. This quick read from the NSPCC will give you an overview of FGM and the part each of us can play in protecting children from sexual abuse -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/fgm.
The free training signposted here is recommended for all early years providers –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/female-genital-mutilation-resource-pack.
Online sexual bullying – Childnet have launched a new toolkit to help teachers / providers talk to older children about online sexual bullying concerns. You can find the toolkit here -
https://www.childnet.com/resources/just-a-joke.
Keeping disabled children safe online – the Ann Craft Trust has released guidance for keeping disabled children safe online –
https://www.anncrafttrust.org/how-to-stay-safe-online-guidance-for-adults-and-young-people-with-learning-disabilities/
.................................................................................................................
Professional development
New blog! My latest blog looks at the subject ‘changes are coming’ and reviews what we can be doing to prepare for changes to the statutory framework from Sept 2021. I have found over many years of practice that panic, rushed changes rarely help providers to stay organised, so I suggest we think of this as a slow plod towards compliance rather than a rush to get things done during the summer ... and start preparing by reading what we can about the changes now –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/change-is-coming.
Early Years TV – Early Years TV from my colleague Kathy Brodie covers a lot of subjects for your professional development and is free for a week, on the week the videos are released. You can sign up for the weekly emails here –
https://www.earlyyears.tv/.
Let’s talk science – I did a webinar recently with a speaker from the Canadian website: ‘Let’s Talk Science’, which covered STEM learning. I have written a STEM webinar for when I start to unpick the revised non-statutory Development Matters 2020 guidance, but I am always keen to improve my practice in this area. During the webinar, this free book was signposted –
https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/interactives/what-insect.
What is subitising and why is it important?
You will see subitising mentioned in the revised EYFS Early Learning Goals and it's part of the Development Matters 2020 guidance to the curriculum. Subitising is important because it is the starting point for all early maths learning. This is a useful free quick-watch video from Karen Wilding (Teaching Early Years Maths 3-5 on Facebook) about subitising –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KtifCNlYy4&fbclid&ab_channel=KarenWildingeymaths
Upcoming FREE webinars through March will cover -
**Child development 1 - ages 0 - 3
**Child development 2 - ages 3 - 4
**Core experiences and the EYFS 2020
**Writing your safeguarding policy
**Theorists in the early years
You can access these free webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Moving into April, I am keeping things flexible depending on what DfE decides to do about Ofsted inspections.
.................................................................................................................
In other news...
Supporting children who swear – I was asked this question recently by a childminder at her wits end with a child who would not stop swearing. I had some ideas of my own, but I wanted to share best practice as well and while scrolling for more guidance I came across this article in Nursery World magazine which you might find useful if this happens in your setting –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/features/article/behaviour-choice-words.
Guidance for the revised EYFS educational programmes - a link to Development Matters 2020 will be included in the EYFS 2020. It will be clear that DM2020 is not statutory and that Ofsted will not inspect using the guidance.
In addition to the revised DM2020, which is a curriculum starting point, early years providers will also be able to use an updated Development Matters 2012, which will be called ‘Birth to 5 Matters’. The guidance is not a tick list - but it might be a useful guide to assessment. There is an open consultation on the changes and the guidance can be downloaded here –
https://www.birthto5matters.org.uk/.
Settling in procedures – in this short blog for TES, Dr Julian Grenier asks us to re-think our settling in procedures to ensure every child is fully supported through the process –
https://www.tes.com/news/eyfs-are-we-getting-settling-all-wrong.
Safer recruitment procedures – if you want to take on staff, you must get your safer recruitment procedures right, or it could cost you time in the short term and wellbeing in the longer term, especially if Ofsted note something incorrect in your procedures or documents missing from your policy or staff files. Gold childcare.co.uk members can watch my webinar about safer recruitment procedures again here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I also note this useful blog on safer recruitment from The Key Leadership team –
https://www.thekeyleadership.co.uk/post/safer-recruitment-how-to-set-yourself-up-for-success-1.
I hope you find this newsletter informative. If you have any questions, please ask. Sarah
February 2021 newsletter
Hello everyone and welcome to my latest newsletter.
Before I take a trip through safeguarding, coronavirus, Ofsted, HMRC and other updates I just want to check how everyone is feeling. January seems to have gone on forever here in Knutsford, with one Govt announcement after another and one DfE u-turn after another with little time for respite.
I hope you are looking after yourself and focusing on your wellbeing.
Levels of stress and anxiety remain high on the Independent Childminders Facebook group and other social media platforms, whipped up in part by the press but not helped by the Govt’s confused response to the ongoing pandemic. It is really important that providers spend time looking after their wellbeing – eat healthily, exercise regularly, rest properly and spend some time doing things for yourself every day, whether that’s following a hobby or going out for a socially distanced walk.
Set aside YOU time to take a deep breath and reflect on how hard you are working and whether you need any wellbeing support. You might find it feels good to share successes and tips for safer or healthier working with colleagues to support their wellbeing as well.
Safeguarding updates
Safeguarding policy – do you need to update your policy to reflect changes to attendance? For example, if you have children in the setting who are isolating or shielding and you are providing any home learning services, you might need to include this in the Data Audit section of your safeguarding documentation; if you are a group setting and your DSL is isolating, you should note that someone with responsibility for DSL duties must be available to be contacted by phone or online if they are not in the setting.
Safeguarding training renewal – I am often asked when early years providers need to update safeguarding training. You need to do some training and / or professional development if, for example...
**Your Local Authority require you to do a certain course to offer funding and it’s stated in your funding contract.
**You do not feel secure in your current knowledge – for example, you read something online and wonder what it’s talking about.
**You see a safeguarding article and bookmark it to find out more.
**Your Local Authority model Safeguarding / Child Protection Policy and Procedures is due to be updated and you are not sure about something your LA have included.
**You ask a staff member a question about who to refer a concern to or the name of the DSL etc and they cannot answer you confidently.
**Safeguarding documents have been updated – usually around September time – and you need to review the changes and check your paperwork is still accurate.
**A new family joins your setting and causes concern – you feel you need to research for more information.
Important points to note:
**Safeguarding training is not about levels – it’s about practitioner knowledge.
**Ofsted do not check what safeguarding course you have done or whether it was online or in a classroom – they expect you and any staff to be able to answer their questions confidently.
**Safeguarding is never, ever up-to-date – there is always more you can learn.
Working Together to Safeguard Children – the cover still says 2018 but the copyright date is now 2020. Updates have been made to –
Keeping Children Safe in Education– the EYFS 2017 / 2020 say we must have regard to this document. A consultation has been launched on changes to ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education. You can find more information here and I will keep you updated with any revisions to your Safeguarding Policy when the changes have been made –
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/keeping-children-safe-in-education-proposed-revisions-2021.
Remote learning and safeguarding – if you are providing remote learning to any of the children in your setting, you might find this information from Andrew Hall at the Safeguarding Partnership useful –
https://safeguarding.pro/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Remote-Learning-January-2021.pdf
Safeguarding training – a new blended learning safeguarding training course has been released by my colleague Rachel Buckler from Health and Safety Solutions. You can find more information here –
https://training.rachelbuckler.co.uk/the-designated-safeguarding-lead-registration/.
...............................................................................................................................
Coronavirus updates
Campaigns – there are a number of campaigns currently running including access to quick tests for childminders, early vaccination for childminders and retention of funding if parents choose not to send their children to the setting. Childcare.co.u are also delighted to inform you that the campaign to get an extension on first aid training was successful - however, it's only been extended until the end of March 2021 so we will keep an eye on that and re-start as necessary if colleagues are struggling.
Staff testing and vaccinating – managers / owners of settings cannot require staff to have tests or vaccinate against the virus – in law, you can only encourage them. HR advice (Redwing website) states that ‘it is currently unlikely that an employer would be able to use health and safety grounds to justify taking disciplinary action against an employee for refusing a vaccine, particularly in the early stages of the vaccination programme.’
Pregnancy and Covid-19 – there is no evidence that pregnant women are more likely to get poorly with coronavirus (NHS website) but pregnant women are on the moderate risk list as clinically vulnerable.
Lockdown guidance for pregnant staff includes –
-Regularly washing hands
-Social distancing
-Wearing a face covering when advised
-Staying at home where possible
-Avoiding contact with anyone who has symptoms.
Settings are advised to furlough pregnant employees from 28 weeks (RCOG guidance). Employees must always follow advice from their midwife.
Coronavirus FAQs for early years - a new frequently asked questions leaflet in an easy to read format has been produced by Foundation Years on behalf of the DfE –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2021/01/covid-19-update-24-new-faqs-7-january/.
Updated coronavirus risk assessment – a new risk assessment has been written and published by Childcare.co.uk to help early years providers keep up-to-date with this important part of provision –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/covid19/risk-assessment.
The new risk assessment completements, rather than replaces, the previous free risk assessment in the free coronavirus toolkit - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit.
Govt u-turns – changes in policy during week 1 of this term include...
Monday – schools are safe for all children; early years open as normal
Tuesday – we are closing schools to all but critical worker parents and vulnerable children; early years keep calm and carry on
Wednesday – DfE confirmed to Childcare.co.uk that childminders can care for school children if parents are critical workers or children are vulnerable and parents want them to attend a childminding setting instead of school
Thursday – DfE asked parents to report schools who are not providing good quality home learning to Ofsted – parents deluged Ofsted with positive stories about how well schools are doing; children without access to digital media or good internet added to the vulnerable child list.
Friday – parents should keep children at home if possible; PM defends his decision to keep early years open.
No mixed messages there then! I will continue to keep you updated.
Paediatric first aid to include 6 hours face-to-face training - some providers have been telling me recently that they have found fully online paediatric first aid courses and wondered if this would allow them to update their first aid while shielding or because they are worried about going into a room full of people.
I asked Ofsted who say: ‘The practical elements of PFA courses should be delivered face to face, so that competency can be properly assessed, as set out in Annex A of the statutory framework for the EYFS.’
The face-to-face part of the course is detailed in the EYFS 2017 as lasting 6 hours (excluding breaks).
Ofsted go on to advise that if you cannot update your course due to lockdown, the EYFS disapplications guidance (updated 15th Jan 2021) states, ‘Practitioners are strongly encouraged to use online resources to refresh their knowledge of Paediatric First Aid procedures if they need to extend their certificates while waiting to access face-to-face training. Providers such as St John Ambulance offer free online resources to support this’.
Note: as advised,there is currently an extension to paediatric first aid renewal until March 31st 2021 if Covid-19 prevents you from finding a suitable course. If you have done a fully online course, thinking this was the right thing to do in the circumstances, my advice is to go back to the provider and ask them when they are going to provide you with the 6 hours face-to-face element as required by the EYFS.
All Local Authorities have been updated with this information.
...............................................................................................................................
Ofsted updates
Reporting events - from 28 January, all childcare providers must use the Ofsted online notification form to notify them of significant events –
https://www.report-childcare-incident.service.gov.uk/serious-incident/childcare/update-incident/
You should notify Ofsted as soon as practical, and always within 14 days of a notifiable event happening. More information about what must be notified here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident.
There is separate guidance about how to inform Ofsted about a Covid-19 related closure here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-ofsted-if-you-have-a-covid-19-incident-at-your-childcare-business.
Ofsted inspection – inspections are currently on hold. Ofsted will only come out for safeguarding reasons.
Ofsted and paperwork – Ofsted continue to advise providers that inspection will be about practice, not paperwork in the future and they will not ask to look at any documents which are not statutory / required by the EYFS. For the purposes of learning and development, this is the Progress Check at 2. I have blogged - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/eyfs-2020-and-paperwork
...............................................................................................................................
HMRC advice
Doing your tax return – the end date for submitting your 2019-20 tax return has been extended. However, you still need to make any payments due by the end of January so find your login details and check whether you owe any money. More information here –
https://www.gov.uk/self-assessment-tax-returns/deadlines.
Calculating food costs - HMRC state that childminders can claim back a ‘reasonable amount’ for food costs. Most childminders calculate this as a set amount depending on how many children attended. For example, if you had 15 children during the week and they ate 4 meals a day with you (breakfast, snack, lunch, tea) then you would put a set amount of £4 / £5 / £6 (depending on average costs) x 15 into your expenses for that week.
What about school children? If you have, for example, 2 school children who attend 3 days a week the calculation is 2 children x 3 days = 6 x an average meal cost for breakfast and tea. You would not claim for morning snack and lunch because they have those meals at school.
If you keep a record of total children attending every week (or month depending how you work) in your register, this is really easy to calculate.
There are a number of different ways to work out the set amount – the best way for me is to use 1 food bill and work out how much of it is for the children. I use that as an average cost for the rest of the term. As food prices are constantly changing, I check it termly because the average might change.
This method makes it easy to take holidays into consideration – if no children attend, there would be £0 food claim for that week ... if more than 15 children eat in the setting because it’s half term and you care for more children, then the figure would go above 15 (in the above example) for that week ... if school children attend in the holidays, you just increase how many meals they have eaten because they will be having snack and lunch with you.
You can then put any extra costs such as ice creams or outings to the café (when safe) in your general expenses list, so you keep your food costs separate.
You need to keep your food receipts for 3 months to comply with Environmental Health requirements (to provide food traceability in case of food poisoning). HMRC do not require you to keep food receipts.
...............................................................................................................................
In other news
Food advice changes
Are you up-to-date with current food advice so you can share latest information with parents? Here are some of the latest guidelines –
**Weaning should not start until baby is 6 months old according to current thinking
**Eggs can be introduced from 6 months old
**High allergenic foods should be introduced early rather than withheld in case of allergies. The British Dietetic Association states that there is no advantage in delaying introducing allergenic foods like nuts, gluten and fish
**Sugar should be restricted – Govt advice is that children under the age of 4 avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and food with added sugar
**Snacks should be limited to healthy food options
**Salt should be limited in children’s food and not added.
You will find more information in the ‘Voluntary Food and Drink Guidelines for Early Years Settings in England – A Practical Guide’ online.
Parent blog - here is a blog by parenting expert Sue Atkins 'Why can't I go to school?' full of useful information for parents of school aged children –
https://sueatkinsparentingcoach.com/2021/01/why-cant-i-go-to-school/
Updating documents – I am currently working on updating lots of documents for Childcare.co.uk gold member. Recent updates include –
**Manual handling – mostly correcting out-of-date links.
**Child development – to flow better with the revisions to the EYFS 2020 and Development Matters 2020.
**Progress check at 2 – new documents now it is statutory again.
**Childminder organiser – I made a mistake with the date for Chinese New Year and put it in January instead of February – sorry and thank you to the member who pointed it out so I could correct it.
Childcare.co.uk gold members can access the updated information guides here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
Webinars – I will continue to present webinars which will help all early years providers to prepare for the changes to how we deliver early education from September 2021. The webinars continue to be free for all providers – the watch again service on the webinar player is for gold Childcare.co.uk members. February 2021 webinars will cover –
**Comparing Development Matters 2012 and 2020
**Curriculum in 2021 – I should have called it Planning in 2021 really...
**Observation in 2021
**Assessment in 2021
I hope you are free to join me. If you have any ideas for future webinars please let me know!
Note: the webinars are sponsored by Childcare.co.uk and free on the night they are presented – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars. They are then made available for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find this newsletter useful and informative. Please let me know if there's anything you want me to share.
Sarah | Knutsford Childminding
Before I take a trip through safeguarding, coronavirus, Ofsted, HMRC and other updates I just want to check how everyone is feeling. January seems to have gone on forever here in Knutsford, with one Govt announcement after another and one DfE u-turn after another with little time for respite.
I hope you are looking after yourself and focusing on your wellbeing.
Levels of stress and anxiety remain high on the Independent Childminders Facebook group and other social media platforms, whipped up in part by the press but not helped by the Govt’s confused response to the ongoing pandemic. It is really important that providers spend time looking after their wellbeing – eat healthily, exercise regularly, rest properly and spend some time doing things for yourself every day, whether that’s following a hobby or going out for a socially distanced walk.
Set aside YOU time to take a deep breath and reflect on how hard you are working and whether you need any wellbeing support. You might find it feels good to share successes and tips for safer or healthier working with colleagues to support their wellbeing as well.
Safeguarding updates
Safeguarding policy – do you need to update your policy to reflect changes to attendance? For example, if you have children in the setting who are isolating or shielding and you are providing any home learning services, you might need to include this in the Data Audit section of your safeguarding documentation; if you are a group setting and your DSL is isolating, you should note that someone with responsibility for DSL duties must be available to be contacted by phone or online if they are not in the setting.
Safeguarding training renewal – I am often asked when early years providers need to update safeguarding training. You need to do some training and / or professional development if, for example...
**Your Local Authority require you to do a certain course to offer funding and it’s stated in your funding contract.
**You do not feel secure in your current knowledge – for example, you read something online and wonder what it’s talking about.
**You see a safeguarding article and bookmark it to find out more.
**Your Local Authority model Safeguarding / Child Protection Policy and Procedures is due to be updated and you are not sure about something your LA have included.
**You ask a staff member a question about who to refer a concern to or the name of the DSL etc and they cannot answer you confidently.
**Safeguarding documents have been updated – usually around September time – and you need to review the changes and check your paperwork is still accurate.
**A new family joins your setting and causes concern – you feel you need to research for more information.
Important points to note:
**Safeguarding training is not about levels – it’s about practitioner knowledge.
**Ofsted do not check what safeguarding course you have done or whether it was online or in a classroom – they expect you and any staff to be able to answer their questions confidently.
**Safeguarding is never, ever up-to-date – there is always more you can learn.
Working Together to Safeguard Children – the cover still says 2018 but the copyright date is now 2020. Updates have been made to –
- Information sharing – you do not need parental permission to share personal information if you have a legal / lawful basis under GDPR to share the information
- Definition of safeguarding – now includes mental health
- Domestic abuse – now includes coercive control.
Keeping Children Safe in Education– the EYFS 2017 / 2020 say we must have regard to this document. A consultation has been launched on changes to ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education. You can find more information here and I will keep you updated with any revisions to your Safeguarding Policy when the changes have been made –
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/keeping-children-safe-in-education-proposed-revisions-2021.
Remote learning and safeguarding – if you are providing remote learning to any of the children in your setting, you might find this information from Andrew Hall at the Safeguarding Partnership useful –
https://safeguarding.pro/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Remote-Learning-January-2021.pdf
Safeguarding training – a new blended learning safeguarding training course has been released by my colleague Rachel Buckler from Health and Safety Solutions. You can find more information here –
https://training.rachelbuckler.co.uk/the-designated-safeguarding-lead-registration/.
...............................................................................................................................
Coronavirus updates
Campaigns – there are a number of campaigns currently running including access to quick tests for childminders, early vaccination for childminders and retention of funding if parents choose not to send their children to the setting. Childcare.co.u are also delighted to inform you that the campaign to get an extension on first aid training was successful - however, it's only been extended until the end of March 2021 so we will keep an eye on that and re-start as necessary if colleagues are struggling.
Staff testing and vaccinating – managers / owners of settings cannot require staff to have tests or vaccinate against the virus – in law, you can only encourage them. HR advice (Redwing website) states that ‘it is currently unlikely that an employer would be able to use health and safety grounds to justify taking disciplinary action against an employee for refusing a vaccine, particularly in the early stages of the vaccination programme.’
Pregnancy and Covid-19 – there is no evidence that pregnant women are more likely to get poorly with coronavirus (NHS website) but pregnant women are on the moderate risk list as clinically vulnerable.
Lockdown guidance for pregnant staff includes –
-Regularly washing hands
-Social distancing
-Wearing a face covering when advised
-Staying at home where possible
-Avoiding contact with anyone who has symptoms.
Settings are advised to furlough pregnant employees from 28 weeks (RCOG guidance). Employees must always follow advice from their midwife.
Coronavirus FAQs for early years - a new frequently asked questions leaflet in an easy to read format has been produced by Foundation Years on behalf of the DfE –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2021/01/covid-19-update-24-new-faqs-7-january/.
Updated coronavirus risk assessment – a new risk assessment has been written and published by Childcare.co.uk to help early years providers keep up-to-date with this important part of provision –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/covid19/risk-assessment.
The new risk assessment completements, rather than replaces, the previous free risk assessment in the free coronavirus toolkit - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit.
Govt u-turns – changes in policy during week 1 of this term include...
Monday – schools are safe for all children; early years open as normal
Tuesday – we are closing schools to all but critical worker parents and vulnerable children; early years keep calm and carry on
Wednesday – DfE confirmed to Childcare.co.uk that childminders can care for school children if parents are critical workers or children are vulnerable and parents want them to attend a childminding setting instead of school
Thursday – DfE asked parents to report schools who are not providing good quality home learning to Ofsted – parents deluged Ofsted with positive stories about how well schools are doing; children without access to digital media or good internet added to the vulnerable child list.
Friday – parents should keep children at home if possible; PM defends his decision to keep early years open.
No mixed messages there then! I will continue to keep you updated.
Paediatric first aid to include 6 hours face-to-face training - some providers have been telling me recently that they have found fully online paediatric first aid courses and wondered if this would allow them to update their first aid while shielding or because they are worried about going into a room full of people.
I asked Ofsted who say: ‘The practical elements of PFA courses should be delivered face to face, so that competency can be properly assessed, as set out in Annex A of the statutory framework for the EYFS.’
The face-to-face part of the course is detailed in the EYFS 2017 as lasting 6 hours (excluding breaks).
Ofsted go on to advise that if you cannot update your course due to lockdown, the EYFS disapplications guidance (updated 15th Jan 2021) states, ‘Practitioners are strongly encouraged to use online resources to refresh their knowledge of Paediatric First Aid procedures if they need to extend their certificates while waiting to access face-to-face training. Providers such as St John Ambulance offer free online resources to support this’.
Note: as advised,there is currently an extension to paediatric first aid renewal until March 31st 2021 if Covid-19 prevents you from finding a suitable course. If you have done a fully online course, thinking this was the right thing to do in the circumstances, my advice is to go back to the provider and ask them when they are going to provide you with the 6 hours face-to-face element as required by the EYFS.
All Local Authorities have been updated with this information.
...............................................................................................................................
Ofsted updates
Reporting events - from 28 January, all childcare providers must use the Ofsted online notification form to notify them of significant events –
https://www.report-childcare-incident.service.gov.uk/serious-incident/childcare/update-incident/
You should notify Ofsted as soon as practical, and always within 14 days of a notifiable event happening. More information about what must be notified here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-serious-childcare-incident.
There is separate guidance about how to inform Ofsted about a Covid-19 related closure here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-ofsted-if-you-have-a-covid-19-incident-at-your-childcare-business.
Ofsted inspection – inspections are currently on hold. Ofsted will only come out for safeguarding reasons.
Ofsted and paperwork – Ofsted continue to advise providers that inspection will be about practice, not paperwork in the future and they will not ask to look at any documents which are not statutory / required by the EYFS. For the purposes of learning and development, this is the Progress Check at 2. I have blogged - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/eyfs-2020-and-paperwork
...............................................................................................................................
HMRC advice
Doing your tax return – the end date for submitting your 2019-20 tax return has been extended. However, you still need to make any payments due by the end of January so find your login details and check whether you owe any money. More information here –
https://www.gov.uk/self-assessment-tax-returns/deadlines.
Calculating food costs - HMRC state that childminders can claim back a ‘reasonable amount’ for food costs. Most childminders calculate this as a set amount depending on how many children attended. For example, if you had 15 children during the week and they ate 4 meals a day with you (breakfast, snack, lunch, tea) then you would put a set amount of £4 / £5 / £6 (depending on average costs) x 15 into your expenses for that week.
What about school children? If you have, for example, 2 school children who attend 3 days a week the calculation is 2 children x 3 days = 6 x an average meal cost for breakfast and tea. You would not claim for morning snack and lunch because they have those meals at school.
If you keep a record of total children attending every week (or month depending how you work) in your register, this is really easy to calculate.
There are a number of different ways to work out the set amount – the best way for me is to use 1 food bill and work out how much of it is for the children. I use that as an average cost for the rest of the term. As food prices are constantly changing, I check it termly because the average might change.
This method makes it easy to take holidays into consideration – if no children attend, there would be £0 food claim for that week ... if more than 15 children eat in the setting because it’s half term and you care for more children, then the figure would go above 15 (in the above example) for that week ... if school children attend in the holidays, you just increase how many meals they have eaten because they will be having snack and lunch with you.
You can then put any extra costs such as ice creams or outings to the café (when safe) in your general expenses list, so you keep your food costs separate.
You need to keep your food receipts for 3 months to comply with Environmental Health requirements (to provide food traceability in case of food poisoning). HMRC do not require you to keep food receipts.
...............................................................................................................................
In other news
Food advice changes
Are you up-to-date with current food advice so you can share latest information with parents? Here are some of the latest guidelines –
**Weaning should not start until baby is 6 months old according to current thinking
**Eggs can be introduced from 6 months old
**High allergenic foods should be introduced early rather than withheld in case of allergies. The British Dietetic Association states that there is no advantage in delaying introducing allergenic foods like nuts, gluten and fish
**Sugar should be restricted – Govt advice is that children under the age of 4 avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and food with added sugar
**Snacks should be limited to healthy food options
**Salt should be limited in children’s food and not added.
You will find more information in the ‘Voluntary Food and Drink Guidelines for Early Years Settings in England – A Practical Guide’ online.
Parent blog - here is a blog by parenting expert Sue Atkins 'Why can't I go to school?' full of useful information for parents of school aged children –
https://sueatkinsparentingcoach.com/2021/01/why-cant-i-go-to-school/
Updating documents – I am currently working on updating lots of documents for Childcare.co.uk gold member. Recent updates include –
**Manual handling – mostly correcting out-of-date links.
**Child development – to flow better with the revisions to the EYFS 2020 and Development Matters 2020.
**Progress check at 2 – new documents now it is statutory again.
**Childminder organiser – I made a mistake with the date for Chinese New Year and put it in January instead of February – sorry and thank you to the member who pointed it out so I could correct it.
Childcare.co.uk gold members can access the updated information guides here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
Webinars – I will continue to present webinars which will help all early years providers to prepare for the changes to how we deliver early education from September 2021. The webinars continue to be free for all providers – the watch again service on the webinar player is for gold Childcare.co.uk members. February 2021 webinars will cover –
**Comparing Development Matters 2012 and 2020
**Curriculum in 2021 – I should have called it Planning in 2021 really...
**Observation in 2021
**Assessment in 2021
I hope you are free to join me. If you have any ideas for future webinars please let me know!
Note: the webinars are sponsored by Childcare.co.uk and free on the night they are presented – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars. They are then made available for Childcare.co.uk gold members to watch again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
I hope you find this newsletter useful and informative. Please let me know if there's anything you want me to share.
Sarah | Knutsford Childminding
January 2021 newsletter
Hello and happy New Year! I hope you are all well as we leave the festive season behind us and battle through winter. Please stay safe and be careful about where you go, who you see and what you do.
Coronavirus updates
Actions for early years guidance – the actions for early years guidance is regularly updated. It contains all the latest information from DfE and is useful for fact checking.
To search a document, open it online... open a ‘find’ box using the control and ‘f’ key on your keyboard... put in a key word such as ‘tier 4’ or ‘attendance’ and press return... all instances of your key word will display, one after the other. The guidance, with a useful ‘main changes’ section at the start, is here -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
We are in tiers – and alongside these changes to how we are expected to work and what we are allowed to do, comes confusion. Basically, as things stand at the moment (26.12.2020) all early years settings can stay open as normal except in exceptional circumstances and DfE have provided us with a contingency plan in case this might happen –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-contingency-framework-for-education-and-childcare-settings/contingency-framework-education-and-childcare-settings-excluding-universities.
However, it is up to each of us to decide the level of mixing we are comfortable with, remembering we can only control what we do and how we react to what others do – we cannot control what others choose to do.
Reporting a positive covid-19 case – you must contact the DfE helpline – 0800 046 8687 (option 1); you must inform Ofsted - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-ofsted-if-you-have-a-covid-19-incident-at-your-childcare-business; the DfE will advise you to contact your Local Authority so they can offer support and monitor vulnerable children who might be self-isolating. You must also engage with NHS Test and Trace as requested.
Toddler groups and Covid-19 – I am reading a lot of childminders who feel isolated and want to plan a meet up with colleagues in the new year – also, I understand from colleagues that some church halls are saying if childminders don’t re-start their groups, they might lose their spaces. I think it is important to bear in mind that anything you do with other people is a risk so please take care. DfE have produced specific guidance for us which includes, for example –
**Keep the children 2m distanced from each other – stay in your bubble
**Clean equipment between each bubble’s use – including toys, games and toilets
**Adults wear masks and socially distance 2m from each other’s groups
**Note your local tier, R rate and potentially rising threat level when you risk assess
**Arrive and depart separately – don’t hang around in corridors
If anyone from the group falls ill with the virus and you are classed as a close contact (within 2m - for more than 15 minutes – within 48 hours of symptoms – regardless of whether you were wearing a mask) you will have to close your setting and isolate.
You will find more information and links to the Govt guidance here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/covid-19/toddler-groups.
Funding for 2021 - for childminders in England who have Govt funded children - the Govt has confirmed that it will not over-fund providers for the spring term as it did in the autumn term. For the spring 2021 term, you will get the funding for the children in the setting at head-count only –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Are we heading for another lockdown? We don’t know – some are convinced we are, especially with the new variants of the virus; others believe we can manage with tiers. I have blogged to support colleagues, just in case – the information might be useful for those who are currently in tier 4 as well –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/being-prepared-to-tackle-lockdowns.
Charging parents who are forced to isolate – childminders have generally charged parents who are not attending, as long as their service is available. However, new information from the CMA and shared by a number of Local Authorities states that, if parents are not allowed to attend because they have been told by NHS Test and Trace to isolate, providers should not charge.
This will leave many early years providers in financially difficult situations. You can read more information and make up your own mind what to do, here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds.
NSPCC coronavirus updates – it is worth taking a moment to check the NSPCC website and keep updated with latest developments. There is a coronavirus briefing for early years providers here which answers a number of frequently asked questions –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2020/coronavirus-briefing-guidance-early-years.
...................................................................
Ofsted news
Taking records off site – Ofsted have added the following information to their Coronavirus rolling update –
'Permission to take records off site can be granted by our regulatory team at Ofsted. If you are the provider, or nominated individual of a setting, you should contact [email protected] to explain why this is necessary and what you will do to mitigate any risks. Our regulatory team may contact you for more information before making a decision.'
This relates specifically to providers who need to take, for example, family contact details from a remote site such as a nursery, pre-school or out of school club site to their home address over the Christmas period (and beyond), so they can contact parents in case of receiving positive case / isolation instructions from NHS Test and Trace.
When informing Ofsted about what you are doing, you will need to complete a risk assessment covering, for example, data security (how you will keep information safe) and data protection legislation (in relation to GDPR). You will also want to share information about the details you are taking off site with parents, keeping them updated if your risk assessment or other information changes.
Ofsted annual report – at a time when the early years and childcare sector is on its knees coping with the fallout from a global pandemic, supporting children through a PSED rich curriculum and trying to embed new ways of working, it was interesting to read Ofsted’s annual report. Instead of lots of positive comments to support the sector, the report focuses on how badly things are going and how much education children have apparently missed during lockdown.
I feel this is a ‘missed opportunity’ to spread a little positivity about how hard we are all working ... to use their own words I read in thousands of Ofsted inspection reports! However, I fully expect the results of the findings will be used during the upcoming ‘assurance inspections’ – more information to follow.
Announcement from Ofsted about inspections - as I said in my recent blog (1), we were unsure when Ofsted would resume routine inspections. We knew they were hoping for a January restart but barriers such as national and local lockdowns might get in the way... Ofsted have now announced (2) their intentions to carry out 'assurance inspections' in the spring term (January to Easter) and resume full inspections from the summer term (from Easter onwards).
(1) My blog about cycles and windows –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-inspection-cycle-change
(2) Ofsted's announcement –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-phased-return-to-inspections
**More detail about the assurance inspections –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/phased-return-to-ofsted-inspections
A lot of childminders are overdue an inspection from the last cycle. Note that Ofsted state: ‘Assurance inspections will be proportionate and risk-based. Providers will be prioritised based on the length of time since their last inspection, and any other relevant information.‘
Ofsted early years inspections – Ofsted note that inspection outcomes for the first tranche of inspections under the new inspection framework (from September 2019 to April 2020 when everything stopped for lockdown), the proportion of good and outstanding providers remained steady. However, a lower proportion of providers were graded outstanding. This clearly reflects how much harder it is to gain an outstanding grade under the new framework.
Many providers failed to gain outstanding because the quality of their teaching let them down in the eyes of Ofsted. I think it is important to reflect on this – if your teaching is true to your pedagogy and practice and your children are making the best possible progress from their starting points, then you are doing the right things for your children. Sadly, it appears from feedback that many Ofsted inspectors are failing to see this and childminders were making comments at the time such as, ‘The inspector was looking for something to use to downgrade me’. We will continue to monitor the situation and work with providers and Ofsted to resolve clearly inaccurate inspection outcomes when they are reported to us.
Paediatric first aid and Ofsted – a childminder must always have up-to-date paediatric first aid. The disapplication to the EYFS about paediatric first aid was removed after Nov 25th, so the EYFS 2017 is statutory again. If Ofsted learn that you do not have a valid first aid certificate, the information will be passed to the regulatory team to risk assess. Ofsted state that the regulatory team will take into account whether you are booked on a course and / or what you have done to try to re-qualify and make a decision based on that information.
We have been informed that a childminder who called Ofsted to let them know that her paediatric first aid certificate was out of date due to lack of accessible local courses, was shut down during a phone call from a member of the Ofsted regulatory team. The lesson here is to get yourself on a course well in advance (even if you lose a few months from your previous certificate) and keep evidence of having tried to get on a course in case they are cancelled.
Worrying statistics about childminder numbers – updated data has been released recently about the number of childminders in the sector in England – and it is worrying. Figures show that there are 957 fewer childminders in Nov 2020 than there were in April 2020, with 695 childminders leaving in October 2020.
There is clearly a crisis in childminding, with less parents requiring childcare - partly because they are working from home. Childminders also have to cope with low funding rates and lockdowns which continue to impact on sustainability. We also recognise that many childminders have not received any financial support during the crisis and may be looking for other work.
Childcare.co.uk will continue to support all childminders with free documentation and professional development opportunities – and lobby the Government to re-think how it is currently treating childminders.
Hopefully the situation will improve soon!
....................................................................
The revised EYFS 2020 and Development Matters 2020
Training – I am continuing to use best practice information and guidance to write training which will support providers with the changes to the EYFS 2020 and Development Matters 2020. This training will be delivered in FREE webinars throughout 2021.
I note there have been some misconceptions about the webinars and Childcare.co.uk gold membership – the webinars are free on the date they are presented – you do not need to be a childcare.co.uk gold member to engage with them – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Childcare.co.uk gold members can watch webinars after they have been presented – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Assessment blog – the latest blog from Dr Julian Grenier, which aims to explain the changes to the way we will need to assess children’s learning from September 2021, is here –
https://www.tes.com/news/eyfs-assessment-why-it-needs-change.
TES is a free to read website – you just need to register your details.
Just because I can doesn't mean that I should... I read this blog by Alistair Bryce-Clegg from ABC Does about early years children and sitting during group times and thought it was so good that I wanted to share it with colleagues. It's worth 10 minutes of your time with a cuppa –
https://thatnurserylife.com/guides/articles/just-because-i-can-doesnt-mean-that-i-should-or-the-cautionary-tale-of-the-hairy-toes/
Support for a maths-rich curriculum – we read in a lot of recent Ofsted inspection reports about ‘missed opportunities for maths’; we also read in blogs and papers from those who influenced the re-write of the Development Matters 2020 guidance that children do not routinely access maths, even in a maths rich environment and some maths needs to be directly taught.
My childminder colleague Sally Wright has written a new book, focused on adults resourcing and noticing what maths children access. The aim is to support early years practitioners with providing a curriculum which enables maths. The books is called ’50 fantastic ideas for tuff tray mathematics’ (Featherstone, 2020) – it is available on Amazon.
....................................................................
Safeguarding
Tragedy of deaths during lockdown – we are reading more and more reports about the untimely deaths of young children due to home violence during lockdown. We know that a lot of families are under stress, especially at this time of year. We note that we have a duty of care to support our children in early years settings and if parents do not bring them for an expected session, we should immediately follow it up – it is also a requirement in the Ofsted early years inspection handbook (2019) to monitor attendance.
We are reminded in the Ofsted early years inspection handbook that changes in children’s behaviour might be linked to safeguarding and should always be followed up by the designated safeguarding lead in the setting (the childminder or the DSL in a group setting) –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
In our early years setting, we have shared information with all our parents about local support services, food banks, places to get advice on financial pressures etc, whether we think they might need it or not – we never presume to know who might benefit from the information.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 has been updated (9th Dec 2020) with factual changes in relation to information sharing, homelessness duty and references to domestic abuse. The LADO threshold for involvement has also been updated in line with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2020’ –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2
Online messaging apps are putting children at risk – Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield reports that millions of children, some as young as 8 years old, are using online messaging apps without adult supervision and threats to safety are increasing. NSPCC child safety chief Andy Burrows, adds: “Rolling out end-to-end encryption without mitigations for finding grooming and abuse is one of the riskiest steps a tech firm could take when it comes to children’s safety.”
You will find more information to share with parents here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/social-media-and-online-safety.
Changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education – the statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ is updated annually and the Govt are currently consulting on changes for 2021. The consultation is open until 4th March 2021 and you can find more details, including suggested changes, here –
https://consult.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-in-schools-team/keeping-children-safe-in-education-schools-and-col/.
Note that the EYFS (2020) states, ‘All schools are required to have regard16 to the government’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance, and other childcare providers may also find it helpful to refer to this guidance.’
....................................................................
And in other news...
Practice linked to planning – personally, I think there is space for both planned activities and free play – I think there is time to learn about the colours of autumn and time to explore paint mixing – I think there should be the opportunity to learn how to role play as well as role playing to practice and repeat what children already know. This is a thought-provoking blog from Alistair Bryce-Clegg –
https://thatnurserylife.com/content/tardist-time-travel-in-an-early-years-space .
Button batteries – the child safety organisation CAPT remind us of the dangers of button batteries, especially when children are receiving gifts which might contain the batteries at this time of year – https://www.capt.org.uk/.
‘5 big questions on the under 5s’ report – the Princess of Wales published her ‘State of the Nation’ report into the state of childcare in the UK. It has been widely reported online – there are lots of news reports you can read about the headline findings and you can read the report for your professional development here –
https://mk0royalfoundatcnhl0.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Ipsos-MORI-SON_report_FINAL_V2.4.pdf.
I particularly like this comment: Kate Middleton stated, "People overwhelmingly believe that a child’s future is not pre-determined at birth," the report reads. "However, most people don’t understand the specific importance of the early years" - https://www.royal.uk/5BigInsights.
Gender diversity – according to a recent report from Gender Eye, early years settings are failing at staff gender diversity, rarely inviting men to interview or making early years appealing to men. –
https://gendereye.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/gendereye-final-end-of-project-report-28-oct.pdf.
As a childminder who works with her husband and has a son who works in a nursery, I feel I’ve done my bit for this one! If you have young sons about to enter the workforce, have they considered early years as a career – if not, why not?
Gender appropriate practice – another way of looking at the issues with gender diversity comes from the challenges faced by ‘pink is for girls’ and ‘those toys are for boys’ and we have ‘firemen’ and female nurses... lack of gender diversity still exists in the early years and it is something that needs to be tackled as we prepare children for life in modern Britain. You can read more in this thought-provoking blog –
https://famly.co/blog/the-child/gender-equality-ey/.
National Living Wage increase – yes, lowest paid staff deserve a wage that reflects their hard work and pays them enough to live comfortably. However, it can be seen from both sides and in another blow to beleaguered employers, the national living wage is increasing in April 2021.
The new wage from 6th April 2021 will be...
National Living Wage – £8.91 / hour
21 - 22 year old rate - £8.36 / hour
18 - 20 year old rate - £6.56 / hour
16 – 17 year old rate - £4.62 / hour
Apprentice rate - £4.30 / hour.
Comment: 2 things to note –
**The Low Pay Commission recommend that 23 and 24 year olds receive the National Living Wage – this will significantly impact early years providers who have apprentices in their second year. Previously, the National Living Wage was for those who had reached 25 years and over.
**It is a legal requirement to pay staff at least the minimum wage for their age. If they are expected to, for example, wear certain clothes as a uniform or pay for their own first aid training or DBS certificates, these purchases must not take them under their national minimum wage rate.
A word of advice if I may share ...
We've had a tough year and members tell us that money is tight but I've seen some childminders wasting their money buying the Development Matters 2020 guidance (it's likely to be updated / changed before Sept 2021) - pre-written curriculums (free from Childcare.co.uk) - the new early learning goals in fancy fonts (they will not be for early years) - the EYFSP handbook (it's for schools not early years) - safeguarding handbooks (we don't need them printed and they are quickly out of date) - the revised EYFS (it's likely to be updated / changed before Sept 2021) ... my advice is to hang onto your money! Everything you need is / will be freely available from Childcare.co.uk next year and covered in webinars or blogs ...
FREE 2021 organiser - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser ...
I hope you find my newsletters informative and helpful. Please let me know if there is any content you would like me to include.
Happy new year! Chat soon, Sarah
Coronavirus updates
Actions for early years guidance – the actions for early years guidance is regularly updated. It contains all the latest information from DfE and is useful for fact checking.
To search a document, open it online... open a ‘find’ box using the control and ‘f’ key on your keyboard... put in a key word such as ‘tier 4’ or ‘attendance’ and press return... all instances of your key word will display, one after the other. The guidance, with a useful ‘main changes’ section at the start, is here -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
We are in tiers – and alongside these changes to how we are expected to work and what we are allowed to do, comes confusion. Basically, as things stand at the moment (26.12.2020) all early years settings can stay open as normal except in exceptional circumstances and DfE have provided us with a contingency plan in case this might happen –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-contingency-framework-for-education-and-childcare-settings/contingency-framework-education-and-childcare-settings-excluding-universities.
However, it is up to each of us to decide the level of mixing we are comfortable with, remembering we can only control what we do and how we react to what others do – we cannot control what others choose to do.
Reporting a positive covid-19 case – you must contact the DfE helpline – 0800 046 8687 (option 1); you must inform Ofsted - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-ofsted-if-you-have-a-covid-19-incident-at-your-childcare-business; the DfE will advise you to contact your Local Authority so they can offer support and monitor vulnerable children who might be self-isolating. You must also engage with NHS Test and Trace as requested.
Toddler groups and Covid-19 – I am reading a lot of childminders who feel isolated and want to plan a meet up with colleagues in the new year – also, I understand from colleagues that some church halls are saying if childminders don’t re-start their groups, they might lose their spaces. I think it is important to bear in mind that anything you do with other people is a risk so please take care. DfE have produced specific guidance for us which includes, for example –
**Keep the children 2m distanced from each other – stay in your bubble
**Clean equipment between each bubble’s use – including toys, games and toilets
**Adults wear masks and socially distance 2m from each other’s groups
**Note your local tier, R rate and potentially rising threat level when you risk assess
**Arrive and depart separately – don’t hang around in corridors
If anyone from the group falls ill with the virus and you are classed as a close contact (within 2m - for more than 15 minutes – within 48 hours of symptoms – regardless of whether you were wearing a mask) you will have to close your setting and isolate.
You will find more information and links to the Govt guidance here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/covid-19/toddler-groups.
Funding for 2021 - for childminders in England who have Govt funded children - the Govt has confirmed that it will not over-fund providers for the spring term as it did in the autumn term. For the spring 2021 term, you will get the funding for the children in the setting at head-count only –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Are we heading for another lockdown? We don’t know – some are convinced we are, especially with the new variants of the virus; others believe we can manage with tiers. I have blogged to support colleagues, just in case – the information might be useful for those who are currently in tier 4 as well –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/being-prepared-to-tackle-lockdowns.
Charging parents who are forced to isolate – childminders have generally charged parents who are not attending, as long as their service is available. However, new information from the CMA and shared by a number of Local Authorities states that, if parents are not allowed to attend because they have been told by NHS Test and Trace to isolate, providers should not charge.
This will leave many early years providers in financially difficult situations. You can read more information and make up your own mind what to do, here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds.
NSPCC coronavirus updates – it is worth taking a moment to check the NSPCC website and keep updated with latest developments. There is a coronavirus briefing for early years providers here which answers a number of frequently asked questions –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2020/coronavirus-briefing-guidance-early-years.
...................................................................
Ofsted news
Taking records off site – Ofsted have added the following information to their Coronavirus rolling update –
'Permission to take records off site can be granted by our regulatory team at Ofsted. If you are the provider, or nominated individual of a setting, you should contact [email protected] to explain why this is necessary and what you will do to mitigate any risks. Our regulatory team may contact you for more information before making a decision.'
This relates specifically to providers who need to take, for example, family contact details from a remote site such as a nursery, pre-school or out of school club site to their home address over the Christmas period (and beyond), so they can contact parents in case of receiving positive case / isolation instructions from NHS Test and Trace.
When informing Ofsted about what you are doing, you will need to complete a risk assessment covering, for example, data security (how you will keep information safe) and data protection legislation (in relation to GDPR). You will also want to share information about the details you are taking off site with parents, keeping them updated if your risk assessment or other information changes.
Ofsted annual report – at a time when the early years and childcare sector is on its knees coping with the fallout from a global pandemic, supporting children through a PSED rich curriculum and trying to embed new ways of working, it was interesting to read Ofsted’s annual report. Instead of lots of positive comments to support the sector, the report focuses on how badly things are going and how much education children have apparently missed during lockdown.
I feel this is a ‘missed opportunity’ to spread a little positivity about how hard we are all working ... to use their own words I read in thousands of Ofsted inspection reports! However, I fully expect the results of the findings will be used during the upcoming ‘assurance inspections’ – more information to follow.
Announcement from Ofsted about inspections - as I said in my recent blog (1), we were unsure when Ofsted would resume routine inspections. We knew they were hoping for a January restart but barriers such as national and local lockdowns might get in the way... Ofsted have now announced (2) their intentions to carry out 'assurance inspections' in the spring term (January to Easter) and resume full inspections from the summer term (from Easter onwards).
(1) My blog about cycles and windows –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-inspection-cycle-change
(2) Ofsted's announcement –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-phased-return-to-inspections
**More detail about the assurance inspections –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/phased-return-to-ofsted-inspections
A lot of childminders are overdue an inspection from the last cycle. Note that Ofsted state: ‘Assurance inspections will be proportionate and risk-based. Providers will be prioritised based on the length of time since their last inspection, and any other relevant information.‘
Ofsted early years inspections – Ofsted note that inspection outcomes for the first tranche of inspections under the new inspection framework (from September 2019 to April 2020 when everything stopped for lockdown), the proportion of good and outstanding providers remained steady. However, a lower proportion of providers were graded outstanding. This clearly reflects how much harder it is to gain an outstanding grade under the new framework.
Many providers failed to gain outstanding because the quality of their teaching let them down in the eyes of Ofsted. I think it is important to reflect on this – if your teaching is true to your pedagogy and practice and your children are making the best possible progress from their starting points, then you are doing the right things for your children. Sadly, it appears from feedback that many Ofsted inspectors are failing to see this and childminders were making comments at the time such as, ‘The inspector was looking for something to use to downgrade me’. We will continue to monitor the situation and work with providers and Ofsted to resolve clearly inaccurate inspection outcomes when they are reported to us.
Paediatric first aid and Ofsted – a childminder must always have up-to-date paediatric first aid. The disapplication to the EYFS about paediatric first aid was removed after Nov 25th, so the EYFS 2017 is statutory again. If Ofsted learn that you do not have a valid first aid certificate, the information will be passed to the regulatory team to risk assess. Ofsted state that the regulatory team will take into account whether you are booked on a course and / or what you have done to try to re-qualify and make a decision based on that information.
We have been informed that a childminder who called Ofsted to let them know that her paediatric first aid certificate was out of date due to lack of accessible local courses, was shut down during a phone call from a member of the Ofsted regulatory team. The lesson here is to get yourself on a course well in advance (even if you lose a few months from your previous certificate) and keep evidence of having tried to get on a course in case they are cancelled.
Worrying statistics about childminder numbers – updated data has been released recently about the number of childminders in the sector in England – and it is worrying. Figures show that there are 957 fewer childminders in Nov 2020 than there were in April 2020, with 695 childminders leaving in October 2020.
There is clearly a crisis in childminding, with less parents requiring childcare - partly because they are working from home. Childminders also have to cope with low funding rates and lockdowns which continue to impact on sustainability. We also recognise that many childminders have not received any financial support during the crisis and may be looking for other work.
Childcare.co.uk will continue to support all childminders with free documentation and professional development opportunities – and lobby the Government to re-think how it is currently treating childminders.
Hopefully the situation will improve soon!
....................................................................
The revised EYFS 2020 and Development Matters 2020
Training – I am continuing to use best practice information and guidance to write training which will support providers with the changes to the EYFS 2020 and Development Matters 2020. This training will be delivered in FREE webinars throughout 2021.
I note there have been some misconceptions about the webinars and Childcare.co.uk gold membership – the webinars are free on the date they are presented – you do not need to be a childcare.co.uk gold member to engage with them – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Childcare.co.uk gold members can watch webinars after they have been presented – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Assessment blog – the latest blog from Dr Julian Grenier, which aims to explain the changes to the way we will need to assess children’s learning from September 2021, is here –
https://www.tes.com/news/eyfs-assessment-why-it-needs-change.
TES is a free to read website – you just need to register your details.
Just because I can doesn't mean that I should... I read this blog by Alistair Bryce-Clegg from ABC Does about early years children and sitting during group times and thought it was so good that I wanted to share it with colleagues. It's worth 10 minutes of your time with a cuppa –
https://thatnurserylife.com/guides/articles/just-because-i-can-doesnt-mean-that-i-should-or-the-cautionary-tale-of-the-hairy-toes/
Support for a maths-rich curriculum – we read in a lot of recent Ofsted inspection reports about ‘missed opportunities for maths’; we also read in blogs and papers from those who influenced the re-write of the Development Matters 2020 guidance that children do not routinely access maths, even in a maths rich environment and some maths needs to be directly taught.
My childminder colleague Sally Wright has written a new book, focused on adults resourcing and noticing what maths children access. The aim is to support early years practitioners with providing a curriculum which enables maths. The books is called ’50 fantastic ideas for tuff tray mathematics’ (Featherstone, 2020) – it is available on Amazon.
....................................................................
Safeguarding
Tragedy of deaths during lockdown – we are reading more and more reports about the untimely deaths of young children due to home violence during lockdown. We know that a lot of families are under stress, especially at this time of year. We note that we have a duty of care to support our children in early years settings and if parents do not bring them for an expected session, we should immediately follow it up – it is also a requirement in the Ofsted early years inspection handbook (2019) to monitor attendance.
We are reminded in the Ofsted early years inspection handbook that changes in children’s behaviour might be linked to safeguarding and should always be followed up by the designated safeguarding lead in the setting (the childminder or the DSL in a group setting) –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
In our early years setting, we have shared information with all our parents about local support services, food banks, places to get advice on financial pressures etc, whether we think they might need it or not – we never presume to know who might benefit from the information.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 has been updated (9th Dec 2020) with factual changes in relation to information sharing, homelessness duty and references to domestic abuse. The LADO threshold for involvement has also been updated in line with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2020’ –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2
Online messaging apps are putting children at risk – Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield reports that millions of children, some as young as 8 years old, are using online messaging apps without adult supervision and threats to safety are increasing. NSPCC child safety chief Andy Burrows, adds: “Rolling out end-to-end encryption without mitigations for finding grooming and abuse is one of the riskiest steps a tech firm could take when it comes to children’s safety.”
You will find more information to share with parents here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/social-media-and-online-safety.
Changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education – the statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ is updated annually and the Govt are currently consulting on changes for 2021. The consultation is open until 4th March 2021 and you can find more details, including suggested changes, here –
https://consult.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-in-schools-team/keeping-children-safe-in-education-schools-and-col/.
Note that the EYFS (2020) states, ‘All schools are required to have regard16 to the government’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance, and other childcare providers may also find it helpful to refer to this guidance.’
....................................................................
And in other news...
Practice linked to planning – personally, I think there is space for both planned activities and free play – I think there is time to learn about the colours of autumn and time to explore paint mixing – I think there should be the opportunity to learn how to role play as well as role playing to practice and repeat what children already know. This is a thought-provoking blog from Alistair Bryce-Clegg –
https://thatnurserylife.com/content/tardist-time-travel-in-an-early-years-space .
Button batteries – the child safety organisation CAPT remind us of the dangers of button batteries, especially when children are receiving gifts which might contain the batteries at this time of year – https://www.capt.org.uk/.
‘5 big questions on the under 5s’ report – the Princess of Wales published her ‘State of the Nation’ report into the state of childcare in the UK. It has been widely reported online – there are lots of news reports you can read about the headline findings and you can read the report for your professional development here –
https://mk0royalfoundatcnhl0.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Ipsos-MORI-SON_report_FINAL_V2.4.pdf.
I particularly like this comment: Kate Middleton stated, "People overwhelmingly believe that a child’s future is not pre-determined at birth," the report reads. "However, most people don’t understand the specific importance of the early years" - https://www.royal.uk/5BigInsights.
Gender diversity – according to a recent report from Gender Eye, early years settings are failing at staff gender diversity, rarely inviting men to interview or making early years appealing to men. –
https://gendereye.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/gendereye-final-end-of-project-report-28-oct.pdf.
As a childminder who works with her husband and has a son who works in a nursery, I feel I’ve done my bit for this one! If you have young sons about to enter the workforce, have they considered early years as a career – if not, why not?
Gender appropriate practice – another way of looking at the issues with gender diversity comes from the challenges faced by ‘pink is for girls’ and ‘those toys are for boys’ and we have ‘firemen’ and female nurses... lack of gender diversity still exists in the early years and it is something that needs to be tackled as we prepare children for life in modern Britain. You can read more in this thought-provoking blog –
https://famly.co/blog/the-child/gender-equality-ey/.
National Living Wage increase – yes, lowest paid staff deserve a wage that reflects their hard work and pays them enough to live comfortably. However, it can be seen from both sides and in another blow to beleaguered employers, the national living wage is increasing in April 2021.
The new wage from 6th April 2021 will be...
National Living Wage – £8.91 / hour
21 - 22 year old rate - £8.36 / hour
18 - 20 year old rate - £6.56 / hour
16 – 17 year old rate - £4.62 / hour
Apprentice rate - £4.30 / hour.
Comment: 2 things to note –
**The Low Pay Commission recommend that 23 and 24 year olds receive the National Living Wage – this will significantly impact early years providers who have apprentices in their second year. Previously, the National Living Wage was for those who had reached 25 years and over.
**It is a legal requirement to pay staff at least the minimum wage for their age. If they are expected to, for example, wear certain clothes as a uniform or pay for their own first aid training or DBS certificates, these purchases must not take them under their national minimum wage rate.
A word of advice if I may share ...
We've had a tough year and members tell us that money is tight but I've seen some childminders wasting their money buying the Development Matters 2020 guidance (it's likely to be updated / changed before Sept 2021) - pre-written curriculums (free from Childcare.co.uk) - the new early learning goals in fancy fonts (they will not be for early years) - the EYFSP handbook (it's for schools not early years) - safeguarding handbooks (we don't need them printed and they are quickly out of date) - the revised EYFS (it's likely to be updated / changed before Sept 2021) ... my advice is to hang onto your money! Everything you need is / will be freely available from Childcare.co.uk next year and covered in webinars or blogs ...
FREE 2021 organiser - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser ...
I hope you find my newsletters informative and helpful. Please let me know if there is any content you would like me to include.
Happy new year! Chat soon, Sarah
December newsletter
Welcome to the latest monthly newsletter for independent childminders and early years providers.
Monthly newsletters are written to help colleagues to stay updated with the latest news and information from Ofsted, DfE, safeguarding, Childcare.co.uk and much more.
I hope you are staying well and positive as we push on to the winter break.
Coronavirus guidance
Lockdown 2 – I had just published my November newsletter when we were all thrust into a second national lockdown. The following guidance was released for the November lockdown period –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november.
Useful posters – early years providers might find these free coronavirus posters useful –
Poster for providers – https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/poster
Poster for parents – https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/parents
Moving out of lockdown – the Govt has announced that, from 2nd December, the country will move out of full lockdown and back into 3 tiers. The PM announced that early years settings, including childminders, will be expected to remain open in all 3 tiers; settings should not change their Christmas holidays or close early for Christmas; current guidance on extremely vulnerable people will be specific to the person.
Actions for early years - updated 26th November - there have been some major updates - mostly to shielding critically vulnerable staff and the removal of the disapplications information now the final date (25 Nov) has passed. Here are some updates that jumped out at me -
3.5 - avoid visitors coming into the setting unless necessary. Keep visitor details for test and trace.
Parent settling in visits can resume from 2nd Dec using the 'system of controls' - all other visits should be remote where possible.
**5.1 - childminders can work as bank staff in nurseries if they have a problem with ratios
Also note updates / changes to the bits about -
**Trips to indoor spaces
**Childminder with household member self-isolating
**Messy play
**Vaccines and teething
Responding to a high temp or cough – even with the posters (linked above), we are still receiving 100s of questions every day on the Independent Childminders Facebook group asking ‘what do I do...?’ in different scenarios. If you are unsure what to do when a child or family member has a high temp or cough or if someone in your family is sent home from school or work because of close contact, we are advising members to read the recently updated ‘Actions for Early Years’ guidance and if they are still unsure, to speak to local health protection - https://www.gov.uk/health-protection-team rather than get lots of different replies to their question on a Facebook group.
What to do if a child has a high temperature after an injection? DfE advice is that if the injection says a temperature is likely and it’s the only symptom the child has linked to coronavirus, it shouldn’t be treated as Covid-19 related – and it’s up to you to use your judgement.
This might be a useful website link to share with parents – it states clearly, ‘Post-immunisation fever is not a reason to self-isolate.’
https://www.guidelines.co.uk/.../phe.../455521.article
Hand sanitiser – I never imagined before the virus hit the world that my hands would consume more alcohol than my body! We were sent some Scrubbingtons Hand Sanitiser to try – the children are impressed. There is a generous 20% discount for new purchasers using the code CHILD20 at checkout –
https://www.scrubbingtons.com/
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Financial support updates
Self-employed income support – there will be a 3rd (and, next year, a 4th) self-employed income support scheme available. More information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-employment-income-support-scheme-grant-extension/self-employment-income-support-scheme-grant-extension
MSE guidance – you will find more advice from the Money Saving Expert website here - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/11/government-enhances-support-for-the-self-employed/
Furlough – if you have staff and you need to lay them off for a period, the rules for the new furlough scheme are here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/furlough-scheme-extended-and-further-economic-support-announced
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted news
Ofsted listens to the sector – Ofsted have carried out a series of surveys over the last few months to consider how children and settings are getting on in the current coronavirus world. You will find more information on the Ofsted rolling update here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update.
My latest blog – ‘Ofsted listens to the sector’, shares some of the things providers have reported as positively impacting their work since lockdown –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-listens-to-the-sector.
Ofsted virtual pre-registration inspections – a member of the Independent Childminders Facebook group has had a virtual pre-registration inspection with Ofsted recently and would like me to share it with you.
Our colleague says it lasted just over 3 hours with a few breaks and covered, in 3 main parts –
- Learning and development - how she will be implementing the EYFS requirements
- A virtual tour of the house - talking about safety and rooms to be used for childcare
- Safeguarding - and what to do it you are concerned about a child.
She says it felt very intense – but doable online.
Thank you to our member for sharing! It will be reassuring for many pre-reg colleagues I am sure!
Ofsted and the future of inspection – Ofsted are changing the timescales for future inspections. Instead of a 4 year cycle, they will plan a 6 year window. You will find more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-announces-new-early-years-inspection-arrangements
Planning your CPD and staff CPD – when they re-start inspections, probably from Jan 2021, Ofsted will be looking closely at professional development - how it is planned and implemented and how it helps everyone (childminders and staff in group settings) to do their jobs effectively. There is much less focus on paperwork during inspection and tick lists will be a thing of the past (because they won't exist anymore from Sept 2021) so you / your staff will need a secure grounding in, for example, child development, spotting red flags that say a child might be falling behind and supporting learning to help children make the best possible progress. This is a good place to start when planning CPD and Childcare.co.uk webinars will be there to support you, every step of the way.
NEW free webinar – ‘Learning from Ofsted inspections’ – Tuesday 1st December @ 7.30pm –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
The future of assessment
Development Matters 2020 – the revised Development Matters 2020 guidance turns our current practice upside down. We need to regroup, changing our ways of working. Instead of thinking about observation, assessment and planning to show progress, we will need to ensure our curriculum is well sequenced and secure and then we will observe how children are engaging with the curriculum.
**I am planning lots of webinars in the new year to introduce the new requirements of the EYFS 2020, on which the DM2020 guidance is based.
Working with your local authority – I’ve been asked questions about my discussion with Dr Julian Grenier and what providers who are asked by their Local Authorities to do more than the required / statutory documentation should do next. A colleague said her LA require a 3 year progress check in addition to the 2 year check … and have sent out a new toolkit for wellbeing for providers to complete … and are expecting early years providers to use the early learning goals when they are not part of the revised Development Matters … and asking for tracking when it’s not a requirement or expectation of DfE / Ofsted … and wanting transition reports which are not even read by the receiving school … and more.
I have worked on this a lot with providers, doing everything I can to empower colleagues to challenge their Local Authorities and ask what their rationale is for asking for all these extra documents when DfE are committed to reducing workload and improving practitioner wellbeing.
Our LA were really supportive – they explained that while they will continue asking for tracking this year, they cannot insist on it and they are not going to make providers record it. I encourage you to speak to your LA if this is happening – talk about the changes confidently and knowledgeably – challenge the nonsense like we have done with DfE and Ofsted … see if you can join up as a group and resolve these issues together.
My writing – I have been busy writing new guidance to support providers with the revised EYFS 2020, Development Matters 2020 and more. The webinars and guidance documents will be available over the coming months – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Principles into practice – Dr Julian Grenier has written more guidance for practitioners to read alongside the revised Development Matters 2020. The ‘Principles into Practice’ 2020 guidance is free here –
http://development-matters.org.uk/.
Discussion with Dr Grenier – Dr Julian Grenier gave me lots of time to discuss the future of assessment paperwork for childminders. You can watch the video recording of our discussion here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Local authority news
Changes to the early years census – the census is used by local authorities for funded providers only. If you are not a funded provider you do not need to complete the census. The week data will be collected for next years’ census will be Thursday 21st January and the Local Authority final submission date for the census will be Friday 12th March 2021.
Funding from January – during the autumn term, DfE advised Local Authorities to use last years’ funding as the basis for calculations rather than current attendance figures (an acknowledgement that attendance might have dipped as a result of lockdown). The Government has confirmed that it is planning to return to funding levels based on actual attendance numbers from January 2021.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Safeguarding / health and safety updates
Cut up sausages – and grapes and anything else children might choke on. A 2 year old died recently after eating sausages in her nursery – they make the perfect plug in the throat. Risk assess to keep children as safe as reasonably practicable –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/two-year-old-dies-after-choking-on-a-piece-of-sausage-at-nursery
Prevent Duty - between 1st January 2019 and 30th June 2020, 17 children were arrested in relation to terrorism offences - some were as young as 14 years old and nearly all were radicalised entirely online. In the same time period, more than 1500 children under the age of 15 were referred to the Prevent programme.
A new website has been set up to support providers and professionals - https://actearly.uk/.
Changes to DBS disclosure information – the government announced that, from 28th November, childhood cautions will no longer be disclosed as part of the DBS process and the rule that meant someone with more than one conviction had all their convictions disclosed, regardless of offence or length of time, has been abolished
https://www.unlock.org.uk/policy-issues/specific-policy-issues/filtering/what-will-be-the-impact-of-the-changes-to-filtering/
Information from Andrew Hall’s Safeguarding for Schools Briefing.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
More updates
It's been a busy few months! Wow! I knew Childcare.co.uk have been busy over the last few months and I often ask colleagues 'what more can we do to support you?' but I think, sometimes, it's important to stop and review what has been achieved so far ...
https://www.childcare.co.uk/.../what-we-have-achieved-so-far
Updated contract – the free Childcare.co.uk parent – childminder contract has been updated for providers in Scotland to include Care Commission references instead of Ofsted. You will find it here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminding-contracts.
Emergencies ... what to do if a child needs to go to hospital – I have spoken to Ofsted at length about emergencies such as children needing to be hospitalised. Some considerations include –
**If you have a policy that says ‘I do this... that... the other’ then you have to follow it, every time, regardless of what might be happening.
**If you have a risk assessment (not necessarily in writing) that says ‘I will make a decision based on the circumstances’ then you are giving yourself the flexibility to make a judgement call, at the time, about what to do for the best.
So, if a child needs to go to the hospital, you risk assess and make every effort to contact parents / children’s emergency contacts to come and get them. If you need to make other arrangements, you do whatever you can ‘in the moment’ to keep everyone safe.
The only thing it says in the EYFS is that you must have parent emergency contact details ... and in Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sept 2020) that, where reasonably possible, you should have more than 1 emergency contact number for each child.
When making judgements about whether we have acted appropriately in an emergency situation, Ofsted use the EYFS. I hope this clarifies ...
Wellbeing CPD – I delivered webinars about ‘Child wellbeing’ and ‘staff wellbeing’ recently. They are available on the webinar player for childcare.co.uk gold members – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Open University have a new training course which will support you to support children’s mental health and wellbeing here –
https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/supporting-childrens-mental-health-and-wellbeing/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab
Findings of child wellbeing survey – did you respond to the Duchess of Cambridge’s survey into child wellbeing? The findings have been published and they make worrying reading. We were definitely right to focus our webinars on planning a supportive curriculum for children coming back from lockdown –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/duchess-of-cambridge-to-reveal-findings-of-early-years-survey
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Coming up through December!
Webinars – there are some new webinars on the Childcare.co.uk website –
**1st Dec – Learning from Ofsted inspections
**8th Dec – Curriculum for 2021
*15th Dec – Safeguarding refresher
**22nd Dec – Environmental check
**In January, I will cover more information about Ofsted inspection and then I will look at the changes to the EYFS 2020 and Development Matters guidance in more detail.
You can sign up for the new webinars here – https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Childminder organiser 2021 – the recently updated 2021 Childminder Organiser has been released. It is free guidance for all childminders including a planning overview, new accounts paperwork and much more. You can find a copy here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser.
Information guides – Childcare.co.uk gold members have free access to free monthly planning. In 2021, the planning will focus on ‘around the world’ and nature-based learning. You will find the guides – and planning from previous years – here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
This is YOUR newsletter – if you want me to include anything, please let me know. I am here to support you.
Thank you, Sarah
Monthly newsletters are written to help colleagues to stay updated with the latest news and information from Ofsted, DfE, safeguarding, Childcare.co.uk and much more.
I hope you are staying well and positive as we push on to the winter break.
Coronavirus guidance
Lockdown 2 – I had just published my November newsletter when we were all thrust into a second national lockdown. The following guidance was released for the November lockdown period –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november.
Useful posters – early years providers might find these free coronavirus posters useful –
Poster for providers – https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/poster
Poster for parents – https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/parents
Moving out of lockdown – the Govt has announced that, from 2nd December, the country will move out of full lockdown and back into 3 tiers. The PM announced that early years settings, including childminders, will be expected to remain open in all 3 tiers; settings should not change their Christmas holidays or close early for Christmas; current guidance on extremely vulnerable people will be specific to the person.
Actions for early years - updated 26th November - there have been some major updates - mostly to shielding critically vulnerable staff and the removal of the disapplications information now the final date (25 Nov) has passed. Here are some updates that jumped out at me -
3.5 - avoid visitors coming into the setting unless necessary. Keep visitor details for test and trace.
Parent settling in visits can resume from 2nd Dec using the 'system of controls' - all other visits should be remote where possible.
**5.1 - childminders can work as bank staff in nurseries if they have a problem with ratios
Also note updates / changes to the bits about -
**Trips to indoor spaces
**Childminder with household member self-isolating
**Messy play
**Vaccines and teething
Responding to a high temp or cough – even with the posters (linked above), we are still receiving 100s of questions every day on the Independent Childminders Facebook group asking ‘what do I do...?’ in different scenarios. If you are unsure what to do when a child or family member has a high temp or cough or if someone in your family is sent home from school or work because of close contact, we are advising members to read the recently updated ‘Actions for Early Years’ guidance and if they are still unsure, to speak to local health protection - https://www.gov.uk/health-protection-team rather than get lots of different replies to their question on a Facebook group.
What to do if a child has a high temperature after an injection? DfE advice is that if the injection says a temperature is likely and it’s the only symptom the child has linked to coronavirus, it shouldn’t be treated as Covid-19 related – and it’s up to you to use your judgement.
This might be a useful website link to share with parents – it states clearly, ‘Post-immunisation fever is not a reason to self-isolate.’
https://www.guidelines.co.uk/.../phe.../455521.article
Hand sanitiser – I never imagined before the virus hit the world that my hands would consume more alcohol than my body! We were sent some Scrubbingtons Hand Sanitiser to try – the children are impressed. There is a generous 20% discount for new purchasers using the code CHILD20 at checkout –
https://www.scrubbingtons.com/
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Financial support updates
Self-employed income support – there will be a 3rd (and, next year, a 4th) self-employed income support scheme available. More information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-employment-income-support-scheme-grant-extension/self-employment-income-support-scheme-grant-extension
MSE guidance – you will find more advice from the Money Saving Expert website here - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/11/government-enhances-support-for-the-self-employed/
Furlough – if you have staff and you need to lay them off for a period, the rules for the new furlough scheme are here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/furlough-scheme-extended-and-further-economic-support-announced
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted news
Ofsted listens to the sector – Ofsted have carried out a series of surveys over the last few months to consider how children and settings are getting on in the current coronavirus world. You will find more information on the Ofsted rolling update here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update.
My latest blog – ‘Ofsted listens to the sector’, shares some of the things providers have reported as positively impacting their work since lockdown –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-listens-to-the-sector.
Ofsted virtual pre-registration inspections – a member of the Independent Childminders Facebook group has had a virtual pre-registration inspection with Ofsted recently and would like me to share it with you.
Our colleague says it lasted just over 3 hours with a few breaks and covered, in 3 main parts –
- Learning and development - how she will be implementing the EYFS requirements
- A virtual tour of the house - talking about safety and rooms to be used for childcare
- Safeguarding - and what to do it you are concerned about a child.
She says it felt very intense – but doable online.
Thank you to our member for sharing! It will be reassuring for many pre-reg colleagues I am sure!
Ofsted and the future of inspection – Ofsted are changing the timescales for future inspections. Instead of a 4 year cycle, they will plan a 6 year window. You will find more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-announces-new-early-years-inspection-arrangements
Planning your CPD and staff CPD – when they re-start inspections, probably from Jan 2021, Ofsted will be looking closely at professional development - how it is planned and implemented and how it helps everyone (childminders and staff in group settings) to do their jobs effectively. There is much less focus on paperwork during inspection and tick lists will be a thing of the past (because they won't exist anymore from Sept 2021) so you / your staff will need a secure grounding in, for example, child development, spotting red flags that say a child might be falling behind and supporting learning to help children make the best possible progress. This is a good place to start when planning CPD and Childcare.co.uk webinars will be there to support you, every step of the way.
NEW free webinar – ‘Learning from Ofsted inspections’ – Tuesday 1st December @ 7.30pm –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
The future of assessment
Development Matters 2020 – the revised Development Matters 2020 guidance turns our current practice upside down. We need to regroup, changing our ways of working. Instead of thinking about observation, assessment and planning to show progress, we will need to ensure our curriculum is well sequenced and secure and then we will observe how children are engaging with the curriculum.
**I am planning lots of webinars in the new year to introduce the new requirements of the EYFS 2020, on which the DM2020 guidance is based.
Working with your local authority – I’ve been asked questions about my discussion with Dr Julian Grenier and what providers who are asked by their Local Authorities to do more than the required / statutory documentation should do next. A colleague said her LA require a 3 year progress check in addition to the 2 year check … and have sent out a new toolkit for wellbeing for providers to complete … and are expecting early years providers to use the early learning goals when they are not part of the revised Development Matters … and asking for tracking when it’s not a requirement or expectation of DfE / Ofsted … and wanting transition reports which are not even read by the receiving school … and more.
I have worked on this a lot with providers, doing everything I can to empower colleagues to challenge their Local Authorities and ask what their rationale is for asking for all these extra documents when DfE are committed to reducing workload and improving practitioner wellbeing.
Our LA were really supportive – they explained that while they will continue asking for tracking this year, they cannot insist on it and they are not going to make providers record it. I encourage you to speak to your LA if this is happening – talk about the changes confidently and knowledgeably – challenge the nonsense like we have done with DfE and Ofsted … see if you can join up as a group and resolve these issues together.
My writing – I have been busy writing new guidance to support providers with the revised EYFS 2020, Development Matters 2020 and more. The webinars and guidance documents will be available over the coming months – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Principles into practice – Dr Julian Grenier has written more guidance for practitioners to read alongside the revised Development Matters 2020. The ‘Principles into Practice’ 2020 guidance is free here –
http://development-matters.org.uk/.
Discussion with Dr Grenier – Dr Julian Grenier gave me lots of time to discuss the future of assessment paperwork for childminders. You can watch the video recording of our discussion here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Local authority news
Changes to the early years census – the census is used by local authorities for funded providers only. If you are not a funded provider you do not need to complete the census. The week data will be collected for next years’ census will be Thursday 21st January and the Local Authority final submission date for the census will be Friday 12th March 2021.
Funding from January – during the autumn term, DfE advised Local Authorities to use last years’ funding as the basis for calculations rather than current attendance figures (an acknowledgement that attendance might have dipped as a result of lockdown). The Government has confirmed that it is planning to return to funding levels based on actual attendance numbers from January 2021.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Safeguarding / health and safety updates
Cut up sausages – and grapes and anything else children might choke on. A 2 year old died recently after eating sausages in her nursery – they make the perfect plug in the throat. Risk assess to keep children as safe as reasonably practicable –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/two-year-old-dies-after-choking-on-a-piece-of-sausage-at-nursery
Prevent Duty - between 1st January 2019 and 30th June 2020, 17 children were arrested in relation to terrorism offences - some were as young as 14 years old and nearly all were radicalised entirely online. In the same time period, more than 1500 children under the age of 15 were referred to the Prevent programme.
A new website has been set up to support providers and professionals - https://actearly.uk/.
Changes to DBS disclosure information – the government announced that, from 28th November, childhood cautions will no longer be disclosed as part of the DBS process and the rule that meant someone with more than one conviction had all their convictions disclosed, regardless of offence or length of time, has been abolished
https://www.unlock.org.uk/policy-issues/specific-policy-issues/filtering/what-will-be-the-impact-of-the-changes-to-filtering/
Information from Andrew Hall’s Safeguarding for Schools Briefing.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
More updates
It's been a busy few months! Wow! I knew Childcare.co.uk have been busy over the last few months and I often ask colleagues 'what more can we do to support you?' but I think, sometimes, it's important to stop and review what has been achieved so far ...
https://www.childcare.co.uk/.../what-we-have-achieved-so-far
Updated contract – the free Childcare.co.uk parent – childminder contract has been updated for providers in Scotland to include Care Commission references instead of Ofsted. You will find it here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminding-contracts.
Emergencies ... what to do if a child needs to go to hospital – I have spoken to Ofsted at length about emergencies such as children needing to be hospitalised. Some considerations include –
**If you have a policy that says ‘I do this... that... the other’ then you have to follow it, every time, regardless of what might be happening.
**If you have a risk assessment (not necessarily in writing) that says ‘I will make a decision based on the circumstances’ then you are giving yourself the flexibility to make a judgement call, at the time, about what to do for the best.
So, if a child needs to go to the hospital, you risk assess and make every effort to contact parents / children’s emergency contacts to come and get them. If you need to make other arrangements, you do whatever you can ‘in the moment’ to keep everyone safe.
The only thing it says in the EYFS is that you must have parent emergency contact details ... and in Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sept 2020) that, where reasonably possible, you should have more than 1 emergency contact number for each child.
When making judgements about whether we have acted appropriately in an emergency situation, Ofsted use the EYFS. I hope this clarifies ...
Wellbeing CPD – I delivered webinars about ‘Child wellbeing’ and ‘staff wellbeing’ recently. They are available on the webinar player for childcare.co.uk gold members – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Open University have a new training course which will support you to support children’s mental health and wellbeing here –
https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/supporting-childrens-mental-health-and-wellbeing/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab
Findings of child wellbeing survey – did you respond to the Duchess of Cambridge’s survey into child wellbeing? The findings have been published and they make worrying reading. We were definitely right to focus our webinars on planning a supportive curriculum for children coming back from lockdown –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/duchess-of-cambridge-to-reveal-findings-of-early-years-survey
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Coming up through December!
Webinars – there are some new webinars on the Childcare.co.uk website –
**1st Dec – Learning from Ofsted inspections
**8th Dec – Curriculum for 2021
*15th Dec – Safeguarding refresher
**22nd Dec – Environmental check
**In January, I will cover more information about Ofsted inspection and then I will look at the changes to the EYFS 2020 and Development Matters guidance in more detail.
You can sign up for the new webinars here – https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Childminder organiser 2021 – the recently updated 2021 Childminder Organiser has been released. It is free guidance for all childminders including a planning overview, new accounts paperwork and much more. You can find a copy here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser.
Information guides – Childcare.co.uk gold members have free access to free monthly planning. In 2021, the planning will focus on ‘around the world’ and nature-based learning. You will find the guides – and planning from previous years – here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
This is YOUR newsletter – if you want me to include anything, please let me know. I am here to support you.
Thank you, Sarah
November 2020 newsletter
I love Autumn but it does throw up some challenges, especially weather related. I have spoken to colleagues and asked: 'What's going well?' to share some positive stories to start us off...
Good things childminders report that have come out of returning to work after lockdown include, in no particular order –
Challenges we might need to overcome –
..........................................................................................................
Coronavirus free posters
For staff - https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/poster
For parents – https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/parents
Latest updates - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminderguides
..........................................................................................................
Revised Development Matters 2020
The Development Matters 2012 guidance has received a total overhaul and will be replaced in September 2021 by a new version. The new Development Matters 2020 looks and feels totally different from its original and is a complete re-think, taking us away from ticking lists and moving us into curriculum focus – the same focus Ofsted are using during inspection.
You can watch an exclusive video I recorded with Julian Grenier who lead the writing on the revised Development Matters 2020 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters.
Childcare.co.uk will be rolling out a free package of support and webinars for all providers soon – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
You can access the Development Matters 2020 guidance here - http://development-matters.org.uk/.
..........................................................................................................
Clocks change and road traffic accidents
Clocks changed on 25th October – that typically leads to more road traffic incidents involving children, especially older children on dark nights. There are useful road safety resources from ROSPA for parents / educators here –
https://www.rospa.com/media/documents/road-safety/teaching-road-safety-a-guide-for-parents.pdf
You will find resources for younger children on the Road Safety heroes website here - https://www.roadsafetyheroes.co.uk/early-years-under-5-lessons.
There is a Brake road safety week initiative 16 – 22nd November 2020 with resources and further information here –
http://www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/you/305-youdidit-earlyyears.
..........................................................................................................
Nursery Rhyme Week
Road safety week clashes in date with Nursery Rhyme Week – I am sure there is space for both in the calendar. Registration is open and there are free resources to download and use with the children on the website when you have registered here - https://www.worldnurseryrhymeweek.com/.
..........................................................................................................
Bereavement support
There is free guidance here, under the ‘medical and emergencies’ tab for all providers on how to support a child who is dealing with sudden bereavement –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit.
I was asked for these resources last week and thanked when they were received and read so I know they are useful. There is also a sudden bereavement helpline – 0800 2600 400 with a website to offer further support - https://sudden.org/information-for-schools/.
..........................................................................................................
Online safety
Linking nicely to my upcoming webinar ‘Data Protection Refresher’, the online safety calendar from Childnet has been updated –
https://www.childnet.com/ufiles/Online-Safety-Calendar-2020-2023.pdf.
We use this calendar to inform our practice, linking in the themes so we keep online safety messages flowing to parents through the year.
You can watch my webinar here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members can re-watch my webinar here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer. ..........................................................................................................
Education, health and care plans
If you care for a child who has an Education, Health and Care plan, you might find this free package of training and support from the Council for Disabled Children useful –
https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/news-opinion/news/new-cdc-e-learning-course-holistic-outcomes-ehc-plans.
..........................................................................................................
Children, routine immunisations and high temperatures
The following information from NHS, informed by Public health England, states that, ‘Post-immunisation fever is not a reason to self-isolate.’ This statement has received a lot of criticism from providers who say they will exclude children for any and all high temperatures, regardless of whether they might be caused by immunisation because they might be masking symptoms of coronavirus. I can only share what NHS England are telling us at the moment -
https://www.guidelines.co.uk/immunisation-and-vaccination/phe-maintaining-immunisation-programmes-during-covid-19-guideline/455521.article
..........................................................................................................
Progress check at 2 back...
After a period of disapplication, we are informed by DfE that the progress check at 2 is statutory again and must be completed for all children between the ages of 2 and 3 years. Interestingly, DfE also state in the 7th Sept revisions to the disapplications information that the check must also be completed for 3 year olds if it was missed and practitioners feel a check is relevant –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2/early-years-foundation-stage-coronavirus-disapplications
You will find FREE guidance for completing the check here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/progress-check-at-2.
..........................................................................................................
Local authority tracking
Does your Local Authority ask you for tracking data for funded children? Ours does – and, after speaking to Ofsted and DfE, I raised it with them, given DfE and Ofsted no longer ask providers for tracking data and want to know verbally (not on paper) about the progress children are making from their starting points.
Our Local Authority said they wanted the data to benefit us – so they could put on training. My thoughts on that one – just give us quality training on the prime areas and child development etc...
Anyway, the upshot is that the data is not statutory – Local Authorities can ask for it but cannot require it ... so you can stop your data collection if you feel that is appropriate for your business.
You will find that when you engage with Development Matters 2020 webinars and training, DM 2020 is not a tick list – it is a curriculum guide and there is nothing helpful to guide a tick list for tracking any more.
..........................................................................................................
Food hygiene visits
We had a call from our Local Authority to set up a food hygiene inspection recently. I was shocked and horrified at the thought of someone from the Local Authority coming into the house, masked or otherwise, to check the kitchen after being totally ignored by food hygiene for 26 years! I am also aware of the ‘no visitors’ guidance in ‘Action for Early Years’ and I made my feelings clear during the phone call.
They sent me a questionnaire instead which I duly completed and returned. Don’t be bullied into accepting a visit – childminders are considered to be very low risk and a questionnaire will suffice in most instances.
This blog was written before the current pandemic and might be useful for any childminders who weren’t given the opportunity to refuse an inspection –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/food-hygiene-inspections-for-childminders.
..........................................................................................................
Safer outside
I recently delivered 2 outside play and learning webinars for Childcare.co.uk which were very popular and I have delivered further training for colleagues about outside play and how you can link all areas of the curriculum during outside sessions. Outside is safer in the current situation as well – but with the cold weather approaching, it is more of a challenge.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members can watch the webinars again here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
You might also find this information useful –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/nurseries-and-childminders-urged-to-take-learning-outside-on-outdoor-classroom-day
..........................................................................................................
How music supports maths
There has been a lot of talk over the past months about whether it is safe to sing in early years settings or not because of the way singing projects droplets. We now sing in a row rather than a circle and I sit back a little way – but I also cuddle our children and I am regularly coughed and sneezed on, so I am possibly more relaxed than some in schools...
Anyhow, music and movement are generally considered to be essential parts of the early years curriculum for most settings and this interesting article from NMT Magazine talks about how music supports maths learning –
http://nmt-magazine.co.uk/how-music-supports-the-foundation-for-maths-in-early-years/
..........................................................................................................
Online form solution
I have spent the last few months – on and off – looking for a free online form solution for, for example, accident, injury and first aid forms. My main criteria – it has to be easy to put together and easy for parents to receive and sign / date.
After much hunting, I am currently trialling JotForm – https://www.jotform.com/login//
I sent an accident form to a parent last week and she signed, dated and returned it without any problems so that seems like a possible long-term solution to the problem of paper transfer. If you have any better ideas for free forms that can be signed, please let me know.
I hope you find this newsletter useful and informative. Please let me have your feedback and let me know if there is anything (newsletter, blog, article, webinar, Information Guide etc) that you want me to investigate and write about in the future.
I also offer bespoke one-to-one or small group training sessions and supervisions to support practice – please contact me for more information – [email protected].
Thank you, Sarah.
Good things childminders report that have come out of returning to work after lockdown include, in no particular order –
- Settling-in visits in the garden – so much calmer (as well as safer) for staff, children and parents
- Zoom meetings for new starters – ask the child to show you their favourite books, toys, pets, play areas etc and get a real feel for them before they start in the setting
- Doorstep handovers – quicker so you can get back to the other children and much safer – they also promote children’s independence.
- Children counting to 20 when washing hands – we build on this during other activities.
Challenges we might need to overcome –
- Sharing information with parents – in our setting, we have pretty much solved it by using WhatsApp – asking questions, sending occasional ideas for home learning, sharing regular photos etc
- Parents don’t see the noticeboard any more – in our setting, we have put photos of the statutory documents into a short Welcome Booklet and we email it to new parents too.
- No paperwork transfer makes sharing children’s artwork tricky (we sent photos on WhatsApp) and sharing forms difficult - I have talked about my latest attempt at a solution later in this newsletter.
..........................................................................................................
Coronavirus free posters
For staff - https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/poster
For parents – https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/parents
Latest updates - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminderguides
..........................................................................................................
Revised Development Matters 2020
The Development Matters 2012 guidance has received a total overhaul and will be replaced in September 2021 by a new version. The new Development Matters 2020 looks and feels totally different from its original and is a complete re-think, taking us away from ticking lists and moving us into curriculum focus – the same focus Ofsted are using during inspection.
You can watch an exclusive video I recorded with Julian Grenier who lead the writing on the revised Development Matters 2020 here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/development-matters.
Childcare.co.uk will be rolling out a free package of support and webinars for all providers soon – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
You can access the Development Matters 2020 guidance here - http://development-matters.org.uk/.
..........................................................................................................
Clocks change and road traffic accidents
Clocks changed on 25th October – that typically leads to more road traffic incidents involving children, especially older children on dark nights. There are useful road safety resources from ROSPA for parents / educators here –
https://www.rospa.com/media/documents/road-safety/teaching-road-safety-a-guide-for-parents.pdf
You will find resources for younger children on the Road Safety heroes website here - https://www.roadsafetyheroes.co.uk/early-years-under-5-lessons.
There is a Brake road safety week initiative 16 – 22nd November 2020 with resources and further information here –
http://www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/you/305-youdidit-earlyyears.
..........................................................................................................
Nursery Rhyme Week
Road safety week clashes in date with Nursery Rhyme Week – I am sure there is space for both in the calendar. Registration is open and there are free resources to download and use with the children on the website when you have registered here - https://www.worldnurseryrhymeweek.com/.
..........................................................................................................
Bereavement support
There is free guidance here, under the ‘medical and emergencies’ tab for all providers on how to support a child who is dealing with sudden bereavement –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit.
I was asked for these resources last week and thanked when they were received and read so I know they are useful. There is also a sudden bereavement helpline – 0800 2600 400 with a website to offer further support - https://sudden.org/information-for-schools/.
..........................................................................................................
Online safety
Linking nicely to my upcoming webinar ‘Data Protection Refresher’, the online safety calendar from Childnet has been updated –
https://www.childnet.com/ufiles/Online-Safety-Calendar-2020-2023.pdf.
We use this calendar to inform our practice, linking in the themes so we keep online safety messages flowing to parents through the year.
You can watch my webinar here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members can re-watch my webinar here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer. ..........................................................................................................
Education, health and care plans
If you care for a child who has an Education, Health and Care plan, you might find this free package of training and support from the Council for Disabled Children useful –
https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/news-opinion/news/new-cdc-e-learning-course-holistic-outcomes-ehc-plans.
..........................................................................................................
Children, routine immunisations and high temperatures
The following information from NHS, informed by Public health England, states that, ‘Post-immunisation fever is not a reason to self-isolate.’ This statement has received a lot of criticism from providers who say they will exclude children for any and all high temperatures, regardless of whether they might be caused by immunisation because they might be masking symptoms of coronavirus. I can only share what NHS England are telling us at the moment -
https://www.guidelines.co.uk/immunisation-and-vaccination/phe-maintaining-immunisation-programmes-during-covid-19-guideline/455521.article
..........................................................................................................
Progress check at 2 back...
After a period of disapplication, we are informed by DfE that the progress check at 2 is statutory again and must be completed for all children between the ages of 2 and 3 years. Interestingly, DfE also state in the 7th Sept revisions to the disapplications information that the check must also be completed for 3 year olds if it was missed and practitioners feel a check is relevant –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2/early-years-foundation-stage-coronavirus-disapplications
You will find FREE guidance for completing the check here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/progress-check-at-2.
..........................................................................................................
Local authority tracking
Does your Local Authority ask you for tracking data for funded children? Ours does – and, after speaking to Ofsted and DfE, I raised it with them, given DfE and Ofsted no longer ask providers for tracking data and want to know verbally (not on paper) about the progress children are making from their starting points.
Our Local Authority said they wanted the data to benefit us – so they could put on training. My thoughts on that one – just give us quality training on the prime areas and child development etc...
Anyway, the upshot is that the data is not statutory – Local Authorities can ask for it but cannot require it ... so you can stop your data collection if you feel that is appropriate for your business.
You will find that when you engage with Development Matters 2020 webinars and training, DM 2020 is not a tick list – it is a curriculum guide and there is nothing helpful to guide a tick list for tracking any more.
..........................................................................................................
Food hygiene visits
We had a call from our Local Authority to set up a food hygiene inspection recently. I was shocked and horrified at the thought of someone from the Local Authority coming into the house, masked or otherwise, to check the kitchen after being totally ignored by food hygiene for 26 years! I am also aware of the ‘no visitors’ guidance in ‘Action for Early Years’ and I made my feelings clear during the phone call.
They sent me a questionnaire instead which I duly completed and returned. Don’t be bullied into accepting a visit – childminders are considered to be very low risk and a questionnaire will suffice in most instances.
This blog was written before the current pandemic and might be useful for any childminders who weren’t given the opportunity to refuse an inspection –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/food-hygiene-inspections-for-childminders.
..........................................................................................................
Safer outside
I recently delivered 2 outside play and learning webinars for Childcare.co.uk which were very popular and I have delivered further training for colleagues about outside play and how you can link all areas of the curriculum during outside sessions. Outside is safer in the current situation as well – but with the cold weather approaching, it is more of a challenge.
Gold Childcare.co.uk members can watch the webinars again here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
You might also find this information useful –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/nurseries-and-childminders-urged-to-take-learning-outside-on-outdoor-classroom-day
..........................................................................................................
How music supports maths
There has been a lot of talk over the past months about whether it is safe to sing in early years settings or not because of the way singing projects droplets. We now sing in a row rather than a circle and I sit back a little way – but I also cuddle our children and I am regularly coughed and sneezed on, so I am possibly more relaxed than some in schools...
Anyhow, music and movement are generally considered to be essential parts of the early years curriculum for most settings and this interesting article from NMT Magazine talks about how music supports maths learning –
http://nmt-magazine.co.uk/how-music-supports-the-foundation-for-maths-in-early-years/
..........................................................................................................
Online form solution
I have spent the last few months – on and off – looking for a free online form solution for, for example, accident, injury and first aid forms. My main criteria – it has to be easy to put together and easy for parents to receive and sign / date.
After much hunting, I am currently trialling JotForm – https://www.jotform.com/login//
I sent an accident form to a parent last week and she signed, dated and returned it without any problems so that seems like a possible long-term solution to the problem of paper transfer. If you have any better ideas for free forms that can be signed, please let me know.
I hope you find this newsletter useful and informative. Please let me have your feedback and let me know if there is anything (newsletter, blog, article, webinar, Information Guide etc) that you want me to investigate and write about in the future.
I also offer bespoke one-to-one or small group training sessions and supervisions to support practice – please contact me for more information – [email protected].
Thank you, Sarah.
October 2020 newsletter
It’s been a strange month – lots of new information from DfE including clarification of some of the points we have been raising with them ... and a new partial lockdown ... how has it impacted on your setting? Childminders are telling me about their concerns with finances and occupancy and I fear we are losing far too many colleagues as they choose not to be self-employed in the ‘new normal’.
Support is out there – Childcare.co.uk are currently supporting 40,000+ childminders in the UK with regular updates and information and speaking to DfE and Ofsted on your behalf to get you quick answers to your questions. You can keep updated with the newsletter and on this page - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news.
Free coronavirus poster for parents
Childcare.co.uk have produced a free ‘what to do’ poster for parents worried about how to react if their child has one of the symptoms of coronavirus. You can download the free poster here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/parents.
.........................................................................................
Development Matters update
The Development Matters non-statutory guidance has been completely re-written. It is NOT a tick list or check list or anything list for assessment – it is now a curriculum and should not be turned into a tick list. You will find more information in this press release –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/development-matters-update
We have also been advised that more guidance is due out soon – so watch this space!
.........................................................................................
New free webinars
I will be presenting lots of new webinars over the coming months linked to the changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2020 and the non-statutory Development Matters guidance 2020, to get everyone up to speed with the new expectations.
You can find the new webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
If you miss the free webinars and you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member, you can watch them again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
.........................................................................................
Updated ‘Actions for early years’ guidance from dfE
The ‘Actions for early years’ guidance was updated on 22.9.2020. there is lots of new information to read and action in your risk assessments –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures. Some of it is not relevant for childminders such as ‘reopening of buildings’ and ‘music, dance and drama’ while other sections such as ‘journeys’ might be important to read. DfE say the changes to this version of ‘Actions for early years’ cover –
.........................................................................................
Frequently asked question: what do I do if a child is sent home from school to isolate?
The latest DfE guidance for early years states: ‘Household members of those who are sent home do not need to self-isolate themselves unless the child or staff member who is self-isolating subsequently develops symptoms. If someone in a group that has been asked to self-isolate develops symptoms themselves within their 14-day isolation period, they should follow COVID-19: guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection. They should get a test.’
.........................................................................................
Frequently asked question: can childminders go out with more than 6 children?
DfE have confirmed that childminders can take children out in groups larger than 6 – and Ofsted clarify that providers must comply with the EYFS and stay within statutory ratios at all times. Whether you meet up with another childminder is your decision – a risk assessment must be completed and you should speak to parents to ensure they are happy with what you are doing. DfE also confirmed to Early Years Alliance that you must ‘remain socially distant (2m) from other people. They should ensure good hygiene throughout and thorough handwashing before and after the trip’. Thank you to the Early Years Alliance for clarifying this for us.
.........................................................................................
Emergencies ... what to do if a child needs to go to hospital
I have been speaking to Ofsted at length about emergencies such as children needing to be hospitalised.
**If you have a policy that says ‘I do this... that... the other’ then you have to follow it, every time, regardless of what might be happening.
**If you have a risk assessment (not necessarily in writing) that says ‘I will make a decision based on the circumstances’ then you are giving yourself the flexibility to make a judgement call, at the time, about what to do for the best.
So, if a child needs to go to the hospital, you risk assess and make every effort to contact parents / children’s emergency contacts to come and get them. If you need to make other arrangements, you do whatever you can ‘on the spot’ to keep everyone safe.
The only thing it says in the EYFS is that you must have parent emergency contact details ... and in Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sept 2020) that, where reasonably possible, you should have more than 1 emergency contact number for each child.
When making judgements about whether we have acted appropriately, Ofsted use the EYFS.
.........................................................................................
Reporting coronavirus cases
A new helpline has been opened for providers to use when reporting cases of coronavirus - to report a positive case, providers should contact the Department for Education Helpline on 0800 046 8687 and select option ‘1’. Also note that you must inform Ofsted – [email protected].
.........................................................................................
Safeguarding update from NSPCC
Taken from the NSPCC newsletter: NSPCC Learning has published the annual How safe are our children? report which compiles and analyses data from across the UK to show the current child protection landscape. The 2020 report focuses on statistics relating to abuse perpetrated against adolescents and an overview of emerging data on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the safety of all children and young people in the UK. Findings include: rates of police recorded physical, sexual and online abuse offences against adolescents are higher than rates against younger children; rates of adolescents in care are higher than rates for younger children, with the exception in some nations of infants under the age of one; and many of the risk factors associated with abuse and neglect have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/how-safe-are-our-children
.........................................................................................
Dental health and toothbrushing
Alongside the latest DfE guidance on the supervised toothbrushing programme, I note that the revised EYFS 2020 now refers to ‘dental health’ as and area that will be inspected by Ofsted. I also read this article in Nursery World magazine about concerns over children’s dental health post-lockdown - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/an-epidemic-of-tooth-decay-is-on-horizon-councils-warn.
Childcare.co.uk will publish some guidance for early years providers about how to introduce dental hygiene activities into play – and include information about how to share home learning ideas about dental hygiene with parents.
.........................................................................................
On my CPD list
My CPD list is ever-growing at the moment, with the changes to the EYFS 2020 and Development Matters 2020 at the top –
We must not let coronavirus cloud everything we do – we need to keep supporting each other and pushing our businesses forwards so we continue to deliver the best for every child and family. In these troubled times, that often means parking our anxiety over the future and getting on with the job in hand!
Chat soon, Sarah
Support is out there – Childcare.co.uk are currently supporting 40,000+ childminders in the UK with regular updates and information and speaking to DfE and Ofsted on your behalf to get you quick answers to your questions. You can keep updated with the newsletter and on this page - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news.
Free coronavirus poster for parents
Childcare.co.uk have produced a free ‘what to do’ poster for parents worried about how to react if their child has one of the symptoms of coronavirus. You can download the free poster here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/parents.
.........................................................................................
Development Matters update
The Development Matters non-statutory guidance has been completely re-written. It is NOT a tick list or check list or anything list for assessment – it is now a curriculum and should not be turned into a tick list. You will find more information in this press release –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/development-matters-update
We have also been advised that more guidance is due out soon – so watch this space!
.........................................................................................
New free webinars
I will be presenting lots of new webinars over the coming months linked to the changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2020 and the non-statutory Development Matters guidance 2020, to get everyone up to speed with the new expectations.
You can find the new webinars here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
If you miss the free webinars and you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member, you can watch them again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
.........................................................................................
Updated ‘Actions for early years’ guidance from dfE
The ‘Actions for early years’ guidance was updated on 22.9.2020. there is lots of new information to read and action in your risk assessments –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures. Some of it is not relevant for childminders such as ‘reopening of buildings’ and ‘music, dance and drama’ while other sections such as ‘journeys’ might be important to read. DfE say the changes to this version of ‘Actions for early years’ cover –
- The use and disposal of face coverings – not recommended in early years unless someone has symptoms
- Supervised toothbrushing programmes (section 3) – only for those settings who are part of the supervised toothbrushing programme.
- Process for local lockdowns (section 3) – you will need to keep a close eye on what’s happening locally
- Music, dance and drama (section 3)
- Maximising use of sites and ventilation within settings (section 3)
- Reopening of buildings (section 3)
- Journeys, such as pickups and drop offs (section 3) – walking where possible and cars are preferable to public transport
- Attending more than one setting (section 3) – it can happen if necessary for parents working patterns
- A child with symptoms attending a setting (section 3)
- Pregnant women (section 3) – useful if you or a staff member are pregnant
- Visitors to settings, including new admissions and settling in (section 3) – visitors are still not recommended; parents can now come in to settle their children but they must distance from other children and staff
- Use of outdoor private and public spaces (section 5)
- Informal childcare (section 5)
- Supporting children’s and staff wellbeing (section 6)
- New SEND legislation (section 6)
- EYFS disapplications ending on 25 September 2020 (section 7) – note that DfE have changed their minds and continued to disapply the Progress Check at 2. If you still want to complete the Progress Check or if a child needs a check to access further support, you will find free record keeping documentation here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/progress-check-at-2.
- Emergency first aid (section 7)
- The job retention bonus scheme (section 10)
.........................................................................................
Frequently asked question: what do I do if a child is sent home from school to isolate?
The latest DfE guidance for early years states: ‘Household members of those who are sent home do not need to self-isolate themselves unless the child or staff member who is self-isolating subsequently develops symptoms. If someone in a group that has been asked to self-isolate develops symptoms themselves within their 14-day isolation period, they should follow COVID-19: guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection. They should get a test.’
.........................................................................................
Frequently asked question: can childminders go out with more than 6 children?
DfE have confirmed that childminders can take children out in groups larger than 6 – and Ofsted clarify that providers must comply with the EYFS and stay within statutory ratios at all times. Whether you meet up with another childminder is your decision – a risk assessment must be completed and you should speak to parents to ensure they are happy with what you are doing. DfE also confirmed to Early Years Alliance that you must ‘remain socially distant (2m) from other people. They should ensure good hygiene throughout and thorough handwashing before and after the trip’. Thank you to the Early Years Alliance for clarifying this for us.
.........................................................................................
Emergencies ... what to do if a child needs to go to hospital
I have been speaking to Ofsted at length about emergencies such as children needing to be hospitalised.
**If you have a policy that says ‘I do this... that... the other’ then you have to follow it, every time, regardless of what might be happening.
**If you have a risk assessment (not necessarily in writing) that says ‘I will make a decision based on the circumstances’ then you are giving yourself the flexibility to make a judgement call, at the time, about what to do for the best.
So, if a child needs to go to the hospital, you risk assess and make every effort to contact parents / children’s emergency contacts to come and get them. If you need to make other arrangements, you do whatever you can ‘on the spot’ to keep everyone safe.
The only thing it says in the EYFS is that you must have parent emergency contact details ... and in Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sept 2020) that, where reasonably possible, you should have more than 1 emergency contact number for each child.
When making judgements about whether we have acted appropriately, Ofsted use the EYFS.
.........................................................................................
Reporting coronavirus cases
A new helpline has been opened for providers to use when reporting cases of coronavirus - to report a positive case, providers should contact the Department for Education Helpline on 0800 046 8687 and select option ‘1’. Also note that you must inform Ofsted – [email protected].
.........................................................................................
Safeguarding update from NSPCC
Taken from the NSPCC newsletter: NSPCC Learning has published the annual How safe are our children? report which compiles and analyses data from across the UK to show the current child protection landscape. The 2020 report focuses on statistics relating to abuse perpetrated against adolescents and an overview of emerging data on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the safety of all children and young people in the UK. Findings include: rates of police recorded physical, sexual and online abuse offences against adolescents are higher than rates against younger children; rates of adolescents in care are higher than rates for younger children, with the exception in some nations of infants under the age of one; and many of the risk factors associated with abuse and neglect have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/how-safe-are-our-children
.........................................................................................
Dental health and toothbrushing
Alongside the latest DfE guidance on the supervised toothbrushing programme, I note that the revised EYFS 2020 now refers to ‘dental health’ as and area that will be inspected by Ofsted. I also read this article in Nursery World magazine about concerns over children’s dental health post-lockdown - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/an-epidemic-of-tooth-decay-is-on-horizon-councils-warn.
Childcare.co.uk will publish some guidance for early years providers about how to introduce dental hygiene activities into play – and include information about how to share home learning ideas about dental hygiene with parents.
.........................................................................................
On my CPD list
My CPD list is ever-growing at the moment, with the changes to the EYFS 2020 and Development Matters 2020 at the top –
- I am working on a new series of webinars to discuss new expectations for the curriculum across all 7 areas of learning
- I have some reading to do on safeguarding including the new NSPCC report – when I train on safeguarding, I have to be as up-to-date as possible
- I want to find out more about how the brain works – it fascinates me! I will include this in my webinars on memory because Ofsted say that we must assess whether children ‘know and remember more’ and brain and memory development are a big part of this.
- I received a call from food hygiene wanting to do an inspection – my first ever! I told them ‘no’ they couldn’t come in but I am aware they might just turn up and they do have a legal right of entry so I want to double check what they can and cannot do if they knock on the door.
We must not let coronavirus cloud everything we do – we need to keep supporting each other and pushing our businesses forwards so we continue to deliver the best for every child and family. In these troubled times, that often means parking our anxiety over the future and getting on with the job in hand!
Chat soon, Sarah
September 2020 newsletter
Hi everyone! Happy September ... I hope you are ok and keeping well.
I have gathered together as much up-to-date information as possible for this newsletter and I hope you find it useful.
Please share widely so colleagues stay updated as well ...
Staff - job retention & redundancy
If you have a staff member and you re-employ them after the job retention scheme ends you might be eligible to claim under the 'Job Retention Bonus' scheme' - more information here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/job-retention-bonus/job-retention-bonus.
The Govt has also confirmed that if you made staff redundant while on furlough, they must be paid their full redundancy amount –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/furlough-and-redundancy/furlough-and-redundancy
........................................................................................................................
Staff – isolating after holiday
The Govt has also provided guidance for staff and employers on rights for staff who are self-isolating after coming back from holiday - if you have staff you will need to read it and pop it in your files -
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/self-isolating-after-returning-to-the-uk-your-employment-rights
........................................................................................................................
Back to school guidance
The Govt are starting a campaign to reassure parents that schools are safe for their children to go back next month - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-government-launches-campaign-to-reassure-parents-schools-are-safe.
This is a message from the chief medical officers to parents and staff about re-opening of schools ... this covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland...
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-the-uk-chief-medical-officers-on-schools-and-childcare-reopening
........................................................................................................................
If you have an out of school club, you will doubtless have seen the latest Govt guidance on whether you can reopen or not –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
Separate parent guidance was also produced –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
I know some out of school colleagues are very concerned about the future of their businesses, especially as schools are either not letting them re-open or taking over running the groups themselves. Nursery world report on some of the issues facing out of school provision –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-out-of-school-clubs-on-brink-of-collapse.
........................................................................................................................
Coronavirus – updated free poster
Childcare.co.uk have updated their FREE 'what to do if...' poster to show 10 days isolation instead of 7. Please download and share with your families and colleagues to help raise awareness!
https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/poster
........................................................................................................................
Autumn term funding payments
How are your local authority sharing out the funding payments in the autumn term? There are concerns that some local authorities are not following Govt guidance and paying providers unfairly. Early Years Alliance have written freedom of information requests to all Las to try and get to the bottom of this - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/alliance-files-foi-request-amid-concerns-over-childcare-funding-inconsistencies.
........................................................................................................................
Ofsted interim visits
Ofsted will be carrying out monitoring visits during the autumn term to providers who are currently graded inadequate or requires improvement with safeguarding actions. They have published guidance to the visits here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/interim-visits-registered-early-years-providers
You will find more information about the interim visits in my blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/getting-to-good
If you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member you can watch my webinar ‘getting to good’ here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
........................................................................................................................
EYFS learning and development requirements
Some of the learning and development requirements of the EYFS including the requirement to write / type 2 year progress checks are currently disapplied. We understand from Ofsted that DfE will be requiring them again from 25th September. This means that if a child is aged 2 – 3 years old from 25th Sept, you must write / type a 2 year progress for them, following the EYFS requirements; it also means you must use the whole curriculum as stated in the EYFS from Sept 25th.
........................................................................................................................
EYFS 2021 update
The EYFS has been updated and we have now seen it – however, we won’t be using it until September 2021 so plenty of time to get to grips with the changes. I am planning a series of webinars for Childcare.co.uk to support everyone. The revised version is here –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/896810/EYFS_Early_Adopter_Framework.pdf
We are also expecting an update to Development Matters at some point next month – I will update you as and when that happens. It’s important to reflect when you get the new DM – it’s not a tick list or an assessment list – it’s for planning your curriculum. We need to get away from ticking lists to track assessment and go back to trusting our professional judgement.
Reading the revised EYFS 2021, I note that the DfE have removed the requirement for teachers to report on the characteristics of effective learning from Sept 2021. Many feel this is a big mistake because it will water down the characteristics in the early years - but they are still statutory in the EYFS and still required by the Ofsted inspection handbook, so I don't see them disappearing any time soon. This is a well-written article by Dr Sue Allingham to read and reflect on for your CPD –
https://famly.co/blog/the-child/sue-allingham-characteristics-effective-learning/
........................................................................................................................
Consumer law and childminder contracts
CMA have released an ‘open letter’ – 20th July 2020 –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/904194/Open_letter_to_Nursery_and_Early_Years__settings.pdf.
Chidlcare.co.uk have released answers to frequently asked questions –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/cma-faq
I have blogged –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/consumer-law-and-contracts.
Basically, you cannot charge parents if you are closed / not offering a service. If you charge for, for example, coronavirus shutdown it must be a voluntary payment (I advise you to get that in writing and signed so parents cannot change their minds) and it must be fair and reasonable (not full fee).
........................................................................................................................
First aid requirements
The final date for updating out of date first aid certificates has changed from 30th Sept to 25th November 2020. You will find more information about the revised date in the latest update of the early years and childcare guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
........................................................................................................................
Safeguarding updates
NSPCC safeguarding newsletters are essential for keeping up-to-date with everything safeguarding and child protection related. You will find a useful collection of links here - https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/newsletter/email-subscriptions-safeguarding-child-protection.
........................................................................................................................
Nanny Ofsted registration
Do you think Ofsted should register nannies? There has been a call for it to happen for some time, especially as there is so much unregulated care in England. This article from Nursery World magazine discusses the issues –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/campaigners-issue-warning-over-unregulated-childcare-and-call-for-ofsted-registration-for-nannies
It also links to more information about the Regulation Matters campaign –
https://www.regulationmatters.co.uk/
........................................................................................................................
Updating your safeguarding policy
This is the time of year when practitioners typically look at their safeguarding policy and see if it needs to be updated. Of course, you shouldn’t wait a year for safeguarding updates – if something changes you need to be on it, straight away with some professional development and a quick update / re-write.
I have done a week of safeguarding recently with Kate from ‘The Safeguarding Association’ – full of useful information, some not relevant for childminders, but all designed to make you think! Then Cheshire East updated the model safeguarding policy (always look for a model policy on your LA website – you don’t need to reinvent the wheel) and it is 37 pages long ... so I’ve been working on that for myself and local colleagues.
Don’t forget to let parents know about changes and updates to safeguarding.
........................................................................................................................
Equality Act discussion
How does the Equality Act 2010 impact on staffing in settings? I aimed to answer questions about this during my recent Childcare.co.uk webinar on 'Staff Recruitment'. Webinar participants said the biggest impacts were on –
........................................................................................................................
Babies and coronavirus
How are babies coping with starting in childcare settings? This article suggests their learning and development has been seriously affected by coronavirus –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-lockdown-negatively-affected-babies-behaviour-and-development
Childminders comment that they are struggling to cope with settling in – often, they have not been held by anyone apart from parents and it is causing big problems with their attachment, despite sensitive key person transitions.
........................................................................................................................
Claiming the second self-employment grant
Are you going to claim the second self-employment grant? I don’t have an opinion – it’s totally up to you what you do / don’t do. Here are some links you might find useful –
Money Saving Expert discusses the options –
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/06/i-am-self-employed-but-confused-about-whether-i-can-claim-my-bus/
Link to claim –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-self-employment-income-support-scheme
........................................................................................................................
Childminders and toddler groups
Do you want to take children on outings to toddler groups? DfE have released information and Childcare.co.uk have updated their FAQs guidance. You will find more information here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminders-coronavirus-faq
Meanwhile, parents can now take children to soft play … while childminders are struggling to make sense of the required risk assessment so they can go to toddler groups! It really doesn’t make sense does it?
........................................................................................................................
Cases of coronavirus
A local (to me in the north west) Nursery group has dealt with an outbreak of coronavirus in a way which has gained respect from the entire early years sector. I know this group… they are part of the Ofsted Big Conversation north west steering group that I belong to… and I know they are very professional. I thought their story of how they have coped might inspire others –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/mulberry-bush-gains-praise-for-staying-open-amid-coronavirus-cases
........................................................................................................................
Upcoming webinars
I plan webinars months in advance – and then make changes if something changes or if colleagues ask me to look at something for them. with children coming back from lockdown I have received a lot of requests for behaviour support so I juggled things round and have 3 webinars –
New webinars are here – www.childcare.co/webinars.
If you want me to tackle any early years training subjects for October, please let me know!
You know where I am if I can help!
Chat soon, Sarah
I have gathered together as much up-to-date information as possible for this newsletter and I hope you find it useful.
Please share widely so colleagues stay updated as well ...
Staff - job retention & redundancy
If you have a staff member and you re-employ them after the job retention scheme ends you might be eligible to claim under the 'Job Retention Bonus' scheme' - more information here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/job-retention-bonus/job-retention-bonus.
The Govt has also confirmed that if you made staff redundant while on furlough, they must be paid their full redundancy amount –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/furlough-and-redundancy/furlough-and-redundancy
........................................................................................................................
Staff – isolating after holiday
The Govt has also provided guidance for staff and employers on rights for staff who are self-isolating after coming back from holiday - if you have staff you will need to read it and pop it in your files -
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/self-isolating-after-returning-to-the-uk-your-employment-rights
........................................................................................................................
Back to school guidance
The Govt are starting a campaign to reassure parents that schools are safe for their children to go back next month - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-government-launches-campaign-to-reassure-parents-schools-are-safe.
This is a message from the chief medical officers to parents and staff about re-opening of schools ... this covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland...
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-the-uk-chief-medical-officers-on-schools-and-childcare-reopening
........................................................................................................................
If you have an out of school club, you will doubtless have seen the latest Govt guidance on whether you can reopen or not –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
Separate parent guidance was also produced –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
I know some out of school colleagues are very concerned about the future of their businesses, especially as schools are either not letting them re-open or taking over running the groups themselves. Nursery world report on some of the issues facing out of school provision –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-out-of-school-clubs-on-brink-of-collapse.
........................................................................................................................
Coronavirus – updated free poster
Childcare.co.uk have updated their FREE 'what to do if...' poster to show 10 days isolation instead of 7. Please download and share with your families and colleagues to help raise awareness!
https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/poster
........................................................................................................................
Autumn term funding payments
How are your local authority sharing out the funding payments in the autumn term? There are concerns that some local authorities are not following Govt guidance and paying providers unfairly. Early Years Alliance have written freedom of information requests to all Las to try and get to the bottom of this - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/alliance-files-foi-request-amid-concerns-over-childcare-funding-inconsistencies.
........................................................................................................................
Ofsted interim visits
Ofsted will be carrying out monitoring visits during the autumn term to providers who are currently graded inadequate or requires improvement with safeguarding actions. They have published guidance to the visits here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/interim-visits-registered-early-years-providers
You will find more information about the interim visits in my blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/getting-to-good
If you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member you can watch my webinar ‘getting to good’ here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
........................................................................................................................
EYFS learning and development requirements
Some of the learning and development requirements of the EYFS including the requirement to write / type 2 year progress checks are currently disapplied. We understand from Ofsted that DfE will be requiring them again from 25th September. This means that if a child is aged 2 – 3 years old from 25th Sept, you must write / type a 2 year progress for them, following the EYFS requirements; it also means you must use the whole curriculum as stated in the EYFS from Sept 25th.
........................................................................................................................
EYFS 2021 update
The EYFS has been updated and we have now seen it – however, we won’t be using it until September 2021 so plenty of time to get to grips with the changes. I am planning a series of webinars for Childcare.co.uk to support everyone. The revised version is here –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/896810/EYFS_Early_Adopter_Framework.pdf
We are also expecting an update to Development Matters at some point next month – I will update you as and when that happens. It’s important to reflect when you get the new DM – it’s not a tick list or an assessment list – it’s for planning your curriculum. We need to get away from ticking lists to track assessment and go back to trusting our professional judgement.
Reading the revised EYFS 2021, I note that the DfE have removed the requirement for teachers to report on the characteristics of effective learning from Sept 2021. Many feel this is a big mistake because it will water down the characteristics in the early years - but they are still statutory in the EYFS and still required by the Ofsted inspection handbook, so I don't see them disappearing any time soon. This is a well-written article by Dr Sue Allingham to read and reflect on for your CPD –
https://famly.co/blog/the-child/sue-allingham-characteristics-effective-learning/
........................................................................................................................
Consumer law and childminder contracts
CMA have released an ‘open letter’ – 20th July 2020 –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/904194/Open_letter_to_Nursery_and_Early_Years__settings.pdf.
Chidlcare.co.uk have released answers to frequently asked questions –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/information/cma-faq
I have blogged –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/consumer-law-and-contracts.
Basically, you cannot charge parents if you are closed / not offering a service. If you charge for, for example, coronavirus shutdown it must be a voluntary payment (I advise you to get that in writing and signed so parents cannot change their minds) and it must be fair and reasonable (not full fee).
........................................................................................................................
First aid requirements
The final date for updating out of date first aid certificates has changed from 30th Sept to 25th November 2020. You will find more information about the revised date in the latest update of the early years and childcare guidance here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
........................................................................................................................
Safeguarding updates
NSPCC safeguarding newsletters are essential for keeping up-to-date with everything safeguarding and child protection related. You will find a useful collection of links here - https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/newsletter/email-subscriptions-safeguarding-child-protection.
........................................................................................................................
Nanny Ofsted registration
Do you think Ofsted should register nannies? There has been a call for it to happen for some time, especially as there is so much unregulated care in England. This article from Nursery World magazine discusses the issues –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/campaigners-issue-warning-over-unregulated-childcare-and-call-for-ofsted-registration-for-nannies
It also links to more information about the Regulation Matters campaign –
https://www.regulationmatters.co.uk/
........................................................................................................................
Updating your safeguarding policy
This is the time of year when practitioners typically look at their safeguarding policy and see if it needs to be updated. Of course, you shouldn’t wait a year for safeguarding updates – if something changes you need to be on it, straight away with some professional development and a quick update / re-write.
I have done a week of safeguarding recently with Kate from ‘The Safeguarding Association’ – full of useful information, some not relevant for childminders, but all designed to make you think! Then Cheshire East updated the model safeguarding policy (always look for a model policy on your LA website – you don’t need to reinvent the wheel) and it is 37 pages long ... so I’ve been working on that for myself and local colleagues.
Don’t forget to let parents know about changes and updates to safeguarding.
........................................................................................................................
Equality Act discussion
How does the Equality Act 2010 impact on staffing in settings? I aimed to answer questions about this during my recent Childcare.co.uk webinar on 'Staff Recruitment'. Webinar participants said the biggest impacts were on –
- Recruitment - staff do not have to declare they have, for example, disabilities or medical conditions during the recruitment process and managers cannot ask questions about any of the protected characteristics - https://elliswhittam.com/blog/job-interview-questions/.
- Reasonable adjustments - when staff declare they have protected characteristics, managers must make reasonable adjustments to support them in their work. For example, they must allow extra time for written work (if appropriate for the declared disability), be prepared to allow them to leave early for medical appointments, change the environment to allow them to move around freely or provide a suitable chair for the staff room if requested - https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/multipage-guide/examples-reasonable-adjustments-practice
........................................................................................................................
Babies and coronavirus
How are babies coping with starting in childcare settings? This article suggests their learning and development has been seriously affected by coronavirus –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-lockdown-negatively-affected-babies-behaviour-and-development
Childminders comment that they are struggling to cope with settling in – often, they have not been held by anyone apart from parents and it is causing big problems with their attachment, despite sensitive key person transitions.
........................................................................................................................
Claiming the second self-employment grant
Are you going to claim the second self-employment grant? I don’t have an opinion – it’s totally up to you what you do / don’t do. Here are some links you might find useful –
Money Saving Expert discusses the options –
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/06/i-am-self-employed-but-confused-about-whether-i-can-claim-my-bus/
Link to claim –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-self-employment-income-support-scheme
........................................................................................................................
Childminders and toddler groups
Do you want to take children on outings to toddler groups? DfE have released information and Childcare.co.uk have updated their FAQs guidance. You will find more information here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/childminders-coronavirus-faq
Meanwhile, parents can now take children to soft play … while childminders are struggling to make sense of the required risk assessment so they can go to toddler groups! It really doesn’t make sense does it?
........................................................................................................................
Cases of coronavirus
A local (to me in the north west) Nursery group has dealt with an outbreak of coronavirus in a way which has gained respect from the entire early years sector. I know this group… they are part of the Ofsted Big Conversation north west steering group that I belong to… and I know they are very professional. I thought their story of how they have coped might inspire others –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/mulberry-bush-gains-praise-for-staying-open-amid-coronavirus-cases
........................................................................................................................
Upcoming webinars
I plan webinars months in advance – and then make changes if something changes or if colleagues ask me to look at something for them. with children coming back from lockdown I have received a lot of requests for behaviour support so I juggled things round and have 3 webinars –
- Leuven scales – monitor children’s wellbeing and involvement in the setting
- Behaviour 1 – delivered this one Tues 25th – it was very popular with lots of engagement
- Re-framing behaviour 2 – due to be delivered Tues 1st August.
New webinars are here – www.childcare.co/webinars.
- Reframing behaviour – 1st August @ 7.30pm
- Safeguarding during inspection – Tuesday 8th August @ 7.30pm
- EYFS reforms – tracking progress – Tuesday 15th August @ 7.30pm
- EYFS reforms – a blended curriculum – Tuesday 22nd August @ 7.30pm
- Driving your business in a pandemic – Tuesday 29th August @ 7.30pm.
If you want me to tackle any early years training subjects for October, please let me know!
You know where I am if I can help!
Chat soon, Sarah
August 2020 newsletter
Hi everyone! How are you all doing? It’s been a quieter month ...
**A big guidance update from DfE –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
**Guidance from NHS on how test and trace works –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-workplace-guidance
**Ofsted updated Childcare.co.uk members with their plans for pre-registration inspections –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/ofsted-update-july-2020
Julian Grenier shared some information about the revised Development Matters - training will follow! ... see below -
https://theofstedbigconversation.co.uk/2020/07/27/the-national-obc-24-07-2020-recording-presentations/
I worked my way through a Hygge Wanderlust course and was genuinely disappointed when it finished -
https://www.hyggeintheearlyyears.co.uk/nature-study.
Maybe not too quiet then! It’s been lovely to be back at work – our little ones give me so much pleasure! Long may it continue.
Here are some updates for you...
Changes to the way Ofsted handle complaints
At the moment, when your report arrives, you only have 24 hours to note inaccuracies.
In the future, when Ofsted have updated its systems, you will have 5 days to respond to reports – so you can ‘review your draft report and raise any issues of factual accuracy and about the inspection process’ (quote from the Ofsted press release). This is a huge step forwards from Ofsted and a big positive. You can read more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-ofsteds-post-inspection-processes-and-complaints-handling
........................................................................................................................
Protecting children’s mental health
A number of studies have shown that children’s mental health is at risk due to coronavirus lockdown measures.
The British Medical Association comment here –
https://www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/population-health/mental-health/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-mental-health-in-england
The Anna Freud Institute’s recent report is here –
https://www.annafreud.org/insights/news/2020/07/working-with-naht-to-provide-guidance-for-pupil-s-mental-health-and-wellbeing/.
What can we do? We can help – to start with we need new starting points from parents to find out about the children’s lived experience at home; we then need to provide children with an age appropriate trauma informed curriculum – you can listen again to my webinars and find out more here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
........................................................................................................................
Latest financial information for childminders – updated 14.6.2020
I have updated guidance for childminders including information about the self-employed income support grant and new details about the staff furlough scheme. Childcare.co.uk are continuing to support childminders by lobbying the Government to get answers to your financial questions and more support for us all...
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/financial-support-for-childminders
I have also worked on the debt support guidance for Childcare.co.uk gold members who use Childcare.co.uk insurance – you will find the latest ‘Debt Management’ guidance here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork.
........................................................................................................................
Flexible furlough explained
It was introduced recently as the Govt’s way to help get people back to work – but what does the new ‘flexible furlough’ actually look like in practice?
From 1st July 2020, flexible furlough will be a new way to claim wages under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. There are some rules attached to the new scheme, including –
**You cannot furlough new staff – they must already have completed a full 3 week period of furlough
**The last date for reclaiming June furlough payments is 31st July
**The claim date for July payments is 1st July
The new rules state that, from 1st July, you can bring furloughed employees back to work for any amount of time and any shift pattern (part-time, term time only, mornings only etc) and –
**Pay their usual wage for hours worked – don’t forget the minimum wage went up in April
**Claim furlough for 80% of their normal working hours** not worked – using the February wage or average wage figure you calculated previously
You will need to ensure the new arrangement is explained to your employee and a new written agreement is in place. It will be important to keep a record of hours worked and hours furloughed along with the calculations you have used to make the claim – and evidence will need to be retained for 5 years.
**It is not going to be easy to work out ‘normal working hours’ – HMRC has provided some examples but you might want to consult and independent financial advisor if you are unsure.
........................................................................................................................
Continuous provision and coronavirus
I was listening to a podcast by Alistair Bryce-Clegg about continuous provision and how we can use it in settings moving forwards, given the risk of transferring bodily fluids on resources.
First, of course, we need to take a step back and get personal, social and emotional development right – key person, transitions etc. Then, when that is secure, we can look more closely at our pedagogy – our teaching strategies.
Daily routines should be a balance of adult-guided (some instruction) and child initiated (opportunities for free play). We need to look at our environments – the interesting and exciting resources we set out – our continuous provision and think about what happens when we are there – and what happens when we withdraw and children are playing independently.
We need to observe and see how children are using the continuous provision resources we make available to them – are they engaged and motivated – are they thinking? Or are they repeating previously learned, low level play? One of our jobs is to scaffold children’s learning through play so we need to provide them with new learning experiences that motivate, engage and encourage new thinking.
We need to ensure any continuous provision we provide for children is regularly and thoroughly cleaned. Some providers are setting up individual boxes of resources – others are cleaning between each group of children – if you only have one group or bubble, you might pop used resources in a box and do a big clean and sterilise at the end of the day.
You will find more information on the ABC Does website - https://abcdoes.com/.
........................................................................................................................
Can we use water and sandpits?
This is a frequently asked question on the Independent Childminders Facebook group. The DfE advice (from Health and Safety Executive) is, ‘public health advice is that, as sand pits cannot be thoroughly cleaned between uses, they should not be used at this time.’
However, the National Children’s Bureau (June 2020) says, ‘If a provider’s risk assessment demonstrated that sand pits could be used by one small, consistent bubble of children, that does not change during the day or on consecutive days, and no one outside the bubble would come into contact with it and the sand is replaced frequently, a provide may determine that they could use sand pits in a controlled way that managed risk in their setting. Providers should ensure that if children do use the sandpit they should wash their hands thoroughly before and after use.’
In our childminding setting, we use small cat litter trays. Each child has their own tray at the moment and we will continue like this until DfE guides us otherwise.
Water play is not included in the DfE planning for reopening guidance but Ofsted have commented previously on children sharing water for washing hands – and then inspectors ignore a group of children playing at the water tray!
The National Children’s Bureau have again waded into the debate with the following reply, ‘Providers must ensure that any toys and resources shared between groups of children are thoroughly cleaned between different groups’ use. If a water trough and associated resources are cleaned between different bubbles playing with them, they can be used in an early years setting’.
........................................................................................................................
Continuous provision during a pandemic
We all know the value of continuous provision resources – and the sad truth that many settings have removed lots of learning resources because, to quote the normal reason given, ‘they are too difficult for our staff to clean’. However, whether it’s sand or water or wooden toys or games with small parts or mark making resources or heuristic play baskets that we are thinking about removing from continuous provision, our first question should be: ‘What do the children need to learn?’
Our next question should be: ‘What resource will best support that learning?’
Instead of making knee jerk responses and putting all toys away, bear these two questions in mind and think about where you can resource across the 7 areas of learning, complementing indoor and outdoor learning experiences.
........................................................................................................................
**Ofsted inspections
The disapplications to the EYFS are expected to end on 25th September – and first aid must be renewed (if out of date) by the end of September. Ofsted have confirmed that normal inspections will re-start in January for childminders. Ofsted inspection priorities will be to finish the previous inspection cycle and re-inspect inadequate and requires improvement settings as well as continuing to deal with concerns / complaints.
The new education inspection framework (Sept 2019) will still apply –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
I will present some ‘preparing for Ofsted’ webinars between now and then, to help everyone get up to speed – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
........................................................................................................................
**Coronavirus policies and exclusion periods**
I have seen some very restrictive wording about exclusion periods in some childminder and group setting policies - that's fine if that's how you want to work. However, please can I urge you to take advice from your local authority coronavirus public health team if you are going to exclude a child for 14 days when parents say 'it's teething' or 'it was a one-off'.
This sort of policy is causing a lot of problems for parents trying to get back to work and may lead to parents making complaints about the exclusion to Ofsted. This can quickly escalate and you will want to be robust in your evidence that you followed local authority public health advice when making your exclusion judgements.
........................................................................................................................
**Doorstep hand-overs - positives and negatives**
Positives - my floors are cleaner (no mucky shoes traipsing in), my days are shorter (no long chats about their work problems), children are much better behaved (no confusion), new parents just go with the flow and accept it as the norm, parents are still engaging just in different ways, garden visits are working well...
Negatives - established parents say they miss the information sharing - despite WhatsApp through the day and random round-ups ... I do wonder how garden visits will work in the winter ...
I asked members of the Independent Childminders Facebook group about their positive and negative experiences – and whether they would go back to parents coming into the house IF it was eventually allowed after we've all been vaccinated? ...
While a lot of members said that it was the best thing for their businesses, others felt they were missing the connection with parents. As always in the early years, one size does not fit all!
........................................................................................................................
Planning new webinars
I have been very busy through lockdown and beyond planning webinars. I now have pretty much every week booked in from now until Christmas, with October half term taken as holiday. I have also canvassed colleagues and might add some Thursday webinars if required to train on new bits and bobs as they come up. I want to save 2021 webinars for getting to grips with the revised EYFS educational programmes and the revised Development Matters guidance (if that’s what it’s called when it finally arrives).
Please keep an eye on the www.childcare.co.uk/webinars page for updates - all webinars are FREE for everyone on the night they are presented. Gold childcare.co.uk members can watch again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
If you have any questions, please ask me!
Sarah | [email protected]
**A big guidance update from DfE –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
**Guidance from NHS on how test and trace works –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-workplace-guidance
**Ofsted updated Childcare.co.uk members with their plans for pre-registration inspections –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/ofsted-update-july-2020
Julian Grenier shared some information about the revised Development Matters - training will follow! ... see below -
https://theofstedbigconversation.co.uk/2020/07/27/the-national-obc-24-07-2020-recording-presentations/
I worked my way through a Hygge Wanderlust course and was genuinely disappointed when it finished -
https://www.hyggeintheearlyyears.co.uk/nature-study.
Maybe not too quiet then! It’s been lovely to be back at work – our little ones give me so much pleasure! Long may it continue.
Here are some updates for you...
Changes to the way Ofsted handle complaints
At the moment, when your report arrives, you only have 24 hours to note inaccuracies.
In the future, when Ofsted have updated its systems, you will have 5 days to respond to reports – so you can ‘review your draft report and raise any issues of factual accuracy and about the inspection process’ (quote from the Ofsted press release). This is a huge step forwards from Ofsted and a big positive. You can read more information here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-ofsteds-post-inspection-processes-and-complaints-handling
........................................................................................................................
Protecting children’s mental health
A number of studies have shown that children’s mental health is at risk due to coronavirus lockdown measures.
The British Medical Association comment here –
https://www.bma.org.uk/what-we-do/population-health/mental-health/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-mental-health-in-england
The Anna Freud Institute’s recent report is here –
https://www.annafreud.org/insights/news/2020/07/working-with-naht-to-provide-guidance-for-pupil-s-mental-health-and-wellbeing/.
What can we do? We can help – to start with we need new starting points from parents to find out about the children’s lived experience at home; we then need to provide children with an age appropriate trauma informed curriculum – you can listen again to my webinars and find out more here –
www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
........................................................................................................................
Latest financial information for childminders – updated 14.6.2020
I have updated guidance for childminders including information about the self-employed income support grant and new details about the staff furlough scheme. Childcare.co.uk are continuing to support childminders by lobbying the Government to get answers to your financial questions and more support for us all...
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/financial-support-for-childminders
I have also worked on the debt support guidance for Childcare.co.uk gold members who use Childcare.co.uk insurance – you will find the latest ‘Debt Management’ guidance here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork.
........................................................................................................................
Flexible furlough explained
It was introduced recently as the Govt’s way to help get people back to work – but what does the new ‘flexible furlough’ actually look like in practice?
From 1st July 2020, flexible furlough will be a new way to claim wages under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. There are some rules attached to the new scheme, including –
**You cannot furlough new staff – they must already have completed a full 3 week period of furlough
**The last date for reclaiming June furlough payments is 31st July
**The claim date for July payments is 1st July
The new rules state that, from 1st July, you can bring furloughed employees back to work for any amount of time and any shift pattern (part-time, term time only, mornings only etc) and –
**Pay their usual wage for hours worked – don’t forget the minimum wage went up in April
**Claim furlough for 80% of their normal working hours** not worked – using the February wage or average wage figure you calculated previously
You will need to ensure the new arrangement is explained to your employee and a new written agreement is in place. It will be important to keep a record of hours worked and hours furloughed along with the calculations you have used to make the claim – and evidence will need to be retained for 5 years.
**It is not going to be easy to work out ‘normal working hours’ – HMRC has provided some examples but you might want to consult and independent financial advisor if you are unsure.
........................................................................................................................
Continuous provision and coronavirus
I was listening to a podcast by Alistair Bryce-Clegg about continuous provision and how we can use it in settings moving forwards, given the risk of transferring bodily fluids on resources.
First, of course, we need to take a step back and get personal, social and emotional development right – key person, transitions etc. Then, when that is secure, we can look more closely at our pedagogy – our teaching strategies.
Daily routines should be a balance of adult-guided (some instruction) and child initiated (opportunities for free play). We need to look at our environments – the interesting and exciting resources we set out – our continuous provision and think about what happens when we are there – and what happens when we withdraw and children are playing independently.
We need to observe and see how children are using the continuous provision resources we make available to them – are they engaged and motivated – are they thinking? Or are they repeating previously learned, low level play? One of our jobs is to scaffold children’s learning through play so we need to provide them with new learning experiences that motivate, engage and encourage new thinking.
We need to ensure any continuous provision we provide for children is regularly and thoroughly cleaned. Some providers are setting up individual boxes of resources – others are cleaning between each group of children – if you only have one group or bubble, you might pop used resources in a box and do a big clean and sterilise at the end of the day.
You will find more information on the ABC Does website - https://abcdoes.com/.
........................................................................................................................
Can we use water and sandpits?
This is a frequently asked question on the Independent Childminders Facebook group. The DfE advice (from Health and Safety Executive) is, ‘public health advice is that, as sand pits cannot be thoroughly cleaned between uses, they should not be used at this time.’
However, the National Children’s Bureau (June 2020) says, ‘If a provider’s risk assessment demonstrated that sand pits could be used by one small, consistent bubble of children, that does not change during the day or on consecutive days, and no one outside the bubble would come into contact with it and the sand is replaced frequently, a provide may determine that they could use sand pits in a controlled way that managed risk in their setting. Providers should ensure that if children do use the sandpit they should wash their hands thoroughly before and after use.’
In our childminding setting, we use small cat litter trays. Each child has their own tray at the moment and we will continue like this until DfE guides us otherwise.
Water play is not included in the DfE planning for reopening guidance but Ofsted have commented previously on children sharing water for washing hands – and then inspectors ignore a group of children playing at the water tray!
The National Children’s Bureau have again waded into the debate with the following reply, ‘Providers must ensure that any toys and resources shared between groups of children are thoroughly cleaned between different groups’ use. If a water trough and associated resources are cleaned between different bubbles playing with them, they can be used in an early years setting’.
........................................................................................................................
Continuous provision during a pandemic
We all know the value of continuous provision resources – and the sad truth that many settings have removed lots of learning resources because, to quote the normal reason given, ‘they are too difficult for our staff to clean’. However, whether it’s sand or water or wooden toys or games with small parts or mark making resources or heuristic play baskets that we are thinking about removing from continuous provision, our first question should be: ‘What do the children need to learn?’
Our next question should be: ‘What resource will best support that learning?’
Instead of making knee jerk responses and putting all toys away, bear these two questions in mind and think about where you can resource across the 7 areas of learning, complementing indoor and outdoor learning experiences.
........................................................................................................................
**Ofsted inspections
The disapplications to the EYFS are expected to end on 25th September – and first aid must be renewed (if out of date) by the end of September. Ofsted have confirmed that normal inspections will re-start in January for childminders. Ofsted inspection priorities will be to finish the previous inspection cycle and re-inspect inadequate and requires improvement settings as well as continuing to deal with concerns / complaints.
The new education inspection framework (Sept 2019) will still apply –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif.
I will present some ‘preparing for Ofsted’ webinars between now and then, to help everyone get up to speed – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
........................................................................................................................
**Coronavirus policies and exclusion periods**
I have seen some very restrictive wording about exclusion periods in some childminder and group setting policies - that's fine if that's how you want to work. However, please can I urge you to take advice from your local authority coronavirus public health team if you are going to exclude a child for 14 days when parents say 'it's teething' or 'it was a one-off'.
This sort of policy is causing a lot of problems for parents trying to get back to work and may lead to parents making complaints about the exclusion to Ofsted. This can quickly escalate and you will want to be robust in your evidence that you followed local authority public health advice when making your exclusion judgements.
........................................................................................................................
**Doorstep hand-overs - positives and negatives**
Positives - my floors are cleaner (no mucky shoes traipsing in), my days are shorter (no long chats about their work problems), children are much better behaved (no confusion), new parents just go with the flow and accept it as the norm, parents are still engaging just in different ways, garden visits are working well...
Negatives - established parents say they miss the information sharing - despite WhatsApp through the day and random round-ups ... I do wonder how garden visits will work in the winter ...
I asked members of the Independent Childminders Facebook group about their positive and negative experiences – and whether they would go back to parents coming into the house IF it was eventually allowed after we've all been vaccinated? ...
While a lot of members said that it was the best thing for their businesses, others felt they were missing the connection with parents. As always in the early years, one size does not fit all!
........................................................................................................................
Planning new webinars
I have been very busy through lockdown and beyond planning webinars. I now have pretty much every week booked in from now until Christmas, with October half term taken as holiday. I have also canvassed colleagues and might add some Thursday webinars if required to train on new bits and bobs as they come up. I want to save 2021 webinars for getting to grips with the revised EYFS educational programmes and the revised Development Matters guidance (if that’s what it’s called when it finally arrives).
Please keep an eye on the www.childcare.co.uk/webinars page for updates - all webinars are FREE for everyone on the night they are presented. Gold childcare.co.uk members can watch again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
If you have any questions, please ask me!
Sarah | [email protected]
July 2020 newsletter
As the ‘new normal’ rumbles on, providers tell me they are coming to terms with the changes and adapting their practice. Childcare.co.uk are doing all they can to support everyone with as much free information as possible including a comprehensive ‘back to work toolkit’ which is free for everyone –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit
Reception baseline
A little bit of good news to share with parents – the Govt has done (another) u-turn on the reception baseline test they had planned for September and cancelled it until next year. It is considered by many to be a deeply flawed way of introducing our youngest children to their first months at school and there have been campaigns against it since it failed when they tried to introduce it a few years ago. You can read more in this article –
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/reception-baseline-assessment-introduction-delayed-to-2021
Virtual meeting with DfE
I took part in a meeting recently with DfE on behalf of Childcare.co.uk members - a number of other agencies and early years professionals were in attendance. We talked about different aspects of 'back to work' including the usefulness of the DfE guidance and how it has been translated in practice.
Further clarification was requested on a number of issues including -
- How much cleaning is reasonably expected? The feeling was that some settings are doing too much...
**DfE have now answered this question – see below
- Bubbles causing problems with children who attend 2 early years settings and continued sustainability
**DfE have stated that they still recommend 1 setting for children but they can attend 2 if required by parents
- Bubbles causing problems with school drop offs / collections
**DfE have now clarified in their updated guidance that childminders can collect from schools
- Financial concerns from September if bubbles aren't sorted out, especially as more parents are likely to come off furlough
**This is not specifically a DfE issue and Childcare.co.uk are continuing to lobby for support
- Lack of clarity about what PPE is needed and why
**DfE advise that PPE is only needed if a child has symptoms of coronavirus
- Trips and outings - DfE stated that these will be in the next guidance update
**DfE have included information about outings in the latest guidance - see below
- Disapplications to the EYFS - I made the point that most 2 year checks aren't valued and are only written because they are required by the EYFS
**DfE are reviewing the disapplications – we shall have to see what they say
- Disapplications to learning and development - I suggested that they were closely linked to Ofsted inspections - no news on when these might start up again
**I am speaking to Ofsted via the Ofsted Big Conversation North West steering group and will feedback when I have more information
- Disapplications to first aid – I don’t think this will go beyond 30th September (first aid to 30.9 - other disapplications to 25.9) although DfE do recognise the problems with finding courses, especially as group sizes are much smaller so keep us updated if you are having problems
**No news yet but I will continue to lobby for more support on this one.
- Changes to the EYFS - it was agreed we'd need plenty of time to work through them.
**We are still waiting to hear about the changes with 2 months to go ... and only 3 weeks before the end of term for many...
DfE are working on simple guidance to what to do if you have a confirmed case of coronavirus including who to contact – this might be useful.
**However, in the meantime, the poster signposted below has proved very useful for many colleagues.
I felt DfE were listening to the sector and useful points were made so hopefully we might see some more clarity soon about the areas we are worried about – however, please keep feeding me any nonsense coming out of Local Authorities because I can take it straight back to DfE for investigation.
**I am also keeping my blog updated with latest information. It is on the Independent Childmidners Facebook group as well but I pop it in my blog to keep it all together - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog.
Cleaning and coronavirus
Childcare.co.uk are also lobbying DfE hard to get answers to members frequently asked questions and had a ‘win’ last week with clarification about how much cleaning is enough to combat coronavirus in a setting. As a result, I was able to ask practitioners, ‘Are you cleaning too much? Is it taking over your days and evenings?’ and to share DfE clarification that 'normal cleaning methods do kill this virus' and you only need to follow the decontamination guidance and deep clean if there is a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus. Otherwise your normal cleaning routines are enough...
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings
More coronavirus guidance
The DfE has put all the early years and childcare current guidance on one page - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/early-years-and-childcare-coronavirus-covid-19.
There is some recently updated Government information to share with parents about early years and coronavirus, including guidance on supporting mental health and wellbeing here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-children-aged-2-to-4-to-learn-at-home-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
The Literacy Trust has created a useful wellbeing book list for children here –
https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/birth-4/childrens-wellbeing-booklist/.
There are some lovely activity ideas from Wildlife Trust here as well. We are much more of an outdoor setting now, after lockdown and we are always happy to be signposted to free information and support. The aim of these activities is to encourage practitioners and families to connect with nature, helping to support health and wellbeing –
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/looking-after-yourself-and-nature.
Updates to early years guidance
This DfE planning guidance was updated on 24th June 2020 – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
The main changes to the guidance are listed at the start along with the sections that you need to refer to if you want to read more. I have put updated information on the Independent Childminders Facebook group.
Financial issues
The latest Government self-employment grant is causing a lot of concern for many members because of the dates involved. To claim this second grant, you will have to be able to show, if audited, that you were losing money in July. This is a problem for many who are just starting to rebuild their childminding businesses and bringing in new children to try and work towards something like capacity.
The rules say, ‘If you’re eligible for the second and final grant, and your business has been adversely affected on or after 14 July 2020 you’ll be able to make a claim in August 2020.’
You should read the rules carefully before applying for this second grant –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme
Things to do if you think a child or staff member has coronavirus
Childcare.co.uk have taken my original, quite boring looking table and turned it into a new FREE ‘things to do if you suspect a child or staff member (including you) has symptoms of or is diagnosed with coronavirus’ (Covid-19). You will find a copy of the poster here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/poster
Hungry little minds
While the schools budget has been increased so every school has money to support children post-lockdown, early years has not been offered any extra funding. We have been told that we have access to the ‘Hungry Little Minds’ website instead. It might be useful to share the website link to this resource with parents – https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/.
Tiny happy people
While we are talking about a focus on communication and language - this is a good website to use as a practitioner and to share with parents – https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people.
We can also signpost this website to parents - https://www.eyfshome.com/ and use it to inspire activities in our own settings.
Early years safeguarding update
Safeguarding is always important – perhaps even more so now when we are losing contact with children for long periods and / or reintroducing them to the setting. I have written a blog which contains a round-up of latest safeguarding information and advice for all early years providers – https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/keep-safeguarding-updated.
Keeping Children Safe in Education – updated for September 2020
This government has published an update to the statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ for September 2020. The EYFS says that we must have regard to this guidance.
The main changes are in relation to the definition of safeguarding, managing allegations against supply teachers (not relevant for childminders) and the inclusion of an expectation to support children’s mental health.
Staff will need to read and confirm their understanding of part 1 of the document before September 2020.
If you care for older children, you might need to update your safeguarding policy to confirm awareness of the new version. The update comes into force in September 2020, so the current version remains in use until then. You will find the new version on the same page as the 2019 version of the document - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
Updates to EYFS and Development Matters
As far as we are aware, the updates to Development Matters are going ahead and will be ready to use from September 2020 (unless there is another u-turn). This will mean that the EYFS will also be revised to include the new Early Learning Goals. There might be other changes to the EYFS at the same time – I will keep everyone updated.
While the Early Learning Goals are not part of our early years remit, we will need to start using the new Development Matters areas of learning. We are keeping a close eye on this situation and will respond with guidance and webinar training as and when the new documents are made available.
A move from school readiness to...
Linked with this, you might have noticed that Ofsted are moving away from the term ‘school readiness’ and instead referring to ‘readiness for the next stage of learning’. This means readiness for, for example, starting reception class or for moving between rooms in a nursery or starting pre-school. You might need to change wording in information you share with parents to reflect this change.
You will find free guidance to share with parents for children who are starting school in September on this page of the childcare.co.uk website –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/starting-school-in-september.
Ofsted rolling update
You might want to keep an eye on the Ofsted website – the ‘rolling update’ is regularly updated with information - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update.
Note that Ofsted have started doing registration inspections for those waiting to be registered.
This guidance from Childcare.co.uk will support you during your registration inspection and beyond –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/how-to-register-as-a-childminder.
SEED study
The latest SEED study was released in February – it highlights included the importance of the home learning environment; a focus on children’s emotional health and wellbeing; settings and parents should prioritise communication and language.
The research found that funding has had an impact on good levels of development (GLDs) at the end of reception year at school. It is important you know what the GLDs are for your local area so you can focus your planning on, for example, communication and language or physical development in addition to supporting children’s prime areas of learning through your normal curriculum. You will find a copy of the SEED report here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/study-of-early-education-and-development-seed
Interview with Wendy Ratcliff
Wendy is a senior HMI at Ofsted – I consulted with her recently when I was involved in the Ofsted childminder webinar. You can listen to Wendy talking about the new inspection framework here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXKk373Yyv4.
Wendy has done a further interview about the new inspection framework with Famly here –
https://famly.co/blog/management/ofsted-early-years-wendy-ratcliff-interview
Can parents come into the house?
I am asked this question regularly - the short answer is ‘no’.
The longer answer is quoted from the latest DfE guidance for early years providers ‘Parents and carers should not be allowed into the setting unless this is essential, and children should be collected at the door if possible’ –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
You should consider how you manage show-rounds, settling in and doorstep arrivals and departures to keep yourself and everyone in your setting as safe as reasonably practicable while following this guidance.
Taking children on outings
We now have confirmation from DfE that early years providers can go on outings with small groups of children. The updated DfE guidance refers to the ‘guidelines for number of people who can meet in outdoor public places’ which includes details about social distancing from people outside your group and going outdoors in ‘small groups’ which is currently (26.6.2020) meeting with up to 6 people (this includes staff and children).
You should also note the DfE advice that 'walking is preferable' and if not possible then 'a private vehicle is preferable to public transport'. DfE consult with Health and Safety Executive before making changes to advice and it is always based on Govt latest information as well as best practice relating to health and safety. You can see the latest wording here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
Out of school clubs
More information about the re-opening of out of school clubs (not for childminders) in this Nursery World article – https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/holiday-and-out-of-school-clubs-to-open-from-4-july.
If you have any questions, please ask me! Chat soon, Sarah
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit
Reception baseline
A little bit of good news to share with parents – the Govt has done (another) u-turn on the reception baseline test they had planned for September and cancelled it until next year. It is considered by many to be a deeply flawed way of introducing our youngest children to their first months at school and there have been campaigns against it since it failed when they tried to introduce it a few years ago. You can read more in this article –
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/reception-baseline-assessment-introduction-delayed-to-2021
Virtual meeting with DfE
I took part in a meeting recently with DfE on behalf of Childcare.co.uk members - a number of other agencies and early years professionals were in attendance. We talked about different aspects of 'back to work' including the usefulness of the DfE guidance and how it has been translated in practice.
Further clarification was requested on a number of issues including -
- How much cleaning is reasonably expected? The feeling was that some settings are doing too much...
**DfE have now answered this question – see below
- Bubbles causing problems with children who attend 2 early years settings and continued sustainability
**DfE have stated that they still recommend 1 setting for children but they can attend 2 if required by parents
- Bubbles causing problems with school drop offs / collections
**DfE have now clarified in their updated guidance that childminders can collect from schools
- Financial concerns from September if bubbles aren't sorted out, especially as more parents are likely to come off furlough
**This is not specifically a DfE issue and Childcare.co.uk are continuing to lobby for support
- Lack of clarity about what PPE is needed and why
**DfE advise that PPE is only needed if a child has symptoms of coronavirus
- Trips and outings - DfE stated that these will be in the next guidance update
**DfE have included information about outings in the latest guidance - see below
- Disapplications to the EYFS - I made the point that most 2 year checks aren't valued and are only written because they are required by the EYFS
**DfE are reviewing the disapplications – we shall have to see what they say
- Disapplications to learning and development - I suggested that they were closely linked to Ofsted inspections - no news on when these might start up again
**I am speaking to Ofsted via the Ofsted Big Conversation North West steering group and will feedback when I have more information
- Disapplications to first aid – I don’t think this will go beyond 30th September (first aid to 30.9 - other disapplications to 25.9) although DfE do recognise the problems with finding courses, especially as group sizes are much smaller so keep us updated if you are having problems
**No news yet but I will continue to lobby for more support on this one.
- Changes to the EYFS - it was agreed we'd need plenty of time to work through them.
**We are still waiting to hear about the changes with 2 months to go ... and only 3 weeks before the end of term for many...
DfE are working on simple guidance to what to do if you have a confirmed case of coronavirus including who to contact – this might be useful.
**However, in the meantime, the poster signposted below has proved very useful for many colleagues.
I felt DfE were listening to the sector and useful points were made so hopefully we might see some more clarity soon about the areas we are worried about – however, please keep feeding me any nonsense coming out of Local Authorities because I can take it straight back to DfE for investigation.
**I am also keeping my blog updated with latest information. It is on the Independent Childmidners Facebook group as well but I pop it in my blog to keep it all together - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog.
Cleaning and coronavirus
Childcare.co.uk are also lobbying DfE hard to get answers to members frequently asked questions and had a ‘win’ last week with clarification about how much cleaning is enough to combat coronavirus in a setting. As a result, I was able to ask practitioners, ‘Are you cleaning too much? Is it taking over your days and evenings?’ and to share DfE clarification that 'normal cleaning methods do kill this virus' and you only need to follow the decontamination guidance and deep clean if there is a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus. Otherwise your normal cleaning routines are enough...
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings
More coronavirus guidance
The DfE has put all the early years and childcare current guidance on one page - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/early-years-and-childcare-coronavirus-covid-19.
There is some recently updated Government information to share with parents about early years and coronavirus, including guidance on supporting mental health and wellbeing here –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-children-aged-2-to-4-to-learn-at-home-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
The Literacy Trust has created a useful wellbeing book list for children here –
https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/birth-4/childrens-wellbeing-booklist/.
There are some lovely activity ideas from Wildlife Trust here as well. We are much more of an outdoor setting now, after lockdown and we are always happy to be signposted to free information and support. The aim of these activities is to encourage practitioners and families to connect with nature, helping to support health and wellbeing –
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/looking-after-yourself-and-nature.
Updates to early years guidance
This DfE planning guidance was updated on 24th June 2020 – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
The main changes to the guidance are listed at the start along with the sections that you need to refer to if you want to read more. I have put updated information on the Independent Childminders Facebook group.
Financial issues
The latest Government self-employment grant is causing a lot of concern for many members because of the dates involved. To claim this second grant, you will have to be able to show, if audited, that you were losing money in July. This is a problem for many who are just starting to rebuild their childminding businesses and bringing in new children to try and work towards something like capacity.
The rules say, ‘If you’re eligible for the second and final grant, and your business has been adversely affected on or after 14 July 2020 you’ll be able to make a claim in August 2020.’
You should read the rules carefully before applying for this second grant –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme
Things to do if you think a child or staff member has coronavirus
Childcare.co.uk have taken my original, quite boring looking table and turned it into a new FREE ‘things to do if you suspect a child or staff member (including you) has symptoms of or is diagnosed with coronavirus’ (Covid-19). You will find a copy of the poster here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/coronavirus/poster
Hungry little minds
While the schools budget has been increased so every school has money to support children post-lockdown, early years has not been offered any extra funding. We have been told that we have access to the ‘Hungry Little Minds’ website instead. It might be useful to share the website link to this resource with parents – https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/.
Tiny happy people
While we are talking about a focus on communication and language - this is a good website to use as a practitioner and to share with parents – https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people.
We can also signpost this website to parents - https://www.eyfshome.com/ and use it to inspire activities in our own settings.
Early years safeguarding update
Safeguarding is always important – perhaps even more so now when we are losing contact with children for long periods and / or reintroducing them to the setting. I have written a blog which contains a round-up of latest safeguarding information and advice for all early years providers – https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/keep-safeguarding-updated.
Keeping Children Safe in Education – updated for September 2020
This government has published an update to the statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ for September 2020. The EYFS says that we must have regard to this guidance.
The main changes are in relation to the definition of safeguarding, managing allegations against supply teachers (not relevant for childminders) and the inclusion of an expectation to support children’s mental health.
Staff will need to read and confirm their understanding of part 1 of the document before September 2020.
If you care for older children, you might need to update your safeguarding policy to confirm awareness of the new version. The update comes into force in September 2020, so the current version remains in use until then. You will find the new version on the same page as the 2019 version of the document - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
Updates to EYFS and Development Matters
As far as we are aware, the updates to Development Matters are going ahead and will be ready to use from September 2020 (unless there is another u-turn). This will mean that the EYFS will also be revised to include the new Early Learning Goals. There might be other changes to the EYFS at the same time – I will keep everyone updated.
While the Early Learning Goals are not part of our early years remit, we will need to start using the new Development Matters areas of learning. We are keeping a close eye on this situation and will respond with guidance and webinar training as and when the new documents are made available.
A move from school readiness to...
Linked with this, you might have noticed that Ofsted are moving away from the term ‘school readiness’ and instead referring to ‘readiness for the next stage of learning’. This means readiness for, for example, starting reception class or for moving between rooms in a nursery or starting pre-school. You might need to change wording in information you share with parents to reflect this change.
You will find free guidance to share with parents for children who are starting school in September on this page of the childcare.co.uk website –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/starting-school-in-september.
Ofsted rolling update
You might want to keep an eye on the Ofsted website – the ‘rolling update’ is regularly updated with information - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update.
Note that Ofsted have started doing registration inspections for those waiting to be registered.
This guidance from Childcare.co.uk will support you during your registration inspection and beyond –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/how-to-register-as-a-childminder.
SEED study
The latest SEED study was released in February – it highlights included the importance of the home learning environment; a focus on children’s emotional health and wellbeing; settings and parents should prioritise communication and language.
The research found that funding has had an impact on good levels of development (GLDs) at the end of reception year at school. It is important you know what the GLDs are for your local area so you can focus your planning on, for example, communication and language or physical development in addition to supporting children’s prime areas of learning through your normal curriculum. You will find a copy of the SEED report here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/study-of-early-education-and-development-seed
Interview with Wendy Ratcliff
Wendy is a senior HMI at Ofsted – I consulted with her recently when I was involved in the Ofsted childminder webinar. You can listen to Wendy talking about the new inspection framework here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXKk373Yyv4.
Wendy has done a further interview about the new inspection framework with Famly here –
https://famly.co/blog/management/ofsted-early-years-wendy-ratcliff-interview
Can parents come into the house?
I am asked this question regularly - the short answer is ‘no’.
The longer answer is quoted from the latest DfE guidance for early years providers ‘Parents and carers should not be allowed into the setting unless this is essential, and children should be collected at the door if possible’ –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
You should consider how you manage show-rounds, settling in and doorstep arrivals and departures to keep yourself and everyone in your setting as safe as reasonably practicable while following this guidance.
Taking children on outings
We now have confirmation from DfE that early years providers can go on outings with small groups of children. The updated DfE guidance refers to the ‘guidelines for number of people who can meet in outdoor public places’ which includes details about social distancing from people outside your group and going outdoors in ‘small groups’ which is currently (26.6.2020) meeting with up to 6 people (this includes staff and children).
You should also note the DfE advice that 'walking is preferable' and if not possible then 'a private vehicle is preferable to public transport'. DfE consult with Health and Safety Executive before making changes to advice and it is always based on Govt latest information as well as best practice relating to health and safety. You can see the latest wording here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
Out of school clubs
More information about the re-opening of out of school clubs (not for childminders) in this Nursery World article – https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/holiday-and-out-of-school-clubs-to-open-from-4-july.
If you have any questions, please ask me! Chat soon, Sarah
June 2020 newsletter
June newsletter
Goodness what a month May has been! There were government u-turns and confusions, trials and tribulations, tantrums and more ... and that was just on the daily briefing! I think that we have to move on from the nonsense as we prepare to go back to work and focus on what is important to us - ourselves, our families, our business sustainability.
Low Government funding has led to financial problems for a lot of providers. Now, after 10 weeks of lockdown we are ready to get back to work ... but we are finding some Local Authorities putting up barriers, some parents not returning, lots of concern about 'bubbles' and sustainability.
Go back to your business plan - look at where you are now and how long you can continue.
Do your risk assessment - use mine and scribble on it - or do your own.
Communicate with parents - what do they need? What can you offer? Work it out between you, keeping children's bubbles as small as possible. Explain you cannot social distance small children but you will do everything possible to keep safe - you will find more advice in the toolkit - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit.
Then, with all that tidied away in your head, you can focus on the children and staff, your day to day practice and working with parents, your new outside curriculum and having fun again!
Register to claim the 80% self-employment grant
If you haven’t already claimed, you are running out of time – give it a go and see if it works - https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/self-employment-support/enter-unique-taxpayer-reference
Things to note:
**It’s a grant, not a loan
**The maximum pay-out is £7500!!
**Maximum profit is £50k and you must earn more from self-employed income than other income
**You will have to confirm you have been adversely affected by lockdown
**You will have to add it to your tax return for 2020-21
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme
What next? Meanwhile, Childcare.co.uk are trying to get us more money to help us stay sustainable - https://www.childcare.co.uk/plea-from-early-years-sector.
A problem shared…
Tom Hardy reads ‘The problem with problems’ – how telling someone about your problem will help it to go away - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000hs1y/cbeebies-bedtime-stories-753-tom-hardy-the-problem-with-problems
The story – and the messages I received after sharing the story – led to me making up with a poem in my head which I shared on YouTube. I have received a lot of lovely positive comments –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfcc2uQaSt8&t
A little story called ‘Stay at home little rabbit’ written by a childminder for little ones to help explain the virus and what to do about going out –
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stay-at-home-little-rabbit/dp/B087SJT1PQ/ref=sr_1_1
Disapplications to the EYFS
From 24th April 2020, the DfE have relaxed some bits of the EYFS to support providers struggling with coronavirus, for example –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/updating-your-training
**Childcare.co.uk note that some providers are close to the 3 month extension now and are lobbying the Health and Safety Executive for more information - https://www.childcare.co.uk/plea-from-early-years-sector.
Group providers – there is a lot of information in the disapplication guidance about first aid and staffing requirements which you might want to refer to and clarify.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2/early-years-foundation-stage-coronavirus-disapplications
Keeping children safe at home
Share information with parents about staying safe at home. The most common concerns at the moment are related to –
https://www.capt.org.uk/top-tips-lockdown
Re-opening settings
This is how Denmark have opened nurseries – it’s useful to read through and adapt for your ways of working – https://famly.co/blog/covid-19/denmark-reopening-child-care-corona/
You will find my new FREE coronavirus risk assessment here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/covid19/risk-assessment.
Outside curriculum
DfE recommend outside is safer than inside - so how will you take your curriculum outside? What will your days look like in the garden? You will find 2 x outside themed webinars, free for gold Childcare.co.uk members to watch again, here - www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
Safeguarding notes...
My colleague Rachel Buckler from Health and Safety Solutions has written some safeguarding information for Famly –
https://famly.co/blog/covid-19/safeguarding-child-protection-lockdown/
Rachel also has a really useful free guide for childminders on how to have tricky safeguarding conversations with parents –
[email protected]
There is information here from NSPCC to share with parents –
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/talking-child-online-safety/
Supporting parents
The Nursery World magazine is running some articles on how providers might support parents who are struggling with children at home. This one is useful and includes some tips for helping children with strong emotions when they return to the setting –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-parents-need-help-with-managing-children-s-emotions.
There is this one as well – I am not keen on the title, I think 2 year olds are misunderstood not ‘terrible’ – but some of the contents might be useful when shared with parents –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/avoiding-the-terrible-twos-during-lockdown
So many changes – so much to share
I have been busy writing a series of new webinars for May and June – all the webinars are FREE on the night they are presented and capacity has been increased to ensure everyone who wants to take part can get a space.
Upcoming webinars will cover –
Gold childcare.co.uk members can watch again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
Re-starting work documents
I have written and written and written to support colleagues this last month. Childcare.co.uk have put it all into a ‘Toolkit for Childminders’ which I hope you are finding useful –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit.
I am asked regularly – ‘do I need a policy?’ Despite childminders liking and regularly feeling the need to write policies, there is no requirement for one. What you do need is a risk assessment – mine is in the toolkit for printing and scribbling on.
DfE guidance to re-starting work
It arrived on the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend – it’s raised a lot of questions but answered a few bits and bobs – there are still quite a few gaps given the timescale but ... here it is!
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-early-years-and-childcare-settings-from-1-june
Ofsted rolling update
Ofsted are still not doing routine inspections – they are keeping their ‘rolling update’ updated –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update.
If you have any questions, you know where I am.
Sarah
Goodness what a month May has been! There were government u-turns and confusions, trials and tribulations, tantrums and more ... and that was just on the daily briefing! I think that we have to move on from the nonsense as we prepare to go back to work and focus on what is important to us - ourselves, our families, our business sustainability.
Low Government funding has led to financial problems for a lot of providers. Now, after 10 weeks of lockdown we are ready to get back to work ... but we are finding some Local Authorities putting up barriers, some parents not returning, lots of concern about 'bubbles' and sustainability.
Go back to your business plan - look at where you are now and how long you can continue.
Do your risk assessment - use mine and scribble on it - or do your own.
Communicate with parents - what do they need? What can you offer? Work it out between you, keeping children's bubbles as small as possible. Explain you cannot social distance small children but you will do everything possible to keep safe - you will find more advice in the toolkit - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit.
Then, with all that tidied away in your head, you can focus on the children and staff, your day to day practice and working with parents, your new outside curriculum and having fun again!
Register to claim the 80% self-employment grant
If you haven’t already claimed, you are running out of time – give it a go and see if it works - https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/self-employment-support/enter-unique-taxpayer-reference
- Some aren’t working when they should
- Partnership returns are posing a big problem
- Keep trying if you know you are eligible
- Put in a request to have your claim investigated if it doesn’t work
Things to note:
**It’s a grant, not a loan
**The maximum pay-out is £7500!!
**Maximum profit is £50k and you must earn more from self-employed income than other income
**You will have to confirm you have been adversely affected by lockdown
**You will have to add it to your tax return for 2020-21
- You will pay tax on it if you are over the threshold @ 20% (2020 rate)
- You will pay NI on it if you are over the threshold @ 9% (2020 rate)
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme
What next? Meanwhile, Childcare.co.uk are trying to get us more money to help us stay sustainable - https://www.childcare.co.uk/plea-from-early-years-sector.
A problem shared…
Tom Hardy reads ‘The problem with problems’ – how telling someone about your problem will help it to go away - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000hs1y/cbeebies-bedtime-stories-753-tom-hardy-the-problem-with-problems
The story – and the messages I received after sharing the story – led to me making up with a poem in my head which I shared on YouTube. I have received a lot of lovely positive comments –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfcc2uQaSt8&t
A little story called ‘Stay at home little rabbit’ written by a childminder for little ones to help explain the virus and what to do about going out –
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stay-at-home-little-rabbit/dp/B087SJT1PQ/ref=sr_1_1
Disapplications to the EYFS
From 24th April 2020, the DfE have relaxed some bits of the EYFS to support providers struggling with coronavirus, for example –
- We must make ‘reasonable endeavours’ to comply with the learning and development requirements
- We no longer need to write a ‘Progress check at 2’ but it will need to be done when we return to work if the child is still between the ages of 2 and 3
- We must comply with the safeguarding and welfare requirements including ratios which remain the same, but there are some tweaks –
- Paediatric first aid – there is a 3 month extension to all childminder certificates which ran out after 16th March 2020; there is a suggestion that online courses will help providers to keep up-to-date in the interim.
https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/updating-your-training
**Childcare.co.uk note that some providers are close to the 3 month extension now and are lobbying the Health and Safety Executive for more information - https://www.childcare.co.uk/plea-from-early-years-sector.
- Safeguarding / child protection training – keep updated and review the Safeguarding Policy and Procedures to ensure all children are safe (see the link above).
Group providers – there is a lot of information in the disapplication guidance about first aid and staffing requirements which you might want to refer to and clarify.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2/early-years-foundation-stage-coronavirus-disapplications
Keeping children safe at home
Share information with parents about staying safe at home. The most common concerns at the moment are related to –
- Keeping safe online, especially if unsupervised
- Burns and scales from hot drinks
- Poisoning – washing tablets, chemicals left out, button batteries
- Road safety on daily walks
https://www.capt.org.uk/top-tips-lockdown
Re-opening settings
This is how Denmark have opened nurseries – it’s useful to read through and adapt for your ways of working – https://famly.co/blog/covid-19/denmark-reopening-child-care-corona/
You will find my new FREE coronavirus risk assessment here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/covid19/risk-assessment.
Outside curriculum
DfE recommend outside is safer than inside - so how will you take your curriculum outside? What will your days look like in the garden? You will find 2 x outside themed webinars, free for gold Childcare.co.uk members to watch again, here - www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
Safeguarding notes...
My colleague Rachel Buckler from Health and Safety Solutions has written some safeguarding information for Famly –
https://famly.co/blog/covid-19/safeguarding-child-protection-lockdown/
Rachel also has a really useful free guide for childminders on how to have tricky safeguarding conversations with parents –
[email protected]
There is information here from NSPCC to share with parents –
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/talking-child-online-safety/
Supporting parents
The Nursery World magazine is running some articles on how providers might support parents who are struggling with children at home. This one is useful and includes some tips for helping children with strong emotions when they return to the setting –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-parents-need-help-with-managing-children-s-emotions.
There is this one as well – I am not keen on the title, I think 2 year olds are misunderstood not ‘terrible’ – but some of the contents might be useful when shared with parents –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/avoiding-the-terrible-twos-during-lockdown
So many changes – so much to share
I have been busy writing a series of new webinars for May and June – all the webinars are FREE on the night they are presented and capacity has been increased to ensure everyone who wants to take part can get a space.
Upcoming webinars will cover –
- Child wellbeing – I thought it was important to do this one first – 26th May
- Restarting your business – 2nd June
- Coronavirus – staff training (also useful for childminders) – 9th June
- Coronavirus – curriculum planning – 16th June
- Coronavirus – welcoming new families – 23rd June
- Coronavirus – time management – 30th June
- Staff wellbeing (also for childminders) – 7th July
Gold childcare.co.uk members can watch again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
Re-starting work documents
I have written and written and written to support colleagues this last month. Childcare.co.uk have put it all into a ‘Toolkit for Childminders’ which I hope you are finding useful –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus-toolkit.
I am asked regularly – ‘do I need a policy?’ Despite childminders liking and regularly feeling the need to write policies, there is no requirement for one. What you do need is a risk assessment – mine is in the toolkit for printing and scribbling on.
DfE guidance to re-starting work
It arrived on the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend – it’s raised a lot of questions but answered a few bits and bobs – there are still quite a few gaps given the timescale but ... here it is!
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-early-years-and-childcare-settings-from-1-june
Ofsted rolling update
Ofsted are still not doing routine inspections – they are keeping their ‘rolling update’ updated –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofsted-coronavirus-covid-19-rolling-update.
If you have any questions, you know where I am.
Sarah
May 2020 newsletter
Every magazine I read – every article in my email inbox – they all talk about coronavirus.
For my own health, I’ve stopped reading about how many people are dying and the dire consequences of what is happening in the world and started to re-frame and think about –
**The survival rate – hard to find but it’s out there
**The clean air – did you know the ozone layer is mending itself?
**The beauty of birdsong in the morning – I wonder what they are saying?
**The cards, messages, flowers our little ones are sending us
**Reading books and singing songs to keep our tiddly peeps engaged with us
**The peace without planes going over every few minutes – we live on the flight path…
I think it is so important, in these difficult and often heart-breaking times, that we protect ourselves and our wellbeing as much as we can from the negativity all around us and try to find positive things to hold onto.
One day in the future, we will be welcoming little people through our doors again. Yes, I want the playroom to be ready for them so we are doing some decorating and tidying the toys and games … but I also want to be mentally ready for them. I don’t want to be so weighed down in negativity that I struggle to be happy for them… that’s why I will focus some upcoming webinars on mental health and wellbeing – for staff and children, to help us all feel more in control of what is happening right now, and help us prepare for re-starting work one day in the future.
FREE package of support for childminders
I am currently putting together a comprehensive package of support for childminders, which will be hosted on the Childcare.co.uk website. The package of support will include a free webinar to discuss a return to work risk assessment and a pack of return to work documentation and planning.
A new, free updated contract (written after taking legal advice) has already been added to the site - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/updated-contracts and there is lots more guidance to follow.
You can find my free webinars, presented for Childcare.co.uk, here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
BREAKING NEWS – CMA investigation
The Competition and Markets Authority is launching an investigation into businesses that are acting unfairly during the coronavirus outbreak – for example, businesses that are insisting on payment even when they are closed. The CMA are reported as saying: ‘Businesses should also not be profiting by “double recovering” their money from the government and customers.’ The CMA has identified 3 sectors of particular concern - weddings and private events, holiday accommodation, and nurseries and childcare providers. The issue is if you are closed and forcing parents to pay for a space when the Govt has put other support into place such as being allowed to retain funding, claim furlough for staff (a percentage depending on how much funding is retained), access to Universal Credit and the self-employment grant -
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/competition-and-markets-authority
Childcare.co.uk has commented with some support for childminders worried by this latest news - https://www.childcare.co.uk/covid19/charging-parents.
Will pre-school children be ready for school?
Will school be ready for this cohort of children? I think this is the most important question!
They will be very different from last years’ cohort. Some children will be rich in home-learning experiences which will not necessarily be the skills nurseries, pre-schools and childminders would have been teaching them in the run-up to starting school; other children may need a lot of support to settle into their new routines.
Teachers will need to focus on personal, social and emotional development – settling in, supporting transitions, self-control, concentration, making friends etc …
I am doing some work with Childcare.co.uk to promote school readiness over the coming months. I am writing a series of little booklets for parents and practitioners – easy to access, quick to read and relevant for all early years children who are waiting for the big transition to school in September.
Free tips for starting school here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/starting-school-in-september. This will build into a comprehensive resource so check back regularly for more downloads.
Back to school is in best interests of children?
Meanwhile, while we all focus on children’s personal, social and emotional development and build crisis management into our planning, Amanda Spielman, Ofsted chief, has told the Government that it’s in children’s best interests to get them back into school as soon as possible.
Apparently, they are all at risk of falling behind – perhaps staying alive and healthy should be more important than education in these troubled times? Hopefully, the Department for health are also advising the Government and saying she is very wrong.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52373829
Are you or any of your parents home-schooling?
I shared this with our parents and there was positive feedback. It is a light-hearted take on the current crisis facing many parents trying to teach children in a home environment –
https://newsthump.com/2020/04/01/ofsted-puts-home-school-into-special-measures/
Professional development
I have been doing lots of courses – short ones mostly – to keep my professional development bouncing. I am also still delivering weekly term-time webinars to share ideas with colleagues – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
One of the professional development opportunities I have been doing, courtesy of my father in law in Canada, are webinars presented by Canadian early years professionals. I have thoroughly enjoyed doing them and I am sure some of the information will find its way into my own presentations.
Coronavirus policy – do you need one?
I can’t think what you would write in one, to be honest. This is an exceptional time of our lives and we haven’t been able to plan for it – we have simply been forced to do what the government are telling us – and, let’s be honest here, the government sometimes seems to be making it up as they go along.
What I have been working on are my risk assessments for when I am able to work again.
I want to ensure, for example –
- Hand washing facilities and hand sanitiser are in every room
- Toys and surfaces are deep cleaned
- Everything that will go through the washing machine is hot washed
- Parents understand why doorstep handovers are essential from now onwards
- Sickness policies are shared with parents etc…
BBC Bitesize
From the 20th April 2020, BBC Bitesize are releasing 14 weeks of fun for children – I think that tells us a lot about projected timescales for lockdown, given it is sponsored by DfE.
You will find more information here - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/what-s-on-offer-for-children-and-families-learning-at-home-together.
**Share the link with parents – they might be grateful to access a few organised activities with their children if they are working from home.
Books for children who are worried
The NSPCC has put this book list together and it will help me when I am planning reading sessions for my little ones when we eventually get back to work –
https://library.nspcc.org.uk/HeritageScripts/Hapi.dll/retrieve2.
Staying sustainable
It’s a worrying time financially as well as health-wise for many childminders –
- If you have nothing – claim universal credit
- If you already get tax credits – tell them your income has dropped
- Ask for payment holidays on mortgages, car payments etc
- Ask for reduced payments on household bills
- If you receive funding for your 2, 3, or 4 year olds, it will help in the short-term
- You may be eligible for the 80% self-employment grant – bear in mind it’s 80% of net which is very little for many childminders
- Furlough your staff (if you have them) so you can claim back 80% of their wage – remember you have to pay holiday pay and any pension entitlement
Are parents supporting you? Some are – some are less keen – others have asked for refunds for missed hours at the end of March. It’s a very tough time for everyone and people react very differently to stress. A lot of childminders are looking at the long-term impact of a lengthy closure and wondering just how they will pay their bills in a few months’ time.
Relaxing the EYFS
After repeated calls from the sector to relax some aspects of the EYFS while we are in lockdown and beyond, to ease pressure on settings (especially if closed), the Government has acted. More information about the changes to the EYFS (which are now in legislation, so you can follow them) in this article from Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/government-confirms-eyfs-relaxations-for-coronavirus-outbreak
Also bear in mind, you don’t need to do transition reports or termly reports or summaries of learning – you don’t need written observations or assessments beyond the 2 year check (and that’s on the ‘relax’ list).
What are colleagues asking?
As most of my readers know, I am the admin on the Independent Childminders Facebook group – where we offer support for all childminders who are Ofsted registered and independent of agencies. Members are asking lots of questions at the moment about the future – how they will manage re-starting their businesses and the changes they are going to make.
I have some webinars planned already – I always try to keep one step ahead! Keep an eye on the webinar list here for more updates –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Your wellbeing
Anxiety is common at the moment – but it’s important to remember that anxiety is when you worry about something that hasn’t happened yet. Instead of focusing too far ahead, remember to look at yourself today and what you need to do to stay healthy and mentally well. For me, it’s doing my writing every day to keep my brain active, a few professional development courses through the week – listening to my music and going for daily walks. I’m not sleeping very well but I am sure that will improve when things have settled down a bit – in the meantime, I am making the most of the extra time!
Testing for coronavirus
Childminders are classed as key workers and can request a coronavirus test if they think they have the virus. More information here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-testing-extended-to-early-years-workers-and-teachers.
Furloughing staff
Did you claim furlough? I was so proud of myself when I managed to put my claim in last week – and the money arrived exactly a week later which was a relief. Bear in mind staff still accrue holiday while they are furloughed so you have to pay that percentage of their wage out of your own money.
If you need any support with furlough, especially given the government u-turn which now means you have to use some of the local authority funding payment to pay for furloughed staff, then you should speak to an accountant who understands how it works for clarification of the rules.
The Government u-turn has meant that some nurseries and childminders have had no alternative but to return to work, often much earlier than they feel safe – or they have had to give notice to staff. It’s a dreadful situation when we already have enough to worry about – Early Years Alliance are fighting it for us, but they don’t seem to be getting far yet.
You will find more information about furlough here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wages-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.
Coronavirus training
I did a free training course recently – it’s written for care homes but most of the information is very transferable to the early years and resonates with large and small settings. You can find it here - https://yourhippo.com/.
There are some questions at the end and you can download a certificate for your professional development file.
Safeguarding during lockdown
You can read my latest blog here –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/safeguarding-and-coronavirus.
One of my Ofsted Big Conversation north west colleagues, Rachel Buckler from Early Years Hub, has written a blog for Famly magazine –
https://famly.co/blog/covid-19/safeguarding-child-protection-lockdown/.
**BREAKING NEWS - Rachel has put together a special offer safeguarding pack for childminders - you can email her to find out more information -
[email protected]
New from Childcare.co.uk
In addition to the new ‘preparing for school’ guides which will build up over the coming weeks and months as inspiration hits me, you will also find –
- Key worker certificate - https://www.childcare.co.uk/certificate
- Guidance on updating training - https://www.childcare.co.uk/news/updating-your-training
- Free updated contract and fees policy - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/updated-contracts
- Starting school guides - https://www.childcare.co.uk/starting-school-in-september
Some childminders have also received a special certificate of excellence as well!
It’s been a busy month and we will make sure, by the time we do go back to full-time work, that you have a full pack of information for yourself, your business and sharing with parents. the information will be from –
- FREE Information Guides
- FREE leaflets and booklets
- FREE webinars ... again, watch this space for more information!
Training and consultancy support
I have a new little Facebook group to offer training and consultancy support – I sometimes post new documents in there for review as well as ideas for sharing information with parents / children through lockdown and beyond.
If you would like to join and share professional development ideas or if you want some consultancy support, the link is here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/639682502856171.
I hope you have found this newsletter useful and informative. Please ask if there is anything you want me to research for you.
Talk soon and stay safe, Sarah.
April 2020 newsletter
Wow what a month!
We’ve gone from happy March to despairing April in one fell swoop as the government closes us down … then tells us we can stay open for children of critical workers … then effectively closes us down again by scaring parents and providers witless by telling them they can’t go out! It’s a worry for many and not easy to manage for many but we will get there if we all pull together.
I have removed a lot of my content from this newsletter – nobody wants to read about Ofsted inspection just now, especially since they’ve stopped inspecting for a while. I am instead focusing on the impact of the shutdown and how we can do our best to manage the current stressful situation.
There is a lot of good information sharing on the Independent Childminders Facebook group. Admins are working tirelessly to deal with hundreds of posts – sometimes answering individually by message and other times putting them on the group without swamping it with funny puppies or panic questions – many of which seem to come in waves!
The situation with coronavirus seems to be changing day by day. It is important to use trusted sources of information such as the Gov.uk and Public Health England website. The DfE has opened a helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education.
Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline: 0800 046 8687. There is also a dedicated email - [email protected].
Ofsted and coronavirus
As I said in my introduction, Ofsted have closed for a while for normal inspections and have confirmed there is a 3 month stay on first aid courses. They have also said that childminders can be flexible with ratios (up to a maximum of 6 children under 8) to support the families of critical workers, especially useful in these difficult times. Information about critical workers – and more – here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
They said at one point we needed to tell them about closures – but rapidly changed their minds when they realised just how many emails that would generate. Now the advice is: Ofsted do not want to know about continuing to work … Ofsted do not want to know about coronavirus closures … Ofsted DO want to know if you are shutting for good – [email protected].
Keep an eye on the Childcare Registration Facebook page – there was a nice little message from Gill Jones on there recently –
https://www.facebook.com/ChildcareRegistration.
Coronavirus updates
The updates came thick and fast through the last week and seemed to change by the hour. Admins on the Independent Childminders Facebook group are trying to keep everyone updated as much as possible. There is a pinned thread every day and we encourage members to post their coronavirus questions there so everyone else can read them and access the information / replies.
In addition, I have delivered a webinar for Childcare.co.uk which is available now for gold members to watch / listen again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
To open or to close?
It really is up to you – the government has said they are keen for providers to stay open for the children of critical workers – but the PM’s speech on Monday night (only go out if you have to – stay at home), coupled with the fact that Mr Keep Washing Your Hands himself now has coronavirus himself raises a lot of questions about the wisdom of his advice.
Risk assess and think about the risk to you and your family and the children and their families – can you be sure, for example, that children and their families are not coming into contact with the virus elsewhere? Also think about your finances – are you better applying for universal credit or keeping working?
How to explain coronavirus to children
This is a lovely little booklet which helps to talk through coronavirus with the children called ‘The Big Bad Bug’. It is free and linked from the Childcare.co.uk Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/childcareuk/posts/10157553526724843.
The impact of this lockdown on the children will be seen for a while I think – they are at home having a lovely time just now, but as their routines are further disrupted many might struggle to re-settle into childcare. A quick WhatsApp message, phone call, recording of you singing their favourite song or reading a book etc may help them to feel connected to the setting.
Of course, some children are not having a lovely time – if they are isolated, frightened or vulnerable they might be having an awful time and it doesn’t take much for a family to go from secure to vulnerable – a missed wage might, for example, throw them into financial hardship (as is happening for many childminders). Keeping in touch with your families allows you to signpost local food banks and other support networks which might make all the difference.
Tips for your financial security
It’s going to be hard going over the coming months, trying to keep finances straight while not earning – or not earning as much as expected. Here are some tips from me and colleagues to help you –
- Make a list of financial commitments – monthly and annual – and prioritise
- Ask for a mortgage holiday
- Speak to your gas and electricity supplier – I halved my payments after a quick online chat – or use USwitch to see if there’s a better deal for you
- Can your car HP finance be flexible?
- Declutter and sell things online *be aware of your personal safety and social distancing
- Water and council tax might be willing to cut payments in the short term
- Shop around for TV and phone contracts – ask your current supplier for a lower price first
- Go through your direct debits and standing orders – what do you need (not want – need) to pay?
- Check your gym membership has stopped taking money while they are shut
- No new clothes, shoes or household goods until this situation has resolved and some money is coming in
- If you pay for instant ink, are you paying too much
- Do you have any subscriptions you can cancel – magazines etc
- Turn off printers, microwaves and other electrical appliances overnight – standby costs money
- Cancel cleaners and window cleaners if you cannot afford to use them
- Ask parents if they are happy to keep paying you a percentage of your bill – respect their choice
- You can keep the 2, 3 and 4 year old funding if you are due any – get the code in quickly!
- Put 30% of the childcare grant away as soon as you get it so you can afford the tax and NI class 4 you will be charged on it when you add it to your tax return next year…
- Check your overdraft and what it costs – do the maths - you might be better asking for a loan
- Know what you earn and what you spend – and cut back on spending as much as possible
- Shop around for the best mobile phone deal
- Take control of your food shopping budget – write menus and stick to them – never shop for food when you are hungry
- Do you have any savings you can use to tide you over? It’s now a rainy day…
- Turn the heating off / down during the day now it's getting a bit warmer and wear layers / thick socks
- If you owe money, tackle it head on – be honest with the lender and talk through your options
- Shop around when renewing car or house insurance for the best deal
**Don’t forget, until we hear any differently, we need to keep insurance, Ofsted and ICO payments up to date as a condition of our registration**
Useful information here from the money advice service - https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/coronavirus-what-it-means-for-you.
The new self-employed income support scheme
The Government is offering the self-employed a grant (not a loan that is paid back) -
**Childminders got a mention! Our campaign has obviously reached the chancellor**
- The Govt will pay self-employed 80% of average monthly profits (net income - not gross) calculated over the last 3 years (newbies see below)
- It's a taxable grant!! You won't need to pay it back...
- You can continue to do business and get the grant
- We already know we can keep any funding as well (if relevant to you)
- If you are eligible, you will be contacted by HMRC
- There will be a ‘simple form’ to complete to claim the grant
- The money should start coming through by the beginning of June
- You may still be eligible if you have a second income as long as the majority of your income is from self-employment
- If you are stuck financially now you need to apply for Universal Credits – note UC will take at least 6 weeks to come through
- If you haven't filed your tax return yet from January (not this years tax return – last), you need to get it in now!
- If you don't have 3 years of accounts they will look at whatever you do have - if you have 3 years they will average it out - you must have submitted at least one tax return though!
- Tax contributions for self-employed will have to go up in the future… we don’t know how much yet.
**Note** - we don’t have all the details yet, but we do know that you don't need to do anything! HMRC will contact you...
Informing parents about the income support scheme
I have been open and honest with our parents ever since this crisis started so I wanted to think about how to share information with them that I will be getting a self-employed income support grant from the govt to help with my sustainability. If parents are being kind enough to contribute to your income while you are unable to work, they might feel that the grant takes the place of their fees or that you can afford to repay them their fees when the grant comes through.
The first thing to note is the grant is based on my net income - and they all know I invest very heavily in my business, regularly buying books and other inside and outside resources, taking children on outings that are not always passed on in invoices, paying for a staff member to support their child, buying quality food for their child etc ... so my net is going to be quite low.
The other main thing to share with them is that this grant will be taxed (-20%) and probably subject to class 4 NI (-9%) and the chancellor said they will be putting up our HMRC costs to pay for his generosity, so by the time it goes on my tax return it will be worth a lot less than 80% to me - probably less than 50% of my net.
I hope they will see that I still need their support during this dreadful time, if they can afford to help or keep getting benefits towards my fees. If they can't help, that's absolutely fine and I respect their decision.
I hope this supports colleagues when talking to parents.
If you employ staff
Staff can benefit from the government’s furlough scheme. First you need to lay them off – if they don’t have a lay-off clause in their contract, add one (nothing fancy – just saying you reserve the right to lay them off for exceptional reasons or if you run out of money / children) and ask them to sign to confirm they are happy with the change to their contract. Then, lay them off and, when it comes online, you will be able to apply for the furlough scheme payments of 80% towards their wages.
Note 3 things – 1. You still need to pay them at the usual time; 2. You still need to pay holiday pay, even when they are not working and 3. The minimum wage is going up to £8.72 from April.
**Note – we don’t have all the detail yet – it is a case of ‘watch this space’. You will find some useful information here -
https://www.burnetts.co.uk/blog/the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-furloughed-workers.
Professional development
Now is the time – if you have time on your hands of course – to get on top of your CPD. I will continue to present my webinars every term time week through April – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
I think there’s a balance between having a break, doing too much and letting your brain go to mush. If you normally update your policies in April ... update them… don't let things slip, but equally give yourself some time to enjoy the weather, read a book, do the gardening, deep clean etc.
I have been asked a lot about safeguarding updates so I wrote the following thread which I hope inspires colleagues –
I often read posts asking - 'how often should I update my safeguarding training?' The answer is 'regularly and when something changes'. Safeguarding training is not just about going on a Local Authority training course every 2 or 3 years, it's about embedding knowledge and awareness of risks and regularly checking for new information. For example, your ongoing CPD might involve -
- Reading information on this or other groups about a new safeguarding threat and looking them up online
- Changing the contact phone numbers on your policy - I make a note to check my local authority website monthly to see if there is any new information
- Ensuring you have 2 emergency contact details for each child following a recent serious case review which said that one emergency contact is not enough to keep children safe
- Learning more about 'upskirting' which is now classed as sexual abuse -
https://thekeysupport.com/insights/2019/07/30/safeguarding-changes-from-september-2019/
- Finding out about what older children will learn at school in the new relationships, health and sex education lessons so you are ready if they ask questions
- Sharing information you have found about keeping children safe online with parents
- Checking something that concerns you on the Brook Sexual Behaviours website and sharing information with parents to reassure them -
https://legacy.brook.org.uk/our-work/category/sexual-behaviours-traffic-light-tool
- Researching 'county lines' risks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PiGLge5JxY
- Learning more about 'bruising on babies' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSGgpFdvWpA&fbclid=IwAR2xxFs63vI-SUfovMHiDVlmOFm6Raz5Eu5bbi6NKmXB25XBZNeyrmlQAvU
- Updating your safeguarding policy to reflect the change from local safeguarding children boards to local safeguarding partners
Don't wait 2 / 3 years to update your CPD - stay informed and be ready with the answers when asked by an Ofsted inspector or parent ... know what to do if you are worried about a child.
Childminder activity packs – can be used with your own children…
We were happy to receive a ‘3 little pigs’ craft set to evaluate from Childminder Activity Packs, which we used as part of our World Book Day planning.
https://childminderactivitypacks.com/
The pack contains everything you need to sequence the story of the 3 little pigs, including 3 little houses with hay, sticks and bricks stickers, 3 little pigs with faces and clothes to glue in place and a big bad wolf – all you need to add is some glue and, of course, a copy of the book and away you go!
I am a big advocate of not losing sight of the meaning of World Book Day – it’s not about spending money on dressing up costumes, it’s about immersing children in quality stories. We used ‘3 Little Pigs’ to teach sequencing, number, size, shape and much more … the children used straws to experiment with ‘huffing and puffing’ and blowing things across the floor … they mixed pink using red and white paint … they made their own paper plate pigs to retell the story during role play.
The ‘3 little pigs’ pack from Childminder Activity Packs enhanced their learning and helped them make links in their learning when they were crafting and later when I used them to tell the story, challenging the children to remember what happened next.
We will laminate the houses, pigs and wolf and leave it for the older children to explore next week…
Thank you to Childminder Activity Packs for your kind gift. Sarah and team.
Websites such as this one are great for activity ideas if you are running out - https://modernpreschool.com/preschool-on-the-go/. Don't forget the monthly planning on Childcare.co.uk either - I will keep it going to help everyone - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
It is a very worrying time for everyone and I don’t think it’s going to improve any time soon. We need to stick together – respect that sometimes admin make a mistake and refuse your post when they meant not to – wait for the correct information rather than believing every rumour you come across on social media – and try to enjoy your time off work if you can.
You know where I am if I can help and Childcare.co.uk are keeping this page of FAQs updated - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus.
Chat soon, Sarah.
We’ve gone from happy March to despairing April in one fell swoop as the government closes us down … then tells us we can stay open for children of critical workers … then effectively closes us down again by scaring parents and providers witless by telling them they can’t go out! It’s a worry for many and not easy to manage for many but we will get there if we all pull together.
I have removed a lot of my content from this newsletter – nobody wants to read about Ofsted inspection just now, especially since they’ve stopped inspecting for a while. I am instead focusing on the impact of the shutdown and how we can do our best to manage the current stressful situation.
There is a lot of good information sharing on the Independent Childminders Facebook group. Admins are working tirelessly to deal with hundreds of posts – sometimes answering individually by message and other times putting them on the group without swamping it with funny puppies or panic questions – many of which seem to come in waves!
The situation with coronavirus seems to be changing day by day. It is important to use trusted sources of information such as the Gov.uk and Public Health England website. The DfE has opened a helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education.
Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline: 0800 046 8687. There is also a dedicated email - [email protected].
Ofsted and coronavirus
As I said in my introduction, Ofsted have closed for a while for normal inspections and have confirmed there is a 3 month stay on first aid courses. They have also said that childminders can be flexible with ratios (up to a maximum of 6 children under 8) to support the families of critical workers, especially useful in these difficult times. Information about critical workers – and more – here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
They said at one point we needed to tell them about closures – but rapidly changed their minds when they realised just how many emails that would generate. Now the advice is: Ofsted do not want to know about continuing to work … Ofsted do not want to know about coronavirus closures … Ofsted DO want to know if you are shutting for good – [email protected].
Keep an eye on the Childcare Registration Facebook page – there was a nice little message from Gill Jones on there recently –
https://www.facebook.com/ChildcareRegistration.
Coronavirus updates
The updates came thick and fast through the last week and seemed to change by the hour. Admins on the Independent Childminders Facebook group are trying to keep everyone updated as much as possible. There is a pinned thread every day and we encourage members to post their coronavirus questions there so everyone else can read them and access the information / replies.
In addition, I have delivered a webinar for Childcare.co.uk which is available now for gold members to watch / listen again here – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
To open or to close?
It really is up to you – the government has said they are keen for providers to stay open for the children of critical workers – but the PM’s speech on Monday night (only go out if you have to – stay at home), coupled with the fact that Mr Keep Washing Your Hands himself now has coronavirus himself raises a lot of questions about the wisdom of his advice.
Risk assess and think about the risk to you and your family and the children and their families – can you be sure, for example, that children and their families are not coming into contact with the virus elsewhere? Also think about your finances – are you better applying for universal credit or keeping working?
How to explain coronavirus to children
This is a lovely little booklet which helps to talk through coronavirus with the children called ‘The Big Bad Bug’. It is free and linked from the Childcare.co.uk Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/childcareuk/posts/10157553526724843.
The impact of this lockdown on the children will be seen for a while I think – they are at home having a lovely time just now, but as their routines are further disrupted many might struggle to re-settle into childcare. A quick WhatsApp message, phone call, recording of you singing their favourite song or reading a book etc may help them to feel connected to the setting.
Of course, some children are not having a lovely time – if they are isolated, frightened or vulnerable they might be having an awful time and it doesn’t take much for a family to go from secure to vulnerable – a missed wage might, for example, throw them into financial hardship (as is happening for many childminders). Keeping in touch with your families allows you to signpost local food banks and other support networks which might make all the difference.
Tips for your financial security
It’s going to be hard going over the coming months, trying to keep finances straight while not earning – or not earning as much as expected. Here are some tips from me and colleagues to help you –
- Make a list of financial commitments – monthly and annual – and prioritise
- Ask for a mortgage holiday
- Speak to your gas and electricity supplier – I halved my payments after a quick online chat – or use USwitch to see if there’s a better deal for you
- Can your car HP finance be flexible?
- Declutter and sell things online *be aware of your personal safety and social distancing
- Water and council tax might be willing to cut payments in the short term
- Shop around for TV and phone contracts – ask your current supplier for a lower price first
- Go through your direct debits and standing orders – what do you need (not want – need) to pay?
- Check your gym membership has stopped taking money while they are shut
- No new clothes, shoes or household goods until this situation has resolved and some money is coming in
- If you pay for instant ink, are you paying too much
- Do you have any subscriptions you can cancel – magazines etc
- Turn off printers, microwaves and other electrical appliances overnight – standby costs money
- Cancel cleaners and window cleaners if you cannot afford to use them
- Ask parents if they are happy to keep paying you a percentage of your bill – respect their choice
- You can keep the 2, 3 and 4 year old funding if you are due any – get the code in quickly!
- Put 30% of the childcare grant away as soon as you get it so you can afford the tax and NI class 4 you will be charged on it when you add it to your tax return next year…
- Check your overdraft and what it costs – do the maths - you might be better asking for a loan
- Know what you earn and what you spend – and cut back on spending as much as possible
- Shop around for the best mobile phone deal
- Take control of your food shopping budget – write menus and stick to them – never shop for food when you are hungry
- Do you have any savings you can use to tide you over? It’s now a rainy day…
- Turn the heating off / down during the day now it's getting a bit warmer and wear layers / thick socks
- If you owe money, tackle it head on – be honest with the lender and talk through your options
- Shop around when renewing car or house insurance for the best deal
**Don’t forget, until we hear any differently, we need to keep insurance, Ofsted and ICO payments up to date as a condition of our registration**
Useful information here from the money advice service - https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/coronavirus-what-it-means-for-you.
The new self-employed income support scheme
The Government is offering the self-employed a grant (not a loan that is paid back) -
**Childminders got a mention! Our campaign has obviously reached the chancellor**
- The Govt will pay self-employed 80% of average monthly profits (net income - not gross) calculated over the last 3 years (newbies see below)
- It's a taxable grant!! You won't need to pay it back...
- You can continue to do business and get the grant
- We already know we can keep any funding as well (if relevant to you)
- If you are eligible, you will be contacted by HMRC
- There will be a ‘simple form’ to complete to claim the grant
- The money should start coming through by the beginning of June
- You may still be eligible if you have a second income as long as the majority of your income is from self-employment
- If you are stuck financially now you need to apply for Universal Credits – note UC will take at least 6 weeks to come through
- If you haven't filed your tax return yet from January (not this years tax return – last), you need to get it in now!
- If you don't have 3 years of accounts they will look at whatever you do have - if you have 3 years they will average it out - you must have submitted at least one tax return though!
- Tax contributions for self-employed will have to go up in the future… we don’t know how much yet.
**Note** - we don’t have all the details yet, but we do know that you don't need to do anything! HMRC will contact you...
Informing parents about the income support scheme
I have been open and honest with our parents ever since this crisis started so I wanted to think about how to share information with them that I will be getting a self-employed income support grant from the govt to help with my sustainability. If parents are being kind enough to contribute to your income while you are unable to work, they might feel that the grant takes the place of their fees or that you can afford to repay them their fees when the grant comes through.
The first thing to note is the grant is based on my net income - and they all know I invest very heavily in my business, regularly buying books and other inside and outside resources, taking children on outings that are not always passed on in invoices, paying for a staff member to support their child, buying quality food for their child etc ... so my net is going to be quite low.
The other main thing to share with them is that this grant will be taxed (-20%) and probably subject to class 4 NI (-9%) and the chancellor said they will be putting up our HMRC costs to pay for his generosity, so by the time it goes on my tax return it will be worth a lot less than 80% to me - probably less than 50% of my net.
I hope they will see that I still need their support during this dreadful time, if they can afford to help or keep getting benefits towards my fees. If they can't help, that's absolutely fine and I respect their decision.
I hope this supports colleagues when talking to parents.
If you employ staff
Staff can benefit from the government’s furlough scheme. First you need to lay them off – if they don’t have a lay-off clause in their contract, add one (nothing fancy – just saying you reserve the right to lay them off for exceptional reasons or if you run out of money / children) and ask them to sign to confirm they are happy with the change to their contract. Then, lay them off and, when it comes online, you will be able to apply for the furlough scheme payments of 80% towards their wages.
Note 3 things – 1. You still need to pay them at the usual time; 2. You still need to pay holiday pay, even when they are not working and 3. The minimum wage is going up to £8.72 from April.
**Note – we don’t have all the detail yet – it is a case of ‘watch this space’. You will find some useful information here -
https://www.burnetts.co.uk/blog/the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-furloughed-workers.
Professional development
Now is the time – if you have time on your hands of course – to get on top of your CPD. I will continue to present my webinars every term time week through April – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
I think there’s a balance between having a break, doing too much and letting your brain go to mush. If you normally update your policies in April ... update them… don't let things slip, but equally give yourself some time to enjoy the weather, read a book, do the gardening, deep clean etc.
I have been asked a lot about safeguarding updates so I wrote the following thread which I hope inspires colleagues –
I often read posts asking - 'how often should I update my safeguarding training?' The answer is 'regularly and when something changes'. Safeguarding training is not just about going on a Local Authority training course every 2 or 3 years, it's about embedding knowledge and awareness of risks and regularly checking for new information. For example, your ongoing CPD might involve -
- Reading information on this or other groups about a new safeguarding threat and looking them up online
- Changing the contact phone numbers on your policy - I make a note to check my local authority website monthly to see if there is any new information
- Ensuring you have 2 emergency contact details for each child following a recent serious case review which said that one emergency contact is not enough to keep children safe
- Learning more about 'upskirting' which is now classed as sexual abuse -
https://thekeysupport.com/insights/2019/07/30/safeguarding-changes-from-september-2019/
- Finding out about what older children will learn at school in the new relationships, health and sex education lessons so you are ready if they ask questions
- Sharing information you have found about keeping children safe online with parents
- Checking something that concerns you on the Brook Sexual Behaviours website and sharing information with parents to reassure them -
https://legacy.brook.org.uk/our-work/category/sexual-behaviours-traffic-light-tool
- Researching 'county lines' risks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PiGLge5JxY
- Learning more about 'bruising on babies' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSGgpFdvWpA&fbclid=IwAR2xxFs63vI-SUfovMHiDVlmOFm6Raz5Eu5bbi6NKmXB25XBZNeyrmlQAvU
- Updating your safeguarding policy to reflect the change from local safeguarding children boards to local safeguarding partners
Don't wait 2 / 3 years to update your CPD - stay informed and be ready with the answers when asked by an Ofsted inspector or parent ... know what to do if you are worried about a child.
Childminder activity packs – can be used with your own children…
We were happy to receive a ‘3 little pigs’ craft set to evaluate from Childminder Activity Packs, which we used as part of our World Book Day planning.
https://childminderactivitypacks.com/
The pack contains everything you need to sequence the story of the 3 little pigs, including 3 little houses with hay, sticks and bricks stickers, 3 little pigs with faces and clothes to glue in place and a big bad wolf – all you need to add is some glue and, of course, a copy of the book and away you go!
I am a big advocate of not losing sight of the meaning of World Book Day – it’s not about spending money on dressing up costumes, it’s about immersing children in quality stories. We used ‘3 Little Pigs’ to teach sequencing, number, size, shape and much more … the children used straws to experiment with ‘huffing and puffing’ and blowing things across the floor … they mixed pink using red and white paint … they made their own paper plate pigs to retell the story during role play.
The ‘3 little pigs’ pack from Childminder Activity Packs enhanced their learning and helped them make links in their learning when they were crafting and later when I used them to tell the story, challenging the children to remember what happened next.
We will laminate the houses, pigs and wolf and leave it for the older children to explore next week…
Thank you to Childminder Activity Packs for your kind gift. Sarah and team.
Websites such as this one are great for activity ideas if you are running out - https://modernpreschool.com/preschool-on-the-go/. Don't forget the monthly planning on Childcare.co.uk either - I will keep it going to help everyone - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
It is a very worrying time for everyone and I don’t think it’s going to improve any time soon. We need to stick together – respect that sometimes admin make a mistake and refuse your post when they meant not to – wait for the correct information rather than believing every rumour you come across on social media – and try to enjoy your time off work if you can.
You know where I am if I can help and Childcare.co.uk are keeping this page of FAQs updated - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/coronavirus.
Chat soon, Sarah.
March 2020 newsletter
It's been a busy month in the world of early years. Here are some of the main updates...
Consultation on the EYFS reforms
Did you reply to the consultation on the EYFS reforms? Do you think they will make any changes as a result of the consultation? I’ve been following some threads on Twitter and views are heated to say the least! There is a group of organisations which is suggesting that the EYFS does not need to be changed – they have been quite vocal recently as well –
https://www.early-education.org.uk/press-release/%E2%80%9C-eyfs-doesn%E2%80%99t-need-be-changed%E2%80%9D-early-years-practitioners-express-support-current
Ah well, we will have to wait and see what happens next – and when it does change I will keep you informed.
**NEW**NEW**NEW**
From Ofsted - a new place to link 16+ year olds to your setting … report serious accidents … apply to register as a childminder … pay your invoice … the forms are supposed to make life easier for everyone who has to report any changes to Ofsted and so far, apart from some general confusion, I’m hearing positive feedback –
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/providing-childcare-services-in-england
Coronavirus update
Early Years Alliance are keeping their information page updated as the status of the virus is constantly changing. you can read more guidance here -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/coronavirus-info-for-nurseries.
You might find it useful to download this poster to put in your setting and share with parents -
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e35b25740f0b609169cb52a/coronavirus-public-info-poster-2.pdf.
Ofsted webinar for childminders
I was privileged to be asked to take part in the latest Ofsted webinar for childminders (Jan 2020). The webinar lasts for an hour and talks about different areas of inspection including variations (from 42 minutes) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXKk373Yyv4.
Ofsted’s annual report
Most providers, according to Ofsted’s latest annual report, are graded either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. While this is very positive news, it is not stopping the exodus of practitioners including childminders from early years. Closures and staffing are a countrywide issue, caused partly by underfunding, partly by low wellbeing and over-work (this is being tackled as fast as possible) and partly (from feedback I am receiving) because of the way Ofsted are currently treating practitioners during inspection. If you are given a ridiculous reason for a downgrade during inspection please feedback - and complain to Ofsted either during or after the inspection. The Ofsted 2019 annual report is here -
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ofsted-annual-report-201819
Whistleblowing procedures
After the webinar on Tuesday where we discussed compliance with the Safeguarding and Welfare requirements of the EYFS, I have been asked by quite a lot of participants for a sample Whistleblowing Procedure. I have added one to my blog - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/whistleblowing-procedures
Note: Whistleblowing Procedures are part of your safeguarding and child protection policy - you do not need a separate policy
Staff uniform
You cannot ask a staff member to buy their own uniform or to ‘wear black’ if the purchases take them under the minimum wage. However, if there is a clause in their contract which says they must return uniform in good order or you will charge them, you can do it because it is a contractual deduction.
Children and mobile phones
According to the latest research from Childwise, nearly half of all 5 – 10 year olds own a mobile phone. That’s a lot of very young children accessing the internet, often unsupervised and with little understanding of what they are seeing and reading. It is important to give children online safety messages, watch out for them being abused or feeling threatened online and share information with parents about keeping safe online at home.
A new code of practice for online use, from the Information Commissioners Office, which details baseline standards to keep children safer online, will be hopefully introduced in 2020. You will find more information about the suggested code of practice here - https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/key-data-protection-themes/age-appropriate-design-a-code-of-practice-for-online-services//.
Supporting early maths
It is interesting to note that mathematics is one of the areas mentioned as an inspection focus in the early years inspection handbook – quality of education / impact / good outcome. The expectation is that ‘Children understand securely the early mathematical concepts appropriate to their age and stage that will enable them to move on to the next stage of learning.’ This Nursery World article explores how everyday objects and picture books can support maths intent and implementation, which will help lead you towards impacting on children’s learning.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/everyday-objects-and-picture-books-help-children-to-develop-early-maths
Behaviour - supporting children who snatch
I have been doing a lot of research into behaviour recently as part of writing a new webinar and I find the work of Janet Lansbury particularly insightful and inspiring. I am often asked about how to support children who snatch toys - I try to use the RIE method explained here by Janet Lansbury - https://www.janetlansbury.com/2011/02/what-to-do-about-a-toddler-toy-taker/. I say 'try' because it can be tricky: as adults, we want to intervene and solve it for the children - but we need to respect their play and trust them to work it out for themselves; if they cannot resolve it or the behaviour seems entrenched, Janet explains a respectful way of supporting them to learn about social interaction
Change to entitlements for bereaved parents
You may need to update your policy and / or contracts depending on wording. You can find more information in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/bereaved-parents-will-be-entitled-to-two-weeks-paid-leave
Developmental milestones
What do you use? Early Years Outcomes … Development Matters … a big dollop of child development knowledge and common sense? This is a useful website to give information about ‘red flags’ when something might have gone wrong -
https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/developmental-milestones-and-activities-for-kids/
Changes to the EYFS
The consultation on the changes to the EYFS has finished now – we are all waiting to see what will happen next. The proposed new Early Learning Goals are not popular with most people I have spoken to but we might be stuck with them or at least most of them if the DfE are anything to go by – they were asking for schools to test them before the consultation even finished!
Some information if you want to read up on it here –
https://www.cypnow.co.uk/analysis/article/seven-key-reasons-why-proposed-eyfs-revisions-must-be-changed
Changes will not be immediate – we will need to be patient! When it comes out, I will go through it and share anything important / relevant with everyone.
Changes to Development Matters
Development Matters is currently being updated / revised to take account of new theories and to change what isn’t working about it, following reviews. I have blogged –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/updating-development-matters.
Ofsted updates to website
Ofsted have updated different areas of their website to make them easier to read and understand. They have released a series of short films to explain the changes on their YouTube channel –
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLq-zBnUkspNmrj35pBAg_sJIJ4x4NeVm
Sustainability in the early years
I often read posts from members of the Independent Childminders Facebook group asking for sustainability advice from colleagues - whether it’s the best way to wash and dry children’s hands or recommendations for reusable nappies. This Nursery World article signposts a new sustainability resource for early years - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/new-early-years-resource-to-help-settings-promote-sustainability
Using parentese when talking to young children
I have been doing some research into parentese for a childminder colleague who was told by her Ofsted inspector that she shouldn’t use a higher pitched, slower tempo sing-song voice with her little ones. Researchers recently carried out a study into the use of parentese and found it ‘was associated with immediate as well as longer-term positive impacts on the babies’ language skills. I have shared this with my colleague who I hope has taken it back to Ofsted.
You can find out more about the study, at the University of Washington in Seattle, here - https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-babies-language/more-evidence-parentese-does-help-babies-learn-language-idUKKBN1ZX2QW
Government reshuffle
Not a lot has changed for the early years and childcare sector - we are hopeful this will see a more consistent policy in the future… and maybe the budget will give us a little more money because the extra 7p/hour** I’ve just been told I am going to receive from April 2020 is not going to close the funding gap.
**Yes, I know I am lucky to be getting 7p an hour more when a lot of areas are reducing funding, despite the extra government money, but really … 7p! Don’t spend it all at once!
Brexit news
I stopped reading the papers a while ago (better for my wellbeing) but I understand from social media that Brexit has happened – what does it mean for children and young people? The online magazine CYPNow aim to answer that question in this article –
https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/what-does-brexit-mean-for-children-and-young-people.
National Children’s Day
National Children’s Day is on 17th May 2020. You will find more information on the website - http://www.nationalchildrensdayuk.com/.
Safeguarding CPD
For your safeguarding CPD this month, this is an interesting read from the NSPCC, looking at how childhood trauma impacts on children’s brain development. It makes me all the more focused on giving children a settled and happy time in their early years -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-health-development/childhood-trauma-brain-development/
Screen time and…
A new study is telling us what we already know – children who spend time using screens are less physically active and this is impacting on the obesity epidemic in our early years children. You can find more information in this article -
https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1620709/study-shows-excessive-screen-time-for-toddlers-links-to-obesity-in-later-life
Equally as worrying - news that half of all 3 and 4 year olds use a tablet and this use is often unsupervised. this should ring alarm bells for all practitioners and encourage them to share information with parents about keeping children safe on the internet at home -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2020/02/half-three-and-four-year-olds-use-tablet.
While we are on the subject, you will find some useful safer internet day resources here -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/schools/safer-internet-resources/
A new e-book is available to download from Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross - an updated version of ‘Goldilocks’. The book is described as ‘a modern twist on the classic fairy tale that offers a fun and accessible way for you to discuss all things social media related with your younger children’ -
https://www.wearecoda.com/example-flip-book/files/downloads/goldilocks-single-pages.pdf
There are a few child friendly search engines which aim to keep early years children safer online. Kiddle is Google’s offering for early years children; Squiggle.org.uk is aimed at slightly older children – key stage 2 and above.
Safeguarding and serious case reviews
Serious case reviews don’t make very nice reading but they are essential tools for updating safeguarding knowledge. They tell you what went wrong when a child died and can help you understand the importance of your role as advocate for children’s safety. You can read a range of serious case review findings on the NSPCC website here -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/case-reviews/recently-published-case-reviews/.
**Ofsted inspection cycle - when are you 'due' next?**
Ofsted inspect on a 4 year cycle, detailed in the inspection handbook. The current cycle is from Aug 2016 - July 2020. **If you have been inspected between these dates, you are unlikely to have another inspection - as long as you got a good grade or above and no concerns or complaints are raised about you.
**If you got a RI grade, Ofsted will try to re-inspect you quicker but they are not making any promises.
**If you got an inadequate grade, Ofsted will return to re-inspect you within 6 months.
**Newly registered childminders will normally be inspected within 30 months of registration - then you will move into the next inspection cycle.
So... if you have been inspected since Aug 2016 Ofsted will probably leave you alone unless something flags up or they come out to re-inspect after RI / inadequate ... if you haven't been inspected since Aug 2016 you will be contacted by Ofsted to arrange an inspection between now and the end of July 2020.
If you don't have any children when they come, you will have a 'no children on roll' inspection - see point 13 onwards here - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/828465/Early_years_inspection_handbook.pdf
Safeguarding poster
Your local authority might have a poster that they want you to display with phone numbers to contact if you have concerns about a child or staff member. In addition, there are useful ‘staying safe online’ posters – these may be useful -
https://www.esafety-adviser.com/esafety-posters/.
There are some free safeguarding posters for school age children here –
https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/free-safeguarding-posters/
If you have any questions, please ask. Sarah
My e-books - www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk
Consultation on the EYFS reforms
Did you reply to the consultation on the EYFS reforms? Do you think they will make any changes as a result of the consultation? I’ve been following some threads on Twitter and views are heated to say the least! There is a group of organisations which is suggesting that the EYFS does not need to be changed – they have been quite vocal recently as well –
https://www.early-education.org.uk/press-release/%E2%80%9C-eyfs-doesn%E2%80%99t-need-be-changed%E2%80%9D-early-years-practitioners-express-support-current
Ah well, we will have to wait and see what happens next – and when it does change I will keep you informed.
**NEW**NEW**NEW**
From Ofsted - a new place to link 16+ year olds to your setting … report serious accidents … apply to register as a childminder … pay your invoice … the forms are supposed to make life easier for everyone who has to report any changes to Ofsted and so far, apart from some general confusion, I’m hearing positive feedback –
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/providing-childcare-services-in-england
Coronavirus update
Early Years Alliance are keeping their information page updated as the status of the virus is constantly changing. you can read more guidance here -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/coronavirus-info-for-nurseries.
You might find it useful to download this poster to put in your setting and share with parents -
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e35b25740f0b609169cb52a/coronavirus-public-info-poster-2.pdf.
Ofsted webinar for childminders
I was privileged to be asked to take part in the latest Ofsted webinar for childminders (Jan 2020). The webinar lasts for an hour and talks about different areas of inspection including variations (from 42 minutes) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXKk373Yyv4.
Ofsted’s annual report
Most providers, according to Ofsted’s latest annual report, are graded either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. While this is very positive news, it is not stopping the exodus of practitioners including childminders from early years. Closures and staffing are a countrywide issue, caused partly by underfunding, partly by low wellbeing and over-work (this is being tackled as fast as possible) and partly (from feedback I am receiving) because of the way Ofsted are currently treating practitioners during inspection. If you are given a ridiculous reason for a downgrade during inspection please feedback - and complain to Ofsted either during or after the inspection. The Ofsted 2019 annual report is here -
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ofsted-annual-report-201819
Whistleblowing procedures
After the webinar on Tuesday where we discussed compliance with the Safeguarding and Welfare requirements of the EYFS, I have been asked by quite a lot of participants for a sample Whistleblowing Procedure. I have added one to my blog - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/whistleblowing-procedures
Note: Whistleblowing Procedures are part of your safeguarding and child protection policy - you do not need a separate policy
Staff uniform
You cannot ask a staff member to buy their own uniform or to ‘wear black’ if the purchases take them under the minimum wage. However, if there is a clause in their contract which says they must return uniform in good order or you will charge them, you can do it because it is a contractual deduction.
Children and mobile phones
According to the latest research from Childwise, nearly half of all 5 – 10 year olds own a mobile phone. That’s a lot of very young children accessing the internet, often unsupervised and with little understanding of what they are seeing and reading. It is important to give children online safety messages, watch out for them being abused or feeling threatened online and share information with parents about keeping safe online at home.
A new code of practice for online use, from the Information Commissioners Office, which details baseline standards to keep children safer online, will be hopefully introduced in 2020. You will find more information about the suggested code of practice here - https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/key-data-protection-themes/age-appropriate-design-a-code-of-practice-for-online-services//.
Supporting early maths
It is interesting to note that mathematics is one of the areas mentioned as an inspection focus in the early years inspection handbook – quality of education / impact / good outcome. The expectation is that ‘Children understand securely the early mathematical concepts appropriate to their age and stage that will enable them to move on to the next stage of learning.’ This Nursery World article explores how everyday objects and picture books can support maths intent and implementation, which will help lead you towards impacting on children’s learning.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/everyday-objects-and-picture-books-help-children-to-develop-early-maths
Behaviour - supporting children who snatch
I have been doing a lot of research into behaviour recently as part of writing a new webinar and I find the work of Janet Lansbury particularly insightful and inspiring. I am often asked about how to support children who snatch toys - I try to use the RIE method explained here by Janet Lansbury - https://www.janetlansbury.com/2011/02/what-to-do-about-a-toddler-toy-taker/. I say 'try' because it can be tricky: as adults, we want to intervene and solve it for the children - but we need to respect their play and trust them to work it out for themselves; if they cannot resolve it or the behaviour seems entrenched, Janet explains a respectful way of supporting them to learn about social interaction
Change to entitlements for bereaved parents
You may need to update your policy and / or contracts depending on wording. You can find more information in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/bereaved-parents-will-be-entitled-to-two-weeks-paid-leave
Developmental milestones
What do you use? Early Years Outcomes … Development Matters … a big dollop of child development knowledge and common sense? This is a useful website to give information about ‘red flags’ when something might have gone wrong -
https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/developmental-milestones-and-activities-for-kids/
Changes to the EYFS
The consultation on the changes to the EYFS has finished now – we are all waiting to see what will happen next. The proposed new Early Learning Goals are not popular with most people I have spoken to but we might be stuck with them or at least most of them if the DfE are anything to go by – they were asking for schools to test them before the consultation even finished!
Some information if you want to read up on it here –
https://www.cypnow.co.uk/analysis/article/seven-key-reasons-why-proposed-eyfs-revisions-must-be-changed
Changes will not be immediate – we will need to be patient! When it comes out, I will go through it and share anything important / relevant with everyone.
Changes to Development Matters
Development Matters is currently being updated / revised to take account of new theories and to change what isn’t working about it, following reviews. I have blogged –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/updating-development-matters.
Ofsted updates to website
Ofsted have updated different areas of their website to make them easier to read and understand. They have released a series of short films to explain the changes on their YouTube channel –
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLq-zBnUkspNmrj35pBAg_sJIJ4x4NeVm
Sustainability in the early years
I often read posts from members of the Independent Childminders Facebook group asking for sustainability advice from colleagues - whether it’s the best way to wash and dry children’s hands or recommendations for reusable nappies. This Nursery World article signposts a new sustainability resource for early years - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/new-early-years-resource-to-help-settings-promote-sustainability
Using parentese when talking to young children
I have been doing some research into parentese for a childminder colleague who was told by her Ofsted inspector that she shouldn’t use a higher pitched, slower tempo sing-song voice with her little ones. Researchers recently carried out a study into the use of parentese and found it ‘was associated with immediate as well as longer-term positive impacts on the babies’ language skills. I have shared this with my colleague who I hope has taken it back to Ofsted.
You can find out more about the study, at the University of Washington in Seattle, here - https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-babies-language/more-evidence-parentese-does-help-babies-learn-language-idUKKBN1ZX2QW
Government reshuffle
Not a lot has changed for the early years and childcare sector - we are hopeful this will see a more consistent policy in the future… and maybe the budget will give us a little more money because the extra 7p/hour** I’ve just been told I am going to receive from April 2020 is not going to close the funding gap.
**Yes, I know I am lucky to be getting 7p an hour more when a lot of areas are reducing funding, despite the extra government money, but really … 7p! Don’t spend it all at once!
Brexit news
I stopped reading the papers a while ago (better for my wellbeing) but I understand from social media that Brexit has happened – what does it mean for children and young people? The online magazine CYPNow aim to answer that question in this article –
https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/what-does-brexit-mean-for-children-and-young-people.
National Children’s Day
National Children’s Day is on 17th May 2020. You will find more information on the website - http://www.nationalchildrensdayuk.com/.
Safeguarding CPD
For your safeguarding CPD this month, this is an interesting read from the NSPCC, looking at how childhood trauma impacts on children’s brain development. It makes me all the more focused on giving children a settled and happy time in their early years -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-health-development/childhood-trauma-brain-development/
Screen time and…
A new study is telling us what we already know – children who spend time using screens are less physically active and this is impacting on the obesity epidemic in our early years children. You can find more information in this article -
https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1620709/study-shows-excessive-screen-time-for-toddlers-links-to-obesity-in-later-life
Equally as worrying - news that half of all 3 and 4 year olds use a tablet and this use is often unsupervised. this should ring alarm bells for all practitioners and encourage them to share information with parents about keeping children safe on the internet at home -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2020/02/half-three-and-four-year-olds-use-tablet.
While we are on the subject, you will find some useful safer internet day resources here -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/schools/safer-internet-resources/
A new e-book is available to download from Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross - an updated version of ‘Goldilocks’. The book is described as ‘a modern twist on the classic fairy tale that offers a fun and accessible way for you to discuss all things social media related with your younger children’ -
https://www.wearecoda.com/example-flip-book/files/downloads/goldilocks-single-pages.pdf
There are a few child friendly search engines which aim to keep early years children safer online. Kiddle is Google’s offering for early years children; Squiggle.org.uk is aimed at slightly older children – key stage 2 and above.
Safeguarding and serious case reviews
Serious case reviews don’t make very nice reading but they are essential tools for updating safeguarding knowledge. They tell you what went wrong when a child died and can help you understand the importance of your role as advocate for children’s safety. You can read a range of serious case review findings on the NSPCC website here -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/case-reviews/recently-published-case-reviews/.
**Ofsted inspection cycle - when are you 'due' next?**
Ofsted inspect on a 4 year cycle, detailed in the inspection handbook. The current cycle is from Aug 2016 - July 2020. **If you have been inspected between these dates, you are unlikely to have another inspection - as long as you got a good grade or above and no concerns or complaints are raised about you.
**If you got a RI grade, Ofsted will try to re-inspect you quicker but they are not making any promises.
**If you got an inadequate grade, Ofsted will return to re-inspect you within 6 months.
**Newly registered childminders will normally be inspected within 30 months of registration - then you will move into the next inspection cycle.
So... if you have been inspected since Aug 2016 Ofsted will probably leave you alone unless something flags up or they come out to re-inspect after RI / inadequate ... if you haven't been inspected since Aug 2016 you will be contacted by Ofsted to arrange an inspection between now and the end of July 2020.
If you don't have any children when they come, you will have a 'no children on roll' inspection - see point 13 onwards here - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/828465/Early_years_inspection_handbook.pdf
Safeguarding poster
Your local authority might have a poster that they want you to display with phone numbers to contact if you have concerns about a child or staff member. In addition, there are useful ‘staying safe online’ posters – these may be useful -
https://www.esafety-adviser.com/esafety-posters/.
There are some free safeguarding posters for school age children here –
https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/free-safeguarding-posters/
If you have any questions, please ask. Sarah
My e-books - www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk
February 2020 newsletter
As I started writing this newsletter in January I was saying ‘happy new year’ and welcoming not only a new year but a new decade – a leap year and a different May Bank Holiday – and a 53 week year!
In the early years, we have a new government with a huge majority which could pose problems for those fighting for extra funding – and an updated EYFS due later this year.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/how-will-tory-win-affect-early-years
Staff wellbeing must be a priority, especially with the added pressure of the new Ofsted inspection framework. Staff will be getting higher pay from April but how that increase will affect already struggling providers remains to be seen.
What are your wishes for 2020?
I don’t do ‘resolutions’ any more – I just let myself down. What I do is to think about the coming year and how I want to improve, personally and professionally. Nursery World published an interesting article about making early years better in 2020 –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/what-would-make-early-years-better-in-2020
Bye, bye Tracey Brabin
Tracey has been shadow minister for early years for some years now and has been a great support to early years providers, really getting her head quickly around the problems and challenging government policy. Sadly, she has been promoted and is moving on (probably a good move for her) so we will have someone else to get up to speed… more in this article –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2020/01/tracy-brabin-leaves-early-years-role.
Keeping Ofsted updated
Ofsted are keen for us to start using the EY3 form for informing them about changes rather than the current method of a phone call or email. You can find the EY3 form here with a short explanation of what it can be used for (mostly notifiable events – see the EYFS and EY inspection handbook) –
https://ofstedonline.ofsted.gov.uk/ofsted/Ofsted_Early_Years_Notification.ofml.
Funding increase
Wow! We have an 8p / hour maximum raise in Cheshire East – we will try not to spend it all at once… oh, but staff wages are going up by significantly more than 8p / hour … bye, bye extra money!
Something needs to be done – Early Years Alliance are trying to do it – join the Fair Future Funding campaign for more information.
We explain to parents that the government funding is a contribution to their fees and we need extra money from them for food, outings and consumables if we are to stay sustainable. They all pay…
Staff wellbeing
We need to focus on staff wellbeing – and our own wellbeing – if we are going to manage our settings well through the coming months and years with all the challenges that are ahead of us. We don’t need baskets of biscuits to create wellbeing spaces – just to listen and commit to reviewing how well staff view our wellbeing strategies so we can continue to improve wellbeing. This might include, for example, giving staff tips to eat well, sleep well, keep active and ask for help if they are struggling… and being a good listening ear in times of crisis.
How do you know that your strategies for staff wellbeing are working?
Phonics teaching in the early years
I have heard of 2 and 3 year olds being taught phonics … I have heard of Ofsted inspectors telling childminders they need to be blending and segmenting with their pre-school children … I have heard of nurseries buying expensive phonics kits for their 3+ year olds …
Ofsted have now clearly stated in this blog that there is no expectation that providers should teach phonics before children reach reception –
https://www.tes.com/news/ofsted-no-need-teach-phonics-reception
Webinars for February
I have booked in some new webinars for February which will talk about business management and the ways in which you might improve your productivity through the coming year. The webinars focus strongly on the new Ofsted inspection handbook and the Ofsted inspection expectations … they are already proving popular! You can sign up here and log in on the night to watch and listen live, asking questions as you think of them - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Safeguarding professional development
I often read posts on the Independent Childminders Facebook group asking - 'how often should I update my safeguarding training?' The answer is 'regularly and when something changes'. Safeguarding training is not just about going on a Local Authority training course every 2 or 3 years, it's about embedding knowledge and awareness of risks and regularly checking for new information. For example, your ongoing CPD might involve -
- Reading information on this or other groups about a new safeguarding threat and looking them up online
- Changing the contact phone numbers on your policy - I make a note to check my local authority website monthly to see if there is any new information
- Ensuring you have 2 emergency contact details for each child following a recent serious case review which said that one emergency contact is not enough to keep children safe
- Learning more about 'upskirting' which is now classed as sexual abuse -
https://thekeysupport.com/insights/2019/07/30/safeguarding-changes-from-september-2019/
- Finding out about what older children will learn at school in the new relationships, health and sex education lessons so you are ready if they ask questions
- Sharing information you have found about keeping children safe online with parents
- Checking something that concerns you on the Brook Sexual Behaviours website and sharing information with parents to reassure them -
https://legacy.brook.org.uk/our-work/category/sexual-behaviours-traffic-light-tool
- Researching 'county lines' risks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PiGLge5JxY
- Learning more about 'bruising on babies' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSGgpFdvWpA&fbclid=IwAR2xxFs63vI-SUfovMHiDVlmOFm6Raz5Eu5bbi6NKmXB25XBZNeyrmlQAvU
- Updating your safeguarding policy to reflect the change from local safeguarding children boards to local safeguarding partners
Don't wait 2 / 3 years to update your CPD - stay informed and be ready with the answers when asked by an Ofsted inspector or parent ... know what to do if you are worried about a child.
Child friendly safeguarding policies
Is your safeguarding policy child-friendly? I received this link recently for evaluation and found it to be useful – so I thought I’d share –
https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/child-friendly-safeguarding-policies/.
Ofsted inspection focus
The Ofsted inspection focus on practice, not data or paperwork, is welcomed by most providers. However, it is leading to concerns from childminders who simply don’t have time to talk to an inspector for hours and hours when they are trying to look after children. childminders also comment that answering sensitive safeguarding questions while making lunch can be a struggle. I am feeding inspection comments back to Ofsted, to hopefully improve the process for everyone, so please keep me updated with your feedback.
Whistleblowing policy
Does your Whistleblowing Policy protect the staff member who blows the whistle? In this recent legal case, the nursery worker who blew the whistle was dismissed and a tribunal found it to be unfair because the disclosure should have been protected. It's a Scottish case but relevant across the UK
https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/nursery-workers-unfairly-dismissed-blowing-whistle-colleague
Staff wages are increasing
The new rates for the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage have been announced.
The new hourly rates are -
• Age 25 and above - £8.72
**A huge rise from the current £8.21...
• Age 21 to 24 - £8.20
• Age 18 to 20 - £6.45
• Over compulsory school age to 17 - £4.55
• Apprentices under 19 or 19+ and in the first year of apprenticeship - £4.15
The rates are payable from 1st April 2020 - you will need to do your budgeting now to ensure you are ready for the increases
How to improve early maths…
Read books – sing songs – play games – provide quality resources – we all know the answers! Here is an article with some ideas that might be useful for your professional development –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/everyday-objects-and-picture-books-help-children-to-develop-early-maths
Managing extreme behaviour
This is an excellent article from early years expert Sue Cowley on managing children’s extreme behaviour – worth a read as part of your CPD -
https://famly.co/blog/management/extreme-behaviour/
Early childhood trauma can also impact adversely on children’s brain development as detailed in this useful CPD article from the NSPCC –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-health-development/childhood-trauma-brain-development/
Have you done the free ACES (adverse childhood experiences) training? It is interesting and links to Ofsted’s statement in the latest inspection handbook that behaviour might be a sign of safeguarding concern –
https://www.bvsc.org/community-noticeboard/introduction-adverse-childhood-experiences-%E2%80%93-free-training
Safer internet day
The day this year is on 11th February – but any day can be safer internet day in an early years setting!
More information here - https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/2020
Useful early years online safety information - https://www.internetmatters.org/schools-esafety/pre-school/
The story of Smartie the Penguin - https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin.
Supporting older children who are struggling with transitions
This is a good poster which can be used to help staff support older children who are struggling with the new term - https://beaconhouse.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Supporting-Transitions-2.pdf.
Poorly children – and staff
Have your staff or children had norovirus? There’s been a lot of it about this year. I have found this useful information which I have shared with our parents –
https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2019/12/19/say-no-to-norovirus-5-ways-to-beat-the-bug/.
To protect everyone from illness, prioritise handwashing in your setting – for staff and children. Handwashing should be part of your routine – every time you prepare for eating – after every nose blow, touching animals, every nappy change and toilet visit etc. Take the child to the sink and wash their hands (and yours) under running water with antibacterial soap. Use a single use towel (I have 50 flannels) or throw away single use tissues.
Good handwashing techniques should be part of your daily routines. Ask the children –
Can we see the germs? No
Can we hear the germs? No
Can we wash the germs away? YES!
Another outstanding inspection
I am talking to a lot of childminders who have been inspected recently and disseminating their reports for my webinars and face-to-face training. Some of the childminders are happy for me to tell their inspection stories, with the aim of inspiring others… here’s my latest blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/an-outstanding-inspection.
Being eco-friendly
There were a series of sensationalist news reports recently that suggested people who were eco warriors might be reported to Prevent. This has now been reported as fake news but some providers are still concerned. Being eco-friendly is not a crime – you will not be reported for talking to the children about climate change or waste – or by going plastic free. Childminders can make a big difference to parent and child perceptions of recycling, reusing, using plastic free products etc by sharing information with parents about how they, for example –
DBS and EY2 confusion
**For a 16 year old family member, a new family member over 16, a regular visitor or a new staff member you MUST do a DBS and the EY2 form ... they go together!**
So many childminders forget about the EY2 - it's an online form that tells Ofsted that you have someone new (or a 16 year old) living or working on the premises.
If you don't do the EY2 they are living or working on your premises illegally and you will get inadequate at inspection.
Nowadays, you have to do them together - previously you would get the DBS back and then they would do the EY2.
The applicant (the family member, regular visitor or staff member) does the EY2 on their own government gateway login - you cannot do it for them. This means that they get any follow-up emails to their email address and have to monitor them in case of problems with the process. It is really important you engage with them about this..
The EY2 allows Ofsted to link the DBS together with your registration and they generate a letter that says the person is suitable (or not) to live or work on your premises. If you don't have that letter, I advise you to email Ofsted and check who is registered on their system to live or work with you.
If someone leaves your household forever or if you change staff members you must inform Ofsted...
Ofsted inspection grades under the new framework
Ofsted say… if you were graded outstanding under the Common Inspection Framework (the previous inspection framework) and you are graded good under the Education Inspection Framework (the new one) it is NOT a downgrade.
Ofsted say the new education inspection framework is looking at different things in our practice because it is focusing on quality of education and you have to meet the ‘good’ grade descriptors first, before outstanding.
So, my advice is to go to the new inspection handbook and read through them carefully. Think about what you do well and where you want to improve. Do some professional development if necessary and reflect on your curriculum practice – can you clearly show intent, implementation and impact in everything you do? Do you make the most of every teachable moment? If children free play, for example, they are mostly practising known skills - how do you teach them new things?
This is NOT about paperwork - it is about your practice!
I have some new FREE webinars planned for Childcare.co.uk in March / April to support everyone.
Information for new childminder applications
Ofsted are changing the way it registers early years settings including childminders, nurseries and nannies. This will not mean that the registration system is changing – just the way you apply online.
Current applicants can continue to use the Ofsted Online system – but new applicants will be directed to the Gov.uk website. Ofsted Online will close as new applications start to use the new Gov.uk system.
During January and February Ofsted will be ‘freezing’ new applications to help them clear the backlog before the new applications system comes into operation.
Childminders and nannies – the ‘freeze’ will happen from 5th February for 2 weeks – new applicants will then start using the new Gov.uk system from 19th February. During the application process, you will be asked to tell Ofsted about any people who live or work on the premises – and payment will be requested at the end of the application process.
**One of the big (and most see as positive) changes – you will not need a Government Gateway login to access the new Gov.uk site – you will just need to use an email address and phone number.
You can watch an Ofsted video on the new system on their YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t3_CPyxRMA&list=PLLq-zBnUkspNmrj35pBAg_sJIJ4x4NeVm.
Comment: new applications to Ofsted have typically been complex and lengthy and we receive a lot of negative comments about them – the way they are organised and the time taken to register a new provider. Hopefully, this new system will help to shorten the process and make it easier for newly registering providers.
Hand washing
I know it can be nerve wracking being watched by an Ofsted inspector but PLEASE remember to wash YOUR hands and the CHILD'S hands regularly throughout the day - especially before all food and after nose blowing, toileting and nappy changing. I am aware of 2 settings now who have lost their outstanding grades for not hand washing - probably because of practitioner nerves - don't let Ofsted pick you up on something that is usually an integral part of your normal daily routine!
This is a good video for slightly older children about how germs spread - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBGsoimPXZg.
In the early years, we have a new government with a huge majority which could pose problems for those fighting for extra funding – and an updated EYFS due later this year.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/how-will-tory-win-affect-early-years
Staff wellbeing must be a priority, especially with the added pressure of the new Ofsted inspection framework. Staff will be getting higher pay from April but how that increase will affect already struggling providers remains to be seen.
What are your wishes for 2020?
I don’t do ‘resolutions’ any more – I just let myself down. What I do is to think about the coming year and how I want to improve, personally and professionally. Nursery World published an interesting article about making early years better in 2020 –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/what-would-make-early-years-better-in-2020
Bye, bye Tracey Brabin
Tracey has been shadow minister for early years for some years now and has been a great support to early years providers, really getting her head quickly around the problems and challenging government policy. Sadly, she has been promoted and is moving on (probably a good move for her) so we will have someone else to get up to speed… more in this article –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2020/01/tracy-brabin-leaves-early-years-role.
Keeping Ofsted updated
Ofsted are keen for us to start using the EY3 form for informing them about changes rather than the current method of a phone call or email. You can find the EY3 form here with a short explanation of what it can be used for (mostly notifiable events – see the EYFS and EY inspection handbook) –
https://ofstedonline.ofsted.gov.uk/ofsted/Ofsted_Early_Years_Notification.ofml.
Funding increase
Wow! We have an 8p / hour maximum raise in Cheshire East – we will try not to spend it all at once… oh, but staff wages are going up by significantly more than 8p / hour … bye, bye extra money!
Something needs to be done – Early Years Alliance are trying to do it – join the Fair Future Funding campaign for more information.
We explain to parents that the government funding is a contribution to their fees and we need extra money from them for food, outings and consumables if we are to stay sustainable. They all pay…
Staff wellbeing
We need to focus on staff wellbeing – and our own wellbeing – if we are going to manage our settings well through the coming months and years with all the challenges that are ahead of us. We don’t need baskets of biscuits to create wellbeing spaces – just to listen and commit to reviewing how well staff view our wellbeing strategies so we can continue to improve wellbeing. This might include, for example, giving staff tips to eat well, sleep well, keep active and ask for help if they are struggling… and being a good listening ear in times of crisis.
How do you know that your strategies for staff wellbeing are working?
Phonics teaching in the early years
I have heard of 2 and 3 year olds being taught phonics … I have heard of Ofsted inspectors telling childminders they need to be blending and segmenting with their pre-school children … I have heard of nurseries buying expensive phonics kits for their 3+ year olds …
Ofsted have now clearly stated in this blog that there is no expectation that providers should teach phonics before children reach reception –
https://www.tes.com/news/ofsted-no-need-teach-phonics-reception
Webinars for February
I have booked in some new webinars for February which will talk about business management and the ways in which you might improve your productivity through the coming year. The webinars focus strongly on the new Ofsted inspection handbook and the Ofsted inspection expectations … they are already proving popular! You can sign up here and log in on the night to watch and listen live, asking questions as you think of them - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Safeguarding professional development
I often read posts on the Independent Childminders Facebook group asking - 'how often should I update my safeguarding training?' The answer is 'regularly and when something changes'. Safeguarding training is not just about going on a Local Authority training course every 2 or 3 years, it's about embedding knowledge and awareness of risks and regularly checking for new information. For example, your ongoing CPD might involve -
- Reading information on this or other groups about a new safeguarding threat and looking them up online
- Changing the contact phone numbers on your policy - I make a note to check my local authority website monthly to see if there is any new information
- Ensuring you have 2 emergency contact details for each child following a recent serious case review which said that one emergency contact is not enough to keep children safe
- Learning more about 'upskirting' which is now classed as sexual abuse -
https://thekeysupport.com/insights/2019/07/30/safeguarding-changes-from-september-2019/
- Finding out about what older children will learn at school in the new relationships, health and sex education lessons so you are ready if they ask questions
- Sharing information you have found about keeping children safe online with parents
- Checking something that concerns you on the Brook Sexual Behaviours website and sharing information with parents to reassure them -
https://legacy.brook.org.uk/our-work/category/sexual-behaviours-traffic-light-tool
- Researching 'county lines' risks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PiGLge5JxY
- Learning more about 'bruising on babies' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSGgpFdvWpA&fbclid=IwAR2xxFs63vI-SUfovMHiDVlmOFm6Raz5Eu5bbi6NKmXB25XBZNeyrmlQAvU
- Updating your safeguarding policy to reflect the change from local safeguarding children boards to local safeguarding partners
Don't wait 2 / 3 years to update your CPD - stay informed and be ready with the answers when asked by an Ofsted inspector or parent ... know what to do if you are worried about a child.
Child friendly safeguarding policies
Is your safeguarding policy child-friendly? I received this link recently for evaluation and found it to be useful – so I thought I’d share –
https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/child-friendly-safeguarding-policies/.
Ofsted inspection focus
The Ofsted inspection focus on practice, not data or paperwork, is welcomed by most providers. However, it is leading to concerns from childminders who simply don’t have time to talk to an inspector for hours and hours when they are trying to look after children. childminders also comment that answering sensitive safeguarding questions while making lunch can be a struggle. I am feeding inspection comments back to Ofsted, to hopefully improve the process for everyone, so please keep me updated with your feedback.
Whistleblowing policy
Does your Whistleblowing Policy protect the staff member who blows the whistle? In this recent legal case, the nursery worker who blew the whistle was dismissed and a tribunal found it to be unfair because the disclosure should have been protected. It's a Scottish case but relevant across the UK
https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/nursery-workers-unfairly-dismissed-blowing-whistle-colleague
Staff wages are increasing
The new rates for the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage have been announced.
The new hourly rates are -
• Age 25 and above - £8.72
**A huge rise from the current £8.21...
• Age 21 to 24 - £8.20
• Age 18 to 20 - £6.45
• Over compulsory school age to 17 - £4.55
• Apprentices under 19 or 19+ and in the first year of apprenticeship - £4.15
The rates are payable from 1st April 2020 - you will need to do your budgeting now to ensure you are ready for the increases
How to improve early maths…
Read books – sing songs – play games – provide quality resources – we all know the answers! Here is an article with some ideas that might be useful for your professional development –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/everyday-objects-and-picture-books-help-children-to-develop-early-maths
Managing extreme behaviour
This is an excellent article from early years expert Sue Cowley on managing children’s extreme behaviour – worth a read as part of your CPD -
https://famly.co/blog/management/extreme-behaviour/
Early childhood trauma can also impact adversely on children’s brain development as detailed in this useful CPD article from the NSPCC –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-health-development/childhood-trauma-brain-development/
Have you done the free ACES (adverse childhood experiences) training? It is interesting and links to Ofsted’s statement in the latest inspection handbook that behaviour might be a sign of safeguarding concern –
https://www.bvsc.org/community-noticeboard/introduction-adverse-childhood-experiences-%E2%80%93-free-training
Safer internet day
The day this year is on 11th February – but any day can be safer internet day in an early years setting!
More information here - https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/2020
Useful early years online safety information - https://www.internetmatters.org/schools-esafety/pre-school/
The story of Smartie the Penguin - https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin.
Supporting older children who are struggling with transitions
This is a good poster which can be used to help staff support older children who are struggling with the new term - https://beaconhouse.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Supporting-Transitions-2.pdf.
Poorly children – and staff
Have your staff or children had norovirus? There’s been a lot of it about this year. I have found this useful information which I have shared with our parents –
https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2019/12/19/say-no-to-norovirus-5-ways-to-beat-the-bug/.
To protect everyone from illness, prioritise handwashing in your setting – for staff and children. Handwashing should be part of your routine – every time you prepare for eating – after every nose blow, touching animals, every nappy change and toilet visit etc. Take the child to the sink and wash their hands (and yours) under running water with antibacterial soap. Use a single use towel (I have 50 flannels) or throw away single use tissues.
Good handwashing techniques should be part of your daily routines. Ask the children –
Can we see the germs? No
Can we hear the germs? No
Can we wash the germs away? YES!
Another outstanding inspection
I am talking to a lot of childminders who have been inspected recently and disseminating their reports for my webinars and face-to-face training. Some of the childminders are happy for me to tell their inspection stories, with the aim of inspiring others… here’s my latest blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/an-outstanding-inspection.
Being eco-friendly
There were a series of sensationalist news reports recently that suggested people who were eco warriors might be reported to Prevent. This has now been reported as fake news but some providers are still concerned. Being eco-friendly is not a crime – you will not be reported for talking to the children about climate change or waste – or by going plastic free. Childminders can make a big difference to parent and child perceptions of recycling, reusing, using plastic free products etc by sharing information with parents about how they, for example –
- Buy plastic free products at the supermarket or local shop
- Remember reusable shopping bags – the children’s job
- Visit the local charity shop to buy ‘new to them’ toys
- Reduce carbon footprint by walking where possible
- Use wipes that are biodegradable or wash cloths
- Join in with local community initiatives such as litter collection schemes
- Re-use bread bags for nappy and clothes sacks **Thank you Denise Tupman from Grafton Childcare for this idea**
- Buy from the weight and save at the local market
- Ask the milkman to deliver glass bottles … etc.
DBS and EY2 confusion
**For a 16 year old family member, a new family member over 16, a regular visitor or a new staff member you MUST do a DBS and the EY2 form ... they go together!**
So many childminders forget about the EY2 - it's an online form that tells Ofsted that you have someone new (or a 16 year old) living or working on the premises.
If you don't do the EY2 they are living or working on your premises illegally and you will get inadequate at inspection.
Nowadays, you have to do them together - previously you would get the DBS back and then they would do the EY2.
The applicant (the family member, regular visitor or staff member) does the EY2 on their own government gateway login - you cannot do it for them. This means that they get any follow-up emails to their email address and have to monitor them in case of problems with the process. It is really important you engage with them about this..
The EY2 allows Ofsted to link the DBS together with your registration and they generate a letter that says the person is suitable (or not) to live or work on your premises. If you don't have that letter, I advise you to email Ofsted and check who is registered on their system to live or work with you.
If someone leaves your household forever or if you change staff members you must inform Ofsted...
Ofsted inspection grades under the new framework
Ofsted say… if you were graded outstanding under the Common Inspection Framework (the previous inspection framework) and you are graded good under the Education Inspection Framework (the new one) it is NOT a downgrade.
Ofsted say the new education inspection framework is looking at different things in our practice because it is focusing on quality of education and you have to meet the ‘good’ grade descriptors first, before outstanding.
So, my advice is to go to the new inspection handbook and read through them carefully. Think about what you do well and where you want to improve. Do some professional development if necessary and reflect on your curriculum practice – can you clearly show intent, implementation and impact in everything you do? Do you make the most of every teachable moment? If children free play, for example, they are mostly practising known skills - how do you teach them new things?
This is NOT about paperwork - it is about your practice!
I have some new FREE webinars planned for Childcare.co.uk in March / April to support everyone.
Information for new childminder applications
Ofsted are changing the way it registers early years settings including childminders, nurseries and nannies. This will not mean that the registration system is changing – just the way you apply online.
Current applicants can continue to use the Ofsted Online system – but new applicants will be directed to the Gov.uk website. Ofsted Online will close as new applications start to use the new Gov.uk system.
During January and February Ofsted will be ‘freezing’ new applications to help them clear the backlog before the new applications system comes into operation.
Childminders and nannies – the ‘freeze’ will happen from 5th February for 2 weeks – new applicants will then start using the new Gov.uk system from 19th February. During the application process, you will be asked to tell Ofsted about any people who live or work on the premises – and payment will be requested at the end of the application process.
**One of the big (and most see as positive) changes – you will not need a Government Gateway login to access the new Gov.uk site – you will just need to use an email address and phone number.
You can watch an Ofsted video on the new system on their YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t3_CPyxRMA&list=PLLq-zBnUkspNmrj35pBAg_sJIJ4x4NeVm.
Comment: new applications to Ofsted have typically been complex and lengthy and we receive a lot of negative comments about them – the way they are organised and the time taken to register a new provider. Hopefully, this new system will help to shorten the process and make it easier for newly registering providers.
Hand washing
I know it can be nerve wracking being watched by an Ofsted inspector but PLEASE remember to wash YOUR hands and the CHILD'S hands regularly throughout the day - especially before all food and after nose blowing, toileting and nappy changing. I am aware of 2 settings now who have lost their outstanding grades for not hand washing - probably because of practitioner nerves - don't let Ofsted pick you up on something that is usually an integral part of your normal daily routine!
This is a good video for slightly older children about how germs spread - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBGsoimPXZg.
January 2020 newsletter
Hello and welcome to my 'Independent Childminders' website.
I am committed to supporting childminders on this website and I share information, support and advice through the year.
Here is my latest newsletter for childminders who want to stay independent of agencies ... I hope you find it useful!
EYFS consultation
If you haven’t already responded to the consultation on proposed changes to the EYFS, time is running out.
You will find some information and suggestions for comments from the Early Years Alliance here - https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/changes-eyfs-2021.
Free webinars for 2020
I have planned some new FREE webinars for January – and I am currently writing new webinars which have been requested by early years providers to help with their ongoing professional development. If you would like me to tackle an early years subject in my future webinars please let me know!
January webinars will cover – Roles of the SENCO; Supporting Children with SEND; Introduction to the EYFS – Learning and Development Requirements AND Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements.
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Childcare.co.uk gold members can watch previously presented webinars again here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Number of childminders falls again
We are losing childminders – month by month there are less of us. We are trying to help here on this website with free information sharing – and on the Independent Childminders Facebook group – but we are still losing far too many colleagues.
What can we do to support childminder retention in 2020? I am interested in your suggestions! If there is anything I can do, I will try and help.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/number-of-childminders-falls-by-a-fifth
Reception children during inspection
If you care for early years AND reception children in your setting – whether you are a childminder or nursery – Ofsted expectations for the care of reception children have changed. Ofsted inspectors may now use their ‘professional judgement’ to decide your curriculum for the reception children is not challenging enough and say that you do not meet their learning needs.
You will find more information about how Ofsted now inspect and report on learning opportunities for reception children in mixed age settings in this blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/how-ofsted-inspect-reception-children.
I have also presented a webinar which is available for gold Childcare.co.uk members on watch again – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
The journey to outstanding may be harder
Childminders cannot fail to note the amount of members on the Independent Childminders Facebook group reporting they have lost their outstanding grade under the new inspection framework – with downgrades to ‘good’ for, for example, failing to give a child time to answer a question, failing to name dinosaurs when taking them out of a box, missing an opportunity to count steps while on an outing, failing to prepare a child for school because their behaviour was uncharacteristically tricky during the inspection … and so the list of reasons for no longer being outstanding go on and on.
We now read a report in Nursery World magazine which says that, while the majority of providers are graded good or outstanding, the journey to outstanding is harder under the new framework. At the same time, we hear about inspectors having to call Ofsted and spend a long time on their phones in their cars justifying giving an outstanding grade and inspectors telling providers ‘under the previous framework you would have been outstanding but not with this one…’.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/journey-to-outstanding-may-be-harder
Outstanding is gettable!
Some childminders have gained an outstanding grade since September 2019 and the introduction of the new inspection framework … not as many as previously, but some have moved from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ while others have maintained their outstanding. One inspector said to a childminder, ‘To get outstanding you must be flawless’ so many, many congratulations to them!!
Here is a blog I wrote after visiting a newly graded outstanding childminder who was keen to share her inspection story to support colleagues –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/visiting-an-outstanding-childminder.
Interrupting children
While we are talking about the journey to outstanding, this blog discusses how you can manage awkward silences during inspection – and the unintended consequences of Ofsted giving examples of the types of things they expect to see in inspection reports –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/interrupting-children
Joining new Facebook pages
I have been joining a few new Facebook pages for my professional development. I want to, for example, offer children more open-ended activities and play provocations next year so I have joined groups such as ‘Teaching 2 and 3 year olds’ and ‘Play Trays’ to see if I can get some inspiration from them. I hope to be inspired! What pages do you belong to that you find useful? I will ask the question on the Independent Childminders Facebook group and see what members suggest…
I have also joined ‘Early Years TV’, an online resource started by my trainer colleague Kathy Brodie. I am slowly working through some of the videos and learning a lot in the process. It’s not always about learning something new though is it? Sometimes, it’s good to have your practice validated when someone you follow agrees with what you are doing.
https://www.earlyyears.tv/
A book a week…
Way before Ofsted focused on reading in their new inspection framework, we always did wonderful things with books in our setting and if you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member you will know I always have a ‘book of the week’ linked to whatever we are currently learning through our group planning.
I have just joined www.lovemybooks.com to see if there are any ideas on the website – and I am making a list of books linked to our themes. In 2020, I have committed to working through all our books and checking what we read, what we side-line and what links well to our annual planning. I will then buy some new ones and gift those we no longer read to our local church, which has a book sale shelf.
My new 2020 planning guides (and archives from previous years) are free here for Childcare.co.uk gold members - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
Gender stereotypes
If Ofsted ask you, ‘What would you do if a parent objected to, for example, their son wearing a dress during role play?’ what would you say? Would you say you follow parent wishes – or would you say you challenge parent stereotypes and gender bias? The correct answer – for Ofsted and for life – is to challenge perceptions and allow children to be who they want to be.
However, the latest ‘Lifting Limits’ report states that there is a still gender inequality in all areas of society including early years. Ideas for doing more to resolve the issues include normalising play – for example, if boys are playing with dolls and making practitioners more gender aware. More information here - https://www.liftinglimits.org.uk/.
Early years on the internet
The latest Childwise report states that under 5s internet use is increasing rapidly year on year. Parents and practitioners need to work together to raise awareness of the dangers of being online, with the aim of keeping children safer.
You can read the report here –
http://www.childwise.co.uk/reports.html.
Safeguarding update: Safeguarding scenarios
A reminder that the Cheshire East safeguarding website has some really useful safeguarding scenarios, free to everyone. They can be used with staff, in staff meetings or supervisions, for staff training – or if you work on your own, they can be read and used as professional development –
https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/schools/safeguarding_in_education/monthly_staff_scenarios.aspx.
Safeguarding update: Contextual safeguarding
I have received a few reports of childminders being asked about contextual safeguarding during inspection so it's worth a few minutes of CPD.
Contextual safeguarding is noted in the recently updated statutory guidance 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (paragraph 52) which is referenced as a document we need to be aware of in the EYFS 2017. We are all aware of familial safeguarding risks to children - the risk of abuse from within the family; contextual abuse covers the risks to a child from outside the family. Contextual abuse is usually related to older children, but little ones can be caught up in it so we need to be aware of its meaning - and, of course, many of us work with older children.
Contextual abuse covers, for example, child sexual exploitation, online abuse and manipulation, peer on peer abuse in and out of school, radicalisation and exposure to extremism, county lines drug running etc. We might think there is a problem because, for example, a child might tell us about a concern related to an older sibling or their behaviour might suggest they are being coerced into doing something they don't want to do. It is important to consider the risks to the children in your care (risk assess - in your head) and share information about, for example, staying safe online and county lines with parents to keep children safer.
Experts involved with cases of contextual safeguarding note that families are rarely able to influence their children's decisions if they are affected by contextual safeguarding at school, in the community, from within their friendship group etc, so early intervention is vital, to teach children skills which will help them to keep themselves safer - British values, online safety, making good friends etc. You can read more about contextual safeguarding here –
https://www.educare.co.uk/news/what-is-contextual-safeguarding.
Safeguarding update: what is consent?
Consent is more than saying ‘yes’ – we need to teach children about their feelings so they recognise that tickle in their tummies that says something isn’t quite right and we need to allow them to make lots of choices so they learn that their opinion matters and has value.
In schools, the new relationships curriculum will talk about consent – in the early years we can include some direct teaching about consent in our personal, social and emotional (PSED) interventions during small group times and we can listen to and support children who want to talk through tricky situations they have encountered in their lives, listening to children’s thoughts and concerns and giving them advice through a story or scenario where appropriate.
More information about the new relationships curriculum here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education
The legal definition of consent is here - https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/what-consent
Plan for the children – not Ofsted
Ofsted want us to understand the words ‘intent, implementation, impact’ and to use them during our planning – and we need to be able to talk about them during our inspection. It is important to recognise what they mean –
You do not need to re-write your planning using these words (if you have written planning – you do not need written planning) but you do need to be able to talk about your intent, implementation and impact in relation to the activities you do with the children. There are many providers, including childminders, who are questioning how this will impact their ‘on the spot’ planning – or how it will work if they ‘do not plan’. I think it is important to recognise, first, what Ofsted are expecting us to do and then to work with their expectations to find a way forward that is doable for you.
My new group planning for 2020, written for Childcare.co.uk gold members, will include reference to intent, implementation and impact to help guide you through the new Ofsted ‘buzzwords’ in a practical way - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides#planning.
Changes to inspection reports
From September 2019, Ofsted have changed the layout of their inspection reports. They say the new inspection report formats have been well received, especially the last section which focuses on the setting’s safeguarding. New-style inspection reports include the following –
The new style reports say your grade now – your grade at the last inspection – what you do well – what you need to improve (with examples) – how well you manage safeguarding. I have already shared some thoughts with Ofsted about the new reports and feedback from providers and will continue to do this as part of my role on the Ofsted Big Conversation north west steering group .
Childminders and building work
If you are having building work in your setting, there are steps you need to take to keep children safe and notify Ofsted about any changes you have made. I have written more information in this blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminders-and-building-work.
Early years funding crisis
The early years funding crisis – also known as the lack of adequate funding crisis - is unlikely to improve without a lot of campaigning now we have another Conservative Government in power. Some nurseries, childminders and other providers pooled their resources to pay for a letter in the Times newspaper, explaining the situation to parents and asking for support.
You will find more information in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/nurseries-pay-for-ad-in-national-newspaper-to-highlight-funding-crisis
Staff management at inspection
Ofsted focus on staff management at inspection and a lot of childminders now have staff, so it’s worth looking at the different comments that are coming through in inspection reports. Areas of practice Ofsted look at related to staff management might cover –
Children’s wellbeing
Wellbeing should always be high on the early years agenda. To help, the Young Minds website has published a wellbeing Advent calendar for 2019 – and if you root around on the website there is lots of wellbeing advice and useful links to further information and support.
https://youngminds.org.uk/media/3393/wellbeing-advent-calendar-2019.pdf
Action for Happiness have produced a December kindness calendar as well – I have downloaded it and popped it into my December folder on the computer for next year –
https://www.actionforhappiness.org/media/822618/december_2019.pdf.
The Infant and Toddler Forum relaunches
The infant and toddler forum has been sharing information about healthy eating for some years – but the funding came to an end. It has now relaunched as a not for profit organisation dedicated to supporting practitioners, sharing information with parents and protecting children from childhood obesity.
More information in this article from Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/the-infant-and-toddler-forum-re-launches-as-a-community-interest-company
Wishing a very Happy New Year to everyone!
Chat soon, Sarah
I am committed to supporting childminders on this website and I share information, support and advice through the year.
Here is my latest newsletter for childminders who want to stay independent of agencies ... I hope you find it useful!
EYFS consultation
If you haven’t already responded to the consultation on proposed changes to the EYFS, time is running out.
You will find some information and suggestions for comments from the Early Years Alliance here - https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/changes-eyfs-2021.
Free webinars for 2020
I have planned some new FREE webinars for January – and I am currently writing new webinars which have been requested by early years providers to help with their ongoing professional development. If you would like me to tackle an early years subject in my future webinars please let me know!
January webinars will cover – Roles of the SENCO; Supporting Children with SEND; Introduction to the EYFS – Learning and Development Requirements AND Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements.
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Childcare.co.uk gold members can watch previously presented webinars again here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Number of childminders falls again
We are losing childminders – month by month there are less of us. We are trying to help here on this website with free information sharing – and on the Independent Childminders Facebook group – but we are still losing far too many colleagues.
What can we do to support childminder retention in 2020? I am interested in your suggestions! If there is anything I can do, I will try and help.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/number-of-childminders-falls-by-a-fifth
Reception children during inspection
If you care for early years AND reception children in your setting – whether you are a childminder or nursery – Ofsted expectations for the care of reception children have changed. Ofsted inspectors may now use their ‘professional judgement’ to decide your curriculum for the reception children is not challenging enough and say that you do not meet their learning needs.
You will find more information about how Ofsted now inspect and report on learning opportunities for reception children in mixed age settings in this blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/how-ofsted-inspect-reception-children.
I have also presented a webinar which is available for gold Childcare.co.uk members on watch again – www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
The journey to outstanding may be harder
Childminders cannot fail to note the amount of members on the Independent Childminders Facebook group reporting they have lost their outstanding grade under the new inspection framework – with downgrades to ‘good’ for, for example, failing to give a child time to answer a question, failing to name dinosaurs when taking them out of a box, missing an opportunity to count steps while on an outing, failing to prepare a child for school because their behaviour was uncharacteristically tricky during the inspection … and so the list of reasons for no longer being outstanding go on and on.
We now read a report in Nursery World magazine which says that, while the majority of providers are graded good or outstanding, the journey to outstanding is harder under the new framework. At the same time, we hear about inspectors having to call Ofsted and spend a long time on their phones in their cars justifying giving an outstanding grade and inspectors telling providers ‘under the previous framework you would have been outstanding but not with this one…’.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/journey-to-outstanding-may-be-harder
Outstanding is gettable!
Some childminders have gained an outstanding grade since September 2019 and the introduction of the new inspection framework … not as many as previously, but some have moved from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ while others have maintained their outstanding. One inspector said to a childminder, ‘To get outstanding you must be flawless’ so many, many congratulations to them!!
Here is a blog I wrote after visiting a newly graded outstanding childminder who was keen to share her inspection story to support colleagues –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/visiting-an-outstanding-childminder.
Interrupting children
While we are talking about the journey to outstanding, this blog discusses how you can manage awkward silences during inspection – and the unintended consequences of Ofsted giving examples of the types of things they expect to see in inspection reports –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/interrupting-children
Joining new Facebook pages
I have been joining a few new Facebook pages for my professional development. I want to, for example, offer children more open-ended activities and play provocations next year so I have joined groups such as ‘Teaching 2 and 3 year olds’ and ‘Play Trays’ to see if I can get some inspiration from them. I hope to be inspired! What pages do you belong to that you find useful? I will ask the question on the Independent Childminders Facebook group and see what members suggest…
I have also joined ‘Early Years TV’, an online resource started by my trainer colleague Kathy Brodie. I am slowly working through some of the videos and learning a lot in the process. It’s not always about learning something new though is it? Sometimes, it’s good to have your practice validated when someone you follow agrees with what you are doing.
https://www.earlyyears.tv/
A book a week…
Way before Ofsted focused on reading in their new inspection framework, we always did wonderful things with books in our setting and if you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member you will know I always have a ‘book of the week’ linked to whatever we are currently learning through our group planning.
I have just joined www.lovemybooks.com to see if there are any ideas on the website – and I am making a list of books linked to our themes. In 2020, I have committed to working through all our books and checking what we read, what we side-line and what links well to our annual planning. I will then buy some new ones and gift those we no longer read to our local church, which has a book sale shelf.
My new 2020 planning guides (and archives from previous years) are free here for Childcare.co.uk gold members - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
Gender stereotypes
If Ofsted ask you, ‘What would you do if a parent objected to, for example, their son wearing a dress during role play?’ what would you say? Would you say you follow parent wishes – or would you say you challenge parent stereotypes and gender bias? The correct answer – for Ofsted and for life – is to challenge perceptions and allow children to be who they want to be.
However, the latest ‘Lifting Limits’ report states that there is a still gender inequality in all areas of society including early years. Ideas for doing more to resolve the issues include normalising play – for example, if boys are playing with dolls and making practitioners more gender aware. More information here - https://www.liftinglimits.org.uk/.
Early years on the internet
The latest Childwise report states that under 5s internet use is increasing rapidly year on year. Parents and practitioners need to work together to raise awareness of the dangers of being online, with the aim of keeping children safer.
You can read the report here –
http://www.childwise.co.uk/reports.html.
Safeguarding update: Safeguarding scenarios
A reminder that the Cheshire East safeguarding website has some really useful safeguarding scenarios, free to everyone. They can be used with staff, in staff meetings or supervisions, for staff training – or if you work on your own, they can be read and used as professional development –
https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/schools/safeguarding_in_education/monthly_staff_scenarios.aspx.
Safeguarding update: Contextual safeguarding
I have received a few reports of childminders being asked about contextual safeguarding during inspection so it's worth a few minutes of CPD.
Contextual safeguarding is noted in the recently updated statutory guidance 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (paragraph 52) which is referenced as a document we need to be aware of in the EYFS 2017. We are all aware of familial safeguarding risks to children - the risk of abuse from within the family; contextual abuse covers the risks to a child from outside the family. Contextual abuse is usually related to older children, but little ones can be caught up in it so we need to be aware of its meaning - and, of course, many of us work with older children.
Contextual abuse covers, for example, child sexual exploitation, online abuse and manipulation, peer on peer abuse in and out of school, radicalisation and exposure to extremism, county lines drug running etc. We might think there is a problem because, for example, a child might tell us about a concern related to an older sibling or their behaviour might suggest they are being coerced into doing something they don't want to do. It is important to consider the risks to the children in your care (risk assess - in your head) and share information about, for example, staying safe online and county lines with parents to keep children safer.
Experts involved with cases of contextual safeguarding note that families are rarely able to influence their children's decisions if they are affected by contextual safeguarding at school, in the community, from within their friendship group etc, so early intervention is vital, to teach children skills which will help them to keep themselves safer - British values, online safety, making good friends etc. You can read more about contextual safeguarding here –
https://www.educare.co.uk/news/what-is-contextual-safeguarding.
Safeguarding update: what is consent?
Consent is more than saying ‘yes’ – we need to teach children about their feelings so they recognise that tickle in their tummies that says something isn’t quite right and we need to allow them to make lots of choices so they learn that their opinion matters and has value.
In schools, the new relationships curriculum will talk about consent – in the early years we can include some direct teaching about consent in our personal, social and emotional (PSED) interventions during small group times and we can listen to and support children who want to talk through tricky situations they have encountered in their lives, listening to children’s thoughts and concerns and giving them advice through a story or scenario where appropriate.
More information about the new relationships curriculum here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education
The legal definition of consent is here - https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/what-consent
Plan for the children – not Ofsted
Ofsted want us to understand the words ‘intent, implementation, impact’ and to use them during our planning – and we need to be able to talk about them during our inspection. It is important to recognise what they mean –
- Intent – what are you doing – why is it planned?
- Implementation – how are you doing it – what are you going to teach?
- Impact – what has changed – what did you achieve?
You do not need to re-write your planning using these words (if you have written planning – you do not need written planning) but you do need to be able to talk about your intent, implementation and impact in relation to the activities you do with the children. There are many providers, including childminders, who are questioning how this will impact their ‘on the spot’ planning – or how it will work if they ‘do not plan’. I think it is important to recognise, first, what Ofsted are expecting us to do and then to work with their expectations to find a way forward that is doable for you.
My new group planning for 2020, written for Childcare.co.uk gold members, will include reference to intent, implementation and impact to help guide you through the new Ofsted ‘buzzwords’ in a practical way - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides#planning.
Changes to inspection reports
From September 2019, Ofsted have changed the layout of their inspection reports. They say the new inspection report formats have been well received, especially the last section which focuses on the setting’s safeguarding. New-style inspection reports include the following –
- A new layout
- New inspection areas – following the Early Years Inspection handbook layout
- A new safeguarding paragraph at the end
- More detail about the setting and what practitioners do with the children
- Different ways of noting things to improve
The new style reports say your grade now – your grade at the last inspection – what you do well – what you need to improve (with examples) – how well you manage safeguarding. I have already shared some thoughts with Ofsted about the new reports and feedback from providers and will continue to do this as part of my role on the Ofsted Big Conversation north west steering group .
Childminders and building work
If you are having building work in your setting, there are steps you need to take to keep children safe and notify Ofsted about any changes you have made. I have written more information in this blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminders-and-building-work.
Early years funding crisis
The early years funding crisis – also known as the lack of adequate funding crisis - is unlikely to improve without a lot of campaigning now we have another Conservative Government in power. Some nurseries, childminders and other providers pooled their resources to pay for a letter in the Times newspaper, explaining the situation to parents and asking for support.
You will find more information in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/nurseries-pay-for-ad-in-national-newspaper-to-highlight-funding-crisis
Staff management at inspection
Ofsted focus on staff management at inspection and a lot of childminders now have staff, so it’s worth looking at the different comments that are coming through in inspection reports. Areas of practice Ofsted look at related to staff management might cover –
- Staff files – make sure they are updated regularly and contain all the information Ofsted will look for
- DBS checks – and regular checks to ensure there are no changes to suitability
- Application forms as part of safer recruitment
- Induction procedures – and ongoing training and support
- Regular staff observations and supervision meetings (the EYFS details what must be included)
- A good feeling of wellbeing amongst all the staff and management – how you ensure staff are happy and feel safe in the setting
- Focus staff training on curriculum, teaching, managing behaviour, challenging children’s learning, staff listening to the children and giving them time to think...
Children’s wellbeing
Wellbeing should always be high on the early years agenda. To help, the Young Minds website has published a wellbeing Advent calendar for 2019 – and if you root around on the website there is lots of wellbeing advice and useful links to further information and support.
https://youngminds.org.uk/media/3393/wellbeing-advent-calendar-2019.pdf
Action for Happiness have produced a December kindness calendar as well – I have downloaded it and popped it into my December folder on the computer for next year –
https://www.actionforhappiness.org/media/822618/december_2019.pdf.
The Infant and Toddler Forum relaunches
The infant and toddler forum has been sharing information about healthy eating for some years – but the funding came to an end. It has now relaunched as a not for profit organisation dedicated to supporting practitioners, sharing information with parents and protecting children from childhood obesity.
More information in this article from Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/the-infant-and-toddler-forum-re-launches-as-a-community-interest-company
Wishing a very Happy New Year to everyone!
Chat soon, Sarah
December 2019 newsletter
It's a busy newsletter this month! I have researched latest information and advice as well as looking closely at legislation related to childminders.
Time limited advice… tax for 2018-19
There is not much time left to put your self-assessment tax return in for 2018-19! The deadline is for completing the return and paying any tax due is midnight on 31st January or you will be fined £100 straight away with more penalties to follow if you do not submit your figures straight away.
You will find free advice on completing your childminder accounts on this link - http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/taxinformation.html.
December planning
Are you planned yet for December? I have written a comprehensive 'Advent Activities' planner which is available for those providers who did my 'December Planning' webinar training - if you missed the training, gold Childcare.co.uk members can watch again here on the webinar player - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
**There is no requirement for written planning! Use mine - released monthly for Childcare.co.uk gold members - and you won't need to do anything more!
Upcoming webinars for December
During December I have planned the following webinars -
Tues 3rd @ 7.30pm - Recent Ofsted inspection outcomes
**A 'must' watch for all Ofsted registered independent childminders!
Tues 10th @ 7.30pm - Working with Reception children
**Clarifying changes to inspection for Ofsted registered providers who care for early years AND reception children
Tues 17th @ 7.30pm - Outings
**For all childminders - how to ensure your outings are supporting children's learning. This links to the 'Recent Ofsted inspection outcomes' webinar.
You can watch and listen to these webinars FREE using this link - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Preparing for the general election
Ofsted are on a go-slow, we’re all sick of hearing about election promises without clear funding in place and intended childcare policies are muddled and often inappropriate because they make good sound bites.
You can read more about the various election promises being made by the main political parties here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/election19-childcare-policies.
About Early Years – annual report
The Ceeda ‘About EY annual report’ 2019 has been published.
A lot of childminders have provided information which is included in this report, in addition to details from group providers -
https://aboutearlyyears.co.uk/our-reports
Evaluating the new inspection reports
I have written some training on my findings, using the new inspection reports as a starting point – it is available as a free webinar in December – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
There is also a report in the Nursery World magazine which you might find interesting - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/more-than-80-per-cent-of-providers-good-or-outstanding-under-eif.
During my reading of childminder Ofsted inspection reports under the new framework (north west region), I note that there are a lot of actions relating to lack of sharing ideas for children's learning with home - you will find my webinar about this on the Childcare.co.uk webinar player (gold members) - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
There are also a number of actions about practitioners not giving children enough time to answer questions - I know it's hard during inspection, but you need to take a few seconds to let them process questions, even if you feel the silence is oppressive... you will find more advice in this blog - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/interrupting-children.
Another action that keeps coming up is practitioners not engaging in professional development to enhance teaching skills - I am reading this one over and over again. See footnote 16, page 33 of the inspection handbook for Ofsted's definition of teaching and be ready to challenge an inspector if you feel you are doing everything that Ofsted say they are looking for!!
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Dealing with an inspection downgrade
Some providers have complained to me that they are being downgraded from outstanding to good for very spurious reasons. If this happens to you, please feed it back to Ofsted when you complete the feedback form at the end of your inspection. It might not make a difference to your grade, but it will demonstrate what is happening out here and whether inspectors are grading providers more harshly under the new framework.
This recent Nursery World article suggests grades are still high – and Ofsted have announced that 97% of providers are rated either outstanding or good – but it can be very hard to deal with a downgrade, especially if you have done everything possible to improve between inspections and feel you have been wronged. A number of previously outstanding providers have said to me, in complete despair ‘I don’t know what more I can do!’ –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/more-than-80-per-cent-of-providers-good-or-outstanding-under-eif
Updating staff contracts from April 2020
If you employ staff, you must ensure your contracts cover the requirements of the EYFS and employment legislation. For example, you must follow Safer Recruitment Procedures to comply with the EYFS and you must provide employees with a contract from day 1 to comply with employment law (new legislation from April 2020).
From April 2020, contracts must also cover –
-Employee’s contracted days and working hours
-Whether the days or hours are variable and how they might vary
-Entitlement to additional leave – as well as annual leave
-Entitlement to holiday pay
-Details of additional benefits offered
-Probationary period details including duration of probationary period
-Training entitlement including statutory (EYFS required) training – first aid, safeguarding, health and safety, food hygiene etc.
For more information, see the ACAS website - https://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3967.
New safeguarding information
I attended Cheshire East training last night and they were talking about a new safeguarding ‘buzzword’ – ‘contextual’ safeguarding. The trainer said that we all look for familial risks, but we must also recognise risks to a child from outside the home, beyond their family – for example, safeguarding linked to peer pressure, peer on peer abuse, school issues and neighbourhood challenges. Within this, we must consider risks to children from, for example, child sexual exploitation, forced marriage, county lines (exploiting children and young people to sell drugs), faith abuse etc.
You will find more information on the NSPCC learning website - https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/2019/october/what-is-contextual-safeguarding/.
Mobile phones
Is your mobile phone policy consistent for both staff and visitors? Do you ensure staff put mobile phones away securely – and visitors keep mobile phones out of sight and reach of children?
The EYFS states in requirement 3.4: "The safeguarding policy and procedures must ... cover the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting" but does not give any further information about contents, so you should check for guidance in your Local Authority model policy in the first instance.
Note the following article in relation to Ofsted inspectors and mobile phones - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/opinion/article/bumps-and-bruises-what-ofsted-needs.
Safer recruitment
During recent training (Cheshire East safeguarding) we were advised that Safer Recruitment Procedures must include a full application form in addition to a CV (if provided). This is relevant to childminders and group providers – there was a recent case on the Independent Childminders Facebook group where a childminder was pulled up for not having an application form for her sister who was employed as her assistant… make sure you follow Safer Recruitment Procedures for all staff, regardless of their relationship to you.
You will find more information about safer recruitment for childminder assistants in my e-book 48 ‘Assistants’ from my www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk website.
Ofsted and paperwork
Most Ofsted inspectors are now following Ofsted’s guidance and not asking to look at paperwork which is not required by the EYFS (the statutory framework) or requested by the Ofsted inspection handbook. Some, however, are still asking for written evidence of children’s progress – so it makes sense (to me) to advise my colleagues that when you are evaluating your paperwork, ensure you keep any progress trackers you use to share with parents and passing Ofsted inspectors.
Keeping disabled children safer
The NSPCC has published a new report, informed by children, parents and professionals, giving guidance on how to keep disabled children safe. Research findings didn’t really say anything new – agencies need to work together more effectively; information sharing needs to include what messages are given to children about healthy relationships; professionals must be well trained to spot signs of abuse and get help quickly.
You can read the report here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2019/protecting-disabled-children-from-sexual-abuse
Meanwhile, a recent Education Select Committee Report finds that SEND reforms are failing children and their families. This is reported in the Early Years Alliance blogs –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/10/report-warns-send-reforms-are-failing-families.
And MPs are calling for ‘radical changes’ to be made to the failing SEND system –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/mps-call-for-radical-change-in-failing-send-system
If you care for a child with special educational needs or disabilities, you will need to stay updated – and share information with parents – to ensure you are responsive to the needs of the children and their families.
Risk assessment
Keeping children safe in the setting should be a priority for all providers. This ‘classroom checklist’ from HSE (Health and Safety Executive) can be easily adapted for early years settings who find it useful to have risk assessment information in writing –
http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/classroom-checklist.pdf.
Transferring safeguarding records
When a child leaves your care and moves on to another setting such as school, all safeguarding documentation must leave with them – this is a requirement under the relevant safeguarding legislation. Your Local Authority should have a form – usually called a ‘transfer of records’ form – that you print and complete and then ask the next setting to sign. This form confirms you have handed over responsibility for the documentation to the next setting.
The relevant legislation I have used to write this was given to us by Cheshire East safeguarding team – it is ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (2018) which is statutory guidance and says that DSLs should ensure that records are transferred ‘to the new school or college as soon as possible, ensuring secure transit, and confirmation of receipt should be obtained’ (paragraph 79).
30 hours funding
By the time we read this, DfE were supposed to have responded to the Early Years Alliance (PLA) freedom of information request to release information about the funding calculations used to determine how much we receive / hour… and why the funding is frozen.
However, instead of responding, DfE decided to waste taxpayer money by launching yet another legal challenge to the request… one has to wonder what they have got to hide!
https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/government-fails-to-meet-ico-deadline-on-childcare-funding-calculations
While we are talking about funding, DfE have released the latest funding figures – these are the amounts which the Local Authorities are paid – NOT the amounts received by providers because the Local Authorities are allowed to keep money -
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/dfe-confirms-new-early-years-funding-rates-for-2020-21
Changes to the EYFS
The EYFS is current in the process of being updated, to include new Early Learning Goals for children to reach by the end of reception class in school. It would appear from this article that the upcoming changes to the EYFS … are not popular. I am keeping an eye on this and will deliver training for early years providers as soon as decisions on final wording have been made because what happens at school level always filters down to the early years -
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/eyfs-revisions-muddled-and-inappropriate
Early Learning Goals (ELGs) changes
Change is coming to the ELGs and this will inevitably change the early years curriculum with concerns about ‘top down practice’ voiced by early years experts such as Nancy Stewart, one of the original writers of the Development Matters guidance.
The pilot reports are in from schools which took part and there are concerns about different areas, including (but not limited to) –
Development Matters update
Talking about Development Matters, Julian Grenier is updating this popular guidance document. He aims to remove the checklist approach and the perceived need to keep moving children up without ensuring they have consolidated at their current age range. Again, this will affect early years, so we are keeping an eye on conversations and reporting relevant information that is shared.
More information in this Nursery World magazine article – https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/News/article/development-matters-revised-for-new-eyfs.
Obesity targets
There is a lot of concern that obesity targets have not been met and there needs to be widescale changes and investment. However, we can help in early years by ensuring menus do not include high fat, sugar or salt content, getting portion sizes right and enabling children to have 3 hours physical exercise a day.
You can find more information on the Parliament UK website –
https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Health/Correspondence/2017-19/Childhood-obesity-Government-Response-to-eighth-report-17-19.pdf.
Labour and Ofsted
Labour seem to have fallen out with Ofsted and have publicly stated that they want to ‘scrap’ them if they win the upcoming election! I was asked for a comment on this for the Early Years Alliance magazine and I said that, despite their many issues, I don’t think it’s a good idea. This is partly because local authorities are badly underfunded and … let’s be honest, there is an element of ‘better the devil you know’. I have worked very hard (along with colleagues) to keep conversations with Ofsted flowing over the last few years and we are making a difference – albeit slowly.
More information in this article –
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/21/labour-we-will-scrap-ofsted-radical-election-pledge.
SEND in crisis
Poor partnerships, lack of oversight, long delays and rising complaints are all leading to a SEND crisis in early as well as later years care. You can read more in this report –
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/send-system-in-crisis-as-complaints-to-local-government-ombudsman-soar/
More and more settings close
More than 500 early years settings are closing a month – it’s very worrying. We will be looking carefully at the election manifestos – but, sadly, a blue pigeon would get in around here so I’m not holding up much hope of change locally!
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/more-than-500-childcare-settings-closing-each-month
We are also hearing that Ofsted are taking a very long time to register new childminders – and I know from personal experience that it can take months to register an assistant! I am continuing to work with the Ofsted Big Conversation to support all providers including childminders by building a positive relationship with Ofsted – but we need Ofsted to play their part as well…
Online safety
I have shared these links before but it’s important to keep reminding parents and children about staying safe online – this is for early years children as well as older children because a lot of early years children access online through phones and tablets, often without supervision.
There is a book to read featuring Smartie the Penguin –
https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin
Resources for parents - https://www.internetmatters.org/schools-esafety/pre-school/
Children’s movement
The government are focusing on movement as a way of improving physical and mental health –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/getting-children-moving-is-key-to-improving-their-mental-health-say-mps
Public Health England have updated the physical activity guidelines –
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/physical-activity-guidelines
This is a good article about fun dancing –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/music-and-movement-encouraging-physical-activity.
Changes to tax free childcare payments
According to an email from HMRC, tax free childcare payments made by bank transfer will go through quicker than previously. The payment reference number issues have also been resolved and will be different under the new system – see your tax free childcare email for more information.
Changes to Universal Credits
You might want to update your families on changes to Universal Credit if they claim it to pay for childcare costs. Parents now have an extra month to claim back eligible childcare costs – invoices will still be needed. We are hearing that Universal Credits require invoices on headed paper – you might need to think about how you produce them to support parents who claim.
You will find the latest information on the Childcare Choices website - https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Waste collection and childminders
Some childminders have been informed by their local authorities that they have to pay commercial waste fees to have nappies, wipes, shredded paper, activity and food waste removed from their house. It appears after researching on the Independent Childminders Facebook group that if childminders are told by their local authorities that they have to pay for waste collection, then they have been given little choice. Some have even been told if they use the tip they will have to pay for commercial waste there too.
A way round paying might be to put labelled bins by the front door for nappies, food and activity waste for each child and get parents to take them home every night - but that still doesn't cover business related waste like shredded paperwork and any other 'business' waste which might be found in the normal bin.
You have to think - if you were threatened with a big fine for putting even one small piece of business waste in your normal bin, would you pay or still refuse?
The legislation is here for reference - https://www.gov.uk/managing-your-waste-an-overview.
Childminders and building work
My latest blog to support colleagues - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminders-and-building-work.
I hope you have a good festive season! All the best for the New Year, Sarah
Time limited advice… tax for 2018-19
There is not much time left to put your self-assessment tax return in for 2018-19! The deadline is for completing the return and paying any tax due is midnight on 31st January or you will be fined £100 straight away with more penalties to follow if you do not submit your figures straight away.
You will find free advice on completing your childminder accounts on this link - http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/freeresources/Free%20downloads/taxinformation.html.
December planning
Are you planned yet for December? I have written a comprehensive 'Advent Activities' planner which is available for those providers who did my 'December Planning' webinar training - if you missed the training, gold Childcare.co.uk members can watch again here on the webinar player - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer
**There is no requirement for written planning! Use mine - released monthly for Childcare.co.uk gold members - and you won't need to do anything more!
Upcoming webinars for December
During December I have planned the following webinars -
Tues 3rd @ 7.30pm - Recent Ofsted inspection outcomes
**A 'must' watch for all Ofsted registered independent childminders!
Tues 10th @ 7.30pm - Working with Reception children
**Clarifying changes to inspection for Ofsted registered providers who care for early years AND reception children
Tues 17th @ 7.30pm - Outings
**For all childminders - how to ensure your outings are supporting children's learning. This links to the 'Recent Ofsted inspection outcomes' webinar.
You can watch and listen to these webinars FREE using this link - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
Preparing for the general election
Ofsted are on a go-slow, we’re all sick of hearing about election promises without clear funding in place and intended childcare policies are muddled and often inappropriate because they make good sound bites.
You can read more about the various election promises being made by the main political parties here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/election19-childcare-policies.
About Early Years – annual report
The Ceeda ‘About EY annual report’ 2019 has been published.
A lot of childminders have provided information which is included in this report, in addition to details from group providers -
https://aboutearlyyears.co.uk/our-reports
Evaluating the new inspection reports
I have written some training on my findings, using the new inspection reports as a starting point – it is available as a free webinar in December – www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
There is also a report in the Nursery World magazine which you might find interesting - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/more-than-80-per-cent-of-providers-good-or-outstanding-under-eif.
During my reading of childminder Ofsted inspection reports under the new framework (north west region), I note that there are a lot of actions relating to lack of sharing ideas for children's learning with home - you will find my webinar about this on the Childcare.co.uk webinar player (gold members) - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
There are also a number of actions about practitioners not giving children enough time to answer questions - I know it's hard during inspection, but you need to take a few seconds to let them process questions, even if you feel the silence is oppressive... you will find more advice in this blog - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/interrupting-children.
Another action that keeps coming up is practitioners not engaging in professional development to enhance teaching skills - I am reading this one over and over again. See footnote 16, page 33 of the inspection handbook for Ofsted's definition of teaching and be ready to challenge an inspector if you feel you are doing everything that Ofsted say they are looking for!!
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Dealing with an inspection downgrade
Some providers have complained to me that they are being downgraded from outstanding to good for very spurious reasons. If this happens to you, please feed it back to Ofsted when you complete the feedback form at the end of your inspection. It might not make a difference to your grade, but it will demonstrate what is happening out here and whether inspectors are grading providers more harshly under the new framework.
This recent Nursery World article suggests grades are still high – and Ofsted have announced that 97% of providers are rated either outstanding or good – but it can be very hard to deal with a downgrade, especially if you have done everything possible to improve between inspections and feel you have been wronged. A number of previously outstanding providers have said to me, in complete despair ‘I don’t know what more I can do!’ –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/more-than-80-per-cent-of-providers-good-or-outstanding-under-eif
Updating staff contracts from April 2020
If you employ staff, you must ensure your contracts cover the requirements of the EYFS and employment legislation. For example, you must follow Safer Recruitment Procedures to comply with the EYFS and you must provide employees with a contract from day 1 to comply with employment law (new legislation from April 2020).
From April 2020, contracts must also cover –
-Employee’s contracted days and working hours
-Whether the days or hours are variable and how they might vary
-Entitlement to additional leave – as well as annual leave
-Entitlement to holiday pay
-Details of additional benefits offered
-Probationary period details including duration of probationary period
-Training entitlement including statutory (EYFS required) training – first aid, safeguarding, health and safety, food hygiene etc.
For more information, see the ACAS website - https://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3967.
New safeguarding information
I attended Cheshire East training last night and they were talking about a new safeguarding ‘buzzword’ – ‘contextual’ safeguarding. The trainer said that we all look for familial risks, but we must also recognise risks to a child from outside the home, beyond their family – for example, safeguarding linked to peer pressure, peer on peer abuse, school issues and neighbourhood challenges. Within this, we must consider risks to children from, for example, child sexual exploitation, forced marriage, county lines (exploiting children and young people to sell drugs), faith abuse etc.
You will find more information on the NSPCC learning website - https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/2019/october/what-is-contextual-safeguarding/.
Mobile phones
Is your mobile phone policy consistent for both staff and visitors? Do you ensure staff put mobile phones away securely – and visitors keep mobile phones out of sight and reach of children?
The EYFS states in requirement 3.4: "The safeguarding policy and procedures must ... cover the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting" but does not give any further information about contents, so you should check for guidance in your Local Authority model policy in the first instance.
Note the following article in relation to Ofsted inspectors and mobile phones - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/opinion/article/bumps-and-bruises-what-ofsted-needs.
Safer recruitment
During recent training (Cheshire East safeguarding) we were advised that Safer Recruitment Procedures must include a full application form in addition to a CV (if provided). This is relevant to childminders and group providers – there was a recent case on the Independent Childminders Facebook group where a childminder was pulled up for not having an application form for her sister who was employed as her assistant… make sure you follow Safer Recruitment Procedures for all staff, regardless of their relationship to you.
You will find more information about safer recruitment for childminder assistants in my e-book 48 ‘Assistants’ from my www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk website.
Ofsted and paperwork
Most Ofsted inspectors are now following Ofsted’s guidance and not asking to look at paperwork which is not required by the EYFS (the statutory framework) or requested by the Ofsted inspection handbook. Some, however, are still asking for written evidence of children’s progress – so it makes sense (to me) to advise my colleagues that when you are evaluating your paperwork, ensure you keep any progress trackers you use to share with parents and passing Ofsted inspectors.
Keeping disabled children safer
The NSPCC has published a new report, informed by children, parents and professionals, giving guidance on how to keep disabled children safe. Research findings didn’t really say anything new – agencies need to work together more effectively; information sharing needs to include what messages are given to children about healthy relationships; professionals must be well trained to spot signs of abuse and get help quickly.
You can read the report here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2019/protecting-disabled-children-from-sexual-abuse
Meanwhile, a recent Education Select Committee Report finds that SEND reforms are failing children and their families. This is reported in the Early Years Alliance blogs –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/10/report-warns-send-reforms-are-failing-families.
And MPs are calling for ‘radical changes’ to be made to the failing SEND system –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/mps-call-for-radical-change-in-failing-send-system
If you care for a child with special educational needs or disabilities, you will need to stay updated – and share information with parents – to ensure you are responsive to the needs of the children and their families.
Risk assessment
Keeping children safe in the setting should be a priority for all providers. This ‘classroom checklist’ from HSE (Health and Safety Executive) can be easily adapted for early years settings who find it useful to have risk assessment information in writing –
http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/classroom-checklist.pdf.
Transferring safeguarding records
When a child leaves your care and moves on to another setting such as school, all safeguarding documentation must leave with them – this is a requirement under the relevant safeguarding legislation. Your Local Authority should have a form – usually called a ‘transfer of records’ form – that you print and complete and then ask the next setting to sign. This form confirms you have handed over responsibility for the documentation to the next setting.
The relevant legislation I have used to write this was given to us by Cheshire East safeguarding team – it is ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (2018) which is statutory guidance and says that DSLs should ensure that records are transferred ‘to the new school or college as soon as possible, ensuring secure transit, and confirmation of receipt should be obtained’ (paragraph 79).
30 hours funding
By the time we read this, DfE were supposed to have responded to the Early Years Alliance (PLA) freedom of information request to release information about the funding calculations used to determine how much we receive / hour… and why the funding is frozen.
However, instead of responding, DfE decided to waste taxpayer money by launching yet another legal challenge to the request… one has to wonder what they have got to hide!
https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/government-fails-to-meet-ico-deadline-on-childcare-funding-calculations
While we are talking about funding, DfE have released the latest funding figures – these are the amounts which the Local Authorities are paid – NOT the amounts received by providers because the Local Authorities are allowed to keep money -
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/dfe-confirms-new-early-years-funding-rates-for-2020-21
Changes to the EYFS
The EYFS is current in the process of being updated, to include new Early Learning Goals for children to reach by the end of reception class in school. It would appear from this article that the upcoming changes to the EYFS … are not popular. I am keeping an eye on this and will deliver training for early years providers as soon as decisions on final wording have been made because what happens at school level always filters down to the early years -
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/eyfs-revisions-muddled-and-inappropriate
Early Learning Goals (ELGs) changes
Change is coming to the ELGs and this will inevitably change the early years curriculum with concerns about ‘top down practice’ voiced by early years experts such as Nancy Stewart, one of the original writers of the Development Matters guidance.
The pilot reports are in from schools which took part and there are concerns about different areas, including (but not limited to) –
- The removal of shape, space and measures from maths
- The extra literacy goals and the way they are worded
- Lack of clarify in the understanding the world goals
- The removal of technology from understanding the world – and more…
Development Matters update
Talking about Development Matters, Julian Grenier is updating this popular guidance document. He aims to remove the checklist approach and the perceived need to keep moving children up without ensuring they have consolidated at their current age range. Again, this will affect early years, so we are keeping an eye on conversations and reporting relevant information that is shared.
More information in this Nursery World magazine article – https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/News/article/development-matters-revised-for-new-eyfs.
Obesity targets
There is a lot of concern that obesity targets have not been met and there needs to be widescale changes and investment. However, we can help in early years by ensuring menus do not include high fat, sugar or salt content, getting portion sizes right and enabling children to have 3 hours physical exercise a day.
You can find more information on the Parliament UK website –
https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Health/Correspondence/2017-19/Childhood-obesity-Government-Response-to-eighth-report-17-19.pdf.
Labour and Ofsted
Labour seem to have fallen out with Ofsted and have publicly stated that they want to ‘scrap’ them if they win the upcoming election! I was asked for a comment on this for the Early Years Alliance magazine and I said that, despite their many issues, I don’t think it’s a good idea. This is partly because local authorities are badly underfunded and … let’s be honest, there is an element of ‘better the devil you know’. I have worked very hard (along with colleagues) to keep conversations with Ofsted flowing over the last few years and we are making a difference – albeit slowly.
More information in this article –
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/21/labour-we-will-scrap-ofsted-radical-election-pledge.
SEND in crisis
Poor partnerships, lack of oversight, long delays and rising complaints are all leading to a SEND crisis in early as well as later years care. You can read more in this report –
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/send-system-in-crisis-as-complaints-to-local-government-ombudsman-soar/
More and more settings close
More than 500 early years settings are closing a month – it’s very worrying. We will be looking carefully at the election manifestos – but, sadly, a blue pigeon would get in around here so I’m not holding up much hope of change locally!
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/more-than-500-childcare-settings-closing-each-month
We are also hearing that Ofsted are taking a very long time to register new childminders – and I know from personal experience that it can take months to register an assistant! I am continuing to work with the Ofsted Big Conversation to support all providers including childminders by building a positive relationship with Ofsted – but we need Ofsted to play their part as well…
Online safety
I have shared these links before but it’s important to keep reminding parents and children about staying safe online – this is for early years children as well as older children because a lot of early years children access online through phones and tablets, often without supervision.
There is a book to read featuring Smartie the Penguin –
https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin
Resources for parents - https://www.internetmatters.org/schools-esafety/pre-school/
Children’s movement
The government are focusing on movement as a way of improving physical and mental health –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/getting-children-moving-is-key-to-improving-their-mental-health-say-mps
Public Health England have updated the physical activity guidelines –
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/physical-activity-guidelines
This is a good article about fun dancing –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/music-and-movement-encouraging-physical-activity.
Changes to tax free childcare payments
According to an email from HMRC, tax free childcare payments made by bank transfer will go through quicker than previously. The payment reference number issues have also been resolved and will be different under the new system – see your tax free childcare email for more information.
Changes to Universal Credits
You might want to update your families on changes to Universal Credit if they claim it to pay for childcare costs. Parents now have an extra month to claim back eligible childcare costs – invoices will still be needed. We are hearing that Universal Credits require invoices on headed paper – you might need to think about how you produce them to support parents who claim.
You will find the latest information on the Childcare Choices website - https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Waste collection and childminders
Some childminders have been informed by their local authorities that they have to pay commercial waste fees to have nappies, wipes, shredded paper, activity and food waste removed from their house. It appears after researching on the Independent Childminders Facebook group that if childminders are told by their local authorities that they have to pay for waste collection, then they have been given little choice. Some have even been told if they use the tip they will have to pay for commercial waste there too.
A way round paying might be to put labelled bins by the front door for nappies, food and activity waste for each child and get parents to take them home every night - but that still doesn't cover business related waste like shredded paperwork and any other 'business' waste which might be found in the normal bin.
You have to think - if you were threatened with a big fine for putting even one small piece of business waste in your normal bin, would you pay or still refuse?
The legislation is here for reference - https://www.gov.uk/managing-your-waste-an-overview.
Childminders and building work
My latest blog to support colleagues - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminders-and-building-work.
I hope you have a good festive season! All the best for the New Year, Sarah
November 2019 newsletter
The new inspection framework - pilot inspections
Ofsted have published a blog about what they have learned from the new inspection framework pilot inspections. Having been through a pilot inspection, I can confirm that the pilots were about Ofsted inspectors learning from doing ... and that every feedback response was read and learned from ... and that some pilots were followed up with further phone discussions between providers and senior HMIs.
You will find Ofsted's feedback blog here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/gill-jones-ofsted%E2%80%99s-new-inspections-%E2%80%93-what-did-we-learn-pilots
Changes to the EYFS – consultation
DfE are running a consultation on proposed changes to the EYFS. You might find this article in Nursery World magazine (new format) interesting background reading –
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-foundation-stage-reforms.
I completed it the other evening – it doesn’t take long and there were a couple of questions I felt others were more qualified to answer, but mostly it was easy to follow. In the last box, I added a note that I’d appreciate them looking at the requirement for a written 2 year progress check, given that is not part of the consultation / proposed changes and I feel it is largely ignored by parents and professionals alike…
Information about the consultation is here and it is open until Jan 2020 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-foundation-stage-reforms.
FREE blogs to support CPD
New blogs from Childcare.co.uk about the new Ofsted inspection framework – all your frequently asked questions answered…
Blog 1 - frequently asked questions about the new inspection framework - https://www.childcare.co.uk/new-inspection-framework-q-and-a
Blog 2 - focuses on answering your Learning and Development FAQs - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/learning-and-development-at-inspection
The next blog will focus on safeguarding and the leadership and management section of the inspection framework. You might also find my regularly updated blogs on this website useful –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog.
Ofsted Big Conversation north west open meeting – 5.10.19
It was a very busy morning at the open meeting with over 700 delegates and lots of people from Ofsted in attendance alongside the Ofsted Big Conversation steering group who organise the meetings. Here are some of the main points I noted to share –
On a recent Ofsted PowerPoint slide about the new inspection framework, Ofsted said (in relation to inspection): ‘just because we can do it doesn’t mean we should’ – so think carefully about how well you can manage it if you are taking a lot of children.
This blog has some examples for risk assessing variations taken from previous Ofsted advice – https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminder-variations-updated-information-032019
Ofsted advice - don't over-think cultural capital
Ofsted (Gill Jones, deputy director education) talks about what inspectors want to see when inspecting cultural capital and give a useful example. In the blog Gill refers to a blog on the Early Years Alliance website here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/cultural-capital-eif-what-you-need-know
You might find my blog from a childminder's perspective useful as well - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/cultural-capital
Document retention
Are you up-to-date with your shredding?
https://www.gov.uk/self-employed-records/how-long-to-keep-your-records
Do you have the latest document retention guidance?
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/sites/default/files/retention_periods_for_records_may_2018.pdf
Have you updated the document retention information you share with parents recently - do they know how long you keep their child's records after they have left?
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
Are your files well organised so you can put your hands on anything that is needed for HMRC or Ofsted?
Do you have a written Privacy Notice to share with parents (for your ICO registration - not Ofsted)?
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
Are you registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)? https://ico.org.uk/registration/new
If you keep photos of cm children after they have left, do parents know that they are retained and how / when they might be used?
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1149284/confusion-rules-photographs
More money for funded children?
The Government have announced they are giving an extra £66 million for funding payments. Given the latest CEEDA calculation that the total shortfall for the PVI sector (not all early years providers – just PVI) is £662 million, I am not sure £66m is enough … but it’s a start I suppose!
Do you support the Fair Future Funding campaign from the Early Years Alliance? You can sign up here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/fair-future-funding-0.
Free CPD
I love ‘free’ professional development opportunities! I read and read in the evenings, often sharing what I have learned in my newsletters, blogs and Childcare.co.uk free webinars. I have learned a lot from the free booklets on the Community Playthings website over the years and recommend them regularly, especially if you are thinking about improving your childminding environment –
https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/training-resources
Self-regulation
I have read a lot of blogs recently about self-regulation – it will be included in the revised Early Learning Goals which, I am sure, will filter down as expectations into early years practice. I found this blog on Nancy Bailey’s website about why self-regulation is being, in her words, ‘forced on children’ thought provoking.
https://nancyebailey.com/2017/01/11/whats-behind-increased-teaching-of-self-regulation-in-children/.
Notifying Ofsted about changes
I am often asked 'do I need to inform Ofsted about...?' and it's usually a very grey area, such as arguments with neighbours or disputes with parents. My advice in the first instance is to read the Ofsted early years compliance handbook, page 15 onwards, because this details when you MUST inform Ofsted - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789620/Early_Years_Compliance_Handbook_260319.pdf.
Other notifications come under the 'should' or 'might' banner - there's no requirement to inform Ofsted but if it makes you feel better sending them a message, it's your choice. Note that your message won't stop compliance visits (sometimes unannounced) if a safeguarding notification or other serious allegation is made against you!
Soon, Ofsted are changing all notifications over to your Government Gateway account on the Ofsted website rather than accepting emails, so you might want to check that you can log onto it.
New Nursery World website
Nursery World magazine has a new website – this means that the links I have put into previous newsletters may not work but should be searchable through the new website search option. The new Nursery World website is here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/take-a-tour-round-nursery-world-s-new-website.
Safeguarding and staff knowledge
When Ofsted come out to inspect, they will ask staff safeguarding questions - that hasn't changed. However, one of the new things that has crept into the Ofsted early years inspection handbook without much fanfare is the ‘identify, help and manage’ wording in point 160 -
‘The provider has a culture of safeguarding that facilitates effective arrangements to: identify children who may need early help or are at risk of neglect, abuse, grooming or exploitation; help children to reduce their risk of harm by securing the support they need, or referring in a timely way to those who have the expertise to help; and manage safe recruitment and allegations about adults who may be a risk to children.’
Think about how you explain your culture of safeguarding to staff and discuss with them how they might ‘identify’ and ‘help’ children at risk of harm and ‘manage’ allegations. Ofsted might ask these questions of any staff – full-time or part-time, 5 days a week or 1 day a week, so they need to know the answers, ideally using the language in the handbook so they do not get confused over terminology … one for the next staff meeting!
Child development theorists
Which theorists do you refer to when thinking about supporting children’s learning, development and progress? Here are just a few I find useful –
Support children’s home learning
I have recently presented a webinar for Childcare.co.uk on supporting children’s home learning and one of the things we focused on was the new requirement in the Early Years Inspection handbook to improve children’s reading – and to share ideas with parents for reading in the home learning environment.
Reading is key to school learning and impacts throughout life so we want our little ones to love books. We do this through the environment, resources and routines we put in place for them and through sharing our own love of the written word.
If you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member you can watch my ‘Reading with Children’ and ‘Supporting Home Learning’ webinars again here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Planning for children’s learning
To support children’s learning, we need to teach them about ‘life in modern Britain’ and help them to learn about similarities and differences in the world around them. However, we don’t need to ‘celebrate’ or ‘mark’ everything, especially if it doesn’t have any significance to the children in your group. When you are thinking about your annual calendar, bear in mind relevance… be confident in your continuous provision and start with the children’s home and family life experiences first.
Safeguarding – peer on peer abuse
While mostly relevant for older children (who some childminders do care for), peer on peer abuse can relate to younger children as well, so it is important all early years providers are aware of what it is and how to deal with any concerns. You will find information in this Ofsted blog –
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2019/10/04/what-is-peer-on-peer-abuse/.
Ofsted inspections and joint observations
The Ofsted inspection handbook does not say that inspectors won't do joint observations with childminders any more - it says that they will observe individual children's learning, progress and behaviour. My blog about joint observation might be useful if your inspector asks you to prepare an activity in advance - but remember you don't need lengthy written plans. Plan in your head, assess as you play and extend 'on the spot' as you are playing.
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/joint-observations-be-prepared
Tax Free Childcare changes
Did you receive the recent email from Gov.uk detailing changes to payments from tax free childcare and changes to the way tax free childcare will show on your bank statements? If the email has not arrived, check the junk filter in the email address provided to Gov.uk because it will help you to understand the new way tax free childcare payments will be displayed on your bank statement – ‘overly complex’ are words that spring to mind).
Tax and national insurance
As a self-employed small business owner, you will pay 20% tax if you earn (after expenses) more than the personal allowance which is £12,500 for 2019-20 –
https://www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates.
In addition, you will pay 2 types of National Insurance – Class 2 NI if your profits are £6,365 or more a year. Class 2 NI is £3.00 a week, payable annually with your tax bill; Class 4 NI if your profits are £8,632 or more a year. Class 4 NI is 9% of income over the profits threshold, payable annually with your tax bill –
https://www.gov.uk/self-employed-national-insurance-rates.
It’s usually best to anticipate a tax bill and save money through the year. If you put away a percentage of all your income in a savings account every month (I save 20% of my childminding income) you will have some money put aside to pay your tax and national insurance bills and your Ofsted fee, childminding insurance, ICO invoices and other childminding bills when they arrive.
If your self-assessment bill is more than £1000, HMRC will require you to make 2 further payments ‘on account’ to spread the cost of your tax bill and class 4 NI payment – this can cause further financial hardship if you are not prepared. More information here –
https://www.gov.uk/understand-self-assessment-bill/payments-on-account.
Thinking about Ofsted’s focus on vocabulary
I have been asked by colleagues to provide some more information about the focus on vocabulary. Practitioners ask me: ‘What do Ofsted want to see?’ It’s a tricky one because every inspector is different and will be listening for different things.
I like to start with the experts - I have found through research that if children are not exposed to lots of different words by the age of 5, they will never catch up. Ofsted say book reading is the most important way of sharing a rich and varied vocabulary, so we need to read books every day and encourage parents to read at home as well. We also know that children need a big word bank of nouns – so, for example, put some flowers on the lunch table and teach their names; put food out for birds in the garden and learn their names together; provide spotter sheets and go on listening, number, shape, size, colour, smell and letter walks.
We also need to be aware of children’s starting points and their home and family cultural capital – some children will have a big word bank and others will not have heard as many words so they will not be able to understand or speak them.
There are a couple of recent articles that you might like to read for your CPD –
‘Why the way we talk to children really matters’ –
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191001-the-word-gap-that-affects-how-your-babys-brain-grows
‘Keep the conversation going please’ –
https://www.tes.com/magazine/article/keep-conversation-going-please
Note: access to the TES article is free – you just need a login…
Childminder wellbeing
I did some work for Mental Health Day, including finishing and launching a new e-book ‘Wellbeing in the early years’ – e-book no. 71 on my Knutsford Childminding website – http://www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk/
I have also talked to early years providers about their wellbeing. I gathered some ideas from other childminders about how they keep their wellbeing high, which I would like to share –
MAIN MESSAGE - if you are feeling overwhelmed, stop and get help. Yes, you might need to cut back with work and / or tell Ofsted and yes, it might affect your registration in the short-term, but if you need some support get some! Prioritise yourself and your wellbeing or it will all come crashing down...
Chat soon, Sarah
Ofsted have published a blog about what they have learned from the new inspection framework pilot inspections. Having been through a pilot inspection, I can confirm that the pilots were about Ofsted inspectors learning from doing ... and that every feedback response was read and learned from ... and that some pilots were followed up with further phone discussions between providers and senior HMIs.
You will find Ofsted's feedback blog here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/gill-jones-ofsted%E2%80%99s-new-inspections-%E2%80%93-what-did-we-learn-pilots
Changes to the EYFS – consultation
DfE are running a consultation on proposed changes to the EYFS. You might find this article in Nursery World magazine (new format) interesting background reading –
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-foundation-stage-reforms.
I completed it the other evening – it doesn’t take long and there were a couple of questions I felt others were more qualified to answer, but mostly it was easy to follow. In the last box, I added a note that I’d appreciate them looking at the requirement for a written 2 year progress check, given that is not part of the consultation / proposed changes and I feel it is largely ignored by parents and professionals alike…
Information about the consultation is here and it is open until Jan 2020 –
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-foundation-stage-reforms.
FREE blogs to support CPD
New blogs from Childcare.co.uk about the new Ofsted inspection framework – all your frequently asked questions answered…
Blog 1 - frequently asked questions about the new inspection framework - https://www.childcare.co.uk/new-inspection-framework-q-and-a
Blog 2 - focuses on answering your Learning and Development FAQs - https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminders/learning-and-development-at-inspection
The next blog will focus on safeguarding and the leadership and management section of the inspection framework. You might also find my regularly updated blogs on this website useful –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog.
Ofsted Big Conversation north west open meeting – 5.10.19
It was a very busy morning at the open meeting with over 700 delegates and lots of people from Ofsted in attendance alongside the Ofsted Big Conversation steering group who organise the meetings. Here are some of the main points I noted to share –
- Group settings don’t need to detail every aspect of cohort tracking – Ofsted inspectors won’t ask to see lots of data. They will want to know how staff support children’s learning, development and progress and much of that can be shared verbally.
- Childminder ratios - we have been aware for some time that Ofsted have changed their advice on childminder ratios. They said during the meeting that the EYFS provides an overview of some examples of the types of variations we can organise – and reminded us that we don’t need to ask them / tell them what we are doing. When a childminder works on their own, they must stay within 6 children under the age of 8 and within that they can alter ratios to support our children and families.
On a recent Ofsted PowerPoint slide about the new inspection framework, Ofsted said (in relation to inspection): ‘just because we can do it doesn’t mean we should’ – so think carefully about how well you can manage it if you are taking a lot of children.
This blog has some examples for risk assessing variations taken from previous Ofsted advice – https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/childminder-variations-updated-information-032019
- Childminder premises - when Ofsted register childminders, they register the whole house. Years ago, Ofsted used to just register the rooms we use for childminding, but that changed a long time ago and rooms disappeared from our certificates. From that point on, they had the right to look in any of our rooms, upstairs and downstairs, but often didn’t bother to go upstairs unless there was a red flag that made them want to look. That seems to be changing and more and more inspectors are asking to look at upstairs rooms – this is for lots of reasons including safeguarding (Prevent Duty, for example) and to check health and safety. Bear in mind that you don’t have to go up with the inspector if it will endanger the little ones.
Ofsted advice - don't over-think cultural capital
Ofsted (Gill Jones, deputy director education) talks about what inspectors want to see when inspecting cultural capital and give a useful example. In the blog Gill refers to a blog on the Early Years Alliance website here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/cultural-capital-eif-what-you-need-know
You might find my blog from a childminder's perspective useful as well - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/cultural-capital
Document retention
Are you up-to-date with your shredding?
https://www.gov.uk/self-employed-records/how-long-to-keep-your-records
Do you have the latest document retention guidance?
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/sites/default/files/retention_periods_for_records_may_2018.pdf
Have you updated the document retention information you share with parents recently - do they know how long you keep their child's records after they have left?
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
Are your files well organised so you can put your hands on anything that is needed for HMRC or Ofsted?
Do you have a written Privacy Notice to share with parents (for your ICO registration - not Ofsted)?
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork
Are you registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)? https://ico.org.uk/registration/new
If you keep photos of cm children after they have left, do parents know that they are retained and how / when they might be used?
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1149284/confusion-rules-photographs
More money for funded children?
The Government have announced they are giving an extra £66 million for funding payments. Given the latest CEEDA calculation that the total shortfall for the PVI sector (not all early years providers – just PVI) is £662 million, I am not sure £66m is enough … but it’s a start I suppose!
Do you support the Fair Future Funding campaign from the Early Years Alliance? You can sign up here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/fair-future-funding-0.
Free CPD
I love ‘free’ professional development opportunities! I read and read in the evenings, often sharing what I have learned in my newsletters, blogs and Childcare.co.uk free webinars. I have learned a lot from the free booklets on the Community Playthings website over the years and recommend them regularly, especially if you are thinking about improving your childminding environment –
https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/training-resources
Self-regulation
I have read a lot of blogs recently about self-regulation – it will be included in the revised Early Learning Goals which, I am sure, will filter down as expectations into early years practice. I found this blog on Nancy Bailey’s website about why self-regulation is being, in her words, ‘forced on children’ thought provoking.
https://nancyebailey.com/2017/01/11/whats-behind-increased-teaching-of-self-regulation-in-children/.
Notifying Ofsted about changes
I am often asked 'do I need to inform Ofsted about...?' and it's usually a very grey area, such as arguments with neighbours or disputes with parents. My advice in the first instance is to read the Ofsted early years compliance handbook, page 15 onwards, because this details when you MUST inform Ofsted - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789620/Early_Years_Compliance_Handbook_260319.pdf.
Other notifications come under the 'should' or 'might' banner - there's no requirement to inform Ofsted but if it makes you feel better sending them a message, it's your choice. Note that your message won't stop compliance visits (sometimes unannounced) if a safeguarding notification or other serious allegation is made against you!
Soon, Ofsted are changing all notifications over to your Government Gateway account on the Ofsted website rather than accepting emails, so you might want to check that you can log onto it.
New Nursery World website
Nursery World magazine has a new website – this means that the links I have put into previous newsletters may not work but should be searchable through the new website search option. The new Nursery World website is here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/take-a-tour-round-nursery-world-s-new-website.
Safeguarding and staff knowledge
When Ofsted come out to inspect, they will ask staff safeguarding questions - that hasn't changed. However, one of the new things that has crept into the Ofsted early years inspection handbook without much fanfare is the ‘identify, help and manage’ wording in point 160 -
‘The provider has a culture of safeguarding that facilitates effective arrangements to: identify children who may need early help or are at risk of neglect, abuse, grooming or exploitation; help children to reduce their risk of harm by securing the support they need, or referring in a timely way to those who have the expertise to help; and manage safe recruitment and allegations about adults who may be a risk to children.’
Think about how you explain your culture of safeguarding to staff and discuss with them how they might ‘identify’ and ‘help’ children at risk of harm and ‘manage’ allegations. Ofsted might ask these questions of any staff – full-time or part-time, 5 days a week or 1 day a week, so they need to know the answers, ideally using the language in the handbook so they do not get confused over terminology … one for the next staff meeting!
Child development theorists
Which theorists do you refer to when thinking about supporting children’s learning, development and progress? Here are just a few I find useful –
- Maslow – I mention his hierarchy of need in most of my training courses because it teaches us that children must be cared for before they can learn. This links closely with the Leuven wellbeing and engagement scales.
- Taxonomy tells us about how children learn – their knowledge, skills and dispositions to learn. This theorist is used when we are thinking about the learning characteristics and active learning. More information about the characteristics of effective learning can be found in the Development Matters guidance.
- Maria Montessori taught us about the importance of the learning environment – her work has been developed by many different theorists including Susan Isaacs and Alistair Bryce Clegg, both of whom are worth looking up and reading.
- Vygotsky reminds us to scaffold children’s learning – to observe and assess for children’s individual learning and to plan ‘on the spot’ as they are playing.
Support children’s home learning
I have recently presented a webinar for Childcare.co.uk on supporting children’s home learning and one of the things we focused on was the new requirement in the Early Years Inspection handbook to improve children’s reading – and to share ideas with parents for reading in the home learning environment.
Reading is key to school learning and impacts throughout life so we want our little ones to love books. We do this through the environment, resources and routines we put in place for them and through sharing our own love of the written word.
If you are a Childcare.co.uk gold member you can watch my ‘Reading with Children’ and ‘Supporting Home Learning’ webinars again here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
Planning for children’s learning
To support children’s learning, we need to teach them about ‘life in modern Britain’ and help them to learn about similarities and differences in the world around them. However, we don’t need to ‘celebrate’ or ‘mark’ everything, especially if it doesn’t have any significance to the children in your group. When you are thinking about your annual calendar, bear in mind relevance… be confident in your continuous provision and start with the children’s home and family life experiences first.
Safeguarding – peer on peer abuse
While mostly relevant for older children (who some childminders do care for), peer on peer abuse can relate to younger children as well, so it is important all early years providers are aware of what it is and how to deal with any concerns. You will find information in this Ofsted blog –
https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2019/10/04/what-is-peer-on-peer-abuse/.
Ofsted inspections and joint observations
The Ofsted inspection handbook does not say that inspectors won't do joint observations with childminders any more - it says that they will observe individual children's learning, progress and behaviour. My blog about joint observation might be useful if your inspector asks you to prepare an activity in advance - but remember you don't need lengthy written plans. Plan in your head, assess as you play and extend 'on the spot' as you are playing.
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/joint-observations-be-prepared
Tax Free Childcare changes
Did you receive the recent email from Gov.uk detailing changes to payments from tax free childcare and changes to the way tax free childcare will show on your bank statements? If the email has not arrived, check the junk filter in the email address provided to Gov.uk because it will help you to understand the new way tax free childcare payments will be displayed on your bank statement – ‘overly complex’ are words that spring to mind).
Tax and national insurance
As a self-employed small business owner, you will pay 20% tax if you earn (after expenses) more than the personal allowance which is £12,500 for 2019-20 –
https://www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates.
In addition, you will pay 2 types of National Insurance – Class 2 NI if your profits are £6,365 or more a year. Class 2 NI is £3.00 a week, payable annually with your tax bill; Class 4 NI if your profits are £8,632 or more a year. Class 4 NI is 9% of income over the profits threshold, payable annually with your tax bill –
https://www.gov.uk/self-employed-national-insurance-rates.
It’s usually best to anticipate a tax bill and save money through the year. If you put away a percentage of all your income in a savings account every month (I save 20% of my childminding income) you will have some money put aside to pay your tax and national insurance bills and your Ofsted fee, childminding insurance, ICO invoices and other childminding bills when they arrive.
If your self-assessment bill is more than £1000, HMRC will require you to make 2 further payments ‘on account’ to spread the cost of your tax bill and class 4 NI payment – this can cause further financial hardship if you are not prepared. More information here –
https://www.gov.uk/understand-self-assessment-bill/payments-on-account.
Thinking about Ofsted’s focus on vocabulary
I have been asked by colleagues to provide some more information about the focus on vocabulary. Practitioners ask me: ‘What do Ofsted want to see?’ It’s a tricky one because every inspector is different and will be listening for different things.
I like to start with the experts - I have found through research that if children are not exposed to lots of different words by the age of 5, they will never catch up. Ofsted say book reading is the most important way of sharing a rich and varied vocabulary, so we need to read books every day and encourage parents to read at home as well. We also know that children need a big word bank of nouns – so, for example, put some flowers on the lunch table and teach their names; put food out for birds in the garden and learn their names together; provide spotter sheets and go on listening, number, shape, size, colour, smell and letter walks.
We also need to be aware of children’s starting points and their home and family cultural capital – some children will have a big word bank and others will not have heard as many words so they will not be able to understand or speak them.
There are a couple of recent articles that you might like to read for your CPD –
‘Why the way we talk to children really matters’ –
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191001-the-word-gap-that-affects-how-your-babys-brain-grows
‘Keep the conversation going please’ –
https://www.tes.com/magazine/article/keep-conversation-going-please
Note: access to the TES article is free – you just need a login…
Childminder wellbeing
I did some work for Mental Health Day, including finishing and launching a new e-book ‘Wellbeing in the early years’ – e-book no. 71 on my Knutsford Childminding website – http://www.knutsfordchildminding.co.uk/
I have also talked to early years providers about their wellbeing. I gathered some ideas from other childminders about how they keep their wellbeing high, which I would like to share –
- Make time for yourself every day – daily meditation is popular
- Keep on top of jobs like accounts so they don’t weigh you down
- Write a ‘to do’ list so you know what you have to do without carrying everything in your head – and finish one job at a time before moving on to the next
- Take holidays and enjoy them – don’t feel guilty about having ‘you’ time
- Get a work phone and turn it off on weekends and holidays, checking it once on Sunday night in case anything urgent has come through; agree with parents when to call and what to do in an emergency
- Stop weekend paperwork – where possible, free up weekends for rest and relaxation. Can you do necessary paperwork when children are asleep or busy playing (in your eye line)?
- Sort out finances – personal stuff weighs heavily on colleagues – pay one bill at a time, reduce outgoings where possible
- Make sure you are paid for the work you are doing – if parents do not pay on time, suspend care – no messing around, you are entitled to your fees.
- Pay a compliment – pass a smile – be positive – do something nice for someone … it really does make you feel better
- Can you afford / justify a cleaner and ironing person? Do you have to iron?
- Focus on some mindfulness time just for you – yoga, Pilates, colouring – whatever it takes to help you feel relaxed
- Eat and drink regularly – and properly – don’t skip meals; always have water available for yourself as well as the children – a dehydrated body does not function well
- Do you know what paperwork is required and what is recommended? It is really important that you cut down if you are feeling it’s all too much and your family know the back of your head better than your face! I know childminders who miss out on family trips because they are too busy doing ‘paperwork for Ofsted’ – no … just no!
- Listen to your head and your body – stop when you are tired
- Exercise through the day – love being outside and active
MAIN MESSAGE - if you are feeling overwhelmed, stop and get help. Yes, you might need to cut back with work and / or tell Ofsted and yes, it might affect your registration in the short-term, but if you need some support get some! Prioritise yourself and your wellbeing or it will all come crashing down...
Chat soon, Sarah
October 2019 newsletter
It has been a busy month in the world of early years, with lots of new mini-videos popping up on the Ofsted YouTube channel about inspection. I talked to Ofsted, DfE and Early Years Alliance (and others) about paperwork expectations during inspection on behalf of childminders, we have more funding for 2020 (but is it enough?) and our 'mood stars' arrived and are being loved by the children.
Read on for more updates from the early years...
In conversation with Ofsted
I have talked to Ofsted in detail about my recent pilot inspection on the new inspection framework and fed back some of the positives – and some of my concerns which will hopefully be used to inform inspector practice in the future. Ofsted will also be releasing more blogs and extending their ‘myth busting’ section with DfE to discuss more inspection areas that maybe need clarification.
One of the hot topics during my conversation with Ofsted was paperwork – how much is enough? Ofsted are not saying ‘don’t do paperwork’ – what they are saying is that their inspectors will not ask for more paperwork than is required by the EYFS and the focus during inspection will be on practice, not documentation ‘for Ofsted’ or ‘just in case’. However, if you find what you do helpful then they are not saying stop … don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! Another subject we discussed was the ‘learning walk’ – the name suggests a walk but Ofsted have confirmed it can be a seated discussion if that works better for the practitioner.
I will continue to speak to Ofsted and feedback worries from inspections, so if anything happens that doesn’t feel quite right during your inspection, please let me know.
Early Years Workload Survey
On 18th September, I took part in another Early Years Workload Survey conversation with DfE, Ofsted, Early Years Alliance and others. It was a very positive meeting and will lead to more clarification from Ofsted about paperwork expectations during inspection because there are still a lot of myths and legends out there that need to be resolved.
The outcome of the meeting: during inspection, providers are reminded to be confident in their ability to assess children’s progress from their starting points. When I am training, I remind practitioners to have a 'story in their head about every child' - know your children and what they can and cannot do - know their starting points and what you are working on next with them.
Safeguarding – staff training
These safeguarding scenarios from Cheshire East are good for staff training – or for childminders who get together and want to support their CPD -
https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/schools/safeguarding_in_education/monthly_staff_scenarios.aspx
There are some new online safety posters for early years here – we are hearing about Ofsted inspectors asking childminders for evidence of promoting online safety, linked to the inspection handbook 'good' criteria for Personal Development - 'children understand when they might be at risk, including from the internet, digital technology & social media and know where to get help' –
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/add-some-colour-your-classroom-our-free-online-safety-posters.
Staff and uniforms
According to a thread on one of my Facebook groups, a nursery provider was recently audited by HMRC and one of the outcomes was that if the management expected staff to wear uniform, they had to provide it for them. This included, bizarrely, specific coloured socks and black trousers and shoes if they were part of the uniform… not just uniform tops. If this impacts on you, I suggest you speak to your accountant for more advice.
Environments for early years children
If you can get past the title, this is a good article from Community Playthings -
https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/nurturing-childrens-biophilia.
Children’s food trust charity closes
The Children’s food trust charity has now closed – it was a valuable resource for parents and practitioners but sadly the funding ended. The British Nutrition Foundation has quite a lot of useful information on the website including a ‘food in schools’ section – https://www.nutrition.org.uk/.
Tax free childcare problem
Were you affected by the recent tax-free childcare glitch which left providers without knowing which customer had paid? It didn’t just happen to childminders – nurseries were left in a muddle as well. Apparently, they are working to fix the problem.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168527/tax-free-childcare-glitch-leaves-providers-with-an-admin-impossibility
The other problem with tax free childcare, apart from it being a paperwork nightmare and less than efficient, is that it is supposed to be taking over from the previous voucher system. Parents cannot sign up for vouchers any more – they have to use tax free childcare – and, according to reports, they are missing out on money and it is having a ‘negative impact’ on them.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/08/childcare-voucher-scheme-closure-has-“negative-impact”-families
Favourite story books
What is your favourite early years book? I read a report that ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ has been voted ‘best classic children’s book’ … we love it in our setting too!
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168576/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-named-best-classic-childrens-book
Reporting to Ofsted
What do you need to tell Ofsted? Certainly not about every lump or bump – or petty arguments with parents. You will find the full list in the ‘Early Years Provider non-compliance action’ guidance -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-provider-non-compliance-action-by-ofsted
Ofsted talk about reporting in this short YouTube presentation –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQFP0Fd2aDc .
Less new childminders are registering
According to Ofsted figures, there has been a big drop in the number of childminders applying with Ofsted – figures show a fall of 25%. this is very worrying – especially when 1000 childminders left in the last 4 months of 2018. We are doing everything we can on the Independent Childminders Facebook group to share information and good practice advice to promote childminder retention.
You can join our Facebook group here -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/.
Portion control guidance
A new guide to portion sizes has been launched by the British Nutrition Foundation. The new guide talks about 5532 and focuses on healthy eating for children aged from 1 to 4 years. There is information on free sugars, nutrition and vegetarian / vegan diets as well as portion sizes on the website – using the acronym 5532 =
Question from a childminder: do I have to keep a staff register?
Answer: this is not an easy question to answer because it is (another) grey area. I am aware of some childminder assistants receiving actions to keep registers, including the times they are unsupervised with children, from Ofsted…
However, the Working Time Regulations do not require records to be kept and the Working Time Regulations are the law. … but there was a recent case in the European Court of Justice which found that employers must keep a record of all hours worked by their workers each day to ‘ensure compliance with the rules on maximum weekly working time and rest breaks’ –
https://www.lewissilkin.com/en/insights/european-court-rules-that-employers-must-keep-records-of-actual-time-worked
it is, therefore, strongly recommended that you keep accurate staff registers.
Retention periods are detailed in this document from the Early Years Alliance (formerly PLA) -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/sites/default/files/retention_periods_for_records_may_2018.pdf.
The new inspection handbook and safeguarding
Safeguarding is at the heart of the new inspection framework – alongside ‘quality of education’. It is a limiting judgement which means if you do not know your safeguarding, you are unlikely to do well in your overall inspection because the handbook says, ‘when safeguarding is ineffective, this is likely to lead to an inadequate leadership and management judgement’.
Safeguarding is judged and referenced in the ‘Leadership and Management’ part of inspection covering different areas of practice including, for example -
- Staff recruitment
- Staff wellbeing
- Safeguarding policy
- Referrals – reporting – recording
- Compliance with the EYFS and Childcare Register
- Designated Safeguarding Lead roles
Safeguarding also appears in the new ‘Personal Development’ section of the inspection handbook which covers -
- British values
- Relationships and sex education (in schools)
- Personal, social and emotional development (in the early years)
- Health education
- Wellbeing (in early years) – mental health awareness (in school).
‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years’ should be read alongside the new inspection handbook. It covers new safeguarding threats, mostly related to older children, including -
- Grooming
- Sexting
- County lines
- Bullying including online
- Radicalisation
- Up-skirting
You do not need to include these in your policy but you do need to know what they mean.
Guidance - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills.
An interesting point for early years - ‘Adults understand that children’s poor behaviour may be a sign that they are suffering harm or that they have been traumatised by abuse’ (page 9). It is important to bear in mind that poor behaviour might be driven by something happening in the child’s home, family or setting life.
Men in childcare
There are barriers – but they can be overcome. There is a new campaign to promote men in childcare – I’ve done my bit with a husband as a co-childminder and a son as a nursery deputy manager but I am happy to encourage others into the profession –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/nursery-management/view/why-nurseries-need-more-men-and-how-you-can-recruit-them.
More funding money announced
The Chancellor has announced an extra £66 million in 2020-21 to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers through the government’s free hours’ offers. The Early Years Alliance, who campaigns on behalf of underfunded providers, says ‘thank you but it’s nowhere near enough to make up the deficit’. How it will translate into money in our pockets remains to be seen.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168640/spending-review-chancellor-announces-gbp66m-for-early-years
there will also be an extra £700 million for children with Special Educational needs and Disabilities (SEND) in 2020/21 according to this article from the Council for Disabled Children - https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/news-opinion/news/government-announces-funding-pledge-schools. Let’s hope some of it filters down into the early years where it is badly needed.
Our mood stars
On a personal note, the children at Knutsford Childminding received a special present earlier this week - some mood stars from our colleague and ex-childminder Elizabeth White. These delightful little stars are the start of our pre-school children's journey to learning more about their emotions.
The stars come on a velcro board so we can keep them safe and we have popped it on the wall for easy access (at the children's request, they are just out of reach of the chewy babies!) We are giving the stars names and talking about their stories - the children's imaginations are flying!
I will blog when we have done more with them... in the meantime you can find out more on Elizabeth's website - https://www.wendywoo.uk/mymoodstars/.
If you would like to submit articles or blogs for consideration, please contact me.
Chat soon, Sarah
Read on for more updates from the early years...
In conversation with Ofsted
I have talked to Ofsted in detail about my recent pilot inspection on the new inspection framework and fed back some of the positives – and some of my concerns which will hopefully be used to inform inspector practice in the future. Ofsted will also be releasing more blogs and extending their ‘myth busting’ section with DfE to discuss more inspection areas that maybe need clarification.
One of the hot topics during my conversation with Ofsted was paperwork – how much is enough? Ofsted are not saying ‘don’t do paperwork’ – what they are saying is that their inspectors will not ask for more paperwork than is required by the EYFS and the focus during inspection will be on practice, not documentation ‘for Ofsted’ or ‘just in case’. However, if you find what you do helpful then they are not saying stop … don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! Another subject we discussed was the ‘learning walk’ – the name suggests a walk but Ofsted have confirmed it can be a seated discussion if that works better for the practitioner.
I will continue to speak to Ofsted and feedback worries from inspections, so if anything happens that doesn’t feel quite right during your inspection, please let me know.
Early Years Workload Survey
On 18th September, I took part in another Early Years Workload Survey conversation with DfE, Ofsted, Early Years Alliance and others. It was a very positive meeting and will lead to more clarification from Ofsted about paperwork expectations during inspection because there are still a lot of myths and legends out there that need to be resolved.
The outcome of the meeting: during inspection, providers are reminded to be confident in their ability to assess children’s progress from their starting points. When I am training, I remind practitioners to have a 'story in their head about every child' - know your children and what they can and cannot do - know their starting points and what you are working on next with them.
Safeguarding – staff training
These safeguarding scenarios from Cheshire East are good for staff training – or for childminders who get together and want to support their CPD -
https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/schools/safeguarding_in_education/monthly_staff_scenarios.aspx
There are some new online safety posters for early years here – we are hearing about Ofsted inspectors asking childminders for evidence of promoting online safety, linked to the inspection handbook 'good' criteria for Personal Development - 'children understand when they might be at risk, including from the internet, digital technology & social media and know where to get help' –
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/add-some-colour-your-classroom-our-free-online-safety-posters.
Staff and uniforms
According to a thread on one of my Facebook groups, a nursery provider was recently audited by HMRC and one of the outcomes was that if the management expected staff to wear uniform, they had to provide it for them. This included, bizarrely, specific coloured socks and black trousers and shoes if they were part of the uniform… not just uniform tops. If this impacts on you, I suggest you speak to your accountant for more advice.
Environments for early years children
If you can get past the title, this is a good article from Community Playthings -
https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-library/articles/nurturing-childrens-biophilia.
Children’s food trust charity closes
The Children’s food trust charity has now closed – it was a valuable resource for parents and practitioners but sadly the funding ended. The British Nutrition Foundation has quite a lot of useful information on the website including a ‘food in schools’ section – https://www.nutrition.org.uk/.
Tax free childcare problem
Were you affected by the recent tax-free childcare glitch which left providers without knowing which customer had paid? It didn’t just happen to childminders – nurseries were left in a muddle as well. Apparently, they are working to fix the problem.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168527/tax-free-childcare-glitch-leaves-providers-with-an-admin-impossibility
The other problem with tax free childcare, apart from it being a paperwork nightmare and less than efficient, is that it is supposed to be taking over from the previous voucher system. Parents cannot sign up for vouchers any more – they have to use tax free childcare – and, according to reports, they are missing out on money and it is having a ‘negative impact’ on them.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/08/childcare-voucher-scheme-closure-has-“negative-impact”-families
Favourite story books
What is your favourite early years book? I read a report that ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ has been voted ‘best classic children’s book’ … we love it in our setting too!
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168576/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-named-best-classic-childrens-book
Reporting to Ofsted
What do you need to tell Ofsted? Certainly not about every lump or bump – or petty arguments with parents. You will find the full list in the ‘Early Years Provider non-compliance action’ guidance -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-provider-non-compliance-action-by-ofsted
Ofsted talk about reporting in this short YouTube presentation –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQFP0Fd2aDc .
Less new childminders are registering
According to Ofsted figures, there has been a big drop in the number of childminders applying with Ofsted – figures show a fall of 25%. this is very worrying – especially when 1000 childminders left in the last 4 months of 2018. We are doing everything we can on the Independent Childminders Facebook group to share information and good practice advice to promote childminder retention.
You can join our Facebook group here -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/.
Portion control guidance
A new guide to portion sizes has been launched by the British Nutrition Foundation. The new guide talks about 5532 and focuses on healthy eating for children aged from 1 to 4 years. There is information on free sugars, nutrition and vegetarian / vegan diets as well as portion sizes on the website – using the acronym 5532 =
- 5 portions of starchy foods
- 5 (or more) portions of fruit and vegetables
- 3 portions of dairy
- 2 portions of protein (3 if vegetarian)
Question from a childminder: do I have to keep a staff register?
Answer: this is not an easy question to answer because it is (another) grey area. I am aware of some childminder assistants receiving actions to keep registers, including the times they are unsupervised with children, from Ofsted…
However, the Working Time Regulations do not require records to be kept and the Working Time Regulations are the law. … but there was a recent case in the European Court of Justice which found that employers must keep a record of all hours worked by their workers each day to ‘ensure compliance with the rules on maximum weekly working time and rest breaks’ –
https://www.lewissilkin.com/en/insights/european-court-rules-that-employers-must-keep-records-of-actual-time-worked
it is, therefore, strongly recommended that you keep accurate staff registers.
Retention periods are detailed in this document from the Early Years Alliance (formerly PLA) -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/sites/default/files/retention_periods_for_records_may_2018.pdf.
The new inspection handbook and safeguarding
Safeguarding is at the heart of the new inspection framework – alongside ‘quality of education’. It is a limiting judgement which means if you do not know your safeguarding, you are unlikely to do well in your overall inspection because the handbook says, ‘when safeguarding is ineffective, this is likely to lead to an inadequate leadership and management judgement’.
Safeguarding is judged and referenced in the ‘Leadership and Management’ part of inspection covering different areas of practice including, for example -
- Staff recruitment
- Staff wellbeing
- Safeguarding policy
- Referrals – reporting – recording
- Compliance with the EYFS and Childcare Register
- Designated Safeguarding Lead roles
Safeguarding also appears in the new ‘Personal Development’ section of the inspection handbook which covers -
- British values
- Relationships and sex education (in schools)
- Personal, social and emotional development (in the early years)
- Health education
- Wellbeing (in early years) – mental health awareness (in school).
‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years’ should be read alongside the new inspection handbook. It covers new safeguarding threats, mostly related to older children, including -
- Grooming
- Sexting
- County lines
- Bullying including online
- Radicalisation
- Up-skirting
You do not need to include these in your policy but you do need to know what they mean.
Guidance - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills.
An interesting point for early years - ‘Adults understand that children’s poor behaviour may be a sign that they are suffering harm or that they have been traumatised by abuse’ (page 9). It is important to bear in mind that poor behaviour might be driven by something happening in the child’s home, family or setting life.
Men in childcare
There are barriers – but they can be overcome. There is a new campaign to promote men in childcare – I’ve done my bit with a husband as a co-childminder and a son as a nursery deputy manager but I am happy to encourage others into the profession –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/nursery-management/view/why-nurseries-need-more-men-and-how-you-can-recruit-them.
More funding money announced
The Chancellor has announced an extra £66 million in 2020-21 to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers through the government’s free hours’ offers. The Early Years Alliance, who campaigns on behalf of underfunded providers, says ‘thank you but it’s nowhere near enough to make up the deficit’. How it will translate into money in our pockets remains to be seen.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168640/spending-review-chancellor-announces-gbp66m-for-early-years
there will also be an extra £700 million for children with Special Educational needs and Disabilities (SEND) in 2020/21 according to this article from the Council for Disabled Children - https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/news-opinion/news/government-announces-funding-pledge-schools. Let’s hope some of it filters down into the early years where it is badly needed.
Our mood stars
On a personal note, the children at Knutsford Childminding received a special present earlier this week - some mood stars from our colleague and ex-childminder Elizabeth White. These delightful little stars are the start of our pre-school children's journey to learning more about their emotions.
The stars come on a velcro board so we can keep them safe and we have popped it on the wall for easy access (at the children's request, they are just out of reach of the chewy babies!) We are giving the stars names and talking about their stories - the children's imaginations are flying!
I will blog when we have done more with them... in the meantime you can find out more on Elizabeth's website - https://www.wendywoo.uk/mymoodstars/.
If you would like to submit articles or blogs for consideration, please contact me.
Chat soon, Sarah
September 2019 newsletter
This newsletter contains the latest information and updates for early years providers including childminders...
Have a story in your head about every child
How well do you know your early years children? Most providers tell me they know their children very well! They know their likes, dislikes and interests … they know how they learn and what makes them tick – they know what the child is learning now and what they need to learn next because they have a good understanding of child development.
From September 2019, using the new Early Years Inspection framework**, Ofsted will focus (a lot) on the quality of education – how well you teach children so they learn and remember what they have learned. Ofsted will observe and ask you questions to find out what you intend doing through the day (your daily routines and plans for each child today), how you are going to run the day (child-initiated play and adult-guided sessions such as reading and singing songs together, your resources to support children’s interests etc) and what you want each child to learn (next steps - individual planning).
You will need to be able to explain this to your inspector – you will need starting points from parents to show you know where the child’s journey started and you will need your knowledge of the child and you will need some type of simple tracking to show they are making progress but the inspector will not usually ask for this. You will also need a written 2 year progress check for every child who has been with you between the ages of 2 and 3 years old – this must be in writing. What you will not need is lengthy written information - Ofsted are clear that this is not needed - quick notes to remind you what you have seen and what you are working on next will be enough. Share these with parents regularly in their preferred format and get their feedback so you know what the child is doing at home.
I explain this in training as being able to ‘tell a story’ to the inspector about each child –
**A recent presentation on the new framework from Amanda Spielman - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/amanda-spielman-at-the-national-day-nurseries-association .
………………………………………………………………………
Foundation Years newsletter
Do you subscribe to the newsletter? It’s really useful – especially at the moment with the inspection framework changes. The latest newsletter is full of links to Ofsted presentations and information about the framework… find out more here – https://foundationyears.org.uk/.
………………………………………………………………………
A couple of clarifications from Ofsted
When I receive questions from childminders, I often take them directly to Ofsted for clarification. Here are a couple of recent ones:
Childminders and training - there was a report on a Facebook group from a childminder how they access and receive training.
Ofsted state that the EYFS does not indicate that training must be, for example, face-face but some Local Authorities do encourage providers to access some of the safeguarding training face to face so that they can be reassured that providers have understood the content.
Childminders and deferring inspection - there was a report on a Facebook group from a childminder who said Ofsted insisted on inspecting her when she was on long-term sick.
Ofsted state: Ofsted policy is that if a provider requests a deferral of the inspection, the inspector must telephone the regional duty desk. We will decide whether the request should be granted in line with our deferral policy. The inspection handbook also states that: ‘Where possible, a setting that has no children present on the planned day of the inspection but is operating at other times during the week, should have its inspection rescheduled for one of those days. Inspections that are prioritised as a result of a risk assessment will not usually be deferred even if there are no children on roll or present at the time of the visit.’ From a scheduling point of view, it would also depend on the date of the last inspection if the childminder really needs to be inspected this cycle, in that the childminder has not yet had an inspection. The inspector may have considered the timing of the changes to the new framework and tried to encourage the provider to have their inspection now, trying to be helpful, but there is no policy to indicate this is something that we must do. Inspectors must follow the guidance but there may be case by case examples where we are trying to work in the best interests of the childminder.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deferring-ofsted-inspections
………………………………………………………………………
The reading gender gap
According to an All Party Parliamentary Literacy Group report, there is a gender reading gap – research shows that boys’ reading consistently lags behind girls by school age.
We know there isn’t a magic fix – but boys are not born reluctant readers and there is much we can do to encourage them to engage and close the gap including:
- Reminding fathers of the importance of reading with their children so they are good reading role models
- Providing books, comics, magazines, leaflets etc that link to boys’ interests
- Asking older boys to read to younger ones – again, encouraging good reading role models
- Visiting the library regularly so children can choose and read new books
- Addressing any peer pressure as it arises with small group discussions about how reading raises life chances.
Note: reading to children is a focus in the new Early Years Inspection handbook so this is something inspectors will be observing during future inspections.
………………………………………………………………………
Gardening fun for September
How tall did your beans or sunflowers grow? Have you harvested your carrots and potatoes yet? Summer is coming to an end and September is a good time to round up all the activities you have done and consolidate children’s learning. For example, you could put together some PowerPoint books using photos of sunflowers at different stages of growth, the sunflower book you read, a picture of Van Gogh’s painting etc so children can revisit their learning through the winter.
Observe what the children have learned – what difference have you made to children's long term memory? Do they use new vocabulary? Are they interested in growth in other areas of learning? Your Ofsted inspector will ask you about the impact of your activities on children’s long-term memory and you will need to be able to talk about this confidently during inspection.
………………………………………………………………………
Free e-learning course
I have completed this course on the effect of early childhood experiences and trauma – it was signposted by a colleague. I did it to find out more about resilience and how it impacts on healthy development. I found it very interesting and informative. It took me a little less than an hour –
https://www.acesonlinelearning.com
………………………………………………………………………
Preparing for transition
It’s that time of year again – when we say goodbye to pre-school children who have suddenly become school age after growing like weeds through the summer. Are they ready for school – do they have the skills and knowledge they will need to survive in a busy classroom?
The best way to prepare them is to start from the day they start in your setting, providing them with the best curriculum you can and giving them every opportunity to access quality learning experiences… then, during the summer, you might like to:
- Read books about starting school.
- Role play the school classroom, meal and play times, standing in line, assembly etc.
- Make a little ‘starting school’ book with pictures of the child’s uniform, teacher and classroom.
- Offer to help parents by filling in the child’s ‘all about me’ booklet with them in the setting.
- Make a uniform doll so the children can practice putting on and taking off clothes, doing up buttons and zips, fastening shoes etc.
Don't forget to share activity ideas with parents so they can support their child/ren at home.
………………………………………………………………………
New ‘preparing for school’ website
A new website has been provided to support providers and parents who are preparing children for starting school. It focuses on physical development – sitting, holding a pencil, putting on shoes etc and there are video guides as well as articles. Parents might find it helpful to use alongside ‘What to Expect, When?’ the parents guide to development - www.earlymovers.org.uk
………………………………………………………………………
Government spending review delayed
We were promised a spending review which would consider the shockingly low funding rates most providers receive to deliver the 30 funded hours. It has been delayed –
http://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/08/government-delays-full-spending-review-until-2020.
………………………………………………………………………
Steps to sustainability
The latest APPG report has been published – it is the most comprehensive annual review of early years costs and will be used to inform the next Government spending review. A number of recommendations have been made including the importance of reviewing and increasing funding levels and support to manage recruitment challenges – but whether it means extra money for us remains to be seen.
https://connectpa.co.uk/party-parliamentary-group-childcare-early-education/
………………………………………………………………………
Staff and self-care
The revised Early Years Inspection handbook puts a new focus on stall wellbeing. Not just cutting down on paperwork and ensuring expectations are appropriate, but also providing staff with information and opportunities to raise wellbeing such as, for example, protected rest times and relaxing spaces for breaks … we are responsible for protecting the children’s mental health and it is important that we first look after ourselves.
I have written a short blog for group providers on staff resilience here -https://nurserychat.weebly.com/blog/building-practitioner-resilience.
………………………………………………………………………
Staff wellbeing is a new Ofsted focus
Early years staff wellbeing is low – school staff wellbeing is low as well according to this report in Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168289/teachers-well-being-low-finds-ofsted
There is clearly a lot to do to support practitioners – this is a little blog I wrote for the Nursery Chat Facebook group:
From September 2019 – using the new inspection framework – Ofsted will want to find out about your staff wellbeing. There are lots of times during the day when staff anxiety might increase and it is your job, as manager or owner, to support them and to minimise impact.
You should think about, for example, how different members of staff manage -
- Dealing with children’s poor behaviour
- Discussions with parents at the start and end of the day
- Preparing paperwork
- Planning for observations and supervision meetings.
You must ensure you lower stress and raise staff wellbeing. The best place to start is during supervisions - talk to staff during your regular supervision meetings and find out what pressures they feel under. Stress might be caused by feeling overworked, being asked to do too much or too complex paperwork, feeling undervalued, being contacted out of work hours to answer questions etc… so ask them how they are feeling.
Note that staff may also feel under stress because they are feeling bullied, harassed or discriminated against – you must protect them from this.
If staff do raise issues with their wellbeing, you will need to work with them to resolve it quickly and may be asked by Ofsted to discuss how you have identified and reduced stressful situations. When Ofsted ask staff how they feel, they should report high levels of wellbeing - and support from you as their manager.
Note: when I give advice about raising staff wellbeing, I am talking from the position of the owner of an out-of-school club (now sadly closed) and a co-childminder who works with an assistant. Wellbeing is very important to me because I need to make sure my staff are happy and feel supported in their roles.
………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted and the new inspection framework
There has been a lot of information from Ofsted about this new inspection framework – YouTube presentations, webinars, speeches and blogs all tell us that Ofsted are going to be inspecting us on the quality of our curriculum rather than our paperwork. They have been called on to defend some of the changes such as the introduction of cultural capital** and the differences between inspections for childminders, nurseries and pre-schools … and children in school nursery settings.
Ofsted talk about cultural capital in this short film - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t0eOeG6Iwg .
You can keep up-to-date by reading Nursery World articles and, of course, in this newsletter. I have also updated some of the essential documentation for Childcare.co.uk including ‘Paperwork for Childminders’ which has undergone a comprehensive review -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted’s focus on reading
The new inspection framework has a strong emphasis on reading and this will link closely to the revised Early Learning Goals when they are introduced in 2020… linking to the revised EYFS and updated ‘Development Matters’ guidance which will follow.
Reading books to children, Ofsted say, puts an emphasis on the vocabulary acquisition and increasing children’s spoken language so the rest of the curriculum is accessible to them. This does not mean reading throughout your next inspection – it means talking about books you read to children, using books to teach new things, having books thoughtfully displayed in the setting, going to the library regularly, finding out what books children read at home and complementing them in the setting, having a reading-rich outside environment etc.
Be inspired by the books you read to children – and link them to children’s play because play is how children learn.
https://famly.co/blog/stories/interview-ofsted-gill-jones-inspection-framework/
………………………………………………………………………
Using the Early Years Pupil Premium
During inspection, if you receive EYPP for a child, your inspector will want to know how it has been spent to benefit the child and raise outcomes – drive progress. As the focus of inspection is now on practice rather than paperwork, it will be important that you can explain how the money has been used – maybe backed up with brief notes in the child’s file to evidence spending.
However, part of the ‘story in your head about each child’ should allow you to talk about how EYPP money for Child A was used to buy in support or train staff etc.
You will find advice and useful links to more information in this blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/early-years-pupil-premium.
………………………………………………………………………
Children in Need review
The government’s latest Children in Need review failed to report on the early years! At a time when we are being told by Ofsted to focus on children’s cultural capital and to improve their life-chances it is shocking that the government has not included early years in its report – surely the early years is the starting point for everything that comes later and raising quality and outcomes in the early years should be at the forefront of any research.
The review is here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-children-in-need/review-of-children-in-need.
………………………………………………………………………
Registering with Ofsted?
A new report from Ofsted shows what we already know - that new childminder registrations are taking far too long. This is linked to childminders giving up trying to register with Ofsted and moving to agencies instead. This blog – the Independent Childminders Facebook group – and all the work I do is intended to support childminders who are registered with Ofsted so you can imagine my disappointment with what Ofsted are doing here -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/07/56-childminder-applications-take-longer-12-weeks
I am totally committed to information sharing, to support all colleagues. If you would like me to blog on any specific subjects, please let me know. I also offer local face-to-face training in addition to my free weekly webinars for Childcare.co.uk - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Chat soon, Sarah
Have a story in your head about every child
How well do you know your early years children? Most providers tell me they know their children very well! They know their likes, dislikes and interests … they know how they learn and what makes them tick – they know what the child is learning now and what they need to learn next because they have a good understanding of child development.
From September 2019, using the new Early Years Inspection framework**, Ofsted will focus (a lot) on the quality of education – how well you teach children so they learn and remember what they have learned. Ofsted will observe and ask you questions to find out what you intend doing through the day (your daily routines and plans for each child today), how you are going to run the day (child-initiated play and adult-guided sessions such as reading and singing songs together, your resources to support children’s interests etc) and what you want each child to learn (next steps - individual planning).
You will need to be able to explain this to your inspector – you will need starting points from parents to show you know where the child’s journey started and you will need your knowledge of the child and you will need some type of simple tracking to show they are making progress but the inspector will not usually ask for this. You will also need a written 2 year progress check for every child who has been with you between the ages of 2 and 3 years old – this must be in writing. What you will not need is lengthy written information - Ofsted are clear that this is not needed - quick notes to remind you what you have seen and what you are working on next will be enough. Share these with parents regularly in their preferred format and get their feedback so you know what the child is doing at home.
I explain this in training as being able to ‘tell a story’ to the inspector about each child –
- This is John – he is 3 years old
- At home, John mostly plays with dinosaurs and cars – he goes to the allotment with dad every weekend
- He is currently learning using a rotation (round and round) schema (repeated play) so I have provided lots of balls to roll and kick, cars and trains to roll along … we were doing marble painting the other day - you can see it displayed on the noticeboard.
- John is toilet training at the moment – he was a bit slow to start but we are working closely with parents and he is making really good progress
- We are planting carrots – his dad brought them for us – he loves telling his friends what will happen to the seeds next. We did beans in bags with him as well which he loved
- We are also working on John’s fine motor skills and playing lots of midline games (crossing the midline – essential for strength, coordination and deciding which hand to use when writing) because we noticed he can’t make his mind which hand to use when writing
- What else do you want to know about John?... and smile…
**A recent presentation on the new framework from Amanda Spielman - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/amanda-spielman-at-the-national-day-nurseries-association .
………………………………………………………………………
Foundation Years newsletter
Do you subscribe to the newsletter? It’s really useful – especially at the moment with the inspection framework changes. The latest newsletter is full of links to Ofsted presentations and information about the framework… find out more here – https://foundationyears.org.uk/.
………………………………………………………………………
A couple of clarifications from Ofsted
When I receive questions from childminders, I often take them directly to Ofsted for clarification. Here are a couple of recent ones:
Childminders and training - there was a report on a Facebook group from a childminder how they access and receive training.
Ofsted state that the EYFS does not indicate that training must be, for example, face-face but some Local Authorities do encourage providers to access some of the safeguarding training face to face so that they can be reassured that providers have understood the content.
Childminders and deferring inspection - there was a report on a Facebook group from a childminder who said Ofsted insisted on inspecting her when she was on long-term sick.
Ofsted state: Ofsted policy is that if a provider requests a deferral of the inspection, the inspector must telephone the regional duty desk. We will decide whether the request should be granted in line with our deferral policy. The inspection handbook also states that: ‘Where possible, a setting that has no children present on the planned day of the inspection but is operating at other times during the week, should have its inspection rescheduled for one of those days. Inspections that are prioritised as a result of a risk assessment will not usually be deferred even if there are no children on roll or present at the time of the visit.’ From a scheduling point of view, it would also depend on the date of the last inspection if the childminder really needs to be inspected this cycle, in that the childminder has not yet had an inspection. The inspector may have considered the timing of the changes to the new framework and tried to encourage the provider to have their inspection now, trying to be helpful, but there is no policy to indicate this is something that we must do. Inspectors must follow the guidance but there may be case by case examples where we are trying to work in the best interests of the childminder.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deferring-ofsted-inspections
………………………………………………………………………
The reading gender gap
According to an All Party Parliamentary Literacy Group report, there is a gender reading gap – research shows that boys’ reading consistently lags behind girls by school age.
We know there isn’t a magic fix – but boys are not born reluctant readers and there is much we can do to encourage them to engage and close the gap including:
- Reminding fathers of the importance of reading with their children so they are good reading role models
- Providing books, comics, magazines, leaflets etc that link to boys’ interests
- Asking older boys to read to younger ones – again, encouraging good reading role models
- Visiting the library regularly so children can choose and read new books
- Addressing any peer pressure as it arises with small group discussions about how reading raises life chances.
Note: reading to children is a focus in the new Early Years Inspection handbook so this is something inspectors will be observing during future inspections.
………………………………………………………………………
Gardening fun for September
How tall did your beans or sunflowers grow? Have you harvested your carrots and potatoes yet? Summer is coming to an end and September is a good time to round up all the activities you have done and consolidate children’s learning. For example, you could put together some PowerPoint books using photos of sunflowers at different stages of growth, the sunflower book you read, a picture of Van Gogh’s painting etc so children can revisit their learning through the winter.
Observe what the children have learned – what difference have you made to children's long term memory? Do they use new vocabulary? Are they interested in growth in other areas of learning? Your Ofsted inspector will ask you about the impact of your activities on children’s long-term memory and you will need to be able to talk about this confidently during inspection.
………………………………………………………………………
Free e-learning course
I have completed this course on the effect of early childhood experiences and trauma – it was signposted by a colleague. I did it to find out more about resilience and how it impacts on healthy development. I found it very interesting and informative. It took me a little less than an hour –
https://www.acesonlinelearning.com
………………………………………………………………………
Preparing for transition
It’s that time of year again – when we say goodbye to pre-school children who have suddenly become school age after growing like weeds through the summer. Are they ready for school – do they have the skills and knowledge they will need to survive in a busy classroom?
The best way to prepare them is to start from the day they start in your setting, providing them with the best curriculum you can and giving them every opportunity to access quality learning experiences… then, during the summer, you might like to:
- Read books about starting school.
- Role play the school classroom, meal and play times, standing in line, assembly etc.
- Make a little ‘starting school’ book with pictures of the child’s uniform, teacher and classroom.
- Offer to help parents by filling in the child’s ‘all about me’ booklet with them in the setting.
- Make a uniform doll so the children can practice putting on and taking off clothes, doing up buttons and zips, fastening shoes etc.
Don't forget to share activity ideas with parents so they can support their child/ren at home.
………………………………………………………………………
New ‘preparing for school’ website
A new website has been provided to support providers and parents who are preparing children for starting school. It focuses on physical development – sitting, holding a pencil, putting on shoes etc and there are video guides as well as articles. Parents might find it helpful to use alongside ‘What to Expect, When?’ the parents guide to development - www.earlymovers.org.uk
………………………………………………………………………
Government spending review delayed
We were promised a spending review which would consider the shockingly low funding rates most providers receive to deliver the 30 funded hours. It has been delayed –
http://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/08/government-delays-full-spending-review-until-2020.
………………………………………………………………………
Steps to sustainability
The latest APPG report has been published – it is the most comprehensive annual review of early years costs and will be used to inform the next Government spending review. A number of recommendations have been made including the importance of reviewing and increasing funding levels and support to manage recruitment challenges – but whether it means extra money for us remains to be seen.
https://connectpa.co.uk/party-parliamentary-group-childcare-early-education/
………………………………………………………………………
Staff and self-care
The revised Early Years Inspection handbook puts a new focus on stall wellbeing. Not just cutting down on paperwork and ensuring expectations are appropriate, but also providing staff with information and opportunities to raise wellbeing such as, for example, protected rest times and relaxing spaces for breaks … we are responsible for protecting the children’s mental health and it is important that we first look after ourselves.
I have written a short blog for group providers on staff resilience here -https://nurserychat.weebly.com/blog/building-practitioner-resilience.
………………………………………………………………………
Staff wellbeing is a new Ofsted focus
Early years staff wellbeing is low – school staff wellbeing is low as well according to this report in Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168289/teachers-well-being-low-finds-ofsted
There is clearly a lot to do to support practitioners – this is a little blog I wrote for the Nursery Chat Facebook group:
From September 2019 – using the new inspection framework – Ofsted will want to find out about your staff wellbeing. There are lots of times during the day when staff anxiety might increase and it is your job, as manager or owner, to support them and to minimise impact.
You should think about, for example, how different members of staff manage -
- Dealing with children’s poor behaviour
- Discussions with parents at the start and end of the day
- Preparing paperwork
- Planning for observations and supervision meetings.
You must ensure you lower stress and raise staff wellbeing. The best place to start is during supervisions - talk to staff during your regular supervision meetings and find out what pressures they feel under. Stress might be caused by feeling overworked, being asked to do too much or too complex paperwork, feeling undervalued, being contacted out of work hours to answer questions etc… so ask them how they are feeling.
Note that staff may also feel under stress because they are feeling bullied, harassed or discriminated against – you must protect them from this.
If staff do raise issues with their wellbeing, you will need to work with them to resolve it quickly and may be asked by Ofsted to discuss how you have identified and reduced stressful situations. When Ofsted ask staff how they feel, they should report high levels of wellbeing - and support from you as their manager.
Note: when I give advice about raising staff wellbeing, I am talking from the position of the owner of an out-of-school club (now sadly closed) and a co-childminder who works with an assistant. Wellbeing is very important to me because I need to make sure my staff are happy and feel supported in their roles.
………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted and the new inspection framework
There has been a lot of information from Ofsted about this new inspection framework – YouTube presentations, webinars, speeches and blogs all tell us that Ofsted are going to be inspecting us on the quality of our curriculum rather than our paperwork. They have been called on to defend some of the changes such as the introduction of cultural capital** and the differences between inspections for childminders, nurseries and pre-schools … and children in school nursery settings.
Ofsted talk about cultural capital in this short film - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t0eOeG6Iwg .
You can keep up-to-date by reading Nursery World articles and, of course, in this newsletter. I have also updated some of the essential documentation for Childcare.co.uk including ‘Paperwork for Childminders’ which has undergone a comprehensive review -
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderguides.
………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted’s focus on reading
The new inspection framework has a strong emphasis on reading and this will link closely to the revised Early Learning Goals when they are introduced in 2020… linking to the revised EYFS and updated ‘Development Matters’ guidance which will follow.
Reading books to children, Ofsted say, puts an emphasis on the vocabulary acquisition and increasing children’s spoken language so the rest of the curriculum is accessible to them. This does not mean reading throughout your next inspection – it means talking about books you read to children, using books to teach new things, having books thoughtfully displayed in the setting, going to the library regularly, finding out what books children read at home and complementing them in the setting, having a reading-rich outside environment etc.
Be inspired by the books you read to children – and link them to children’s play because play is how children learn.
https://famly.co/blog/stories/interview-ofsted-gill-jones-inspection-framework/
………………………………………………………………………
Using the Early Years Pupil Premium
During inspection, if you receive EYPP for a child, your inspector will want to know how it has been spent to benefit the child and raise outcomes – drive progress. As the focus of inspection is now on practice rather than paperwork, it will be important that you can explain how the money has been used – maybe backed up with brief notes in the child’s file to evidence spending.
However, part of the ‘story in your head about each child’ should allow you to talk about how EYPP money for Child A was used to buy in support or train staff etc.
You will find advice and useful links to more information in this blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/early-years-pupil-premium.
………………………………………………………………………
Children in Need review
The government’s latest Children in Need review failed to report on the early years! At a time when we are being told by Ofsted to focus on children’s cultural capital and to improve their life-chances it is shocking that the government has not included early years in its report – surely the early years is the starting point for everything that comes later and raising quality and outcomes in the early years should be at the forefront of any research.
The review is here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-children-in-need/review-of-children-in-need.
………………………………………………………………………
Registering with Ofsted?
A new report from Ofsted shows what we already know - that new childminder registrations are taking far too long. This is linked to childminders giving up trying to register with Ofsted and moving to agencies instead. This blog – the Independent Childminders Facebook group – and all the work I do is intended to support childminders who are registered with Ofsted so you can imagine my disappointment with what Ofsted are doing here -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/07/56-childminder-applications-take-longer-12-weeks
I am totally committed to information sharing, to support all colleagues. If you would like me to blog on any specific subjects, please let me know. I also offer local face-to-face training in addition to my free weekly webinars for Childcare.co.uk - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Chat soon, Sarah
August 2019 newsletter for independent childminders
The new Ofsted inspection handbook
You need to read it and digest it -
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/801375/Early_years_inspection_handbook.pdf
You might find it useful to do the free webinar training – https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Keep an eye on Ofsted comments on their Twitter and Facebook page (Childcare Registration). They are also writing lots of articles for magazines such as Nursery World –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168108/exclusive-i-dont-understand-anxiety-over-new-handbooks-says-ofsted-chief
This one from TES is interesting - https://www.tes.com/news/dont-interrupt-reading-questions-says-ofsted.
Is there a new EYFS?
No – not yet – there will be but not yet. Most of the revisions will be around the Early Learning Goals which are used by teachers in reception class at school. More information in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168146/dfe-confirms-timetable-for-revised-early-years-foundation-stage.
They are also updating Development Matters, the guidance to child development, for the revised EYFS. Again, it’s not going to be ready for a while –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168238/development-matters-revised-for-new-eyfs.
Transition reports
It's the time of year when childminder's thoughts often turn to transition reports... a lot of colleagues tell me they write it 'for Ofsted'...
Before you write anything, my advice is to think about the following:
- How long does it take to write - could that time be better spent playing with the child or with your family?
- You hand it to parents - do they pass it on to the teacher?
- If parents pass it on - does the teacher read it?
- If the teacher reads it - do they act on what you have written?
- You put a copy in the child's file - which you hand over to parents - so do Ofsted ever read it?
- Is it a requirement of the EYFS to write transition reports? ... er... no!
- What have Ofsted said about extra documentation? Ofsted say, for the new inspection framework, you only have to write what is required by the EYFS...
- If the Local Authority require you to write one - has anyone ever challenged why when it's not a requirement of the EYFS?
This goes for any extra documentation you are doing 'because of Ofsted...' - from September 2019 inspectors will not ask for it and you do not need to do it unless it's specified in the EYFS - like attendance records and the written 2 year progress check which are statutory.
DfE reviewing Ofsted fees
Ofsted fees have been £35 for a very long time – DfE are looking to increase them next year. They are currently running a consultation. My reply will say – fair enough, fees have to raise – but you need to give us the opportunity to earn more money as well and this means putting up Local Authority funding rates first!
Record keeping and wrap around care
I have received clarification from Ofsted that we do not need to write / type learning and development records for children who only attend before and after the school day or in the holidays. This means any wrap around children - of any age - do not need a file of learning and development information and an inspector should not ask for any. If they do ask, we should refer them to point 113 on page 24 of the new Early Years Inspection handbook... https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif. This clarification comes directly from Ofsted Policy
How Ofsted deal with complaints against providers
When Ofsted receive information from a parent or member of the public making a complaint about a provider, they have to act. They will either:
· Inform you and review it at the next inspection - this is usually by letter but they might ring you
· Liaise with the local authority and other agencies - especially if there are child protection concerns
· Investigate - this usually means coming out to visit you, either immediately without notice or after a phone call.
The letter option usually means they don't think there is anything to it but they have to inform you because they've received something about you. By sending a letter they are giving you plenty of time to put together evidence for when the inspector comes out next. You do NOT need to respond to the letter by ringing or emailing Ofsted - just put your evidence together and have it ready for your next inspection. However, if they receive a few complaints about you, they are likely to come out sooner.
Stage 3 Ofsted complaints
If you have ever made a complaint against Ofsted, you will know that there are 3 stages - and stage 3 is when a panel investigates what has happened to make sure the system is robust and the complaint has been investigated correctly.
I sat on a stage 3 panel today (there is always an independent early years representative on the panel) and I can assure anyone who puts in a stage 3 complaint that an incredible the amount of work that goes into them! There were senior Ofsted officers and me, phone calls to the officers who dealt with the complaint ... and more ... all to ensure the outcome is secure.
Note: a stage 3 complaint is when the complainant has had an inspection and disagrees ... and sends in a complaint (stage 2) and doesn't feel the result is right so sends in a further complaint. Stage 3 investigates whether stage 2 was carried out properly. It is a word by word analysis of the findings to check accuracy and ensure the judgements are correct. It can change the report or the letter that has been drafted or even lead to a reinspection. It is carried out by a team in another area - so, for example, London might do a stage 3 complaint for Manchester. If you got to stage 3 and your concerns are not covered and you feel you still have re-dress you can then go to the ombudsman...
Medication administration review
A new blog to support practitioners, full of useful information to help you update your policy and procedures for medication administration to ensure you are fully compliant with the EYFS requirements and Ofsted expectations –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/medication-administration-review
Relationships education
If you look after (or have) children in primary school, relationships education is being introduced from Sept 2020. You might find it useful to share information about the new relationships education curriculum with parents –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812593/RSE_primary_schools_guide_for_parents.pdf.
How safe are our children?
A new report has just been published by the NSPCC –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/how-safe-are-our-children/.
Curriculum – Ofsted – the 3 Is
Question from a colleague: Sarah, please explain the 3 Is in the Ofsted curriculum stuff – I am getting confused…
Answer: the curriculum is, basically, your planning around the 7 areas of learning.
I number 1 is intent – the content of your curriculum – what you expect children to learn – what you expect children to know at different ages and stages of their life.
I number 2 is implementation – this I is about environment and resources to an extent, but more importantly about the order in which you teach things so children have a secure base before they move on to something more challenging (see articles about sequencing our maths curriculum and sequencing literacy below).
I number 3 is impact – have children remembered what you have taught them? If they haven’t remembered, what are you going to do next?
For example… we are learning about the weather this week… why? Well, there has been an awful lot of weather recently so we thought we’d explore wind, rain and sunshine in more detail. We want children to learn weather words - we don’t have a long list of words but we have some in the backs of our minds that we keep repeating and we have made a prompt poster with pictures for the older children…
For our little ones, we have lots of hands-on experiments with water and a focus on blue and yellow – they did some lovely colour mixing the other day. For our older children, we are learning about the water cycle and they are really interested in pollution of our seas so we have been researching that with them.
The children can tell you that sun is hot and yellow and rain is cold and falls in drops; the little ones have learned that sun is yellow in the sky and they know that the plants need sun and rain to grow; they know that rain is wet because we took off our hoods and got our hair wet yesterday.
Sequencing our maths curriculum
This is an excellent little article from TES about sequencing an early maths curriculum, reminding us that we need to building blocks in place before children can learn new things. For example, they need the ability to subitise before they can put things into sets… they need to understand quantity before they can count accurately… problem solving questions should come before asking ‘how many?’ and potentially turning them off their learning. More information here –
https://www.tes.com/news/four-fun-ways-make-early-maths-engaging-primary.
Sequencing our literacy curriculum
While we are on the subject of sequencing, this is a good article by Barbara Isaacs for Teach Early Years magazine about sequencing literacy skills –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/why-oral-language-skills-must-come-first-in-the-early-years
Keeping children safe in education
The EYFS states that we must ‘have regard’ to ‘Keeping children safe in education’. The statutory guidance has been updated recently and a draft has been released. Updates include reference to:
- Safeguarding Partnerships which will replace Local Safeguarding Children Boards from Sept 2019
- The new statutory relationships education (information above)
- The new Ofsted inspection framework
- The guidance ‘teaching online safety in school’
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools
- The Voyeurism Offences Act 2019 – including up-skirting
You can find a copy of the new document here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
Hungry Little Minds
A new campaign to improve life chances for children has been launched by the DfE. It is a 3 year initiative which starts with a website. DfE are keen for us to share it with our parents –
https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/.
Early movers
Another website full of useful information for parents and practitioners – this one helps to develop children’s movement skills - https://www.earlymovers.org.uk/.
The importance of wellbeing
Wellbeing is essential to children’s learning, development and progress. It is equally important in the home and setting environment and is closely linked to health, resilience, freedom, equality, family, community and friendships. You can read more about wellbeing in the latest ‘Institute of Wellbeing’ report –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2019/07/wellbeing-and-the-home-learning-environment/.
Staff wellbeing
I have also been reading a lot about staff wellbeing recently. It will be a key point in the Ofsted revised early years inspection framework – leadership and management judgement.
You must ensure you lower stress and raise staff wellbeing. The best place to start is during supervisions - talk to staff during your regular supervision meetings and find out what pressures they feel under. Stress might be caused by feeling overworked, being asked to do too much or too complex paperwork, feeling undervalued, being contacted out of work hours to answer questions etc… Staff may also feel under stress because they are feeling bullied, harassed or discriminated against – you must protect them from this.
If staff do raise issues with their wellbeing, you will need to work with them to resolve it quickly and may be asked by Ofsted to discuss how you have identified and reduced stressful situations. When Ofsted ask staff how they feel, they should report high levels of wellbeing - and support from you as their manager.
This is an interesting blog - https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/blog/promoting-teacher-mental-health/.
New webinars coming up…
I have written a series of new webinars to support practitioners with the Ofsted inspection framework which has been updated from September 2019. I am writing some short blogs to read alongside the webinars. You will find one here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-and-learning-walks which focuses on the learning walks Ofsted will do with you when they first arrive to inspect – and another about cultural capital here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/cultural-capital.
You will find the new webinars here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Gold childcare.co.uk members can watch again here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
If you provide out of school or holiday only care
The decision to remove out of school and holiday club children from the quality of education judgement was made in response to the recent consultation on the revised Early Years Inspection handbook. There is further information in Annex A of the new handbook for use from Sept 2019.
For childminders, this means: if you provide care for before and after school and / or holiday children, read Annex A in handbook – Ofsted will not inspect quality of education for those children; if you have other early years children you will be judged on quality of education for those children…
Keeping children safe
A child recently choked in a nursery – every provider’s nightmare scenario. We cannot stop children from having accidents but we can do everything in our power to keep them safe from choking by, for example, cutting up food properly and sitting with them while they are eating, to keep them calm and teach them how to chew.
More information about the incident in this article - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168200/baby-boy-dies-after-choking-on-food-at-nursery
First aid advice from the British Red Cross here –
https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid-for-babies-and-children/choking-child
Advice from ROSPA about preventing choking –
https://www.rospa.com/Resources/Hubs/Keeping-Kids-Safe/Choking.aspx.
Childcare for the wealthy?
The latest All Party Parliamentary Group for Childcare and Early Education report raises concerns about whether early years childcare will be affordable for parents in the future. We have been talking about under-funding for many years – it looks like things are getting worse and worse. More information in this article from Early Years Alliance (formerly PLA) –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/07/government-risks-childcare-“becoming-affordable-only-wealthy”.
Alongside this worrying article, we also read that more settings in poor areas are closing due to lack of funding and higher delivery costs –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167912/nurseries-in-poor-areas-facing-closure.
Safeguarding – Vtech watches
A colleague raised the issue of children arriving in the setting wearing the new Vtech watches which record video and speech. These watches can be used by a child to record their friends – and may present a safeguarding issue which needs to be discussed with staff and parents to keep children safe.
ICO – GDPR reminder
When children leave your setting – as many will at the end of term – it is important to talk to parents about how much information you retain about their child, for how long it is kept, where it is stored and what you will do with it when it needs to be deleted. You will also need to think about photos of the child: the permission parents give you when their child starts in your care only covers you while their child is actually in your care so when the child leaves you need to either remove all photos from your files, online presence etc or ask for new permission to keep them. ICO state that this permission should be updated annually and if parents remove permission you must remove photos within a ‘reasonable period of time’ – ICO say ‘reasonable’ is around a month.
Safeguarding – staff suitability
When Ofsted inspect settings where staff are employed, they will want to look at staff files to ensure management taken appropriate steps to keep children safe. In a childminding setting, a staff member must have a home-based DBS check and must then complete an EY2 form to inform Ofsted that they are working in the setting – Ofsted then send out a ‘suitability’ letter or ask for further information. Identity checks and vetting should also be completed to check, for example, the staff member’s name, address, previous work details and right to work in the UK.
Staff must also undertake appropriate induction and safeguarding training – this can be provided in-house. In a childminding setting, they must also have a paediatric first aid certificate if they are left unsupervised with children – in nursery the first aid requirements are stated in the EYFS.
There are strict ratio requirements in the EYFS relating to childminders and group settings – and Ofsted will check certificates to ensure there are, for example, enough level 3 practitioners for the amount of children in the setting. Providers must also consider whether qualification certificates and references are genuine and request a medical check if there are concerns about medical suitability.
New staff must not be allowed unsupervised care of children until all the relevant checks are completed and a probationary period should be included in contracts to ensure time is allowed to cover all necessary checks and training. Regular observations and supervision meetings should then be organised alongside ongoing training and continuous professional development opportunities to ensure staff are well trained and confident with their job roles and responsibilities.
Teaching children about climate change
Children need to be aware of the climate change crisis that is affecting the world in which they live – they are the next generation who will be responsible for making changes. I wrote a guide on sustainability for Childcare.co.uk gold members recently and it made me stop and think about what we do in my setting and how we can involve the children in making positive, sustainable changes. For example, they have made a bug hotel and helped us to plant carrots, beans, tomatoes and potatoes which they will eat when grown. We are also working on minimising waste and have taken the children to the new weigh shop in town – we learned from parents that they have shared their memories of the outing at home and parents have not visited the shop and bought from there – a positive change powered by the children.
If you want to learn more, this free ‘Plastic is not so Fantastic’ webinar from Early years Alliance is a good place to start - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im4O8Ff5XpY.
Safeguarding CPD – learning from serious case reviews
This is a useful paper to read from the NSPCC – it pulls together all the recent safeguarding serious case reviews in relation to online abuse and looks at patterns and links that we need to be aware of when caring for different ages of children. You might find it helpful if you have staff as well, to include in staff training and to discuss during staff meetings -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/media/1346/learning-from-case-reviews_online-abuse.pdf
Safeguarding partnerships
Your Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) is changing to a Safeguarding Partnership by the end of September 2019. You will need to find out the name of your local safeguarding partnership and any new phone numbers and contact names and note it in your Safeguarding Policy; there might also be new branding / logos for your Policy header if you use their model policy. You should be able to find relevant information on your local safeguarding website.
Listening to children – free resources
Free resources from NSPCC on listening to children –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2019/let-children-know-you-re-listening/.
Your early years curriculum
Your curriculum = your planning = the 7 areas of learning. There is a lot of information online about curriculum and I have read so many articles my head is spinning … but I wanted to share this one with you because it is very relevant for many childminders who leap on every piece of paper and buy useless information in the hopes it will somehow make sense to them.
This article talks about the dangers of the ‘Tesco curriculum’ – an off-the-shelf one size fits all curriculum that means little and is irrelevant to the needs of the children. Please take a moment to read it –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168175/exclusive-avoid-a-tesco-curriculum-says-leading-academic.
Chat soon, Sarah
You need to read it and digest it -
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/801375/Early_years_inspection_handbook.pdf
You might find it useful to do the free webinar training – https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Keep an eye on Ofsted comments on their Twitter and Facebook page (Childcare Registration). They are also writing lots of articles for magazines such as Nursery World –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168108/exclusive-i-dont-understand-anxiety-over-new-handbooks-says-ofsted-chief
This one from TES is interesting - https://www.tes.com/news/dont-interrupt-reading-questions-says-ofsted.
Is there a new EYFS?
No – not yet – there will be but not yet. Most of the revisions will be around the Early Learning Goals which are used by teachers in reception class at school. More information in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168146/dfe-confirms-timetable-for-revised-early-years-foundation-stage.
They are also updating Development Matters, the guidance to child development, for the revised EYFS. Again, it’s not going to be ready for a while –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168238/development-matters-revised-for-new-eyfs.
Transition reports
It's the time of year when childminder's thoughts often turn to transition reports... a lot of colleagues tell me they write it 'for Ofsted'...
Before you write anything, my advice is to think about the following:
- How long does it take to write - could that time be better spent playing with the child or with your family?
- You hand it to parents - do they pass it on to the teacher?
- If parents pass it on - does the teacher read it?
- If the teacher reads it - do they act on what you have written?
- You put a copy in the child's file - which you hand over to parents - so do Ofsted ever read it?
- Is it a requirement of the EYFS to write transition reports? ... er... no!
- What have Ofsted said about extra documentation? Ofsted say, for the new inspection framework, you only have to write what is required by the EYFS...
- If the Local Authority require you to write one - has anyone ever challenged why when it's not a requirement of the EYFS?
This goes for any extra documentation you are doing 'because of Ofsted...' - from September 2019 inspectors will not ask for it and you do not need to do it unless it's specified in the EYFS - like attendance records and the written 2 year progress check which are statutory.
DfE reviewing Ofsted fees
Ofsted fees have been £35 for a very long time – DfE are looking to increase them next year. They are currently running a consultation. My reply will say – fair enough, fees have to raise – but you need to give us the opportunity to earn more money as well and this means putting up Local Authority funding rates first!
Record keeping and wrap around care
I have received clarification from Ofsted that we do not need to write / type learning and development records for children who only attend before and after the school day or in the holidays. This means any wrap around children - of any age - do not need a file of learning and development information and an inspector should not ask for any. If they do ask, we should refer them to point 113 on page 24 of the new Early Years Inspection handbook... https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif. This clarification comes directly from Ofsted Policy
How Ofsted deal with complaints against providers
When Ofsted receive information from a parent or member of the public making a complaint about a provider, they have to act. They will either:
· Inform you and review it at the next inspection - this is usually by letter but they might ring you
· Liaise with the local authority and other agencies - especially if there are child protection concerns
· Investigate - this usually means coming out to visit you, either immediately without notice or after a phone call.
The letter option usually means they don't think there is anything to it but they have to inform you because they've received something about you. By sending a letter they are giving you plenty of time to put together evidence for when the inspector comes out next. You do NOT need to respond to the letter by ringing or emailing Ofsted - just put your evidence together and have it ready for your next inspection. However, if they receive a few complaints about you, they are likely to come out sooner.
Stage 3 Ofsted complaints
If you have ever made a complaint against Ofsted, you will know that there are 3 stages - and stage 3 is when a panel investigates what has happened to make sure the system is robust and the complaint has been investigated correctly.
I sat on a stage 3 panel today (there is always an independent early years representative on the panel) and I can assure anyone who puts in a stage 3 complaint that an incredible the amount of work that goes into them! There were senior Ofsted officers and me, phone calls to the officers who dealt with the complaint ... and more ... all to ensure the outcome is secure.
Note: a stage 3 complaint is when the complainant has had an inspection and disagrees ... and sends in a complaint (stage 2) and doesn't feel the result is right so sends in a further complaint. Stage 3 investigates whether stage 2 was carried out properly. It is a word by word analysis of the findings to check accuracy and ensure the judgements are correct. It can change the report or the letter that has been drafted or even lead to a reinspection. It is carried out by a team in another area - so, for example, London might do a stage 3 complaint for Manchester. If you got to stage 3 and your concerns are not covered and you feel you still have re-dress you can then go to the ombudsman...
Medication administration review
A new blog to support practitioners, full of useful information to help you update your policy and procedures for medication administration to ensure you are fully compliant with the EYFS requirements and Ofsted expectations –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/medication-administration-review
Relationships education
If you look after (or have) children in primary school, relationships education is being introduced from Sept 2020. You might find it useful to share information about the new relationships education curriculum with parents –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812593/RSE_primary_schools_guide_for_parents.pdf.
How safe are our children?
A new report has just been published by the NSPCC –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/how-safe-are-our-children/.
Curriculum – Ofsted – the 3 Is
Question from a colleague: Sarah, please explain the 3 Is in the Ofsted curriculum stuff – I am getting confused…
Answer: the curriculum is, basically, your planning around the 7 areas of learning.
I number 1 is intent – the content of your curriculum – what you expect children to learn – what you expect children to know at different ages and stages of their life.
I number 2 is implementation – this I is about environment and resources to an extent, but more importantly about the order in which you teach things so children have a secure base before they move on to something more challenging (see articles about sequencing our maths curriculum and sequencing literacy below).
I number 3 is impact – have children remembered what you have taught them? If they haven’t remembered, what are you going to do next?
For example… we are learning about the weather this week… why? Well, there has been an awful lot of weather recently so we thought we’d explore wind, rain and sunshine in more detail. We want children to learn weather words - we don’t have a long list of words but we have some in the backs of our minds that we keep repeating and we have made a prompt poster with pictures for the older children…
For our little ones, we have lots of hands-on experiments with water and a focus on blue and yellow – they did some lovely colour mixing the other day. For our older children, we are learning about the water cycle and they are really interested in pollution of our seas so we have been researching that with them.
The children can tell you that sun is hot and yellow and rain is cold and falls in drops; the little ones have learned that sun is yellow in the sky and they know that the plants need sun and rain to grow; they know that rain is wet because we took off our hoods and got our hair wet yesterday.
Sequencing our maths curriculum
This is an excellent little article from TES about sequencing an early maths curriculum, reminding us that we need to building blocks in place before children can learn new things. For example, they need the ability to subitise before they can put things into sets… they need to understand quantity before they can count accurately… problem solving questions should come before asking ‘how many?’ and potentially turning them off their learning. More information here –
https://www.tes.com/news/four-fun-ways-make-early-maths-engaging-primary.
Sequencing our literacy curriculum
While we are on the subject of sequencing, this is a good article by Barbara Isaacs for Teach Early Years magazine about sequencing literacy skills –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/why-oral-language-skills-must-come-first-in-the-early-years
Keeping children safe in education
The EYFS states that we must ‘have regard’ to ‘Keeping children safe in education’. The statutory guidance has been updated recently and a draft has been released. Updates include reference to:
- Safeguarding Partnerships which will replace Local Safeguarding Children Boards from Sept 2019
- The new statutory relationships education (information above)
- The new Ofsted inspection framework
- The guidance ‘teaching online safety in school’
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools
- The Voyeurism Offences Act 2019 – including up-skirting
You can find a copy of the new document here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
Hungry Little Minds
A new campaign to improve life chances for children has been launched by the DfE. It is a 3 year initiative which starts with a website. DfE are keen for us to share it with our parents –
https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/.
Early movers
Another website full of useful information for parents and practitioners – this one helps to develop children’s movement skills - https://www.earlymovers.org.uk/.
The importance of wellbeing
Wellbeing is essential to children’s learning, development and progress. It is equally important in the home and setting environment and is closely linked to health, resilience, freedom, equality, family, community and friendships. You can read more about wellbeing in the latest ‘Institute of Wellbeing’ report –
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2019/07/wellbeing-and-the-home-learning-environment/.
Staff wellbeing
I have also been reading a lot about staff wellbeing recently. It will be a key point in the Ofsted revised early years inspection framework – leadership and management judgement.
You must ensure you lower stress and raise staff wellbeing. The best place to start is during supervisions - talk to staff during your regular supervision meetings and find out what pressures they feel under. Stress might be caused by feeling overworked, being asked to do too much or too complex paperwork, feeling undervalued, being contacted out of work hours to answer questions etc… Staff may also feel under stress because they are feeling bullied, harassed or discriminated against – you must protect them from this.
If staff do raise issues with their wellbeing, you will need to work with them to resolve it quickly and may be asked by Ofsted to discuss how you have identified and reduced stressful situations. When Ofsted ask staff how they feel, they should report high levels of wellbeing - and support from you as their manager.
This is an interesting blog - https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/blog/promoting-teacher-mental-health/.
New webinars coming up…
I have written a series of new webinars to support practitioners with the Ofsted inspection framework which has been updated from September 2019. I am writing some short blogs to read alongside the webinars. You will find one here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/ofsted-and-learning-walks which focuses on the learning walks Ofsted will do with you when they first arrive to inspect – and another about cultural capital here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/cultural-capital.
You will find the new webinars here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Gold childcare.co.uk members can watch again here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
If you provide out of school or holiday only care
The decision to remove out of school and holiday club children from the quality of education judgement was made in response to the recent consultation on the revised Early Years Inspection handbook. There is further information in Annex A of the new handbook for use from Sept 2019.
For childminders, this means: if you provide care for before and after school and / or holiday children, read Annex A in handbook – Ofsted will not inspect quality of education for those children; if you have other early years children you will be judged on quality of education for those children…
Keeping children safe
A child recently choked in a nursery – every provider’s nightmare scenario. We cannot stop children from having accidents but we can do everything in our power to keep them safe from choking by, for example, cutting up food properly and sitting with them while they are eating, to keep them calm and teach them how to chew.
More information about the incident in this article - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168200/baby-boy-dies-after-choking-on-food-at-nursery
First aid advice from the British Red Cross here –
https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid-for-babies-and-children/choking-child
Advice from ROSPA about preventing choking –
https://www.rospa.com/Resources/Hubs/Keeping-Kids-Safe/Choking.aspx.
Childcare for the wealthy?
The latest All Party Parliamentary Group for Childcare and Early Education report raises concerns about whether early years childcare will be affordable for parents in the future. We have been talking about under-funding for many years – it looks like things are getting worse and worse. More information in this article from Early Years Alliance (formerly PLA) –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/07/government-risks-childcare-“becoming-affordable-only-wealthy”.
Alongside this worrying article, we also read that more settings in poor areas are closing due to lack of funding and higher delivery costs –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167912/nurseries-in-poor-areas-facing-closure.
Safeguarding – Vtech watches
A colleague raised the issue of children arriving in the setting wearing the new Vtech watches which record video and speech. These watches can be used by a child to record their friends – and may present a safeguarding issue which needs to be discussed with staff and parents to keep children safe.
ICO – GDPR reminder
When children leave your setting – as many will at the end of term – it is important to talk to parents about how much information you retain about their child, for how long it is kept, where it is stored and what you will do with it when it needs to be deleted. You will also need to think about photos of the child: the permission parents give you when their child starts in your care only covers you while their child is actually in your care so when the child leaves you need to either remove all photos from your files, online presence etc or ask for new permission to keep them. ICO state that this permission should be updated annually and if parents remove permission you must remove photos within a ‘reasonable period of time’ – ICO say ‘reasonable’ is around a month.
Safeguarding – staff suitability
When Ofsted inspect settings where staff are employed, they will want to look at staff files to ensure management taken appropriate steps to keep children safe. In a childminding setting, a staff member must have a home-based DBS check and must then complete an EY2 form to inform Ofsted that they are working in the setting – Ofsted then send out a ‘suitability’ letter or ask for further information. Identity checks and vetting should also be completed to check, for example, the staff member’s name, address, previous work details and right to work in the UK.
Staff must also undertake appropriate induction and safeguarding training – this can be provided in-house. In a childminding setting, they must also have a paediatric first aid certificate if they are left unsupervised with children – in nursery the first aid requirements are stated in the EYFS.
There are strict ratio requirements in the EYFS relating to childminders and group settings – and Ofsted will check certificates to ensure there are, for example, enough level 3 practitioners for the amount of children in the setting. Providers must also consider whether qualification certificates and references are genuine and request a medical check if there are concerns about medical suitability.
New staff must not be allowed unsupervised care of children until all the relevant checks are completed and a probationary period should be included in contracts to ensure time is allowed to cover all necessary checks and training. Regular observations and supervision meetings should then be organised alongside ongoing training and continuous professional development opportunities to ensure staff are well trained and confident with their job roles and responsibilities.
Teaching children about climate change
Children need to be aware of the climate change crisis that is affecting the world in which they live – they are the next generation who will be responsible for making changes. I wrote a guide on sustainability for Childcare.co.uk gold members recently and it made me stop and think about what we do in my setting and how we can involve the children in making positive, sustainable changes. For example, they have made a bug hotel and helped us to plant carrots, beans, tomatoes and potatoes which they will eat when grown. We are also working on minimising waste and have taken the children to the new weigh shop in town – we learned from parents that they have shared their memories of the outing at home and parents have not visited the shop and bought from there – a positive change powered by the children.
If you want to learn more, this free ‘Plastic is not so Fantastic’ webinar from Early years Alliance is a good place to start - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im4O8Ff5XpY.
Safeguarding CPD – learning from serious case reviews
This is a useful paper to read from the NSPCC – it pulls together all the recent safeguarding serious case reviews in relation to online abuse and looks at patterns and links that we need to be aware of when caring for different ages of children. You might find it helpful if you have staff as well, to include in staff training and to discuss during staff meetings -
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/media/1346/learning-from-case-reviews_online-abuse.pdf
Safeguarding partnerships
Your Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) is changing to a Safeguarding Partnership by the end of September 2019. You will need to find out the name of your local safeguarding partnership and any new phone numbers and contact names and note it in your Safeguarding Policy; there might also be new branding / logos for your Policy header if you use their model policy. You should be able to find relevant information on your local safeguarding website.
Listening to children – free resources
Free resources from NSPCC on listening to children –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2019/let-children-know-you-re-listening/.
Your early years curriculum
Your curriculum = your planning = the 7 areas of learning. There is a lot of information online about curriculum and I have read so many articles my head is spinning … but I wanted to share this one with you because it is very relevant for many childminders who leap on every piece of paper and buy useless information in the hopes it will somehow make sense to them.
This article talks about the dangers of the ‘Tesco curriculum’ – an off-the-shelf one size fits all curriculum that means little and is irrelevant to the needs of the children. Please take a moment to read it –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1168175/exclusive-avoid-a-tesco-curriculum-says-leading-academic.
Chat soon, Sarah
July 2019 newsletter for independent childminders
A quick reminder ... these newsletters are written for childminders who want to stay independent of agencies in England because we receive very little support from Local Authorities and this is one of the ways I can help everyone to stay up-to-date and ensure knowledge is current.
You are welcome to share this newsletter - parts of it or the link to it - with colleagues. I feel it is really important we all stick together.
I have received some criticism recently for how I support independent childminders ... from someone who is in a childminder agency... they even suggested Ofsted should not be inspecting me as part of the pilot inspections because I don't support agencies. Hate like that is one of the many reasons why I feel more strongly than ever that staying independent and Ofsted registered is the best thing I can do for myself and my business.
This month, my newsletter focuses on latest information, Communication and Language and Healthy Eating ... plus lots of other bits and bobs. I hope you find it useful and informative.
Chat soon, Sarah
New Early Years Inspection handbook
There is a new handbook which tells us what Ofsted do before, during and after inspection.
I have been writing a series of short blogs to support colleagues who are planning their continued professional development ready for September - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog.
I am also writing some more FREE webinars for Childcare.co.uk – the first set are listed here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted and the new inspection framework
I am proud to have been asked to participate in Ofsted’s inspection trials – I will have an inspector visiting me in early July. This will give me an ideal opportunity to see the new inspection framework in action and I will be able to cascade information to colleagues.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
**PROUD TO REPRESENT CHILDMINDERS**
I was recently involved in a telephone consultation as the childminder representative on the Early Years Alliance Workload group -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/04/alliance-launches-workload-survey.
There were some top people on the group from Early Years Alliance, Ofsted, the Dept for Education and Local Authorities. The results of the Early Years Alliance recent paperwork survey are quite worrying with significant numbers of early years providers (nurseries, pre-schools and childminders) saying they feel overwhelmed with paperwork and many saying it was causing them to think about leaving the profession or leading to low wellbeing.
Looking forwards the group is going to consult about what paperwork is actually needed. Some documents questioned include transition reports (not read by teachers), SEND paperwork (overwhelming and not leading to money or support), 2 year progress checks (causing practitioner stress) and extra Local Authority paperwork required to get funding (duplicating current documentation or excessive).
I will keep you updated…
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Childminder numbers continue to go down…
There is clearly a problem – and a lot of childminders tell us it’s linked to paperwork – but we are working on it with the Early Years Alliance and others and ask you to hang on in there while we continue our work.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/06/number-registered-childminders-continues-decrease
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Child Protection records – who keeps what when a child leaves the early years setting?
Advice about what to do with child protection records when a child leaves your setting varies depending on which Local Authority you live in. You should, ideally, ask your Local Authority for further guidance before making a final decision on what you keep, what you hand over and what you shred or securely delete from your computer.
The latest statutory guidance is in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (2018) which says that the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)** should ensure records are transferred 'to the new school or college as soon as possible, ensuring secure transit, and confirmation of receipt should be obtained'
See KCSIE 2018 – paragraph 79.
**In a group setting there should be a nominated DSL; in a childminding setting, the childminder is the DSL.
You do not need parents permission to share information about their child because it is legally required and classed as ‘personal information’. However, you would want to discuss what you are doing with parents and listen to any concerns they might raise.
To comply with GD\PR and the Data Protection Act 2018 you must have a Retention Policy which is shared with parents.
If you keep any documents relating to children on digital media, you will need to continue paying ICO until the information is securely deleted – this does not apply to paper copies of documents.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Funding week of action
Did you join in with the Early Years Alliance week of action? A lot of childminders did – along with colleagues from other early years sectors. I wrote to my MP – I don’t expect to get a reply she’s rather busy trying to be PM at the moment but I hope it’s raised the issues of underfunding with her again.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/06/early-years-sector-prepares-week-action
It’s not too late to get involved – just write to your MP and ask them to lobby for a ‘fair future funding’ rate for all early years providers.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted’s Childcare Registration handbook
Updated Childcare Registration handbook from Ofsted – they say ‘We’ve improved the style of our childcare registration handbook to make it clearer and mobile friendly’ –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-and-childcare-providers-register-with-ofsted
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Communication and language update
The latest report from the Education Endowment Foundation (Oct 2017) – ‘Early Language Development’ noted concern about children’s speech and language, especially when they are starting school and suggested interventions that make a difference including:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/evidence-reviews/early-language/.
New DfE campaign through the National Literacy Trust – ‘Chat, Play, Read’ aims to promote parent interactions with their children – share link with parents to promote home learning:
https://literacytrust.org.uk/news/chat-play-read-campaign-announced-encourage-learning-home/
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Inspection and vocabulary
The revised Ofsted early years inspection handbook – to be used from Sept 2019 - focuses on how well early years providers support and extend children’s vocabulary. You can do this through:
Ofsted will look for: a reading and vocabulary rich environment – do we need to improve?
Ofsted focus on: book reading to introduce more complex vocabulary than conversation.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Inspection and reading
Reading is going to be a big part of future Ofsted inspections. Reading ticks a lot of learning boxes in the early years – for example, it supports children’s understanding of the world around them, provides them with a shared learning experience and builds vocabulary.
I have talked more about how to support children’s reading in a webinar for childcare.co.uk which gold members can access here – https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
You can also listen to Gill Jones (Ofsted, deputy director, early education) talk about the importance of early reading and vocabulary acquisition to give you more information about what Ofsted will be looking for during inspection here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er4247E4OD8.
I love this presentation by Michael Rosen on the importance of reading for pleasure as well - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=614910282354722.
Improvements / changes we might make include:
Ideas for sharing ideas with parents to support home learning include:
Measuring the impact of our teaching and home learning
Language unlocks reading
The National Literacy Trust has published a report in partnership with the APPG on Literacy, and Oxford University Press, which highlights the crucial link between children’s early language skills and life chances.
The report shows that children with poor language and communication skills at age five are six times less likely to reach the expected standard in English at age 11 and twice as likely to be unemployed aged 34.
https://global.oup.com/education/content/dictionaries/key-issues/word-gap/
NEW FREE WEBINAR: Vocabulary and Reading in the Early Years - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
The importance of drinking water
The Natural Hydration Council has published a new factsheet about early years hydration. The guidance recommends that water should be children’s primary source of fluid alongside milk. For younger children (between 2 and 4 years old), advice is that they should drink approximately 0.9 litres of fluid a day – around 4 small glasses. Older children (between 4 and 8 years old) should drink approximately 1.1 litres of fluid a day – around 5 – 6 small glasses.
Tips include: ensure children drink before going out in the morning; give children water at meal times; remind children to sip water throughout the day; provide high water content fruit and vegetables; remind children to drink more water on hot days and after exercise.
Practitioners should also consider their water intake through the working day. Many say hot drinks go cold and are left on shelves – a water bottle with some flavoured water (try the fruit bags for flavour) can be left on a bookshelf and accessed through the day.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Guidance for safer working practices
Updated guidance to help you write your ‘Staff Behaviour Policy’ – this policy is a requirement of the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance. The EYFS states: ‘other childcare providers may also find it helpful to refer to this guidance.’
https://www.saferrecruitmentconsortium.org/GSWP%20May%202019%20final.pdf
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Supporting staff wellbeing
If you have staff you will recognise the importance of ensuring their wellbeing is high. You are now required by the Early Years Inspection handbook to monitor and support wellbeing during staff supervisions. You will find some free advice in this guidance booklet from Hub 4 Leaders –
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/resources/supporting-staff-wellbeing/supporting-staff-wellbeing-a-good-practice-report/.
I am signed up for the free newsletter as well – some of it is school based but other parts are useful.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Healthy eating
We had an interesting, respectful discussion on the Independent Childminders Facebook group recently about healthy eating in a childminding setting. A member wanted to stop providing lunch for childminded children and I advised her to provide parents with some healthy eating information. Another member was concerned that we might be overstepping our job role – surely it’s parents who decide what their child eats? I advised that a colleague was downgraded to inadequate recently and one of the reasons was unhealthy food in a lunch box provided by parents – the inspector didn’t feel the childminder had done enough to provide parents with information about healthy and unhealthy food and was, as a result, failing to keep children healthy.
I can only continue to share practice which will support colleagues – whether you take my advice or not is totally up to you. However, I would like to share this link from Nursery World magazine about new healthy eating information provided to Scottish settings, advising them to cut down the amount of processed red meat children eat –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167929/new-school-food-regulations-aim-to-reduce-childrens-consumption-of-red-meat
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted inspections in the future…
There is a reassuring blog from Gill Jones (Ofsted Deputy Director of Early Education) on the Foundation Years website in which Gill says: ‘Don’t prepare for our new way of inspecting’.
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2014/10/gill-jones-interveiw/
Nursery World Magazine report on the main changes to Inspections in this article:
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167736/ofsted-finalises-new-inspection-handbooks
For those practitioners who want to do a little preparation, my new series of webinars for Childcare.co.uk will help - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Are children physically ready for school?
A new website has been launched to support children to be physically ready for school – you might want to browse some of the activity ideas and share the address with parents – https://www.earlymovers.org.uk/.
Childcare.co.uk gold members can watch my webinar on Physical Development – moving and handling - here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Nursery rhymes and maths…
Research shows what we all know – nursery rhymes may support children’s maths skills, bring maths to life and make maths learning fun. You can find more information in this article from Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167954/nursery-rhymes-may-help-to-develop-childrens-maths-skills.
Childcare.co.uk gold members can watch my webinars on Early Maths and Music and Movement here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
You are welcome to share this newsletter - parts of it or the link to it - with colleagues. I feel it is really important we all stick together.
I have received some criticism recently for how I support independent childminders ... from someone who is in a childminder agency... they even suggested Ofsted should not be inspecting me as part of the pilot inspections because I don't support agencies. Hate like that is one of the many reasons why I feel more strongly than ever that staying independent and Ofsted registered is the best thing I can do for myself and my business.
This month, my newsletter focuses on latest information, Communication and Language and Healthy Eating ... plus lots of other bits and bobs. I hope you find it useful and informative.
Chat soon, Sarah
New Early Years Inspection handbook
There is a new handbook which tells us what Ofsted do before, during and after inspection.
I have been writing a series of short blogs to support colleagues who are planning their continued professional development ready for September - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog.
I am also writing some more FREE webinars for Childcare.co.uk – the first set are listed here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted and the new inspection framework
I am proud to have been asked to participate in Ofsted’s inspection trials – I will have an inspector visiting me in early July. This will give me an ideal opportunity to see the new inspection framework in action and I will be able to cascade information to colleagues.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
**PROUD TO REPRESENT CHILDMINDERS**
I was recently involved in a telephone consultation as the childminder representative on the Early Years Alliance Workload group -
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/04/alliance-launches-workload-survey.
There were some top people on the group from Early Years Alliance, Ofsted, the Dept for Education and Local Authorities. The results of the Early Years Alliance recent paperwork survey are quite worrying with significant numbers of early years providers (nurseries, pre-schools and childminders) saying they feel overwhelmed with paperwork and many saying it was causing them to think about leaving the profession or leading to low wellbeing.
Looking forwards the group is going to consult about what paperwork is actually needed. Some documents questioned include transition reports (not read by teachers), SEND paperwork (overwhelming and not leading to money or support), 2 year progress checks (causing practitioner stress) and extra Local Authority paperwork required to get funding (duplicating current documentation or excessive).
I will keep you updated…
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Childminder numbers continue to go down…
There is clearly a problem – and a lot of childminders tell us it’s linked to paperwork – but we are working on it with the Early Years Alliance and others and ask you to hang on in there while we continue our work.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/06/number-registered-childminders-continues-decrease
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Child Protection records – who keeps what when a child leaves the early years setting?
Advice about what to do with child protection records when a child leaves your setting varies depending on which Local Authority you live in. You should, ideally, ask your Local Authority for further guidance before making a final decision on what you keep, what you hand over and what you shred or securely delete from your computer.
The latest statutory guidance is in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (2018) which says that the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)** should ensure records are transferred 'to the new school or college as soon as possible, ensuring secure transit, and confirmation of receipt should be obtained'
See KCSIE 2018 – paragraph 79.
**In a group setting there should be a nominated DSL; in a childminding setting, the childminder is the DSL.
You do not need parents permission to share information about their child because it is legally required and classed as ‘personal information’. However, you would want to discuss what you are doing with parents and listen to any concerns they might raise.
To comply with GD\PR and the Data Protection Act 2018 you must have a Retention Policy which is shared with parents.
If you keep any documents relating to children on digital media, you will need to continue paying ICO until the information is securely deleted – this does not apply to paper copies of documents.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Funding week of action
Did you join in with the Early Years Alliance week of action? A lot of childminders did – along with colleagues from other early years sectors. I wrote to my MP – I don’t expect to get a reply she’s rather busy trying to be PM at the moment but I hope it’s raised the issues of underfunding with her again.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/06/early-years-sector-prepares-week-action
It’s not too late to get involved – just write to your MP and ask them to lobby for a ‘fair future funding’ rate for all early years providers.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted’s Childcare Registration handbook
Updated Childcare Registration handbook from Ofsted – they say ‘We’ve improved the style of our childcare registration handbook to make it clearer and mobile friendly’ –
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childminders-and-childcare-providers-register-with-ofsted
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Communication and language update
The latest report from the Education Endowment Foundation (Oct 2017) – ‘Early Language Development’ noted concern about children’s speech and language, especially when they are starting school and suggested interventions that make a difference including:
- Staff training
- Staff awareness of typical progress / development
- Progress monitoring to identify concerns quickly
- Early support to resolve issues
- Parent interactions at home – explicit language learning in the home
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/evidence-reviews/early-language/.
New DfE campaign through the National Literacy Trust – ‘Chat, Play, Read’ aims to promote parent interactions with their children – share link with parents to promote home learning:
https://literacytrust.org.uk/news/chat-play-read-campaign-announced-encourage-learning-home/
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Inspection and vocabulary
The revised Ofsted early years inspection handbook – to be used from Sept 2019 - focuses on how well early years providers support and extend children’s vocabulary. You can do this through:
- Interactions - shared discussions – sustained, shared thinking
- Conversations – turn taking
- Teaching children how to listen
- Direct vocabulary teaching
- Reading books
Ofsted will look for: a reading and vocabulary rich environment – do we need to improve?
Ofsted focus on: book reading to introduce more complex vocabulary than conversation.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Inspection and reading
Reading is going to be a big part of future Ofsted inspections. Reading ticks a lot of learning boxes in the early years – for example, it supports children’s understanding of the world around them, provides them with a shared learning experience and builds vocabulary.
I have talked more about how to support children’s reading in a webinar for childcare.co.uk which gold members can access here – https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
You can also listen to Gill Jones (Ofsted, deputy director, early education) talk about the importance of early reading and vocabulary acquisition to give you more information about what Ofsted will be looking for during inspection here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er4247E4OD8.
I love this presentation by Michael Rosen on the importance of reading for pleasure as well - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=614910282354722.
Improvements / changes we might make include:
- Review communication spaces in the setting – are they being used?
- Are bookshelves relevant and inviting
- Can children access books of interest to them?
- Do books reflect current themes / learning?
- Do books stretch children’s understanding?
- Use Early Years Outcomes as a guide – not a tick list
- Use ECAT to track children’s typical speech sounds
- Are new words explained?
- Word display for staff to use as a prompt
- In group settings – for example – put a notice on the door ‘we are reading’ to minimise distractions
Ideas for sharing ideas with parents to support home learning include:
- Noticeboard – book of the week
- Email – words we are learning
- Requests – what new words have you heard at home?
- Newsletter - inform parents – we have attended training
- Loaning books
Measuring the impact of our teaching and home learning
- What new words do children know?
- How have changes we have made improved practice?
- Are spaces for talk being better used?
Language unlocks reading
The National Literacy Trust has published a report in partnership with the APPG on Literacy, and Oxford University Press, which highlights the crucial link between children’s early language skills and life chances.
The report shows that children with poor language and communication skills at age five are six times less likely to reach the expected standard in English at age 11 and twice as likely to be unemployed aged 34.
https://global.oup.com/education/content/dictionaries/key-issues/word-gap/
NEW FREE WEBINAR: Vocabulary and Reading in the Early Years - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
The importance of drinking water
The Natural Hydration Council has published a new factsheet about early years hydration. The guidance recommends that water should be children’s primary source of fluid alongside milk. For younger children (between 2 and 4 years old), advice is that they should drink approximately 0.9 litres of fluid a day – around 4 small glasses. Older children (between 4 and 8 years old) should drink approximately 1.1 litres of fluid a day – around 5 – 6 small glasses.
Tips include: ensure children drink before going out in the morning; give children water at meal times; remind children to sip water throughout the day; provide high water content fruit and vegetables; remind children to drink more water on hot days and after exercise.
Practitioners should also consider their water intake through the working day. Many say hot drinks go cold and are left on shelves – a water bottle with some flavoured water (try the fruit bags for flavour) can be left on a bookshelf and accessed through the day.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Guidance for safer working practices
Updated guidance to help you write your ‘Staff Behaviour Policy’ – this policy is a requirement of the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance. The EYFS states: ‘other childcare providers may also find it helpful to refer to this guidance.’
https://www.saferrecruitmentconsortium.org/GSWP%20May%202019%20final.pdf
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Supporting staff wellbeing
If you have staff you will recognise the importance of ensuring their wellbeing is high. You are now required by the Early Years Inspection handbook to monitor and support wellbeing during staff supervisions. You will find some free advice in this guidance booklet from Hub 4 Leaders –
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/resources/supporting-staff-wellbeing/supporting-staff-wellbeing-a-good-practice-report/.
I am signed up for the free newsletter as well – some of it is school based but other parts are useful.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Healthy eating
We had an interesting, respectful discussion on the Independent Childminders Facebook group recently about healthy eating in a childminding setting. A member wanted to stop providing lunch for childminded children and I advised her to provide parents with some healthy eating information. Another member was concerned that we might be overstepping our job role – surely it’s parents who decide what their child eats? I advised that a colleague was downgraded to inadequate recently and one of the reasons was unhealthy food in a lunch box provided by parents – the inspector didn’t feel the childminder had done enough to provide parents with information about healthy and unhealthy food and was, as a result, failing to keep children healthy.
I can only continue to share practice which will support colleagues – whether you take my advice or not is totally up to you. However, I would like to share this link from Nursery World magazine about new healthy eating information provided to Scottish settings, advising them to cut down the amount of processed red meat children eat –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167929/new-school-food-regulations-aim-to-reduce-childrens-consumption-of-red-meat
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ofsted inspections in the future…
There is a reassuring blog from Gill Jones (Ofsted Deputy Director of Early Education) on the Foundation Years website in which Gill says: ‘Don’t prepare for our new way of inspecting’.
https://foundationyears.org.uk/2014/10/gill-jones-interveiw/
Nursery World Magazine report on the main changes to Inspections in this article:
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167736/ofsted-finalises-new-inspection-handbooks
For those practitioners who want to do a little preparation, my new series of webinars for Childcare.co.uk will help - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Are children physically ready for school?
A new website has been launched to support children to be physically ready for school – you might want to browse some of the activity ideas and share the address with parents – https://www.earlymovers.org.uk/.
Childcare.co.uk gold members can watch my webinar on Physical Development – moving and handling - here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Nursery rhymes and maths…
Research shows what we all know – nursery rhymes may support children’s maths skills, bring maths to life and make maths learning fun. You can find more information in this article from Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167954/nursery-rhymes-may-help-to-develop-childrens-maths-skills.
Childcare.co.uk gold members can watch my webinars on Early Maths and Music and Movement here - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinarplayer.
June 2019 newsletter for independent childminders
Welcome to June! It's summer - and it's (hopefully) nicer outside... here is some updated news to help with your continued professional development...
Think about your paperwork
Now is the time to review your parent paperwork to check it is up-to-date ready new starters in September.
Documents to read through and check / adapt might include –
You will find free sample documentation from Childcare.co.uk here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork.
Increasing fees
When did you last increase your childcare fees? It is important to stay competitive, but equally it’s ok to put fees up (a little) every year so that you are earning a reasonable amount of money. Check your Fees Policy wording is up-to-date and accurate as well – and that you are charging competitively for your local area. If you have funded children and you are not earning as much from funding as you normally charge, you can add an extra amount to your invoices for outings and food as well as a wraparound fee if children attend other settings.
You will find a free sample Fees Policy to help you write your own on the link above.
Fair future funding campaign
The Early Years Alliance Fair Future Funding campaign is stepping up a gear with a week of action, starting on 10th June 2019. You can keep an eye on it here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/04/alliance-announces-week-campaign-action
Ofsted inspection handbooks have been updated
The Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook has now been released – it will be used from September 2019. You can find a copy here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Ofsted has also updated the safeguarding handbook which should be read alongside the inspection handbook –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-from-september-2015/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-settings
Now we have the final wording, I will be writing some free childcare.co.uk webinars to support early years practitioners who want to prepare for the new inspection framework – and I will be writing a series of short blogs to support practice.
The first blog is about the importance of observation –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/the-importance-of-observation. I hope you find it useful.
New inspection areas
The early years inspection handbook has introduced new inspection areas to cover –
Myth… inspection grades are changing
Ofsted have confirmed that they are not changing their inspection grades. In the revised inspection framework – for use from September 2019 – the grades are still:
More information in this article from Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167543/ofsted-confirms-no-changes-will-be-made-to-inspection-grades
Top down learning
One of the problems with testing children when they start reception class at school – and making sweeping changes to the Early Learning Goals – is that early years providers may be put under pressure by schools and parents to prepare children in even more inappropriate ways for starting school so they are ready for taking (and doing well in) the tests.
While early years providers do need to keep an eye on what is happening in reception class by knowing what the baseline tests are about and understanding the impact of the Early Learning Goals on reception children, we must be careful that we do not start ‘top down’ learning which is detrimental to children. Top down learning means, basically, using the end result as a starting point – taking the Early Learning Goals (for example) and saying that we need to change our curriculum to support children.
Sometimes, the Early Learning Goals say sensible things – a new focus on self-regulation in the personal, social and emotional development goals, for example, is generally considered to be a good thing.
However, in other areas, the proposed changes will in no way benefit early years children – a removal of maths / shape, space and measures and understanding the world / technology for example – and the increased focus on literacy and numeracy which might make parents think their children cannot succeed at school if they are not reading and solving maths problems while in nursery or with their childminder.
Small talk
There is a new campaign to support parents (and providers) with talking to children. You might want to share the website with parents - https://small-talk.org.uk/
Safer recruitment
This safer recruitment blog was written by the NSPCC for schools but it is useful for all providers including early years –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/2019/may/safer-recruitment-a-win-win-situation/
Peer on peer abuse
You might find this blog on peer on peer abuse interesting if you care for older children –
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/resources/dealing-with-sexual-violence-and-sexual-harassment-between-children/dealing-with-sexual-violence-and-sexual-harassment-between-children
Free healthy eating webinar
We like ‘free’ CPD here at Knutsford Childminding which is why the webinars I deliver for Childcare.co.uk are free! Here’s another free webinar – this time from the British Nutrition Foundation. If you can’t attend on the night it will be available for ‘listen again’ –
Childcare.co.uk free webinars - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Healthy eating webinar - https://www.nutrition.org.uk/component/rseventspro/event/56-free-bnf-webinar-full-of-beans-encouraging-preschool-children-to-eat-vegetables.html
Dental hygiene
There is a dental hygiene crisis in the early years – more and more children are losing teeth due to decay caused by eating the wrong foods. This is linked to the new Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook requirement to deliver ‘cultural capital’ by raising children’s life chances.
Early Years Alliance is promoting a scheme to provide tooth brushes and support to help reduce the crisis –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/05/call-save-toothbrushing-scheme-0
In our setting we have regular focus weeks on a variety of health and wellbeing subjects such as dental hygiene where we visit the dentist, chat about tooth brushing and do some healthy teeth and gum activities, find out about the best food to eat for tooth health etc… with the children to help them learn more.
The impact of domestic abuse
We are hearing from childminders that they are being asked about the impact of domestic abuse on children during Ofsted inspections. Some inspectors are asking if childminders have attended training on this subject… it is important to attend or do regular safeguarding updates and part of this can be reading blogs, articles and other information to upskill and develop continuous professional development.
This information from the NSPCC will support you to learn more about the impact of domestic abuse on children - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/domestic-abuse/.
County lines and safeguarding
You might want to include something about county lines and drug dealing in your safeguarding policy – it’s not a requirement but it’s a subject that is coming up at the moment during Ofsted inspections. This website link (Safeguarding in Schools) might be useful to develop your CPD –
https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/county-lines/.
Responding to abuse
The NSPCC has updated its information on recognising and responding to child abuse. The page includes updated information on: responding to disclosures; information sharing; and consent.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/recognising-and-responding-to-abuse/
SEND in the early years
A celebratory approach to SEND assessments in the early years from Pen Green –
https://www.pengreen.org/a-celebratory-approach-to-send-assessment-in-the-early-years/
Family diversity
I have been researching how to teach our little ones about different types of families and found this poster which will do the job nicely!
http://elisegravel.com/en/blog/diverse-families/
Men in early years campaign
I’ve done my bit – my son and husband both work in early years! There are still too few men so there is a campaign to improve things. There is a new website and all sorts of other campaigning going on –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167633/men-in-the-early-years-website-goes-live
The importance of sleep
Childminders are often asked by parents to keep children awake or to limit their sleep time. This is a useful report to share with parents which focuses on the benefits of sleep –
https://www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk/files/news/sleep-report-rsph.pdf
Tips to increase sleep include – introduce white noise to a dimly lit sleep room (white noise has a positive impact on the brain); follow home sleep routines; ensure every child has their chosen cuddly or blanket; ensure children are clean and dry and are not hungry or thirsty; make sure children are comfortable and not in a draft. If older children have worries that are keeping them awake, active listening and supporting them to share will help them to resolve their concerns.
Updating the EYFS
At some point, the DfE proposes to update the EYFS. There are a lot of concerns about what these updates will look like and how they will impact on the early years. A new early years coalition has come together to collect information about how the sector feels ahead of the changes so these concerns can be reported back to the Government. You can find more information in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167784/sector-unites-ahead-of-government-consultation-on-eyfs.
If you have any questions please ask.
Sarah
Think about your paperwork
Now is the time to review your parent paperwork to check it is up-to-date ready new starters in September.
Documents to read through and check / adapt might include –
- Contracts – you are unlikely to be insured without a parent / provider contract
- Permission forms – ensure they are compliant with GDPR
- Child registration forms
- Emergency contact information – to comply with latest safeguarding statutory guidance you need 2 emergency contacts (not parents) for every child
- Starting points / all about me information – which should be completed before the child starts in your care – Ofsted look for this during inspection.
- Fees policy, safeguarding / child protection policy and complaints policy and paperwork.
You will find free sample documentation from Childcare.co.uk here –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/free-childminder-paperwork.
Increasing fees
When did you last increase your childcare fees? It is important to stay competitive, but equally it’s ok to put fees up (a little) every year so that you are earning a reasonable amount of money. Check your Fees Policy wording is up-to-date and accurate as well – and that you are charging competitively for your local area. If you have funded children and you are not earning as much from funding as you normally charge, you can add an extra amount to your invoices for outings and food as well as a wraparound fee if children attend other settings.
You will find a free sample Fees Policy to help you write your own on the link above.
Fair future funding campaign
The Early Years Alliance Fair Future Funding campaign is stepping up a gear with a week of action, starting on 10th June 2019. You can keep an eye on it here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/04/alliance-announces-week-campaign-action
Ofsted inspection handbooks have been updated
The Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook has now been released – it will be used from September 2019. You can find a copy here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-inspection-handbook-eif
Ofsted has also updated the safeguarding handbook which should be read alongside the inspection handbook –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-from-september-2015/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-settings
Now we have the final wording, I will be writing some free childcare.co.uk webinars to support early years practitioners who want to prepare for the new inspection framework – and I will be writing a series of short blogs to support practice.
The first blog is about the importance of observation –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/the-importance-of-observation. I hope you find it useful.
New inspection areas
The early years inspection handbook has introduced new inspection areas to cover –
- Quality of education
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Personal development
- Leadership and management
- Overall effectiveness
Myth… inspection grades are changing
Ofsted have confirmed that they are not changing their inspection grades. In the revised inspection framework – for use from September 2019 – the grades are still:
- Outstanding
- Good
- Requires improvement
- Inadequate
More information in this article from Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167543/ofsted-confirms-no-changes-will-be-made-to-inspection-grades
Top down learning
One of the problems with testing children when they start reception class at school – and making sweeping changes to the Early Learning Goals – is that early years providers may be put under pressure by schools and parents to prepare children in even more inappropriate ways for starting school so they are ready for taking (and doing well in) the tests.
While early years providers do need to keep an eye on what is happening in reception class by knowing what the baseline tests are about and understanding the impact of the Early Learning Goals on reception children, we must be careful that we do not start ‘top down’ learning which is detrimental to children. Top down learning means, basically, using the end result as a starting point – taking the Early Learning Goals (for example) and saying that we need to change our curriculum to support children.
Sometimes, the Early Learning Goals say sensible things – a new focus on self-regulation in the personal, social and emotional development goals, for example, is generally considered to be a good thing.
However, in other areas, the proposed changes will in no way benefit early years children – a removal of maths / shape, space and measures and understanding the world / technology for example – and the increased focus on literacy and numeracy which might make parents think their children cannot succeed at school if they are not reading and solving maths problems while in nursery or with their childminder.
Small talk
There is a new campaign to support parents (and providers) with talking to children. You might want to share the website with parents - https://small-talk.org.uk/
Safer recruitment
This safer recruitment blog was written by the NSPCC for schools but it is useful for all providers including early years –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/2019/may/safer-recruitment-a-win-win-situation/
Peer on peer abuse
You might find this blog on peer on peer abuse interesting if you care for older children –
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/resources/dealing-with-sexual-violence-and-sexual-harassment-between-children/dealing-with-sexual-violence-and-sexual-harassment-between-children
Free healthy eating webinar
We like ‘free’ CPD here at Knutsford Childminding which is why the webinars I deliver for Childcare.co.uk are free! Here’s another free webinar – this time from the British Nutrition Foundation. If you can’t attend on the night it will be available for ‘listen again’ –
Childcare.co.uk free webinars - https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Healthy eating webinar - https://www.nutrition.org.uk/component/rseventspro/event/56-free-bnf-webinar-full-of-beans-encouraging-preschool-children-to-eat-vegetables.html
Dental hygiene
There is a dental hygiene crisis in the early years – more and more children are losing teeth due to decay caused by eating the wrong foods. This is linked to the new Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook requirement to deliver ‘cultural capital’ by raising children’s life chances.
Early Years Alliance is promoting a scheme to provide tooth brushes and support to help reduce the crisis –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2019/05/call-save-toothbrushing-scheme-0
In our setting we have regular focus weeks on a variety of health and wellbeing subjects such as dental hygiene where we visit the dentist, chat about tooth brushing and do some healthy teeth and gum activities, find out about the best food to eat for tooth health etc… with the children to help them learn more.
The impact of domestic abuse
We are hearing from childminders that they are being asked about the impact of domestic abuse on children during Ofsted inspections. Some inspectors are asking if childminders have attended training on this subject… it is important to attend or do regular safeguarding updates and part of this can be reading blogs, articles and other information to upskill and develop continuous professional development.
This information from the NSPCC will support you to learn more about the impact of domestic abuse on children - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/domestic-abuse/.
County lines and safeguarding
You might want to include something about county lines and drug dealing in your safeguarding policy – it’s not a requirement but it’s a subject that is coming up at the moment during Ofsted inspections. This website link (Safeguarding in Schools) might be useful to develop your CPD –
https://www.safeguardinginschools.co.uk/county-lines/.
Responding to abuse
The NSPCC has updated its information on recognising and responding to child abuse. The page includes updated information on: responding to disclosures; information sharing; and consent.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/recognising-and-responding-to-abuse/
SEND in the early years
A celebratory approach to SEND assessments in the early years from Pen Green –
https://www.pengreen.org/a-celebratory-approach-to-send-assessment-in-the-early-years/
Family diversity
I have been researching how to teach our little ones about different types of families and found this poster which will do the job nicely!
http://elisegravel.com/en/blog/diverse-families/
Men in early years campaign
I’ve done my bit – my son and husband both work in early years! There are still too few men so there is a campaign to improve things. There is a new website and all sorts of other campaigning going on –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167633/men-in-the-early-years-website-goes-live
The importance of sleep
Childminders are often asked by parents to keep children awake or to limit their sleep time. This is a useful report to share with parents which focuses on the benefits of sleep –
https://www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk/files/news/sleep-report-rsph.pdf
Tips to increase sleep include – introduce white noise to a dimly lit sleep room (white noise has a positive impact on the brain); follow home sleep routines; ensure every child has their chosen cuddly or blanket; ensure children are clean and dry and are not hungry or thirsty; make sure children are comfortable and not in a draft. If older children have worries that are keeping them awake, active listening and supporting them to share will help them to resolve their concerns.
Updating the EYFS
At some point, the DfE proposes to update the EYFS. There are a lot of concerns about what these updates will look like and how they will impact on the early years. A new early years coalition has come together to collect information about how the sector feels ahead of the changes so these concerns can be reported back to the Government. You can find more information in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167784/sector-unites-ahead-of-government-consultation-on-eyfs.
If you have any questions please ask.
Sarah
May 2019 newsletter for independent childminders
Hello and welcome to my May newsletter for childminders who want to stay independent of agencies.
If you have any questions you will find me on the Independent Childminders Facebook group -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/.
Here is a roundup of the latest news from the early years sector...
The revised Ofsted inspection framework
The Ofsted inspection framework is currently being updated and there has been a lot of comment and rhetoric about it on social media. The consultation has finished – Ofsted have all the feedback and we will have to see what happens next.
Some of the comments are reflected in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167383/ofsted-inspection-framework-creates-two-tier-system.
Meanwhile, I am putting together a series of new training webinars for childminders to help them get to grips with the revised framework. They will be published on the Childcare.co.uk webinar website before the September changes –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
DBS - EY2 for 16 year olds
If you have a 16 year old you MUST help them to do an enhanced home-based DBS - when that comes back you MUST then help them to get their own Government Gateway login and have them complete the EY2 form. The EY2 form tells Ofsted that they have a DBS and allows Ofsted to make a suitability decision about them. Without the EY2 form they are classed as 'unsuitable' and Ofsted can (and have) shut childminders down for this breach of the statutory requirements...
DBS - http://ofsteddbsapplication.co.uk/step-one.aspx
EY2 - https://online.ofsted.gov.uk/onlineofsted/Ofsted_Online.ofml (new website)
When you have received their DBS it is up to you whether you sign their DBS up for the update service or not - Ofsted recommend it but do not require it any more. If you are unsure whether you have completed any part of this process you should ask Ofsted asap for information about who is linked to your setting.
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is common this time of year. You can find more information here - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/parents-encouraged-to-be-aware-of-scarlet-fever-symptoms.
If a child has scarlet fever you should follow the exclusion advice on the Public health England website (updated 27.3.19) - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities
Cultural capital
Some of the new ‘buzz words’ in the proposed revised Early Years Inspection handbook have caused a flurry of concern on social media. One of these is ‘cultural capital’ – not least because the definition given to it in the inspection handbook is, for many, as confusing as the term itself.
I have been researching what cultural capital will mean for early years providers and I will include my understanding of it in a future webinar on the changes to the inspection framework – including examples of how I think it works in the early years –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Curriculum
Another interesting change to the inspection framework (from September 2019) is the way Ofsted view what we do every day – our planning. Instead of calling it ‘educational programmes’ like the Dept for Education do in the EYFS, Ofsted have introduced the word ‘curriculum’ and are pushing it very heavily in their blogs and podcasts on YouTube.
Your curriculum is how you teach children and covers the 7 areas of learning. Is it adult-led, adult-guided or child centred? Is it old school sitting down learning or do you prefer to focus on exploration? During inspection, Ofsted will want to see children engaged, motivated and thinking (using their learning characteristics) and you will need to justify whatever curriculum you use.
This is an interesting blog on child centred learning because, as we all know, a child’s brain learns best – and retains learning best - through play –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/we-bring-the-learning-to-childrens-interests-child-centred-learning-at-langley-academy-primary
Early speech and language
The Government is investing £6.5 million into early speech and language to help close the ‘word gap’ in the most disadvantaged areas of the country. The investment will fund, among other things, training for practitioners, family reading sessions and tips for home learning. The draft Early Years Inspection handbook (01.2019) states:
‘Inspectors should consider how effectively senior leaders use performance management and their assessment of strengths and areas for improvement within the setting to provide a focus for professional development activities, particularly in relation to increasing children’s vocabulary.’
For this reason, I am writing vocabulary training which I will share as a Childcare.co.uk free webinar before the revised inspection framework is introduced.
DfE are getting in on the act as well with a new ‘chat, play, read’ campaign designed to promote the importance of communication and language for early years children. You will find information to share with parents on the Literacy Trust website here –
https://literacytrust.org.uk/news/chat-play-read-campaign-announced-encourage-learning-home/
Do you employ staff?
If you employ staff, you will need to ensure that all staff receive a payslip. This article in Nursery World magazine also contains links to useful websites to help you calculate the correct wages for your staff depending on age –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167441/all-workers-now-entitled-to-a-payslip
Outside play and learning
In our setting, we are lucky to have a large covered area and a garden and we play outside with the children every day – but in the winter children’s learning can be limited by big coats and gloves so we need to plan more creatively. It’s much easier to go outside in the warmer weather and we are always looking for new activity ideas which will enhance children’s learning. This blog from Teach Pre-school (a website worth bookmarking) provides a quick overview of just a few of the benefits of outside learning –
https://teachpreschool.org/2019/04/09/five-wonderful-ways-to-take-learning-outside
What CPD have you done so far this year?
I always take time to record my professional development – it keeps me on track and motivated to do more. It’s nearly the end of April and I have…
- Written monthly newsletters for Independent Childminders – to ensure the information I share is up-to-date and accurate I have read different websites, blogs, newsletters and emails from, for example, Allergy UK, Hub4Leaders, NSPCC, Ofsted, Safeguarding in Schools etc.
- Read magazines including Nursery World, Creative Minds and Practical Pre-school.
- Attended the Ofsted Big Conversation North West open meeting in Liverpool. I also intend going to the Childcare Expo North exhibition later in the year.
- Completed online courses through my Childcare.co.uk gold membership including Educare courses.
- Researched and written some new free webinars for Childcare.co.uk on the revised Ofsted inspection handbook (I am finishing them now)
- Updated Educare and Home Office courses as required by my assessor role for Early Years Alliance.
- Checked for updates on social media including early years Facebook groups and Twitter threads to ensure my knowledge stays fresh and updated.
I hope my CPD list inspires you! I don’t write lots of information but I do reflect on what I have changed as a result of any training I have done.
Stress awareness
April was stress awareness month – stress can be caused by lots of different things including conflict with parents, children or colleagues, overwhelming workload and worry about Ofsted. Stress can affect your physical and mental health so it is important to find ways to manage stressful situations.
Most importantly, allow yourself a break from the business and take time for yourself. Eat healthily and sleep regularly to give your body the best chance to heal. If you feel you are overwhelmed, ask for support from the doctor – you will need to inform Ofsted that your medical status has changed but getting help is an important part of getting better.
How long do your children spend online?
The latest World Health Organisation (WHO) research on physical activity guidelines for under-5s, recommend no screen time for 1 year olds and no more than an hour for 2 to 4 year olds.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167471/guidance-recommends-no-screen-time-for-under-twos
Self-employed tax and Ni changes for 2019/20
Personal allowance is increasing to £12500 (from £11850) and will still cost 20% of profit over the threshold
BIG headlines!
Nursery World magazine had a BIG headline earlier this month: ‘Thousands of children not learning at home’. Wow how insulting to thousands of parents … dig a little deeper behind the headline and you will see the article links to the new Government campaign to improve early literacy …
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167348/thousands-of-children-not-learning-at-home
Universal Credit concerns
We know that Universal Credit is causing issues for thousands of early years providers including childminders – I talked about it in my recent blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/universal-credit-and-childminders.
Now the Government are being encouraged to resolve the issues and it’s not going well. MPs are asking the Government to re-visit the subject –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167364/mps-demand-government-review-its-disrespectful-response-to-universal-credit-report.
Relationships education in school
We need to be aware that schools will soon be required to teach children about relationships and sex appropriate for their age. It is important to know what children are being taught so we can answer questions if asked. DfE have published a guide for schools which you might find useful to support parents if they are asking you questions about the future plans –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780768/Government_Response_to_RSE_Consultation.pdf.
30 hours funding problems
This Government policy has caused a lot of upset – from providers who are often not fully paid for the hours worked; from parents who don’t like paying for extras … and now from the Social Mobility Watchdog! You can read more in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167532/30-hours-policy-entrenches-inequality-says-social-mobility-watchdog
The Early Years Alliance have long been fighting our corner to get us fairer funding now and in the future. If you haven’t already joined their campaign, now might be a good time – you don’t need to be a member!
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167524/early-years-sector-asked-to-unite-in-fight-for-fairer-funding.
Group providers and music licences – not childminders
Group providers must now buy music licences – the article confirms nothing has changed for childminders who do not need to buy licences –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167489/private-and-voluntary-nurseries-must-buy-music-licences
Executive function…
What is it and how does it affect children? Harvard University has published a new infographic to explain more – it find this area of study fascinating because it tells me so much about how children think and how we can support them and help prepare them not just for school but for future life –
https://46y5eh11fhgw3ve3ytpwxt9r-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ExecutiveFunctionInfographic_FINAL.pdf
Home-schooled children
Do you work with home-schooled children? If you do, there is a new DfE consultation on Government plans to register home-schooled children which you might like to make available to parents –
https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-frameworks/children-not-in-school/.
If you have any questions or ideas for articles please let me know. Sarah
If you have any questions you will find me on the Independent Childminders Facebook group -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentchildminders/.
Here is a roundup of the latest news from the early years sector...
The revised Ofsted inspection framework
The Ofsted inspection framework is currently being updated and there has been a lot of comment and rhetoric about it on social media. The consultation has finished – Ofsted have all the feedback and we will have to see what happens next.
Some of the comments are reflected in this Nursery World article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167383/ofsted-inspection-framework-creates-two-tier-system.
Meanwhile, I am putting together a series of new training webinars for childminders to help them get to grips with the revised framework. They will be published on the Childcare.co.uk webinar website before the September changes –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
DBS - EY2 for 16 year olds
If you have a 16 year old you MUST help them to do an enhanced home-based DBS - when that comes back you MUST then help them to get their own Government Gateway login and have them complete the EY2 form. The EY2 form tells Ofsted that they have a DBS and allows Ofsted to make a suitability decision about them. Without the EY2 form they are classed as 'unsuitable' and Ofsted can (and have) shut childminders down for this breach of the statutory requirements...
DBS - http://ofsteddbsapplication.co.uk/step-one.aspx
EY2 - https://online.ofsted.gov.uk/onlineofsted/Ofsted_Online.ofml (new website)
When you have received their DBS it is up to you whether you sign their DBS up for the update service or not - Ofsted recommend it but do not require it any more. If you are unsure whether you have completed any part of this process you should ask Ofsted asap for information about who is linked to your setting.
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is common this time of year. You can find more information here - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/parents-encouraged-to-be-aware-of-scarlet-fever-symptoms.
If a child has scarlet fever you should follow the exclusion advice on the Public health England website (updated 27.3.19) - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities
Cultural capital
Some of the new ‘buzz words’ in the proposed revised Early Years Inspection handbook have caused a flurry of concern on social media. One of these is ‘cultural capital’ – not least because the definition given to it in the inspection handbook is, for many, as confusing as the term itself.
I have been researching what cultural capital will mean for early years providers and I will include my understanding of it in a future webinar on the changes to the inspection framework – including examples of how I think it works in the early years –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Curriculum
Another interesting change to the inspection framework (from September 2019) is the way Ofsted view what we do every day – our planning. Instead of calling it ‘educational programmes’ like the Dept for Education do in the EYFS, Ofsted have introduced the word ‘curriculum’ and are pushing it very heavily in their blogs and podcasts on YouTube.
Your curriculum is how you teach children and covers the 7 areas of learning. Is it adult-led, adult-guided or child centred? Is it old school sitting down learning or do you prefer to focus on exploration? During inspection, Ofsted will want to see children engaged, motivated and thinking (using their learning characteristics) and you will need to justify whatever curriculum you use.
This is an interesting blog on child centred learning because, as we all know, a child’s brain learns best – and retains learning best - through play –
https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-development/view/we-bring-the-learning-to-childrens-interests-child-centred-learning-at-langley-academy-primary
Early speech and language
The Government is investing £6.5 million into early speech and language to help close the ‘word gap’ in the most disadvantaged areas of the country. The investment will fund, among other things, training for practitioners, family reading sessions and tips for home learning. The draft Early Years Inspection handbook (01.2019) states:
‘Inspectors should consider how effectively senior leaders use performance management and their assessment of strengths and areas for improvement within the setting to provide a focus for professional development activities, particularly in relation to increasing children’s vocabulary.’
For this reason, I am writing vocabulary training which I will share as a Childcare.co.uk free webinar before the revised inspection framework is introduced.
DfE are getting in on the act as well with a new ‘chat, play, read’ campaign designed to promote the importance of communication and language for early years children. You will find information to share with parents on the Literacy Trust website here –
https://literacytrust.org.uk/news/chat-play-read-campaign-announced-encourage-learning-home/
Do you employ staff?
If you employ staff, you will need to ensure that all staff receive a payslip. This article in Nursery World magazine also contains links to useful websites to help you calculate the correct wages for your staff depending on age –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167441/all-workers-now-entitled-to-a-payslip
Outside play and learning
In our setting, we are lucky to have a large covered area and a garden and we play outside with the children every day – but in the winter children’s learning can be limited by big coats and gloves so we need to plan more creatively. It’s much easier to go outside in the warmer weather and we are always looking for new activity ideas which will enhance children’s learning. This blog from Teach Pre-school (a website worth bookmarking) provides a quick overview of just a few of the benefits of outside learning –
https://teachpreschool.org/2019/04/09/five-wonderful-ways-to-take-learning-outside
What CPD have you done so far this year?
I always take time to record my professional development – it keeps me on track and motivated to do more. It’s nearly the end of April and I have…
- Written monthly newsletters for Independent Childminders – to ensure the information I share is up-to-date and accurate I have read different websites, blogs, newsletters and emails from, for example, Allergy UK, Hub4Leaders, NSPCC, Ofsted, Safeguarding in Schools etc.
- Read magazines including Nursery World, Creative Minds and Practical Pre-school.
- Attended the Ofsted Big Conversation North West open meeting in Liverpool. I also intend going to the Childcare Expo North exhibition later in the year.
- Completed online courses through my Childcare.co.uk gold membership including Educare courses.
- Researched and written some new free webinars for Childcare.co.uk on the revised Ofsted inspection handbook (I am finishing them now)
- Updated Educare and Home Office courses as required by my assessor role for Early Years Alliance.
- Checked for updates on social media including early years Facebook groups and Twitter threads to ensure my knowledge stays fresh and updated.
I hope my CPD list inspires you! I don’t write lots of information but I do reflect on what I have changed as a result of any training I have done.
Stress awareness
April was stress awareness month – stress can be caused by lots of different things including conflict with parents, children or colleagues, overwhelming workload and worry about Ofsted. Stress can affect your physical and mental health so it is important to find ways to manage stressful situations.
Most importantly, allow yourself a break from the business and take time for yourself. Eat healthily and sleep regularly to give your body the best chance to heal. If you feel you are overwhelmed, ask for support from the doctor – you will need to inform Ofsted that your medical status has changed but getting help is an important part of getting better.
How long do your children spend online?
The latest World Health Organisation (WHO) research on physical activity guidelines for under-5s, recommend no screen time for 1 year olds and no more than an hour for 2 to 4 year olds.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167471/guidance-recommends-no-screen-time-for-under-twos
Self-employed tax and Ni changes for 2019/20
Personal allowance is increasing to £12500 (from £11850) and will still cost 20% of profit over the threshold
- Class 2 NI threshold is increasing to £6025 and will cost £3 / week
- Class 4 NI threshold is increasing to £8632 and will still cost 9% of profit over the threshold
BIG headlines!
Nursery World magazine had a BIG headline earlier this month: ‘Thousands of children not learning at home’. Wow how insulting to thousands of parents … dig a little deeper behind the headline and you will see the article links to the new Government campaign to improve early literacy …
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167348/thousands-of-children-not-learning-at-home
Universal Credit concerns
We know that Universal Credit is causing issues for thousands of early years providers including childminders – I talked about it in my recent blog –
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/universal-credit-and-childminders.
Now the Government are being encouraged to resolve the issues and it’s not going well. MPs are asking the Government to re-visit the subject –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167364/mps-demand-government-review-its-disrespectful-response-to-universal-credit-report.
Relationships education in school
We need to be aware that schools will soon be required to teach children about relationships and sex appropriate for their age. It is important to know what children are being taught so we can answer questions if asked. DfE have published a guide for schools which you might find useful to support parents if they are asking you questions about the future plans –
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/780768/Government_Response_to_RSE_Consultation.pdf.
30 hours funding problems
This Government policy has caused a lot of upset – from providers who are often not fully paid for the hours worked; from parents who don’t like paying for extras … and now from the Social Mobility Watchdog! You can read more in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167532/30-hours-policy-entrenches-inequality-says-social-mobility-watchdog
The Early Years Alliance have long been fighting our corner to get us fairer funding now and in the future. If you haven’t already joined their campaign, now might be a good time – you don’t need to be a member!
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167524/early-years-sector-asked-to-unite-in-fight-for-fairer-funding.
Group providers and music licences – not childminders
Group providers must now buy music licences – the article confirms nothing has changed for childminders who do not need to buy licences –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167489/private-and-voluntary-nurseries-must-buy-music-licences
Executive function…
What is it and how does it affect children? Harvard University has published a new infographic to explain more – it find this area of study fascinating because it tells me so much about how children think and how we can support them and help prepare them not just for school but for future life –
https://46y5eh11fhgw3ve3ytpwxt9r-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ExecutiveFunctionInfographic_FINAL.pdf
Home-schooled children
Do you work with home-schooled children? If you do, there is a new DfE consultation on Government plans to register home-schooled children which you might like to make available to parents –
https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-frameworks/children-not-in-school/.
If you have any questions or ideas for articles please let me know. Sarah
April 2019 newsletter for independent childminders
Hello and welcome to spring - my favourite time of year.
We are already knee deep in planning our Easter activities with the children and have been to the garden centre to choose some new flowers for the garden and our hanging baskets.
Here are some updates for childminders who want to stay independent of agencies in England - I hope you find them useful
We are valued and the hard work we do has been recognised!
Great news! Parents value early years settings according to a recent survey detailed in Nursery World magazine. You can read more in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167201/parents-rate-early-education-highly-survey-show.
Childminder numbers fall again…
It is very worrying – and when we asked Independent Childminder Facebook group members they told us a lot of reasons why childminders are leaving or considering leaving the profession. You can read more information about the numbers – and the positive news about inspection outcomes – here –
http://www-new.pre-school.org.uk/news/2019/03/childminder-numbers-continue-fall
Rising costs for early years providers
… and no extra funding from the Government. All good news then!
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167035/government-funded-research-shows-rising-costs-for-nurseries-and-childminders
are you an out of school club?
Ofsted are encouraging out of school clubs to reply to the inspection framework consultation – they seemed to be saying during a recent OBC North West regional open meeting that out of school clubs should tick the ‘no’ box in relation to whether the new framework is appropriate for them.
You will find the consultation here (closing date 5th April) –
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EIFConsultation/
Updated health protection advice
The Health Protection advice on rubella has been updated – you can find the latest information to share with parents here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities
NSPCC new campaign
The latest campaign from NSPCC focuses on ‘let children know you are listening’. There is advice on the website and you will find posters to download and share with parents.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2019/let-children-know-you-re-listening
Peer on peer abuse
There is a free toolkit from lawyers Farrer & Co full of advice and information for providers who work with older children where peer on peer abuse may be an issue. It’s a subject you need to be aware of for inspection because it is noted in the ‘Keeping children safe in education’ handbook which the EYFS says we must ‘have regard to’ in the early years –
https://www.farrer.co.uk/globalassets/clients-and-sectors/safeguarding/farrer--co-safeguarding-peer-on-peer-abuse-toolkit-2019.pdf
Voucher campaign update
Childcare voucher companies are pushing to be allowed to re-open the voucher scheme to parents. Many believe tax free childcare is not up to the job – and doesn’t offer parents the choice and flexibility they need. This is coupled with the news that only a fifth of predicted number of parents have signed up to tax free childcare and it is very unpopular with early years providers.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167062/voucher-companies-call-for-scheme-to-be-re-opened
Emotional resilience in the early years
My latest blog shares ideas on how to support children’s emotional resilience.
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/emotional-resilience-in-the-early-years
Reading with early years children
Early literacy is an important part of the revised inspection framework – alongside increasing children’s vocabulary. The latest blog from the Early Years Alliance (formerly the Pre-school Learning Alliance) is about how to put together a book corner.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/world-book-day-how-make-great-book-corner
This is a good blog which talks about the ways that reading with children helps their education.
https://theconversation.com/fives-ways-that-reading-with-children-helps-their-education-99046
I am currently writing a new webinar for Childcare.co.uk on developing children’s vocabulary – watch this space! https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
LSCB name change!
Local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) are changing their names to Safeguarding Partnerships from June 2019 – that means your LSCB will have a new name and you will need to change your safeguarding / child protection policy to reflect the name change. There might be a new website link to look out for and change in your policy as well…
Child-friendly version of Google
Which child-friendly search engine do you use for the little ones? We have used Google’s Kiddle before now - https://www.kiddle.co/ and a search engine called Squiggle – https://swiggle.org.uk/. I feel it is so important that the children can search the internet safely and we remain in control of what they see and where they visit online so we also have K9 web protection installed on the laptop they use - http://www1.k9webprotection.com/support/enforce-k9-safe-search.
There is a new resource to teach early years / pre-school children about the dangers of being online here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167117/new-resource-to-teach-four-year-olds-about-online-dangers.
While we are on the subject of the internet, how much screen time do you allow for your under 2s? Do you know how much time they spend looking at screens at home and / or in other settings? The latest information from experts is that screen time should be banned for under 2s – how do you and children’s families feel about that? You can read more in this article from Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167205/ban-screen-time-for-under-twos-expert-says.
Protecting children from sexual behaviour
I often signpost concerned members of the Independent Childminders Facebook group to the Brook traffic light toolkit –
https://www.brook.org.uk/our-work/the-sexual-behaviours-traffic-light-tool.
This is a useful printable which can be shared with staff for discussion about what behaviour or comment/s from children is normal and appropriate and what behaviour or comment/s might mean there is a concern which must be reported - https://www.brook.org.uk/brook_tools/traffic/SBTLT_all_scenarios.pdf.
Staff wages increase
Do you have staff? If so, you will need to increase their wages from April 2019. You will find more information here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/are-you-date-changes-minimum-wage-and-pension-contributions
The Early Years Alliance have started a survey to find out the impact of the wage increases on early years providers - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167109/alliance-launches-early-years-survey-on-impact-of-wage-rises.
If you are a nursery or other group provider reading this newsletter, you can find support on this Nursery Chat Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/nurserychat/.
NSPCC podcasts
The NSPCC are putting together a series of free and easy to access podcasts on different safeguarding issues. The first one entitled ‘Together for Childhood’ is here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/2019/march/podcast-together-for-childhood/.
More free webinars for April
The next Childcare.co.uk free webinars are all loaded up and ready to present. I will be covering early writing, technology and science during April 2019… you can reserve your place and sign in from this link –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Off-rolling – a new inspection outcome area
The revised Ofsted inspection handbook talks about ‘off-rolling’ in relation to the early years – this is a new area for Ofsted to inspect. Gill Jones, deputy director of Ofsted told a busy Ofsted Big Conversation North West open meeting recently that off-rolling in the early years relates to ensuring all children are offered a place and no child is excluded because of, for example, special educational needs and / or disabilities.
However, a lot of agencies are calling for more clarification about how ‘off rolling’ will be inspected in the early years. This is an interesting free article from Hub4leaders –
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/resources/ofsted-and-off-rolling/ofsted-and-off-rolling/.
Involving parents in inspection
When you receive your call from Ofsted to say they are coming out to inspect you, it is important to inform your parents and families and ask them for some feedback which you can share with the inspector. However, this is not the only time when you should be asking parents for feedback – you should ask them verbally or in writing on a regular basis and use their suggestions to improve your practice. This is just one way you can demonstrate partnership working during inspection.
Ofsted Big Conversation Q & A
At a recent Ofsted Big Conversation North West open meeting, Ofsted answered some questions – I am sharing them here J
There was a Q & A with Ofsted. Some questions answered by Ofsted during the open meeting –
Q – can I ever spend too much time outside?
A – no
Q – why do out of school clubs have to do learning and development paperwork for EYFS children?
A – they don’t
Q – can we request an Ofsted inspection?
A – no
Q – What does Ofsted need to see from us in writing?
A – the EYFS states what documents need to be recorded
Q – if a child does 3 days at nursery and 1 with me (childminder), do I need to do observations and work with the nursery?
A – yes
Q – when will Ofsted start inspecting using the new framework?
A – from September 2019.
Any questions - or ideas for contents - please let me know.
Sarah
We are already knee deep in planning our Easter activities with the children and have been to the garden centre to choose some new flowers for the garden and our hanging baskets.
Here are some updates for childminders who want to stay independent of agencies in England - I hope you find them useful
We are valued and the hard work we do has been recognised!
Great news! Parents value early years settings according to a recent survey detailed in Nursery World magazine. You can read more in this article –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167201/parents-rate-early-education-highly-survey-show.
Childminder numbers fall again…
It is very worrying – and when we asked Independent Childminder Facebook group members they told us a lot of reasons why childminders are leaving or considering leaving the profession. You can read more information about the numbers – and the positive news about inspection outcomes – here –
http://www-new.pre-school.org.uk/news/2019/03/childminder-numbers-continue-fall
Rising costs for early years providers
… and no extra funding from the Government. All good news then!
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167035/government-funded-research-shows-rising-costs-for-nurseries-and-childminders
are you an out of school club?
Ofsted are encouraging out of school clubs to reply to the inspection framework consultation – they seemed to be saying during a recent OBC North West regional open meeting that out of school clubs should tick the ‘no’ box in relation to whether the new framework is appropriate for them.
You will find the consultation here (closing date 5th April) –
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EIFConsultation/
Updated health protection advice
The Health Protection advice on rubella has been updated – you can find the latest information to share with parents here –
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities
NSPCC new campaign
The latest campaign from NSPCC focuses on ‘let children know you are listening’. There is advice on the website and you will find posters to download and share with parents.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2019/let-children-know-you-re-listening
Peer on peer abuse
There is a free toolkit from lawyers Farrer & Co full of advice and information for providers who work with older children where peer on peer abuse may be an issue. It’s a subject you need to be aware of for inspection because it is noted in the ‘Keeping children safe in education’ handbook which the EYFS says we must ‘have regard to’ in the early years –
https://www.farrer.co.uk/globalassets/clients-and-sectors/safeguarding/farrer--co-safeguarding-peer-on-peer-abuse-toolkit-2019.pdf
Voucher campaign update
Childcare voucher companies are pushing to be allowed to re-open the voucher scheme to parents. Many believe tax free childcare is not up to the job – and doesn’t offer parents the choice and flexibility they need. This is coupled with the news that only a fifth of predicted number of parents have signed up to tax free childcare and it is very unpopular with early years providers.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167062/voucher-companies-call-for-scheme-to-be-re-opened
Emotional resilience in the early years
My latest blog shares ideas on how to support children’s emotional resilience.
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/emotional-resilience-in-the-early-years
Reading with early years children
Early literacy is an important part of the revised inspection framework – alongside increasing children’s vocabulary. The latest blog from the Early Years Alliance (formerly the Pre-school Learning Alliance) is about how to put together a book corner.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/world-book-day-how-make-great-book-corner
This is a good blog which talks about the ways that reading with children helps their education.
https://theconversation.com/fives-ways-that-reading-with-children-helps-their-education-99046
I am currently writing a new webinar for Childcare.co.uk on developing children’s vocabulary – watch this space! https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars
LSCB name change!
Local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) are changing their names to Safeguarding Partnerships from June 2019 – that means your LSCB will have a new name and you will need to change your safeguarding / child protection policy to reflect the name change. There might be a new website link to look out for and change in your policy as well…
Child-friendly version of Google
Which child-friendly search engine do you use for the little ones? We have used Google’s Kiddle before now - https://www.kiddle.co/ and a search engine called Squiggle – https://swiggle.org.uk/. I feel it is so important that the children can search the internet safely and we remain in control of what they see and where they visit online so we also have K9 web protection installed on the laptop they use - http://www1.k9webprotection.com/support/enforce-k9-safe-search.
There is a new resource to teach early years / pre-school children about the dangers of being online here –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167117/new-resource-to-teach-four-year-olds-about-online-dangers.
While we are on the subject of the internet, how much screen time do you allow for your under 2s? Do you know how much time they spend looking at screens at home and / or in other settings? The latest information from experts is that screen time should be banned for under 2s – how do you and children’s families feel about that? You can read more in this article from Nursery World magazine –
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167205/ban-screen-time-for-under-twos-expert-says.
Protecting children from sexual behaviour
I often signpost concerned members of the Independent Childminders Facebook group to the Brook traffic light toolkit –
https://www.brook.org.uk/our-work/the-sexual-behaviours-traffic-light-tool.
This is a useful printable which can be shared with staff for discussion about what behaviour or comment/s from children is normal and appropriate and what behaviour or comment/s might mean there is a concern which must be reported - https://www.brook.org.uk/brook_tools/traffic/SBTLT_all_scenarios.pdf.
Staff wages increase
Do you have staff? If so, you will need to increase their wages from April 2019. You will find more information here –
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/are-you-date-changes-minimum-wage-and-pension-contributions
The Early Years Alliance have started a survey to find out the impact of the wage increases on early years providers - https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1167109/alliance-launches-early-years-survey-on-impact-of-wage-rises.
If you are a nursery or other group provider reading this newsletter, you can find support on this Nursery Chat Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/nurserychat/.
NSPCC podcasts
The NSPCC are putting together a series of free and easy to access podcasts on different safeguarding issues. The first one entitled ‘Together for Childhood’ is here –
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/2019/march/podcast-together-for-childhood/.
More free webinars for April
The next Childcare.co.uk free webinars are all loaded up and ready to present. I will be covering early writing, technology and science during April 2019… you can reserve your place and sign in from this link –
https://www.childcare.co.uk/webinars.
Off-rolling – a new inspection outcome area
The revised Ofsted inspection handbook talks about ‘off-rolling’ in relation to the early years – this is a new area for Ofsted to inspect. Gill Jones, deputy director of Ofsted told a busy Ofsted Big Conversation North West open meeting recently that off-rolling in the early years relates to ensuring all children are offered a place and no child is excluded because of, for example, special educational needs and / or disabilities.
However, a lot of agencies are calling for more clarification about how ‘off rolling’ will be inspected in the early years. This is an interesting free article from Hub4leaders –
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/resources/ofsted-and-off-rolling/ofsted-and-off-rolling/.
Involving parents in inspection
When you receive your call from Ofsted to say they are coming out to inspect you, it is important to inform your parents and families and ask them for some feedback which you can share with the inspector. However, this is not the only time when you should be asking parents for feedback – you should ask them verbally or in writing on a regular basis and use their suggestions to improve your practice. This is just one way you can demonstrate partnership working during inspection.
Ofsted Big Conversation Q & A
At a recent Ofsted Big Conversation North West open meeting, Ofsted answered some questions – I am sharing them here J
There was a Q & A with Ofsted. Some questions answered by Ofsted during the open meeting –
Q – can I ever spend too much time outside?
A – no
Q – why do out of school clubs have to do learning and development paperwork for EYFS children?
A – they don’t
Q – can we request an Ofsted inspection?
A – no
Q – What does Ofsted need to see from us in writing?
A – the EYFS states what documents need to be recorded
Q – if a child does 3 days at nursery and 1 with me (childminder), do I need to do observations and work with the nursery?
A – yes
Q – when will Ofsted start inspecting using the new framework?
A – from September 2019.
Any questions - or ideas for contents - please let me know.
Sarah
March 2019 newsletter for independent childminders
How is your workload? Do you do far too much paperwork? Ofsted, DfE and the Early Years Alliance (formerly the Pre-school Learning Alliance) are working together to try and resolve the issues faced by providers…
I am engaging with this because I feel it will help us all in the long run.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166871/alliance-joins-dfe-and-ofsted-to-tackle-early-years-workload
What do Ofsted publish about you?
Do Ofsted publish your name and address? Do you want them to … or would you rather be incognito? You can check whether your details are published using this document which Ofsted say is regularly updated and you can change your visibility status by informing them of your wishes.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consented-addresses-for-childminders-and-domestic-childcare
Pre-registration childminders
Ofsted have updated their briefing slides to further clarify DBS requirements for pre-registration childminders and their family members. You can find more information on this link.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-registration-briefing-for-those-wishing-to-become-childminders
30 hours funding latest
How is the 30 hours funding going for you? According to a recent report, it’s a ‘car crash’ which ‘entrenches inequality’ – you can read more in these articles.
https://www.pre-school.org.uk/news/2019/02/30-hours-policy-car-crash-according-new-report
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166839/mps-blame-governments-30-hour-childcare-policy-for-entrenching-inequality
Sugar smart resources
Do you know how much sugar is contained in a child’s lunch box? This information pack has been produced for teachers to share with parents – and might be useful to use during planned activities about healthy eating and drinking in early years and out of school club settings.
https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/schools/resources/sugar-smart-world-take-home-pack
Safeguarding children online
You will find updated guidance about keeping children safe online from DfE here.
If you look after older children, you will find a useful film here which talks about how to protect them.
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/videos/safeguarding-children-in-the-digital-era
Teaching children about the world around us
The Early Years Inspection Handbook states that settings should provide "opportunities for children to learn about people and communities beyond their immediate experience" and also offer activities that "reflect and value the diversity of children's backgrounds and experiences". To help you with planning appropriate activities, Childcare.co.uk have updated their Childminder Organiser for 2019.
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser
Supporting children’s dental / oral health
There is a new short course from e-learning for healthcare which covers how providers and parents etc can better support children’s dental health. It’s only short – it took me about 20 minutes to complete – and I found it quite informative.
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/childrens-oral-health/
Concerns over Universal Credit
I first blogged about childminder worries with Universal Credits in May 2018. It seems others are now catching up – this is a recent article from Nursery World magazine.
My blog is here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/universal-credit-and-childminders
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166965/warning-over-impact-of-universal-credit-on-early-years-provider-funding
Daily registers – what to use?
It’s completely up to you – you can use a sheet (useful in an out of school club or bigger setting) or online software or a diary or separate sheets for each child. There was a myth going round when GDPR was first introduced that multi-child sheets were not allowed – but the Information Commissioners Office have confirmed that it’s fine because they are ‘reasonable expected’ and ‘common and well understood practice’ (ICO, 2018). You need to keep documentation secure for as long as necessary to comply with insurance requirements – and if a child’s details do need to be kept confidential for, for example, safeguarding reasons then you can write their register on a separate sheet.
Documentation retention information is here.
https://www.pre-school.org.uk/sites/default/files/retention_periods_for_records_may_2018.pdf.
Disadvantage in the early years
According to the latest NSPCC newsletter: ‘The House of Commons Education Committee has published a report on tackling disadvantage in the early years. The report, which focuses on early years education and the home learning environment, calls on the Government to take actions including: adopt the Greater Manchester model of regular child development assessments and interventions where necessary for 0- to 5-year-olds; commission research on interventions aimed at supporting parents and families to create a positive home learning environment; and develop a wider strategy for the provision of early years services.’ You can read more here.
https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/news-parliament-2017/life-chances-report-published-17-19/
How old is ‘old enough’ for toilet training?
According to the latest research parents are toilet training their children later and many are relying on early years settings to do it for them. As a childminder, I have always advised parents we will have a chat to agree when their child is showing signs of readiness and then they need to take a week off work to train their child at home. From experience, I have observed that some children are ready early and some later … and Early Years Outcomes does not always get it right for every child. Instead of following a tick list, we need to watch and listen and pick up their readiness cues.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166835/parents-putting-off-toilet-training-with-some-relying-on-nurseries
Singing and playing with children
A new campaign has been launched by NSPCC to engage parents – and there are some useful tips for practitioners who share information with the parents of children in their care. This sort of information sharing will help you comply with the EYFS requirement to support children’s home learning.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/look-say-sing-play
Emergency contact details
Did you spot the updated requirement in the latest ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ 2018 for settings to have 2 emergency contacts for every child? Did you ask parents to provide this information? It is really important you have someone nominated by parents who you can ring if parents are unable to collect their child.
You should make sure this information is immediately accessible as well – both when you are in the house / setting and an outings. If you work in, for example, an out of school club you must have permission from Ofsted to keep documentation at home – and it’s a good idea to get this because then you can have an emergency contact file with all the children’s details ‘just in case’ the worst happens to the main file in the club.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2
Inspections are changing – but not grades
There has been a rumour going round some of the childminder Facebook groups that Ofsted are changing the grading system when they update the Early Years Inspection handbook later this year … it’s a rumour, not true, fake news… Ofsted have stated that the current 4 grades will remain as they are now – outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate. You will find more information about the grading system and the proposed inspection changes here.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/770934/Early_years_inspection_draft_handbook_140119.pdf
Tax free childcare
Have your eligible parents signed up for tax free childcare yet? Tax free childcare is a government scheme replaces the vouchers – parents who change jobs or lose access to vouchers cannot re-join the old voucher companies any longer. You will need an account first – then parents link to you using your Ofsted URN and postcode – then they send the money and it is paid over to you. Parents benefit by getting 20% back on every £1 they spend on childcare. You can’t see parent payments until they arrive in your bank, it can be a bit slow and a few months ago payments were taking longer than they should – but generally the scheme runs smoothly.
https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare
Notifying Ofsted about changes
Childminders can now use the EY3 form and childcare on non-domestic premises have the EY3a form (new) – or you can, of course, email Ofsted and let them know about changes that way. However, I understand they prefer people to use their form!
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-and-childcare-providers-ey3-changes-to-individuals
Safeguarding – staying updated
How do you stay current with your safeguarding knowledge - in addition to my newsletters which give you updated information about safeguarding changes of course? Do you read emails from safeguarding companies such as NSPCC? Do you check your local safeguarding board website regularly?
It is important that you can talk confidently about the latest safeguarding information during inspection and update your policy to reflect changes. If you have staff, you should plan safeguarding quizzes and questions in addition to their initial safeguarding training. For example, you might quiz them on the name of the designated safeguarding lead, the types of abuse and how to recognise them or something out of your safeguarding policy.
You should also check with your Local Authority about what training they require / recommend because they all have slightly different requirements.
YouTube restricted mode
Do you let children go on YouTube in your setting? Do they use YouTube at home? Do you know there is something called ‘restricted mode’ that keeps children safer while browsing and watching music?
You can find more information in this article from ChildNet and parents might find the link and information helpful for keeping their children safer online at home.
https://www.childnet.com/blog/a-parents-guide-to-youtube-restricted-mode
Sex and relationship teaching in school
From 2020 all schools must teach children about healthy relationships from primary onwards. The Government has released new statutory guidance for schools. If you care for older children you might find it useful to know what they are learning about so you can talk with them if they ask questions. I get a lot of my school based information from Hub4Leaders – you might find this article about the updated statutory guidance interesting.
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/resources/relationships-rse-and-health-education/rse-and-health-education
Minimum wage increase
Stay updated with the changes to the national minimum wage and pension contributions if you have or are thinking about employing staff.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/are-you-date-changes-minimum-wage-and-pension-contributions
If you have any ideas or requests for articles please let me know. Sarah
I am engaging with this because I feel it will help us all in the long run.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166871/alliance-joins-dfe-and-ofsted-to-tackle-early-years-workload
What do Ofsted publish about you?
Do Ofsted publish your name and address? Do you want them to … or would you rather be incognito? You can check whether your details are published using this document which Ofsted say is regularly updated and you can change your visibility status by informing them of your wishes.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consented-addresses-for-childminders-and-domestic-childcare
Pre-registration childminders
Ofsted have updated their briefing slides to further clarify DBS requirements for pre-registration childminders and their family members. You can find more information on this link.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-registration-briefing-for-those-wishing-to-become-childminders
30 hours funding latest
How is the 30 hours funding going for you? According to a recent report, it’s a ‘car crash’ which ‘entrenches inequality’ – you can read more in these articles.
https://www.pre-school.org.uk/news/2019/02/30-hours-policy-car-crash-according-new-report
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166839/mps-blame-governments-30-hour-childcare-policy-for-entrenching-inequality
Sugar smart resources
Do you know how much sugar is contained in a child’s lunch box? This information pack has been produced for teachers to share with parents – and might be useful to use during planned activities about healthy eating and drinking in early years and out of school club settings.
https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/schools/resources/sugar-smart-world-take-home-pack
Safeguarding children online
You will find updated guidance about keeping children safe online from DfE here.
If you look after older children, you will find a useful film here which talks about how to protect them.
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/videos/safeguarding-children-in-the-digital-era
Teaching children about the world around us
The Early Years Inspection Handbook states that settings should provide "opportunities for children to learn about people and communities beyond their immediate experience" and also offer activities that "reflect and value the diversity of children's backgrounds and experiences". To help you with planning appropriate activities, Childcare.co.uk have updated their Childminder Organiser for 2019.
https://www.childcare.co.uk/childminderorganiser
Supporting children’s dental / oral health
There is a new short course from e-learning for healthcare which covers how providers and parents etc can better support children’s dental health. It’s only short – it took me about 20 minutes to complete – and I found it quite informative.
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/childrens-oral-health/
Concerns over Universal Credit
I first blogged about childminder worries with Universal Credits in May 2018. It seems others are now catching up – this is a recent article from Nursery World magazine.
My blog is here - https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/universal-credit-and-childminders
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166965/warning-over-impact-of-universal-credit-on-early-years-provider-funding
Daily registers – what to use?
It’s completely up to you – you can use a sheet (useful in an out of school club or bigger setting) or online software or a diary or separate sheets for each child. There was a myth going round when GDPR was first introduced that multi-child sheets were not allowed – but the Information Commissioners Office have confirmed that it’s fine because they are ‘reasonable expected’ and ‘common and well understood practice’ (ICO, 2018). You need to keep documentation secure for as long as necessary to comply with insurance requirements – and if a child’s details do need to be kept confidential for, for example, safeguarding reasons then you can write their register on a separate sheet.
Documentation retention information is here.
https://www.pre-school.org.uk/sites/default/files/retention_periods_for_records_may_2018.pdf.
Disadvantage in the early years
According to the latest NSPCC newsletter: ‘The House of Commons Education Committee has published a report on tackling disadvantage in the early years. The report, which focuses on early years education and the home learning environment, calls on the Government to take actions including: adopt the Greater Manchester model of regular child development assessments and interventions where necessary for 0- to 5-year-olds; commission research on interventions aimed at supporting parents and families to create a positive home learning environment; and develop a wider strategy for the provision of early years services.’ You can read more here.
https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/news-parliament-2017/life-chances-report-published-17-19/
How old is ‘old enough’ for toilet training?
According to the latest research parents are toilet training their children later and many are relying on early years settings to do it for them. As a childminder, I have always advised parents we will have a chat to agree when their child is showing signs of readiness and then they need to take a week off work to train their child at home. From experience, I have observed that some children are ready early and some later … and Early Years Outcomes does not always get it right for every child. Instead of following a tick list, we need to watch and listen and pick up their readiness cues.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166835/parents-putting-off-toilet-training-with-some-relying-on-nurseries
Singing and playing with children
A new campaign has been launched by NSPCC to engage parents – and there are some useful tips for practitioners who share information with the parents of children in their care. This sort of information sharing will help you comply with the EYFS requirement to support children’s home learning.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/look-say-sing-play
Emergency contact details
Did you spot the updated requirement in the latest ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ 2018 for settings to have 2 emergency contacts for every child? Did you ask parents to provide this information? It is really important you have someone nominated by parents who you can ring if parents are unable to collect their child.
You should make sure this information is immediately accessible as well – both when you are in the house / setting and an outings. If you work in, for example, an out of school club you must have permission from Ofsted to keep documentation at home – and it’s a good idea to get this because then you can have an emergency contact file with all the children’s details ‘just in case’ the worst happens to the main file in the club.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2
Inspections are changing – but not grades
There has been a rumour going round some of the childminder Facebook groups that Ofsted are changing the grading system when they update the Early Years Inspection handbook later this year … it’s a rumour, not true, fake news… Ofsted have stated that the current 4 grades will remain as they are now – outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate. You will find more information about the grading system and the proposed inspection changes here.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/770934/Early_years_inspection_draft_handbook_140119.pdf
Tax free childcare
Have your eligible parents signed up for tax free childcare yet? Tax free childcare is a government scheme replaces the vouchers – parents who change jobs or lose access to vouchers cannot re-join the old voucher companies any longer. You will need an account first – then parents link to you using your Ofsted URN and postcode – then they send the money and it is paid over to you. Parents benefit by getting 20% back on every £1 they spend on childcare. You can’t see parent payments until they arrive in your bank, it can be a bit slow and a few months ago payments were taking longer than they should – but generally the scheme runs smoothly.
https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare
Notifying Ofsted about changes
Childminders can now use the EY3 form and childcare on non-domestic premises have the EY3a form (new) – or you can, of course, email Ofsted and let them know about changes that way. However, I understand they prefer people to use their form!
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-and-childcare-providers-ey3-changes-to-individuals
Safeguarding – staying updated
How do you stay current with your safeguarding knowledge - in addition to my newsletters which give you updated information about safeguarding changes of course? Do you read emails from safeguarding companies such as NSPCC? Do you check your local safeguarding board website regularly?
It is important that you can talk confidently about the latest safeguarding information during inspection and update your policy to reflect changes. If you have staff, you should plan safeguarding quizzes and questions in addition to their initial safeguarding training. For example, you might quiz them on the name of the designated safeguarding lead, the types of abuse and how to recognise them or something out of your safeguarding policy.
You should also check with your Local Authority about what training they require / recommend because they all have slightly different requirements.
YouTube restricted mode
Do you let children go on YouTube in your setting? Do they use YouTube at home? Do you know there is something called ‘restricted mode’ that keeps children safer while browsing and watching music?
You can find more information in this article from ChildNet and parents might find the link and information helpful for keeping their children safer online at home.
https://www.childnet.com/blog/a-parents-guide-to-youtube-restricted-mode
Sex and relationship teaching in school
From 2020 all schools must teach children about healthy relationships from primary onwards. The Government has released new statutory guidance for schools. If you care for older children you might find it useful to know what they are learning about so you can talk with them if they ask questions. I get a lot of my school based information from Hub4Leaders – you might find this article about the updated statutory guidance interesting.
https://hub4leaders.co.uk/learning-hub/resources/relationships-rse-and-health-education/rse-and-health-education
Minimum wage increase
Stay updated with the changes to the national minimum wage and pension contributions if you have or are thinking about employing staff.
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/are-you-date-changes-minimum-wage-and-pension-contributions
If you have any ideas or requests for articles please let me know. Sarah
February 2019 newsletter for independent childminders
Welcome to February – and the land of ice and snow! We are reading ‘Say hello to the snowy winter animals’ by Ian Whybrow and the children are enjoying playing in the snow (real and pretend), making snowmen (real and pretend) and cutting snowflakes.
Here are some news snippets to keep all childminders colleagues who want to stay independent of agencies updated and informed… follow the links for more information.
What do you want to see in early years in 2019?
Nursery World magazine have canvassed early years practitioners for their views in this article.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166499/what-the-sector-wants-in-2019
Delays to new childminder registrations
I have heard about worrying delays from a lot of childminders who are trying to register with Ofsted – then I read this Nursery World article which, in my view, promotes childminder agencies as quicker and more efficient. I have been working tirelessly for the last few years to support childminders who want to stay independent of agencies – this newsletter is part of my work to ensure independent childminders stay up-to-date. Reading this heavily biased article has left me feeling very despondent and a little cross. Questions were raised on Twitter as well from leading early years specialists about whether the Ofsted delays might be pushing registering childminders towards agencies. What do you make of it – I would be interested to hear your views?
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166497/ofsted-delay-hits-childminders
Universal credit review
Universal Credit is a concern for a lot of childminders (as I noted in my recent blog). We welcome the news that a cross party group of MPs are going to review the way the credits are paid. This will include the possibility of making direct payments to childcare providers and looking at the way the current Universal Credit is causing debt problems for many claimants.
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/universal-credit-and-childminders
https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/inquiry/
Changes to the Ofsted inspection framework
Ofsted are sharing lots of information about the proposed new inspection framework on YouTube and SlideShare. You can read more on the consultation that they are currently running in this Nursery World article.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166596/ofsted-launches-consultation-on-how-it-inspects-from-early-years-to-further-education
Lots of questions are being asked about the new inspection framework – this is an interesting article from TES. I will comment more when I have further information to share… I am still making up my mind and some of the wording is a little … erm … not early years friendly so I hope they have a re-think!
https://www.tes.com/news/how-will-ofsted-evaluate-how-much-four-year-old-knows
How does screen time affect children?
A recent report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has shown that children with higher screen time tend to have: a less healthy diet, a higher energy intake, and more pronounced indicators of obesity; more depressive symptoms, although it has been found by some studies that some screen time is better for mental health than none at all. Recommendations include: avoid screens an hour before the planned bedtime; families should negotiate screen time limits with their children based upon the needs of an individual child.
Source: Caspar newsletter
https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2018-12/rcpch_screen_time_guide_-_final.pdf
Activity passport from DfE
The newly released activity passport from DfE has received mixed reviews from early years practitioners – it’s here if you want to read. A lot of practitioners feel it’s teaching us to suck eggs…
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/my-activity-passport
Happiness for all providers
Are you happy? Most childminders say they are … in recent research, science is being used to teach us about happiness. One of the things that has come out of the research is the importance of ensuring you have some ‘me time’ every day – time to sit and do absolutely nothing or to relax in front of the television without thinking about work…
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/5-new-positive-psychology-findings-that-will-help-you-live-a-happier-life.html
Latest CEEDA research
About Early Years 4 – latest information from practitioners about the state of early years.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166678/ceeda-data-about-early-years-4-gaps-in-the-market
Keeping young children safe online
This is a useful link to share with parents – it has been written by experts specifically for children under the age of 5. It is especially important given the latest news that ‘more than 5% of young people have their own smartphone.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/keeping-your-under-five-safe-online
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166744/more-than-5-per-cent-of-young-children-have-their-own-smartphone
Keeping Ofsted updated
In a recent Nursery World article Ofsted have clarified what they want to be informed about in relation to childre
Here are some news snippets to keep all childminders colleagues who want to stay independent of agencies updated and informed… follow the links for more information.
What do you want to see in early years in 2019?
Nursery World magazine have canvassed early years practitioners for their views in this article.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166499/what-the-sector-wants-in-2019
Delays to new childminder registrations
I have heard about worrying delays from a lot of childminders who are trying to register with Ofsted – then I read this Nursery World article which, in my view, promotes childminder agencies as quicker and more efficient. I have been working tirelessly for the last few years to support childminders who want to stay independent of agencies – this newsletter is part of my work to ensure independent childminders stay up-to-date. Reading this heavily biased article has left me feeling very despondent and a little cross. Questions were raised on Twitter as well from leading early years specialists about whether the Ofsted delays might be pushing registering childminders towards agencies. What do you make of it – I would be interested to hear your views?
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166497/ofsted-delay-hits-childminders
Universal credit review
Universal Credit is a concern for a lot of childminders (as I noted in my recent blog). We welcome the news that a cross party group of MPs are going to review the way the credits are paid. This will include the possibility of making direct payments to childcare providers and looking at the way the current Universal Credit is causing debt problems for many claimants.
https://independentchildminders.weebly.com/blog/universal-credit-and-childminders
https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/inquiry/
Changes to the Ofsted inspection framework
Ofsted are sharing lots of information about the proposed new inspection framework on YouTube and SlideShare. You can read more on the consultation that they are currently running in this Nursery World article.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166596/ofsted-launches-consultation-on-how-it-inspects-from-early-years-to-further-education
Lots of questions are being asked about the new inspection framework – this is an interesting article from TES. I will comment more when I have further information to share… I am still making up my mind and some of the wording is a little … erm … not early years friendly so I hope they have a re-think!
https://www.tes.com/news/how-will-ofsted-evaluate-how-much-four-year-old-knows
How does screen time affect children?
A recent report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has shown that children with higher screen time tend to have: a less healthy diet, a higher energy intake, and more pronounced indicators of obesity; more depressive symptoms, although it has been found by some studies that some screen time is better for mental health than none at all. Recommendations include: avoid screens an hour before the planned bedtime; families should negotiate screen time limits with their children based upon the needs of an individual child.
Source: Caspar newsletter
https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2018-12/rcpch_screen_time_guide_-_final.pdf
Activity passport from DfE
The newly released activity passport from DfE has received mixed reviews from early years practitioners – it’s here if you want to read. A lot of practitioners feel it’s teaching us to suck eggs…
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/my-activity-passport
Happiness for all providers
Are you happy? Most childminders say they are … in recent research, science is being used to teach us about happiness. One of the things that has come out of the research is the importance of ensuring you have some ‘me time’ every day – time to sit and do absolutely nothing or to relax in front of the television without thinking about work…
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/5-new-positive-psychology-findings-that-will-help-you-live-a-happier-life.html
Latest CEEDA research
About Early Years 4 – latest information from practitioners about the state of early years.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166678/ceeda-data-about-early-years-4-gaps-in-the-market
Keeping young children safe online
This is a useful link to share with parents – it has been written by experts specifically for children under the age of 5. It is especially important given the latest news that ‘more than 5% of young people have their own smartphone.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/keeping-your-under-five-safe-online
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1166744/more-than-5-per-cent-of-young-children-have-their-own-smartphone
Keeping Ofsted updated
In a recent Nursery World article Ofsted have clarified what they want to be informed about in relation to childre