Outdoor learning is a key element of the EYFS framework and early years provisions must provide access to an outside play area wherever possible. If it is not possible, the EYFS states that providers should ensure that outdoor activities are planned and taken on a daily basis unless circumstances make this inappropriate, eg unsafe weather…
Continue reading "How can we develop our outdoor play provision with limited space?"Our latest news
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Teachers call for pupils to start school at the age of seven
Teachers call for pupils to start school at the age of seven to stop them being damaged by ‘too much, too soon’ culture Teaching union says curriculum should be focused on play until seven Early testing and formal lessons can be ‘damaging’ for pupils ‘Childhood is important’ says top teaching union official Teachers claim children…
Continue reading "Teachers call for pupils to start school at the age of seven"No More Baby Steps: A Strategy for Revolutionising Childcare
A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) suggests that universal childcare could be made available for all parents. No More Baby Steps: A Strategy for Revolutionising Childcare makes recommendations that include extending the two-year-old offer to all families and increasing funding places for three-and four-year-olds from 38 to 48 weeks per year….
Continue reading "No More Baby Steps: A Strategy for Revolutionising Childcare"Review of Enforcement in the Childcare Sector
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has published a new report into enforcement in the childcare sector. Review of Enforcement in the Childcare Sector: Focus on Enforcement Regulatory Reviews outlines serious concerns among smaller providers about the “quality, volume and coherence of Ofsted guidance”. In particular, the accuracy of written Ofsted reports is…
Continue reading "Review of Enforcement in the Childcare Sector"Our Customer Satisfaction Survey Results are Great! 97% Very Satisfied! Thanks! #earlyyears #insurance
Customer Satisfaction Survey Each year we distribute a customer satisfaction survey with our annual wall-planner. I was delighted with both the number of responses received and the feedback provided and wanted to share the results with you. Overall Satisfaction 97% of the respondents were very satisfied with the service we provide and 94% are very…
Continue reading "Our Customer Satisfaction Survey Results are Great! 97% Very Satisfied! Thanks! #earlyyears #insurance"dot2dot Testimonial from Daisy Chains
I first switched the insurances of Daisy Chains to dot2dot as I felt my previous insurers took my renewals for granted. When I rang for a quote Jenny was both courteous and efficient in getting a comparable quotation to me. It was an added bonus that the premium quoted was also below that which I…
Continue reading "dot2dot Testimonial from Daisy Chains"Avoiding security and safety breaches. Advice for Day Nurseries #earlyyears #croner-i
It is essential that new members of staff are trained in all the relevant policies and procedures from the outset, if they are to avoid security and safety breaches. A parent recently contacted a nursery to let them know that, due to circumstances beyond their control, a different person would be collecting their child at…
Continue reading "Avoiding security and safety breaches. Advice for Day Nurseries #earlyyears #croner-i"Manual handling: a cause for concern?
A recent court case involving a faulty cot prompts Jackie Hyde to outline the manual handling approaches you should adopt to protect children, staff and your nursery. In July 2013, a former nursery employee won a legal battle against an early years provider after being left severely disabled by using a faulty cot at one…
Continue reading "Manual handling: a cause for concern?"How to control the desire to worry
If you are a worrier, someone telling you “not to worry” is unhelpful to say the least, because a tendency to worry may be part of your personality. Worrying can be debilitating and lead to errors and mistakes, as one’s full attention is not on the task in hand, whether that is caring for children,…
Continue reading "How to control the desire to worry"It is worth highlighting that a #nursery in #Wolverhampton is being sued by the parents of a child who sustained severe injuries to her thumb…
It is worth highlighting that a nursery in Wolverhampton is being sued by the parents of a child who sustained severe injuries to her thumb, which was trapped in a door at the nursery. An Ofsted investigation has severely criticised the nursery and re-adjusted it’s rating to ‘inadequate’. As a result, the nursery lost funding…
Continue reading "It is worth highlighting that a #nursery in #Wolverhampton is being sued by the parents of a child who sustained severe injuries to her thumb…"