Nursery World

[Guest]

Is this "our" Nicola Gray, writing the letter of the week?

 

I've often thought of writing to Nursery World, but never got around to it.

 

The letter gives lots of food for thought about whether the ten year strategy can really work. I have little faith in it myself and I am completly bogged down with all the strategies and initiatives which, in my opinion, actually have negative effects on achieving a cohearant, joined-up service for our children and their families.

 

Peggy

[AnonyMouse_3139]

I dont take the NW anymore Peggy, but I agree that the amount of statedgies and initiatives can rather overtake the 'grass roots' work that we all went into childcare to do. In our case it will see the closure of our playgroup as the local primary take up the challenge of prioviding for really young children.

[Guest]

I've tried over the last two years to get "in" at my local primary school, rent land and provide my own building, but to no avail. I do know that it will happen in the future and if it's not me then the preschool I run will close. It's been going for over 35 years ( me 3 of them) and is in walking distance from the school.

 

Peggy

[AnonyMouse_3139]

Peggy I've done the same. Always pestering the Head for a space for us to use, asking to use the playground, computer suite or bringing the children to watch assemblies at christmas etc. All to no avail untill NOW he wants a nursery and knows if he gets us onside by offering the use the of the school he'll be more than half way there. Playgroup will close, which he acknowledges would happen and yet more 3 year olds will be in (to my mind) an unsuitable environment. Exactly who do the government think they are helping by introducing all these initiatives?

[Guest]

I agree that "within" a school there is an "Institutional culture" which I don't think is appropriatte for under 6 yrs ( from my experience of Early Years provisions in Sweden, Spain & France).

I was looking to site my preschool on the school grounds, seperate from the "main" buildings and to maintain the child centered culture that we offer. The benefits would be that the provision would be permanent and not shared by other users. I am currently in a scout hall working within the limitations of other users ( pack away everyday is just one of the limitations).

 

My local primary had a rebuild last summer and disposed of 5 portacabins, these would have been ideal ( joined together, modified and adapted) if placed at the far end of the schools vast field. I even asked the local LEA, Schools Liason Officer ( a new post, paid by our taxes to encourage schools to include community groups within their services) to negotiate with the head, again to no avail, his head is in the sand, only interested in SATs results and how many of his children will move on to grammer school.

He thinks learning through play went out in the 60's

 

Has the school offered your preschool "space" which your committee can manage as they see fit, or are there obvious restrictions to the way the preschool will operate within the school environment?

 

If a preschool can operate autonimously (I think that's the right word) but also build links with the school, reception especially, then I think this could work and be beneficial to the children and parents ( especially parents with children already attending the primary school- travel/ time logistics etc).

 

You are obviously very disallusioned and that is why you have decided to leave. Why don't you re-locate to Kent, you can manage my setting ( basic plus profit( ) bonus,and then I can Foster 4-5 siblings at home and keep a family together

 

SORTED!!

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Peggy - men have been known to launch bids for world domination with fewer organisational/motivational skills than you displayed in that last message! I hope you're having a good lie down.

 

I know of a local pre-school who have two portacabins in the playground of their local primary, and they work very closely with the school. I don't think there's a nursery unit in the school (although I could be wrong).

 

So it can work: they run their (committee run) pre-school completely separately from the school, they have had a fantastic Ofsted, and are accredited. The children benefit from being on the school site: they have access to school facilities (trips to the hall for PE, use of playground etc). The school benefit from having the well-run pre-school on site, and because they know the group so well they understand the type of educational experiences these children have had before they join 'big school'.

 

The only query I have is whether being on a school site would cut down our catchment: we are a rural group and although historically most of the children have gone to the village school we now have a much wider catchment area. Would children come to us from the wider community or would they just assume that the group was just for children going on to the school where the pre-school is based?

 

Sounds like the basis for more research...

 

Maz

[AnonyMouse_3139]

At the moment I believe the space is for us as we see fit to use it, but talk in the past with the head has been about 'our' children wearing t-shirts with the school logo on instead of ours. hE KNOWS THAT IN ORDER TO GET A NURSERY HE WOULD HAVE TO PROVE TO THE LEA that there is insufficient provision in the area (from my understanding of the rules) and this is how he can in a year or so claim to have the backing of the community for his nursery. I am very disillusioned and very sceptical about his motives. There are lots of reasons for leaving, this being one of them. As for portacabins, the school are at the end of major rebuilding work and I asked fr one of the cabins 2 years ago. No joy because he hadnt got room, oh but suddenly he has. I hope any ventureyou make into the school premises goes well, but a word of warning. Our early yeras advisor, on hearing we were being offered space now as a playgroup, told me of a group she knows where the playleader has built up a fantastic playgroup over 12 yrs. She's based on a school site, but nowe the head is getting a nursery based on the fact the children are already there, there's a waiting list and parents are happy with the site. She is out of a job as the head is bringing in his own satff, which will be considerably less than the ratio now. And I agree about the age children should be in a school environment.

Oh if I could only get him alone!!!

[Guest]

Hi Rea

 

These situations are very difficult to judge, and I guess you can only listen to your inner voice and trust your feelings in this situation. There are lots of cliches I could cite, but ultimimately the decision needs to be taken in the light of research, discussion and a thorough review of the needs of the children in the group.

 

None of us knows what will happen in the future, but I sense from what you're saying that you have a pretty good idea, and none of it is positive.

 

If things develop along the lines you're suggesting, the head will get his way in expanding his empire, but ultimately its the children and their families who will pay the price. I agree that school is no place for very young children, and feel strongly that parents need unbiased information to base their decisions on.

 

Perhaps we're better off running out of church halls or scout huts to maintain our independence rather than run the risk of being subsumed into the school sytem.

 

Its sometimes very hard to maintain an open mind and think positively in the face of our experiences. I also subscribe to the theory that just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they 're not out to get you. Or is that just too cynical?

 

It says a lot about your loyalty to the group that you care so much, even though you've decided to leave. It may be a huge generalisation, but I think the early years workforce is among the most dedicated and committed.

 

Maz

[Guest]

Rea, How far has planning gone for the move? It looks like the preschool needs a very strong negotiator to ensure that your fears do not become a reality, and in my experience of preschools on school sites, the "security" of tenure is very wobbly ( as you can tell by my choice of verbs,my minds gone a bit!!!)

 

Get all agreements written ( preferably in the headteachers blood )

 

There do you feel better now, with that thought.

 

Rea, how about my offer of relocation?????

or have you any other offers???

 

Peggy

[Guest]

I feel I must also add, as Maz has pointed out, in my experience as well, liason with schools can be very good.

 

Peggy

 

(sentence structure!!!! )

[AnonyMouse_3139]

Kent sounds lovely but I can never move house, my cats are buried in the garden and I'm not leaving them. Add to that that hubby lives within 2 miles of where he was born and raised and my children have inherited his settled genes, and it looks like I'm here for a while longer yet.

I'm 40 now. By the time I'm 50 I want a house with a view of the hills, mountains and sea, so I have 10 years in which to grind them down. I'd also like a Jag in the driveway.

 

As to parents choices, our committee have decided not to tell the parents of our use of a classroom incase the forthcoming Ofsted inspection of the room comes to nothing. In their words 'we dont want to raise the parents hopes for nothing'

[Guest]

Rea, You can't blame me for trying

When hubby recently had to replace his car ( write off in the snow!) We went to a place in Surrey and in the garage was a lovely "P" reg Jag, I even got to sit in it. I tried to get hubby to let me swap my Mazda but he with the sensible head said that as I only do a 7 miles each way journey each day, it was economically unviable, boo hoo.

 

We appear to have the same tastes, yes one day I will have one in my drive as well

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Maybe you could share a huge house together, with 'hers' and 'hers' jags in the drive - should give John Prescott a run for his money!

 

Maz

[AnonyMouse_3139]

Well I want the XK8 or the impossible to get J220. Thats all

[AnonyMouse_3139]

Found a picture of the altimate Jag. Obviously I'd need a whole new wardrobe and somewhere to go in it!!

[Guest]

Do you mean go somewhere in the wardrobe?? In a Narnia kind of a way, I suppose!

 

Maz