AnonyMouse_22106 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Just wanted to know your thoughts please. We have had 5 enquiries over the last 2 weeks from parents all wanting to start their children at Pre-School after Easter - fab you would think BUT all 5 of these children are all 3 years old and will all leave for school nursery in July. Staff already have 10 each on their team and they only get paid 1 hour a week to do folders which have to be done at home. BUT we do need the money!! So would you take these children on, knowing they will leave 4 months later? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 yep! have been there before. We run a business if you need the money you need the money....and better to have some time at pre-school than none at all. It might only be a few weeks in our eyes but to them it's nearly a 6th of their life!! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_4177 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 And you might win one or two over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 And you might win one or two over! In my dreams!! Not a hope in this area I'm afraid, all our 7 feeder schools are 'outstanding' and all the parents go it's only the ones that don't get in that stay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I agree with the above. Have a discussion about the pros and cons with your team. Could you do more reduced paperwork for these few, so that you have a good solid overview to send to their nursery and a nice load of photographs for the family - which you could put on a cd when they leave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted March 19, 2013 Author Share Posted March 19, 2013 I agree with the above. Have a discussion about the pros and cons with your team. Could you do more reduced paperwork for these few, so that you have a good solid overview to send to their nursery and a nice load of photographs for the family - which you could put on a cd when they leave That's why I decided to ask on here Cait all the staff can see are the cons As you say it's the paperwork, that does it. I will talk to them about making it as simple as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I'm going to stick my neck out here, and offer the opposing view! I'm thinking about settling these new children in- what if they needed lots of extra support? You could allocate lots of staff hours to help them settle, work closely with the parents, and then just as things are going well, they leave It's very disruptive for the children, too, just getting used to one place, then off to another in September. Just my personal view, though :1b 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Unless we really needed the money we used to not take any children if we knew they would move on in 12/14 weeks.. We thought a bit like Helen has stated, is it fair to get settled in one place then be moved again..not just the paperwork but the effect on the other children in the setting and the amount of work that goes into settling the child, getting to know the parents, paperwork on top.. . Occasionally we found it unavoidable, but this was usually an older child moving location or not been at a setting at all, In this case we did a lesser amount of paperwork, a basic assessment and a few observations etc, along with a few pics.. was a very paired down version , and any paperwork for transitions was stating that we knew the child xx weeks for xx hours a week, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_3139 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I agree with Helen, it drives me mad when people expect things from small children that they would never expect from older children, we would never expect primary or secondary age children to deal with so many changes. Obviously if you need the money, you need the money but I'd have a chat with the parents, find out what they want from you and then decide if you can provide it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 just another point of view - reception would love it if they had a bit of pre-school!! help children bond with peers before starting. and parents could get to know other parents before going to school. sorry!!!!!!!!!! p.s. i'm nursery..... x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_39602 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 personally I think you need to way up each individual inquiry - and base your decision on what is best for child, setting and parents and their future - i have a child who will be starting after Easter who has additional needs but is 2.5 yrs - he has been offered a place for September at a council nursery whose specialism in S &L - we are more than happy to have him as I know it will be beneficial to him , his parents and he may well return to us at some point we can't afford to turn away so good for us plus gives staff further experience working with a child with additional needs they may not have experienced before and it will also benefit his parents as they feel confident with us ( had older sibling with CF) .We are having many enquiries for taking 2 year old from 2 and we are going to say yes as we would lose elsewhere and I know feel we are in a position to offer this provision well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I wouldn't hesitate to take them after all any child could leave after 12/14 weeks, I would love to know a definete leave date for my children as I could plan accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_39602 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 just a question - do parents feel obliged to take up nursery places at school - may be worth asking why ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I'm afraid this would be a clear NO for me...... I am thinking - poor children they will surely come to you, just get beautifully settled and enjoying the provision and then it's Summer Hols and then off to a whole new provision........that can't be a good idea surely...... Why are they thinking of starting now - is it as I suspect that parents have been waiting for funding to 'kick in'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted March 19, 2013 Author Share Posted March 19, 2013 just a question - do parents feel obliged to take up nursery places at school - may be worth asking why ? It's just the done thing in our area, there are very few schools in our area that don't have a nursery, people see it as they come to pre-school when they are 2yrs and when they are 3yrs they go to school nursery. When school nurseries were first introduced in our area (approx 8 yrs ago) we managed to keep a few children, but as years have gone by people just see it as that when their little ones start school. Every year we approach parents and tell them the pros of pre-school (we are rated good with 4 outstandings last ofsted) but they still want them to be at school "because they are ready for it" we are now struggling even more as the schools aren't waiting until the September intake any more they are taking them the day after they are 3 if parents want to. What bugs us even more (which i've posted about before) is some times parents leave to go to a nursery as it 'might just help get them into the school' :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted March 19, 2013 Author Share Posted March 19, 2013 I'm afraid this would be a clear NO for me...... I am thinking - poor children they will surely come to you, just get beautifully settled and enjoying the provision and then it's Summer Hols and then off to a whole new provision........that can't be a good idea surely...... Why are they thinking of starting now - is it as I suspect that parents have been waiting for funding to 'kick in'? 3 of them have funding 'kick in' the other 2 are doing it because "they want them to socialise before they start school" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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