tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post1802006745778359997..comments2024-03-19T07:58:00.657+00:00Comments on Inside the secret garden: Liz Truss on ratios and qualifications - an ill-considered announcementJulian Grenierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848393412066522760noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post-41943368045143684642013-01-30T20:28:57.417+00:002013-01-30T20:28:57.417+00:00Julian.. Great as always. Love your, question to M...Julian.. Great as always. Love your, question to Ms Truss as well. We are all too passionate about young children to stay silent. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post-1603373916842532092013-01-30T17:26:46.481+00:002013-01-30T17:26:46.481+00:00To see Penny's petition - https://www.change.o...To see Penny's petition - https://www.change.org/keepratiosdown?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=url_share&utm_campaign=url_share_before_signJulian Grenierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12848393412066522760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post-40297436385016947682013-01-30T17:23:33.841+00:002013-01-30T17:23:33.841+00:00Yep - I agree. Did you see the Sunday Times headli...Yep - I agree. Did you see the Sunday Times headline to their interview of the minister - "playtime is over in Britain's nurseries" ?Julian Grenierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12848393412066522760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post-32010868741162881682013-01-30T17:21:15.995+00:002013-01-30T17:21:15.995+00:00Thanks Tracy. The consultation is at http://www.ed...Thanks Tracy. The consultation is at http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/consultations/a00220966/early-educ-childcare-staff-deploy Julian Grenierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12848393412066522760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post-54648075596342073382013-01-30T17:19:41.403+00:002013-01-30T17:19:41.403+00:00Hi - thanks for your feedback and enjoyed the blog...Hi - thanks for your feedback and enjoyed the blog, too. JJulian Grenierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12848393412066522760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post-45044658371489113242013-01-30T14:38:21.904+00:002013-01-30T14:38:21.904+00:00Hear , Hear Julian.
The thoughts of many.
Utter ...Hear , Hear Julian.<br /><br />The thoughts of many.<br /><br />Utter Madness in my opinion.<br /><br />You will be aware that I start a petition last week against just one specific aspect - the relaxed ratios - the number of signatures has just exceeded 15,000 and the range of early years professional supporting it is amazing. However many others are also signing - teachers, headteachers, social workers, mental health professional, prison officers - who can all see the damage that these ideas will do to a generation of children and beyond. Furthermore parents and grandparents are commenting that - yes they would like cheaper childcare - but not at the cost of less adults looking after their children.<br /><br />I am not adding the link as of course that is your choice but I am sure people will find it as we have the official support of the Pre school Learning Alliance, National Childminding Association, Laura Henry and Nathan Archer.<br /><br />Hopefully if enough people speak out we will be able to cause the government to rethink or even one of those U turns.Penny Webbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17226369928819693547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post-85605954385930293932013-01-30T09:50:15.455+00:002013-01-30T09:50:15.455+00:00Julian I am always impressed by your unerring abil...Julian I am always impressed by your unerring ability to see to the heart of the matter and here you go again. Low ratios and high quality, qualified staff are not mutually exclusive, as Ms Truss seems to believe. Why should it be either/or when both together have such enormous potential to significantly improve outcomes for all our children. I am very well qualified and have received 2 outstanding grades from Ofsted. My knowledge and experience make me good at assessing and responding to the individual needs of the children I care for. They do not make be able to grow an extra pair of eyes or arms in order to spread myself effectively among a larger group of children. I have cared for 4 under 5's occasionally as part of a continuity of care variation. I coped but in each case it was not full time and for a finite length of time. It was mentally and physically exhausting and the children deserved more than me 'coping'. I gave good enough care but not my best care and to me that says it all. If we increase ratios we will not be giving children our best.<br /><br />I too have grave concerns about the move from Local Authority support to Ofsted. I am part of an accredited Childminding Network. I support new childminders as part of my role and in turn receive support from a Network Co-ordinator who knows me & my needs well. I cannot imagine this kind of support from Ofsted. I can also imagine that with the introduction of childminder agencies that support will be eroded even further if I choose not to join them (I would not want to be part of an agency model as I would lose my right to individual Ofsted inspections).<br /><br />What I find most concerning however were the remarks Ms Truss made in her speech about the future of nursery education as she sees it...quite horrifying-<br />''We think teacher-led groups with structured activities are a good thing. Ofsted has made it clear to me that they do too''Children at Hearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12784816990837480112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post-44896406980373930822013-01-30T09:05:03.528+00:002013-01-30T09:05:03.528+00:00Thanks for such a coherent and rationale summary J...Thanks for such a coherent and rationale summary Julian I really hope that people in the sector will eventually be consulted ! Tracy Seed https://www.blogger.com/profile/08929117794179072231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6170843747241811034.post-40692483436073688352013-01-29T21:20:40.925+00:002013-01-29T21:20:40.925+00:00Brilliantly put together, coherent argument agains...Brilliantly put together, coherent argument against this utter madness. Thanks for putting what I want to say down so I don't have to. As an early years inspector, and a mummy blogger, I have so much to say on this subject I can barely type fast enough, but your clarity is unfaltering. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com