Nursery World - Letters (57)

Letter of the week

RATIOS NEED CLARITY

I find the articles by Laura Henry really useful, but the 'Fullystaffed' feature (Work Matters, 15 May) could have more thoroughlyexplored an issue many childcare providers are struggling to get clearadvice on.

We host networking lunches every quarter and this issue is always raisedbecause of the mixed advice providers get when they seek clarificationon ratios.

Can the problem of lunch cover, breaks, planning time etc and ratios bemore thoroughly explored in a follow-up article? For example, is it OKto have a team member go to the staff room for their lunch as long asthey remain on the premises? During this time, are they still counted inratio? Is it OK to hold a quick ten-minute update meeting with your unitleaders if the meeting is on site? Some providers tell me Ofsted saythis is fine, others say it is not. When I call Ofsted forclarification, they will not commit themselves. Childcare providers areleft unsure if they are meeting their requirements.

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