Nursery World - Play by the rules

Mary Graveney, proprietor of the Ambourne House Day Nursery in Gloucestershire, has talked of playgroups with 'only two qualified staff plus parent helpers' ('Nurseries want ratios changed', News, 9 January). While such a position would have been true when playgroups first started some 40 years ago, and probably applied until a few years ago, this is simply not the case today. Playgroups and pre-schools in England follow the same national standards for under-eights daycare as all other settings, including staffing qualifications and ratios being subject to the same rigorous inspection process through Ofsted.

While such a position would have been true when playgroups first started some 40 years ago, and probably applied until a few years ago, this is simply not the case today. Playgroups and pre-schools in England follow the same national standards for under-eights daycare as all other settings, including staffing qualifications and ratios being subject to the same rigorous inspection process through Ofsted.

Pre-schools generally have employed staff who study for qualifications and undertake other training provided by their local education authority. While it is true that they do have parent helpers - indeed, direct parental involvement in their children's pre-school education is a mainstay of the Pre-school Learning Alliance - this does not obviate the need for them to follow the national standards. One of the very real benefits of having direct parental involvement is that many of these 'helpers' go on to pursue a career in childcare.

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