Working with Schools

This guide has been produced to share
ideas with schools that will help form
strong links with local childminders.
We hope you find it helpful.
Children deserve to have the adults
around them all working together to
provide a consistent, safe and caring
environment where they can learn and
develop.
What’s in it for the school?
Childminders can support the school in a number of ways for
example:
Contact:
Erika Lincoln
erika@noelquinn.co.uk
+44 (0) 7500 331 682
Further support:
Sign up to our blog for
reflections on schools and
childminders working in
partnership
www.judithnoelquinn.wordpress.com
• By prompting parents about key events
• Supporting a smooth transition into school and into year one
• They offer a vital link to parents, having developed a trusting
relationship over several years
• They have a very good understanding of the child’s learning
and development
Tips for schools to support partnership working with
childminders:
• Invite childminders to school events, e.g. sports day with the
minded children.
• Include childminders on the school mailing list so they
receive newsletters and notifications of events
• Support parents by signposting them to childminders and
information about childminding
• Suggest that parents can invite their childminders to open days/
parent evenings with them; to work in partnership to support
the child holistically
• Invite the childminder to visit the school to become familiar
with it so that they can describe it to the children. Allow the
childminder to take photo’s which could support transition,
e.g. of the classroom, toilets, playground and reception
teacher
• Involve relevant childminders in transitions to school. Work
together to ensure the transition to school is as smooth as
possible for the child (and family)
Nina Rothery from Broadclyst
Community Primary school in
Devon, told me she believes
that good partnership with
childminders can assist with
“excellent transition and early
intervention”.
She then went on to say,
“By working closely with
childminders as well as
parents, the school can help
ensure that transitions to their
setting go as smoothly for the
children and families as
possible.”
She also hopes that the need
for extra support for individual
children can be identified much
quicker where effective
partnerships are forged and
maintained.
• Invite the childminder to observe the child in the school’s early
years setting and ask to visit the child in the childminding setting
• Recommend or lend useful books or documents
• Make sure that local childminders are aware of any toddler
groups run from the school
• Invite childminders to training sessions for parents or staff
• Enable the child’s key person at school to work closely with
the childminder
• Meet with local childminders to find out what they offer, e.g.
do they offer before and after school or holiday childcare.
They may be able to help you meet parental requests for
childcare that you can’t or don’t want to provide on-site
More information about this can be found at
http://www.learning-exchange.org.uk/documents_library_pages/wraparound/childminders_
working_on_school_sites
Advice for choosing childcare:
http://www.devon.gov.uk/cypsfactsheets-disc4-choosingchildcare.pdf
Advice for questions to ask a childminder
– see Appendix A on the following pages
Contact:
Erika Lincoln
erika@noelquinn.co.uk
+44 (0) 7500 331 682
The key contact at Hemyock
Primary school in Devon is
the Early Years teacher. She
attends termly meetings with
the relevant childminders, and
has helped write an agreement
on information sharing. She
told us;
“I’m surprised that not all
schools value sharing
information with the local
childminders in the same way
we do.”
Tania Beard at St Martin’s
primary school, Cranbrook,
Devon said;
“I would be happy for
childminders in the area to take
part in training sessions such
as phonics and listening to
your child read training.”
Tania would also welcome
childminders as part of the
PTFA (Parent, Teacher, Friend
association). She told me;
“I recognise the trust that
parents put into their
childminders and am happy
to share information with the
childminder as if they are there
on behalf of the parent.
I want to do anything I can that
will support children to feel
happy.”
Appendix A
Here are some questions you may want to ask or think about
before choosing a Childminder. We would always recommend
visiting at least two different childminders in their home before
making a decision.
Contact:
Erika Lincoln
erika@noelquinn.co.uk
+44 (0) 7500 331 682
Keeping my child safe
• What is your emergency procedure?
• Can I see your first aid/ safeguarding children training
certificates?
• What is your safeguarding policy?
• Do you have a lost child policy?
• How do you risk assess your home/outings?
• Do you have business class 1 car insurance, car
documents, and car seats?
• Discuss collection policy i.e. how do you ensure my
child is only collected by authorised people
• How do you manage visitors to your home?
• What is your confidentiality/data protection policy?
Helping my child enjoy and achieve
• What are your daily routines?
• Will you take my child to toddler groups/ stay and play
sessions?
• Will you take my child on outings?
• Can you take / collect my child from school / pre
school / nursery?
• How do you help my child settle in? Do you have a
settling-period?
• How can I find out more about the EYFS?
• What is your role as my child’s key person?
• What equipment/resources are available?
• How will we keep each other informed about my
child’s progress?
Keeping my
child healthy
• How will you support
a healthy balanced
diet for my child?
• What food/drink is
provided?
• Do you have a
garden? If not how
do you provide out
door play and
exercise?
• Where will my child
sleep / rest?
• What happens if my
child is ill?
• What if my child is
on medication or
has a specific
medical need?
Other Business/Setting Information
• Who else lives in the house or visits regularly?
• Do you work with an assistant or another
childminder?
• Do you have any pets and what access to them will
my child have?
• How many children do you mind and what is the age
range?
• How long have you been childminding / why did you
become a childminder?
• What are your opening/closing times?
• What is included in your charges: meals, snacks,
drinks etc or are there additional fees for any of
these?
• Who supplies nappies, toiletries etc?
• What happens if you or your children are unwell?
• What happens if you are on holiday?
• What happens if I am on holiday?
• Do you take days off for training?
• What links do you have with other professionals?
• Are you a member of any childcare organisations,
part of a childminder group?
• Are you funded to offer the ‘free’ sessions for two;
three and four year olds?
Ask to see...
•
•
•
•
•
Their Ofsted inspection report and grade/actions
Registration Certificate
Public Liability Insurance
Any other written policies/procedures
Contracts (you should have time to look through and
discuss this thoroughly before signing.)
• Any other relevant training/qualification certificates.
• References from other parents
• Their Paediatric First Aid Certificate (must be renewed
every three years)
Contact:
Erika Lincoln
erika@noelquinn.co.uk
+44 (0) 7500 331 682
Helping my
Child make a
positive
contribution
• What is your
behaviour policy?
• What is your
inclusion policy?
• How will you support
my child to become
confident?
• How will you support
my child in learning
to respect others?
• How will you support
my child’s individual
needs?