Has anyone come across a good way of finding childcare for the under 5’s in the UK. Is there a comprehensive directory that distinguishes between playgroups, state nursery’s, pre-schools etc.
Google it. They should be a list of all schools that teach children. something should come up. Good Luck.
Next September…so thats september 2009. BUT some schools allow you to defer their entry till the january after the Sept he would have gone…you can ask.
Have been involved with a family of six children for the last 21/2 years. When starting with the family the ages of the children ranged from 8months to 8years. I have reared three children of my own and they are working all over the world. I would love to work legally and need a fam. that can help me with this.
I think you need to look in the classified section of the newspaper. Not Yahoo Answers.
We have a problem with transition times at the nursery school that I work at.
We are very fortunate that we have large very tastefully decorated premises.
I work in the 3-5 year old room and we have a large area that we take the children to for things like meals, woodwork, computer etc.,
It is ok when you are going for a activity because we take them in small groups of about 6 or 7 and they all walk along quietly and listen, but meal times are very hard work and I would appreciate some suggestions.
They are very noisy walking along corridoor between classroom and lunch room, shouting and running. It is very echoey and I think they like to hear the difference pitches. Problem is they disturb everyone else. Also once they have finished eating, a few find it hard to sit and wait for the others and start to get up and run about. we are continually herding them back to the table like puppies. its echoey here too and if a few are doing it then they have problem hearing us.
Make a game out of getting from one place to another. If they are too busy being interested in the game, then they won’t have time to be noisy. You could see who can walk the quietest. Give them a small prize (a sticker, etc.) at the end. Of course, that might only work for a day or two. Try going on a "listening hunt" to see what sounds they can hear. Maybe tell a quick story about how you all are going exploring in a cave, but have to tiptoe and be very quiet so you don’t wake up the bear who lives there. Then quietly tiptoe down the hall. Once you get back to the classroom, let them release some of the tension by doing something silly, like pretending the bear has your arm just before you close the door. Let the children "rescue" you.
Hope this helps.
I have an interview next week and i must teach a group of children for 30 mins the letter states i can teach anything i want, its sooo broad i dont no what to do or what they will be looking for during the activity 
Any ideas as to what to do for 30 mins will be very much appreciated! Thank you in anticipation of your response.
You can do a small activity and then teach them a song about what they just learned. Or you can have like a little lesson you want them to learn like maybe their alphabet.. let’s say you gave the lesson on the alphabet after you’re done you bring out stickers or cookies and ask them to make words out of them so that they can enjoy the activity and remember the lesson. just do something fun with them. i hope this helped.
What are the advantages & disadvantages.
why would someone prefer to spend money instead of getting free.
1.Pros and Cons of Private School
a.Private schools may range from new and limited operations to endowed academies with histories stretching back for centuries.
b.There are several advantages of a private school:
i.In most cases private schools have smaller classes; this allows for individual attention for each child.
ii.Academic standards are sometimes higher and more rigorously aged than in public-school settings there is likely to be stronger control over the social and classroom environment.
iii.Private schools are free to include religious Leaching as part of the curriculum as well as prayer and promotion of moral values that support those taught at home.
c.The disadvantages of private schools include:
i.Unless your state has a voucher system in place, it could cost a significant amount of money for tuition and other fees for private education.
ii.The school may have limited resources for programs such as athletics, arts, or science.
iii.The school may not be equipped to deal with children who have special- needs or learning disabilities.
iv.Find out if the school is properly accredited and learn about the teachers who are on staff.
v.Ask about the school’s curriculum and approach to academics.
vi.Find out about the school’s approach to discipline and maintaining order in the classroom.
vii.If the school is church-based or has commitments to teaching biblical conntent and values, how is this carried out?
2.It’s not uncommon to hear parents with infants-and even soon-to-be first-time parents-talk about applying to nursery schools.
3.“In the first five years of life, you lay down the foundation for the child’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development for the rest of their lives,” says W. Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University.
4.There are more parents than ever engaging in the private nursery school admissions process, there are others who are opting out, seeking alternatives for their child that seem less fraught and less expensive, but sound, safe and wonderful all the same.
5.Here are a few key rules of thumb to follow to ensure that your child’s early-educational environment is appropriate:
a.Before signing up for anything, make sure you visit the program or facility.
b.Barnett, of Rutgers, says that ideally you want an environment that is “intellectually exciting for their child to be in and emotionally comfortable for the child… learning and feeling really go together.”
6.Activity and Enrichment Centers with “Preschool Alternative” Programs
a.Responding to the demand, many of the private children’s activity and enrichment centers around the city have established programs under the “Preschool Alternative” umbrella.
b.By speaking to the program directors, you can get a sense of their focus.
c.Andrea Marsiano-Lepore of Culturehouse Kids adds that their program provides a “culturally enriched environment,” in which children can socialize and explore.
d.One more key point: C.Z. Zuckerman, of Citibabes, pointed out that the teachers in “preschool alternative” programs don’t have to be accredited (like they do in nursery school) and often aren’t.
7.Public Preschools
a.Public Pre-K programs are offered at hundreds of public schools, as well as at community-based organizations like childcare centers, religious institutions and nursery schools, though the latter are not directed by the Department of Education.
b.Last year, applications for admission into public school preschools had to be mailed by mid-April, and applicants were required to list five programs they would like their child to attend, in order of preference.
c.The downside of opting for public programs is that they only take children who are 4 years old (as of Dec. 31) and you’re not guaranteed a spot: it’s based on availability.
d.Darcy Jacobs, an editor at Family Circle Magazine and mother of two, decided to put her 4-year-old daughter in public school for pre-K, even though her 9-year-old son had attended a private pre-K program.
8.Daycare Centers With Pre-K Programs
a.There are also high-quality daycare centers that are essentially preschools with longer schedules for parents who need full-time childcare.
b.The House of Little People, for example, accepts children aged 3 months to 5 years old, and starts teaching the children as infants.
c.Learning then continues in the toddler room and 5-year-old group.
d.“Each Bright Horizons center develops expectations and practices in concert with the local schools that the children will be attending,” says Megan Kendall, regional manager of Bright Horizons in New York.
e.Because these daycare programs offer full-time care, they can be more expensive than other preschool alternatives.
9.Parent Cooperative Preschools or Homeschooling
a.Parent-based nursery school co-ops, like homeschooling
b.A parent cooperative preschool c
My daughter is 2 years and 8 months old. She started nursery school a couple of weeks ago and has just started to get really unsettled. night time routine up the creek and is very clingy which is unlike her. she became very upset today on dropping her off and I had to take her home with me. Anyone been through this? I am thinking of taking her out of nursery until she is older - any advice would be greatfully received. What is the correct age for a child to start nursery?
Depends on what your motives are. Are you doing this for work or for her social interaction. If it is for work, and you really need to work outside of the home, then other possible options are an in home daycare that might have fewer kids or a personal nanny. If this is for other reasons, such as learning, then studies have shown that a child learns all they need at that age from home. If it is for social reasons, then inviting one mom over with their child would be better.
How you began, what is that you did to start, what problems you faced initially
Its good that you intend to start kindergarten.remember you require lots of patience for this age group.Firstly you should start with the limited no of kids even if you have good space.Decorate those rooms with eye catching pics & toys.keep furniture in one room where they have their meals & learn etiquette’s.It should be child friendly furniture.keep flour arrangement for the playing area.there should be one helper for 5 kids safety is v.imp & kids are vulnerable at this stage moment your focus is not there they will either hurt themselves or hurt other child.They have a very high enery level you have to keep them occupied with the intresting thigs.keep lots of C.D’s they enjoy dancing & singing.There should be some place where they relax & sleep for some time.Spread some good cots or flour arrangement for resting .Spread nice colourful sheets on it.You should have clean loos for the kids & a cleaner available till the time children are there.There should be T.V,Water purifier,C.D player.Once you setup the place then you should ad for your kindergarten.invite people to see the set up .do not bother about the profits initially.Once parents are satisfied ,you will have lots of parents pouring in .One very important thing is keep all the arrangements transparent.Do not hide any thing.Once the parents are satisfied they do not mind spending more for the kids comfort. there are no problems as such you have to face a competition.Mouth advertisement works wonder .
Studies have suggested that Nursery may help four year olds with their social skills, whereas school helps four year olds with their community responsibilities. From personal opinion. Which one do you think is better for a four year old?
Yes it is! Through this your kids will learn to get along with other children of his/her age. Will learn to socialize, learning the good manners and right conduct, sing, dance follow directions, doing simple mathematics and if happens to be that your kid belongs to the A level he will definitely be very good in reading.
I am wanting to get into nursery teaching or classroom assistant but need to know how and what i need to achieve this
Good for you. The times they are changing….it used to be if you had your HS Diploma you were fine, then you had to get your 20hrs and CPR, then came CDA(I took the classes where you learned cool things), now a lot of places require you have an AA Degree or higher, some places will still accept CDA’s and many will require no less than that but pay better for better credentials.
Check at some of the local Nursery Schools for what they want. You can go to a local Vo-Tech school for your CDA(it’s not free, but low cost) and expect to spend at least 4 yrs(some places will let you work while you are earning your credentials.
Good Luck