Accredited Childminders
Childminders who are part of an NCMA Children Come First approved childminding network, and who have been accredited as promoting the Early Learning Goals of the Foundation Stage are eligible for education grants paid through Early Years Development Plans.
Childminders who are already able to meet the additional criteria in the NCMA Quality Childminding Charter-concerned with the promotion of the desirable learning outcomes within a planned curriculum will be accredited and will be able to participate in EYDP's as education providers for four year olds and shortly three year olds.
Childminders who are accredited as part of educational provision must be prepared to receive visits from an OFSTED Registered Nursery Inspector.
Additional criteria in the NCMA Quality Childminding Charter includes:
- The ability to assess the achievements and stage of development reached by a child through interaction with the observation of the child and through discussion with the children's families.
- To be able to set goals for children's progress, plan activities and experiences to suit each child's stage of development, building on their achievements.
- To draw up written curriculum plans, using evaluation of the effectiveness of such plans as they are used to develop plans for the next stage.
- To ensure the activities and experiences provided as their early years curriculum enables the children to progress by the age of five towards all areas of the early Learning Goals.
Accredited childminders will also be required to have equal opportunity and anti-discriminatory practices and to have regard to the code of practice on the identification and assessment of Special Educational Needs and to the additional guidance.
Accredited childminders will be required to liaise with early years teachers as required by the local EYDP.
Physical movement is more important than the 3 r's in early education. The most important movement is the ability to stay still. - Sally Goddard Blythe, Times Educational Supplement
