How to work out ratios?

[SomeoneSpecial]

see i thought the ratio was 1 adult to 4 under 3's but that you could have 1 adult to 1 under 3 and 6 over 3's because the 6 over 3's arnt in the 1:4 ratio there 1:8 so one under 3 is the same as two over 3s

i asked my boss and she said the way we do it is fine so im confused lol

Hi all,
Well what a debate!
I am more inclined to think that we cant use the points system but that we make sure the ratios are correct for the younger children of 1:4 wether that ratio is made up of 4 under 3 or a combination of under and over 3 yrs old.
The reason why I a want to get my head around this is that we are wanting to be able to offer impromptu sessions to parents ie for those times parents may just need an extra day .For this to work we need to know exactly what vacancies we have. I have just devised a table to show my supervisor at a glance what she is able to offer each day given the number of staff and children already booked in. Plus Iam watching closely just in case the committee dont get younger children in without extra member of staff.

I have always looked at it from the ratio. we do mix ages though sometimes as cost comes into the equation.
if i had ....
4 children 0-2years (1-3ratio)
5 children 2-3 years (1-4ratio)
and
17 children over three years (1-8ratio)
then you could put on five staff
this is how i work it :
1-8 one staff (all over three years)
1-8 one staff (all over three years)
1-4 one staff (1 over three years and 3 two year olds)
1-3 one staff (2 two year olds and 1 under two years)
1-3 one staff (3 under two years)

this covers your ratios and i have always worked in this way, OFSTED havn't commented on it yet.

Kelly

[m1sspr0ject]

ok these are the ratios its

1 adult to 3 babies up to the age of 2.

1 adult to 4 toddlers from 2 to 3 years.

1 adult to 8 children from the age of 3.

in the morning where we work on arrival toddlers and pre- school are in the toddler room for twenty minutes. they are also in there till they go home from five twenty. at these times a toddler over 2 years can be put on pre-school ratios as long as there is only 3 pre-schhol children to that staff member, and vice versa a pre-school child can go on toddlers ratios as lonng as that staff member only has three children over the age of two. the reason you cant do it at other times is because ratios are worked out for each room not for the nursery as a whole. and during the day, you wouldnt out a baby in the toddler room, a toddler in the pre- school room or a pre-schooler in the toddler room just to cover cost that is just mad. only time they might go in another room is if they are on a visit or on the odd occation at 5pm when some staff are due off if we can let them go by bringing pre-schooler down then if a child is ahppy to go then we do that otherwise we never would.

[m1sspr0ject]

Cost should not come in to the equation. If you can't afford for children to be correctly seperated into their age group areas then stop enrolling them.

[m1sspr0ject]

Originally Posted by kelly Hall

I have always looked at it from the ratio. we do mix ages though sometimes as cost comes into the equation.
if i had ....
4 children 0-2years (1-3ratio)
5 children 2-3 years (1-4ratio)
and
17 children over three years (1-8ratio)
then you could put on five staff
this is how i work it :
1-8 one staff (all over three years)
1-8 one staff (all over three years)
1-4 one staff (1 over three years and 3 two year olds)
1-3 one staff (2 two year olds and 1 under two years)
1-3 one staff (3 under two years)

this covers your ratios and i have always worked in this way, OFSTED havn't commented on it yet.

Kelly

cost should not come into it.