Chris Potter

Chris Potter

Fantastic Suppliers and Early Years Specialists attending Bamboo Childcare Networking Event 23Rd January. Places for two nurseries still available, don't miss out on this opportunity 
 
Suppliers attending:
 
ABC Photography 
ABC Photography has studios throughout the UK.  We are Mobile Photographers that specialise in photographing thousands of Pre-school children and babies in Nursery Schools, Playgroups and Mother & Toddler groups every year.
What makes us different to most other photographers is the fact that we base our photograph pack around 3 different poses of each child.  Every child`s photograph pack consists of 1 Large, 2 Medium and 4 Small photographs for each of the 3 poses, giving a total package of 21 photographs, which we sell for just £35.00.  We are told time and time again that this is outstanding value, and both this and the variety of poses within the pack, are much appreciated by our clients in the current economic climate.
I am based in Warrington and this location with its excellent proximity to the motorway network, makes it ideal to cover Cheshire and the surrounding areas of Lancashire, Greater Manchester & Merseyside. 
www.abcphotos.co.uk     
Tel. 077 343 077 68
 
 
Easy Solution 4 Nursery Education
The EASY way to comprehensively deliver all aspects of the EYFS
Our EASY website (software) has been developed for nursery and pre-school professionals to help you deliver, monitor, prove and improve the provision for your setting.  Developed by those working as early years providers.
Our secure system meets all the requirements in a flexible practical way, professional assessments, plans, records, reports and valuable data, allowing you more time with the children.
Our ‘EASY’ web-based software:
-Helps you meet every child’s individual needs
-Covers EYFS requirements and into Key Stage One and more
-Provides learning journey information for families
-Works with Android and Apple applications from laptop to tablet
Plus we offer a 60-day-money-back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied!
 
“Parents love it and are look forward to accessing their child’s information from home and staff are really enjoying it!! It’s really great and it’s making a huge difference to the amount of time staff spend with children and not writing things up! Well worth the investment!”                                
                                                                                                                Foundation NS 2012
 
“The development needs of all children are successfully highlighted as staff record their observations on a daily basis on an electronic system, which helps them make secure assessments of learning.  This then allows them to plan relevant and current ideas to encourage all children's next steps in their learning.”    Ofsted 2013      
http://www.easysolution4nurseryeducation.co.uk/
Tel: 07909 785568 
 
 
First Steps safeguarding
Providing innovative safeguarding training that will enable you and your staff team to have processes and systems in place that identify issues through fore-site and conjoint working. Simple effective training methods for all levels of staff for the most important issue of safeguarding children. 
 
 
Dot2Dot Nursery Insurance
We are a team of corporate insurance brokers who have been involved with the nursery sector since 1995.  Our own children’s nursery insurance scheme, dot2dot, was established in 2003.
We know that insurances are complex and every client is different so we focus on:
 
1.    Getting to know you and your business by allocating a dedicated account handler
2.    Reviewing your arrangements annually to ensure things stay up to date
3.    Minimising small print to avoid unwelcome surprises in the event of a claim
4.    Providing access to business solutions in areas such as safeguarding; legal advice, IT and management support.
 
We offer a no-obligation review service and encourage you to call us today to see how we can support your business
Telephone 01204 570372
 
 
Butterfly Prints
•  Enhance two-way communication
•  Increase safety
•  Engage everyone in responsible record keeping
•  Give your parents peace of mind
•  Show that you care
•  Supports your setting to meet the School Food Trusts’ Eat Better, Start Better criteria
 
This product is suitable for individual child care, day care organisations, pre-schools and nurseries.
 
If you would like to order The Early Years Diary for your child care setting, simply email the quantity you require to earlyyears.diary@butterflyprint.co.uk
Tel: 01706 817248    I    www.butterflyprint.co.uk
 
 
Ask Askew consulting
AskAskew provides experienced hands on business management support for Nurseries, Pre-schools, Out Of schools and Registered Childminders. My management style focuses on providing the best possible and most efficient customer experience with passion and innovation ensuring professional delivery with tangible results. Making businesses more profitable and systematically sustainable, helping you create the business you have always dreamed of and create secure jobs for others. 
Support includes business health checks, business and finance planning, meeting statutory requirements for government initiatives including EYFS and free childcare hours for 2,3 and 4 year old children. Independent report following Ofsted inspections.
                                                       
 
Please book a place by contacting us either by email or on following contact details: 
Tel: 0844 822 5727
www.bamboochildcare.co.uk
 
Flexible Supportive Recruitment, Training & Networking Solutions
 
Tuesday, 13 November 2012 19:09

Pricey nativity costumes

According to a leading department store there has been a increase in the number of parents spending £150 or more on items to ensure their child is the best dressed in their school nativity.
 
In what the shop has dubbed "manger chic", panicked mums and dads have apparently been snapping up brand new ivory white bridesmaid dresses, at a cool £40, to transform their little girls into angels, £60 faux fur throws for children lucky enough to be given the role of "sheep", and grey fleecy hooded duffle coats at £14.
When ears are added to the latter it is said to make the perfect "donkey" costume.
The department store who spotted the trend two weeks ago at the start of nativity play rehearsals, puts it down to parents' obsession with getting their children into the best schools.
 
Thursday, 27 September 2012 12:34

Nursery and Childcare Exhibition

'If you're looking to discover new ways to deliver childcare; exciting activities and products to take back to your setting and the latest updates regarding the sector then you must not miss this year's Childcare Expo show.

With educational seminars, inspiring workshops and feature areas as well as new and exciting products, Childcare Expo 2012 creates a stimulating and inspiring environment for all decision makers and professionals within the early years, childcare and nursery sector.


If you are a nursery chain executive, nursery owner, manager, childminder or an early years professional then you should visit the Childcare Show at Ricoh Arena, Coventry.


The show is an ideal occasion to meet with your business partners, staff or other childcare professionals and take a trip to a quality nursery show.'
This year we will be exhibiting on stand D35 and look forward to saying hello to some of our existing clients who are attending and all new visitors who may be interested in utilising the services of Bamboo Childcare in the future.  Please stop and say hello and grab some chocolate  from us!
Look forward to seeing you there.

For more details on whats on and how to get there see link  below 

http://www.childcareexpo.co.uk/home.htm
Tuesday, 28 August 2012 12:55

Have your say on childcare

It is not too late to give your thoughts on childcare. 

The Government is calling on early years and childcare providers, parents and others to put forward their ideas about how to make childcare more affordable and accessible.

The Childcare Commission, set up by the Prime Minister, is looking at how to reduce the cost of childcare for working families, without cutting the safety or quality of provision.

The call for evidence runs until the end of August and the commission will report in the autumn.
Please see following link to find out how to put your views forward.
 
Wednesday, 04 July 2012 17:16

National Childcare week 2nd to 9th July

Have you organised your Big Breakfast Bonanza?
 
It is not too late to organise your event in support of national childcare week from 2nd to 9th of July. Daycare Trust are in the 15th year of celebrating National childcare week which is sponsored by  www.goodcareguide.co.uk and care.com
 
This year's theme is Families in Focus. Throughout the week we are promoting the benefits of engaging the whole family, including dads and grandparents, in your childcare morning meal. Hold a breakfast party and invite as many dads, mums and grandparents as possible. This will be an opportunity for them to not only help set up and enjoy a breakfast with you, but for you to highlight all the fantastic stuff your setting does with the children. The Big Breakfast Bonanza can also be an opportunity for you to get more parents to sign up for future events or sessions, and perhaps help out more frequently.
 
Organise your breakfast and help Daycare trust to promote the importance of childcare, extended schools, and early years provision for children which helps to strengthen children's play and learning to provide a good foundation for their future. 
The Government is setting up a commission to ascertain how childcare  can be made more accessible and affordable:
 
Recommendations are  that schools across the UK will provide 'wrap around care' in some cases until 8pm. Nannies and childminders will have less 'paperwork to complete and may be able to care for more children than current legislation allows.
 
The aim is to provide more affordable childcare to reduce the financial pressure on working parents that often spend a third of their income on childcare.
 
The debate is whether this is a positive or negative opportunity for parents. Will it enable families to enjoy the benefits of a higher family income and a better standard of living? or are we are becoming a nation where our children are cared for outside the family home and is does this negatively  impact children and the family unit?
http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1127647/Childrens-minister-launches-500000-scholarship-scheme-SEN-support-staff/
 
Catherine Gaunt, 18 April 2012, 1:23pm
 
A new Government scholarship scheme for teaching assistants who work with children with special educational needs and disabilities will pay up to £2,000 towards the costs of taking a degree-level qualification.
 
 
The £500,000 SEN Support Scholarship programme aims to boost the skills of hundreds of teaching assistants and school staff by funding 50 per cent of the costs of a range of degree-level courses and qualifications focussing on specific needs such as autism and dyslexia.
 
Applicants must be qualified to 'A' level or equivalent or hold Higher Level Teaching Assistant status.
 
Launching the programme, children’s minister Sarah Teather said, ‘This is about getting the best from school staff. These scholarships identify and train talented professionals, with the potential to develop their specialist knowledge further and pursue a teaching career in the future of they want.’
She added, ‘We know that support staff can make a real difference to the achievement of pupils with SEN and disabilities. They are never a substitute for a qualified teacher – but we know that when used effectively, they are vital to giving the most vulnerable pupils the support they need to get the most out of school.’
 
Applications open on 30 May and close on 17 May with the first scholarships awarded later this year.
Scholarships will be awarded to the highest scoring applicants whose applications meet the criteria. Applications will be scrutinised and scored by the Teaching Agency and Department for Education, and assessment will be externally verified.
 
Ms Teather also confirmed funding in 2012/13 to train 100 new special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOS) though the masters-level National Award for SEN co-ordination.
 
The scheme has been extended following the recent review into alternative provision by Government expert on behaviour Charlie Taylor to include qualified teachers working in pupil referral units.
The Government is shortly to publish its response and next steps to the consultation on last year’s SEN Green Paper which put forward proposals to raise the quality of SEN education and support.
 
The education union Voice, commenting on the programme, said there was a need for specialised training for all teaching assistants working with children with SEN and disabilities.
 
General Secretary Philip Parkin said, 'Although better late than never, this is too little too late and rather limited in scope.
 
'The scheme targets only the elite – or "talented" as the DfE describes them – those teaching assistants (TAs) who are already well-qualified, with "A" levels or equivalent qualifications or who hold higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) status.
 
'There remains a real need for the majority of TAs involved in special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) work – those employed at levels one or two, many of whom will be minimally qualified – to gain access to appropriate specialised training. Regrettably, this initiative does nothing for them.
Sunday, 15 April 2012 11:49

Big Toddle - Big Fun!!

 
The UK’s biggest charity event for under 5s!
 
 
The Big Toddle is a short sponsored walk for toddlers that helps the UK’s most disadvantaged under 5s.
 
Whether you're a nursery, a parent or a childminder, you can organise your own Toddle any time of the year. Join the Big Toddle 2012.
 
Around half a million children get ready to Toddle each year, and this year it’s Superhero-themed so why not power up and join in the super fun?
 
Go to the link today - my little boy is registered to complete the big toddle - will be a great family day out!!
 
Regisiter today to help disadvataged children under the age of 5.
Friday, 13 April 2012 12:35

Tonight 730pm - are your kids contagious?

 
With millions of tourists set to visit Britain this summer for the Queen’s Jubilee and Olympic Games, ITV1s Tonight programme examines the fears of health officials that we could be facing a widespread outbreak of Measles.
 
 
One part of the country already reporting a tenfold increase in cases. 
 
“The increase in measles is one of the most serious events in this decade - if we look at all the infectious diseases this is the most prominent increase, so I’m very concerned.
 
– Marc Sprenger, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
 
Other contagious childhood illnesses, like Whooping Cough and Mumps, are also on the rise.
 
Yet doctors say these diseases couldhave been all-but confined to history – were it not for the fact that millions of children aren’t being fully immunised.
 
In an exclusive Netmums survey of 2000 people Tonight found that 45% of people don’t consider vaccines to be completely safe.
 
Tonight investigates the effect Dr Andrew Wakefield’s report linking Autism to the triple MMR vaccine had on immunization rates and speaks to parents who have chosen to opt out of all vaccinations.
 
Mum Nicola Adolphe told us:
 
“If I give a vaccine and something went wrong, I might never be able to get that back… that's not a risk I’d like to take. I believe that things like breastfeeding, good food, good diet, exercise sunshine fresh air and hygiene are much more vital to health. 
 
But the Health Protection Agency warn that by choosing not to immunise you not only put your child at risk but other children. 
 
“If for whatever reason your children aren’t vaccinated you are not only putting your children at risk your children could potentially expose other individuals their friends other members of the family. 
 
I think any parent would feel dreadful if your child exposed another child who then suffered some serious complications from vaccine preventable disease.
 
– Dr Mary Ramsey, Health Protection Agency
 
Tonight speaks to parents Dawn and Dave Benson whose five week-old daughter Eliza May died of whooping cough last December.
 
 
Babies are routinely vaccinated against this highly contagious airborne disease at 8 weeks – Eliza Mae was too young to be vaccinated.
 
Her parents believe the drop in immunization rates is the reason why their little girl came into contact with the disease and became infected.
 
Mr Benson told us:
 
“The message that needs to go out to other parents... it’s not just getting their children vaccinated - it’s about the whole of the country and looking after everybody else in the country.
 
Tax and benefit changes announced over the past 18 months will come into force on Friday, affecting millions.
 
The amount of income that is tax free is to rise by £630 to £8,105. The value of some benefits will rise by 5.2%, linked to inflation last September.
 
But the time couples with children will have to work to qualify for working tax credits will rise from 16 to 24 hours.
Labour said it would "clobber" families but the government said there would be 15 times as many winners as losers. 
 
The beginning of the tax year on 6 April will see a significant number of changes to tax and benefits - affecting personal and family finances.
 
Measures which were announced by the government in the 2011 Budget, as well as last year's autumn statement, are only now taking effect.
 
They range from increasing the first chunk of income that is tax free - known as the personal allowance - to the annual upgrading of benefits, as well as specific spending cuts.
 
Among the most important changes are:
 
Benefits such as jobseeker's allowance, income support, disability benefits, maternity benefits and incapacity benefit are rising by 5.2% - in line with the CPI measure of inflation last September (announced in November 2011)
 
Other than a few exceptions, couples with children will have to work for 24 hours a week between them, not 16, in order to qualify for working tax credit. One member of the couple will have to work for at least 16 hours a week (announced in November 2011.
 
The child element of child tax credits is to rise by £135 but the couple and lone-parent elements of working tax credit are being frozen (announced in November 2011)
 
The tax-free personal allowance for those under 65 will rise by £630 to £8,105 (announced in March 2011)
 
For 65- to 74-year-olds, the personal allowance rises from £9,940 to £10,500 (announced in March 2011)
 
Tax experts have urged Revenue and Customs to write to all those affected to alert them about the changes.
  
Labour said updated figures obtained from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) showed families with children would, on average, be £511 a year worse off as a result.
 
 'Broken promise'
  
The opposition's own figures suggest 212,000 families earning less than £17,000 a year will lose their working tax credits if they cannot increase their total hours to 24 a week while 850,000 households will lose their child tax credit as a result in a reduction in the income limit for one-child families.
  
 
“Families on middle and low incomes are facing a tax credits bombshell ” Ed Balls, Shadow chancellor
 
 The changes in full
 
 
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "For all the government's talk about increasing the personal allowance, these independent figures show that while they may be giving one with one hand, they are taking much more away with the other hand."
 
 
 
These changes plus announcements in last month's Budget, such as the cut in the top rate of tax on earnings over £150,000 from 50p to 45p in 2013 and the freezing of personal allowances for the over-65s next year, show the government have the wrong priorities, Labour argue.
 
 
"There do need to be tough decisions on tax, spending and pay," Mr Balls added. "But why are people earning £150,000 soon to get a £3bn tax cut from this out-of-touch government while parents on middle and modest incomes are being clobbered?"
 
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander blamed the previous Labour government for leaving the country's finances in a "catastrophic mess".
 
He said overall the richest 20% of the population were bearing the heaviest burden of tax and spending changes but it would still be difficult for people on lower incomes.
 
But he added: "I think it is right to say, in a situation where you ask a single parent, for example, to work 16 hours a week before they can receive working tax credits, that you ask more of two people.
 
"If you are going to ask a single parent to work two days a week before they can receive working tax credit, I think asking a couple to work three days a week between them is a reasonable position."
 
The government says 24 million people will be £6.50 a week better off from Friday, something Mr Alexander described as "a fair position which encourages and incentivises work".
  
Ministers also point to the fact that the basic state pension is to rise by £5.30 to £107.45 a week on Monday.
  
According to the IFS, pensioner households will be £119 a year better off as a result of the changes this month while working age households without children will be £156 worse off - figures which exclude measures targeting the "very rich".
 
 
 
 
 
 

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