Leading the way in micromanagement

Maintaining ratios is a stressful business on a daily basis. That is quite apart from headaches caused by political interventions in the area, most recently when former childcare minister Liz Truss proposed a scheme to relax the ratios for early years settings. For some settings, however, ratios have been embraced to the extent that they won't consider anything less than one adult for every three children.

'Micro nurseries' are being run by registered childminders converting outbuildings or parts of their own homes. Under legislation, one childminder can care for six children, with a maximum of three who can be under six and one under one. When compared with standard settings' ratios of 1:4 for over twos and 1:8 for over threes, the approach gives room for a more personal service and care, lower overheads, less bureaucracy and more time per child, with obvious spin off benefits for the children.

Jane Parsons, who runs Little Farmer Childcare in Fife, says, 'I have great conviction in what we are doing. When my children were young I went to look around bigger nurseries - the quality of care would be excellent, but I couldn't bear the thought of leaving them there because of the numbers. I think people who start up small nurseries add great value to child development.'

Another example is Buttercups Childcare, which is run by a mother-daughter team from their home in Torquay. It operates ratios of 1:3 for under-twos and 1:4 for two- to five-year-olds. 'There have been many studies and debates on early years care and education over many years ... highlighting the fact that children generally learn and develop better when they are cared for and educated in smaller groups. We founded Buttercups to provide childcare and education with this in mind,' reads the Buttercups website.

When converting houses, planning law needs to be considered. Single storey outbuildings can be developed without formal permission, so if you have a brick shed in your back yard, you may be able to convert it into a nursery without applying to your council. Once the number of children being cared for rises to more than six, a childminder will usually have to complete a 'change of use' application to gain planning consent from their local council.

MICRO NURSERIES IN PRACTICE

Flowers Montessori Nursery School, Hampshire

Number of places: 6

Ratios: 1:3

Founded: In 2013 in her home, by former nanny Susie Macklin

Offer and fees: From 9.15am to 2.15pm during term time, £22.50, with free entitlement as five-hour sessions per day.

Susie Macklin's nursery is based in the back of her house, in a converted brick outbuilding with its own entrance, toilet, and sink, and an attached conservatory. Children enter via the garden, which is also a play area.

She says, 'I liked the idea of children in a homely environment, and having a small number of them. I wanted an even number of children for doing activities and four didn't seem enough. I wanted to enjoy it more and put more effort in (to the children) and spend less time on things like paperwork.'

Ms Macklin, who has also worked in traditional settings and has a Montessori Level 4 qualification and a foundation degree in early years education, says setting up involved nine months of building work and registration, a process which she was helped through by being a PACEY member, which also gave her access to important legal safeguards such as an insurance package.

The business operates on a small budget, but, Ms Macklin says, 'We don't really have any overheads.' Finances have to cover snacks and consumable materials such as sand, seeds for growing vegetables in the garden, Montessori equipment and the salary for her full-time assistant. Children bring a packed lunch, and most of them are three or four and take the 15-hours funding entitlement, though some take up to 25 hours a week.

The model generally works well for all parties, she says. 'Parents love our tiny 1:3 ratios and we love that we can go on more trips due to our smaller numbers. We spend a lot of time in the garden and go on trips to a nearby wood, which is one stop on the train. Parents also like the outdoorsyness and their children to go home muddy. One child came to us because she was coming home too clean from the nursery. It's easier because we don't have 20 children to change.'

In general, she says, 'It is so busy in traditional settings. I wanted the personal touch. We always know who is whose best friend and their interests. We just have time to do things. When they are putting their shoes on, for example, I don't have to move them onto the next activity.

'Parents also comment on how some of the children come in quite shy and they settle quite quickly. It is not such a big jump from home. We know them very well. They are very prepared for school, and are confident and independent.'

• www.flowersmontessori.org

Little Farmers Childcare, Fife

Number of places: Initially 6, expanded to 12.

Ratios: Statutory level. Previously 1:3

Founded: In 2010, by Jane Parsons

Offer and fees: Full day 8am to 6pm, £40, including breakfast, lunch and tea and snack, or half day at £24.

Mum-of-four Jane Parsons set up as a childminder from her Fife home in 2010 with capacity for six children. She now takes 12 children per day and has two full-time and four part-time staff, while she acts as a floating member of staff for holiday and sickness cover. Her hours are 9am until 3pm when she picks her children up from school.

The service is run from a single-storey outbuilding behind her house, which was renovated. When she expanded, she obtained planning permission for change of use, and re-registered her practice as a setting. The reason, she said, was, 'I wanted to free myself up. It was such a commitment as well as looking after four of my own children. Also, parents wanted children to stay until 6pm.'

Converting from a childminder required 'quite a lot of paperwork' over about four months. She says, 'I had to look at our policies and procedures - it was good process to go through and very relevant to being a manager.' One obstacle she had to overcome was access; the single track used to access the setting had to be strengthened and widened, with road planings fitted. As a result of the expansion, she is not physically working with the children as much. But, she says, 'I would recommend this model, though you have to realise what being a maneger involves in terms of qualifications. Parents love the fact we are on a farm - that's the big selling point, but (being small) it is definitely more personal and less stressful. Here, all ages are mixed, and the setting has more of a relaxed feel.'

• www.littlefarmerchildcare.co.uk.