Guest toddleo Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Our current leader is totally snowed under ( I know, we all are!) We are looking for ways to ease the burden, and one idea was to make her supernumerary, and let her do paperwork in another room during a session. My questions to you, are: Do any other manager's/leaders have this luxury? Do any other manager's /leaders have a full quota of Key children (11 each in our case) or, as manager's are they excluded from key children. Any other bruilliant suggestions to help us in our plight It is all getting sticky, chairman of committee has resigned (no vice chair either) leader will go soon, I just know it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Hi Toddleo This term is the first time I have no key children. I was having to do so much work at home my deputy said enough is enough. I was a bit lost at first (I loved having my group) but I am now able to study and fit a lot more in and have some spare time. I do manage to do some paperwork in the setting but I do it while I sit with the children in the hall. I like them seeing me doing paperwork. Hope that has helped a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Hi 11 key children does seem a lot. At our busiest, we've only had 7 each, currently 3 but then we only have a maximum of 20 children. We are a committee run pre-schoool. I am a deputy supervisor and I also get paid to do the admin. I work 3/4 mornings dependant on demand and get paid for 8 hours admin a week which I do at home including the work of the treasurer and some management roles. Could your group do anything similar? As a staff we also get time during the Friday session to update our keyworker files. plan for our keychildren. All staff are otherwise engaged with children all the time. Hope you sort something out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Our current leader is totally snowed under ( I know, we all are!) We are looking for ways to ease the burden, and one idea was to make her supernumerary, and let her do paperwork in another room during a session. My questions to you, are: Do any other manager's/leaders have this luxury? Do any other manager's /leaders have a full quota of Key children (11 each in our case) or, as manager's are they excluded from key children. Any other bruilliant suggestions to help us in our plight It is all getting sticky, chairman of committee has resigned (no vice chair either) leader will go soon, I just know it..... I don't have this kind of luxury.....I have about 11 key children & my paperwork is done on the 1 day I have when I'm counted as an extra body but this goes out of the window if a member of staff is off sick and my bank staff can't cover. And I have just lost a member of staff to a new job!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toddleo Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 that is interesting Deb. If you are deputy, what is the manager's role then? sounds to me like you are another superwoman (like my leader, and me , of course!! LOL) you seem to do lots of the committee work too, treasurer stuff etc... how efficient and effective are your committee? how do you manage with the finances, if you get paid extra for these admin tasks, our committee always say we cannot afford to pay for paperwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 We introduced the admin role a few years ago for the reason that many of the tasks carried more and more responsibility than volunteers should perhaps and certainly would undertake. Financial side was in a real mess. Often in teams people grow into roles according to their skills and strengths. We have two supervisors, two deputies, 1 assistant and one support worker. My fellow deputy and I share the supervisor role one day a week. My strengths include paying attention to detail, legislation, frameworks, good practice found on this site and put in the extra effort in finding out what we should be doing, sharing it with everyone else who are happy for me to do that. We always knew that the admin role the group wanted involved roles from a manager's job specification. Generally it works very well, there are times when I am not very popular and it can be difficult wearing different hats especially when I am not actually in charge. Somehow we seem to manage, I am all for empowering every member of team. Recently for example, we were approached by someone wanting to join us as a volunteer. We agreed to this but I instigated the proper process, supported by the chairperson and the Forum, which potentially saved us from a difficult situation. This I see as a manager's role. Our committee parents have many skills, the trouble is the committee are constantly changing every few years so we have to take the lead when working together. Our current chair has management experience which is very useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 We also introduced the role of administrator a few years ago for similar reasons to Debs. In addiition the supervisor has a reduced number of key children, this does increase the number of key children for other staff members to the mid-teens though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I have one day 'out of room' but as mrsb says doesn't often happen. The rest of the time I'm not rota'd to do particular roles - so therefore on times end up doing everthing! I'm not supposed to have key-children - but have 3. The reason being 1 is SEN and I'm the only one with any training (at the mo) - but he's a twin .. so had other to ensure that all obs ect are fair. 3rd child has the 'mother form *ell' !!!!!! child's an absoulate angel though. xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toddleo Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I seem to be detecting a common thread here, lots of managers do have less key children, or none, and some allocate themselves time, in the setting, to do paperwork, but putting this into practice proves very difficult, as a lot of you say, "this rarely happens", oh dear.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 im in on a rota to do my fair share same as the other staff and have 8 key worker children - i do find myself spending more time away from children where possible to get paperwork done - any that isnt comes home with me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I manage a committee run pre-school and i'm in the ratio's for every session, i'm also doing the degree. I work morning and afternoon sessions. The pre-school do pay me for some of the hours i do at home, i also have 8 keyworker children to do. We also have an administrator who deals with the funding, sending out invoices and paying the bills, i also manage the waiting list and i'm the child protection officer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Unfortunately, you are all typical of what runs a pre-school - dedicated staff!! I have done my share of everybody else's work......it won't improve unless you make some kind of stand to Management Committee - and, before you all throw rotten eggs, I know!! It's hard!! I'm just trying to say that you need to find some way of really bringing it home, that you do SHEDLOADS AND MORE!! for their children. Do your local Preschool Learning Alliance have any resources you could borrow/copy/steal( ) to help you get the message across? Love and hope coming your way!! Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I own and manager a group of 52 two groups of 26. I have 70+ children on my books and have 2 admin staff working 5 mornings and 3 mornings. i'm super numerary and help with paper work but mostly i'm just there. Some days I do feel that I've not anything but make decisions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I own and manager a group of 52 two groups of 26. I have 70+ children on my books and have 2 admin staff working 5 mornings and 3 mornings. i'm super numerary and help with paper work but mostly i'm just there. Some days I do feel that I've not anything but make decisions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Sue, while I agree that it is grossly unfair that so much is down to goodwill, it is possible that the management committee are quite aware that the staff do shed loads and more, but simply do not have sufficient funds to provide the correct solution to this problem, which is employ a skilled person to perform these task. Often the management committee do shed loads too, whilst juggling younger siblings, and many now work too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 I have the luxury of being supernumerary, but I do manage a nursery registered for 88, so really I need to be. In my last nursery (34 spaces) I was also supernumerary - however I was also the lunch and sickness cover, so I think that in a whole year, I had 2 full days being supernumerary. Even being outside of number I am still snowed under - so I really do sympathise. And I have been known on many an occasion to take work home with me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 I am currently keeping all 26 children's records updated as well as running the setting (all the paperwork) and doing the degree, my staff haven't quite got the hang of observations and record keeping they have never had to do it, so it is a long haul and in between times I am keeping things ticking over .....with Ofsted looming how can I not! I am so conscious of keeping things ship-shape that I have no choice but to bring it home - I am snowed under and hope it will ease off soon, as setting up and clearing away daily is hard enough ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toddleo Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Oh shirel, I felt exhausted just reading that post! How on earth do we do it, and I often wonder, WHY? It is not for the money, or the free time that is for sure. I genuinely thought that a part time- term time job would be the answer to life's stresses, LOL. and ofsted are due any minute now..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 SOunds like we are in the same boat, at least we have this forum to share our woe's! Just knowing you are not alone makes you feel a little less insane, I do love what I do and I am sure we all do here on the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 SOunds like we are in the same boat, at least we have this forum to share our woe's! Just knowing you are not alone makes you feel a little less insane, I do love what I do and I am sure we all do here on the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Shirel I really relate to your workload. I run and manage a private pre-school and when numbers were higher and we had more staff I had the luxary of being supernumery - and I would recommend it to anyone that can manage it - but now numbers are lower I have lost it again. I have also taken back being a key worker due to lower staff numbers and currently have 5 children but this will rise next term to 11. My buisness partner shares the paperwork with me but there is still shed loads for me which I do at home along with my key worker records. I have recently completed my NVQ 4 and am about to embark on my degree! My one piece of advise to all who are buckling under the strain and sinking under the housework, which becomes very neglected as you juggle - watch "How Clean is Your House"with Kim and Aggie - it always cheers me up and makes me think my house isn`t so bad after all. Bye the way does anyone know if it`s possiable to use spell check when adding posts - I am lost without it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Shirel.... I'm in the same boat as you with the staff too... and I find the most draining part ~ both time and mental energy~ is helping them with the obs and records - Some days I feel like I'm just repeating the same thing over and over ... and end up taking 'my own' work home to do........ and my other half thinks I'm doing my degree work, so is very understanding about it! xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 (edited) Snap! That is what my husband thinks... I can't tell him that most of my spare moments it is work work that I am doing, but if you want to so the job well and keep up the standards that Ofsted and the government expect it is the only way, I dread to think how many hours I actually work, I get paid for 25 - got to be at least 40, probably more I am supposed to be working now, got up at 5 am - only time the house is quiet to do degree work, distracted by the empathy and support from here, don't know what I would do without it. Back to study now......... Edited November 3, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 How reasurring it is to read this post. Im a manager in a nursery with 13 staff, 70+ rising to 90+ in the summer term with a minimum of 11 keyworkers at one time. I do have 2 mornings to do "office work" with an administrator but as said in a previous post the number of times I actually get this is rare due to staff sickness, covering for courses etc. Then of course there is the staff meetings, committee meetings, fund-raising events I am studying for the degree and find my head is busting most of the time with organsiational worries, work worries, staff worries let alone study worries I work all the time, all evening my laptop is attached to me and weekends Im doing the same, if I didnt love the job I of course wouldnt spend all the time trying to get it right but somedays it just seems so hard Thanks for letting me moan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Kinda reasuring knowing we are not alone! xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Oh I feel so normal all of a sudden. I too got up at 5am this morning to complete degree work - it was lovely so peaceful. I actually did some work. i've tried all day as an assigment is due in this week and felt terrible that I've been trying to ignore the mummmmmmmmm pleas. I work in a committee run pre-school as supervisor, but my work load sounds so similiar to all of you. I ask for bits to be done, cover the other staff and committee for the bits they don't do and then work all night with my laptop on the sofa. I still love it though......... off to take my kids to a firework display now. Good mum really.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Don't know whether I should be smiling or crying!!!....but I have spent the whole day at home catching up on paperwork from nursery and actually got it done...in between cooking, cleaning, washing and answering the door to my children when they need a drink or a wee from playing outside. I'm feeling pretty exhausted though and could easily curl up on the sofa and fall asleep.....but just like tess I'm now going to get ready to take the kids to a firework display. Wonder what it is that keeps us going????? Hope you all have a great evening whatever your doing. mrsb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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