Organisational Structure Help?

[Guest Stalbans]

Can anyone help?

How are Preschools organised?

I work in a Preschool which is within the grounds of a Primary school. We are not attached to the school now although once upon a time was run as a Nursery with a qualified teacher.

 

The Head teacher of the school is the manager by name and there are 2 trustees. There is also a Foundation Stage Co-ordinator in the school. I am the supervisor and I have 1 full time member of staff and 1 staff member who works 3 days.

 

My questions are would I be justified expect to have the Manager, Trustees, FS Co-ordinator providing regular support to the organisation and running of the preschool.

 

This is a new post for me which I took over in May. I have not had any planning meetings with anyone and apparently anyone is available if I need anything. However this is not the reality. I went to see the FS co-ordinator today to try and tell her that I really wasn't feeling confident in the planning and was told she was busy. There was no suggestion of an alternate time.

 

I feel they are looking at the preschool as how it once was, however I am not seen as a teacher so am not included in any meetings with anyone and the only time we have a meeting is if I call it. Its like they are not bothered, but I can't make any decisions because they have to go through them.

 

Really beginning to think its just not worth the stress, or am I just making a big mountain out of a mole hill??

 

If anyone can help would be truely grateful,

[surfer]

You do need to set up some means of communication - if you are operating a service on their site I am fairly certain that they must have some involvement as they will have responsibility for the standards of learning and care at the pre-school setting. You will need to arrange a meeting to clarify the structure and how and what support you will be given.

This is just the beginning of the relationship so it will take time for you to get to know each other!

[Inge]

This is probably complicated for structure and who does what etc... Most preschools have a clear chain of leadership in as much as there is the registered person or body with Ofsted.. often a committee or owner.. then in many committee run groups there is a leader or supervisor in charge of day to day running of the setting.

 

You say that you are no longer attached to the school.. which to me infers that the FS Co ordinator if is school based may not be linked with the pre-school...as you are independent of the school .. just happen to have a management structure which gives head teacher as manager and 2 trustees.

 

As supervisor in a committee run setting I had the role of doing all the day to day running of the group.. this was all planning, and in my case policies and procedures, operational plans, , and all welfare requirements making sure they are in place and followed.

It is not unusual for this to happen as committees etc come and go and in my case relied on the supervisor to ensure everything was in place.

Also managed the staff in the setting.. liaising between them and the committee.

I had responsibility for ratios and admissions etc but not all supervisors do, this can be done by the management.

 

depends on the support you are asking for as it is now independent to the school I would not be expected to be asked to meetings if they are school based but would do so for any to do with the pre-school, or at least expect to give a report and receive minutes of meetings afterwards of any decisions made about the pre-school. As committee run all decisions have to go through committee and this too takes time to achieve.

 

Perhaps you need to ask for a meeting to get clarification on what is expected of you and them and how they see your role.. did you get a job description.. this may give some insight into how much you are expected to do...and how much support they expect to give.

 

Inge

[Guest Stalbans]

Thanks for your advice, am planning to try and get a meeting arranged, if they can fit me in...

 

We are not committee run and like you currently organise all the planning, have just re-written the prospectus, have the policies to update, organise the staff, have my own key children, and apparently work 25 hour a week with 4 hours admin each week.

 

This is prodadly just me ranting and I apologise to anyone listening just feeling very isolated at the moment.

 

Fingers crossed will get a meeting soon, just feel its a shame the management do not want to take an active role and I have to instigate everything.

 

[Guest]

Hi - it is very hard work to be at the top of the hill with so much to organise - you are running the pre-school and I am sure 25 hours with just 4 hours admin is not the total amount of time you spend - hope you manage to get things sorted out, you must stand up for yourself and get the support from where ever - good luck ....... Dot

[Inge]

some may say you are in an ideal situation..after the last few weeks of committee problems and management problems commented on ...

no committee or management to dictate how you run the group.. stet up your own policies etc and manage it yourself.. while we all know the extra hours this entails .. perhaps list all the extra hours you are doing and task you are completing to show them how many more hours it takes..

 

It can be a bit daunting and can make you feel isolated. any way you can involve the other staff in some of this.. we all have input and share decisions and tasks.. not always possible but may help

 

The forum is a good place to ask for views and help. gives another perspective on things.. and can spark you into new ideas and different ways of working, and can often be the support when you need it most..even if it is virtual....

 

Inge

[JacquieL]

I'm not really up on PVI settings but would ask myself who employed me. If it was the HT of the school and the Trustees, then I would expect some involvement, or at least some support. Perhaps you could have a word with the early years advisory team, especially now, when surely you are correct in thinking that you should be liaising with the school. Schools can also be frenetic places with all the paperwork, target setting, teacher's curriculum responsibilities throughout the school, but your needs should be considered as well.

[anju]

hi there

 

I run a pre-school on a school site and we are committee run with some school staff on our committee. like Inge I do everything: planning, policies, staffing inc. recruitment, admissions, budgets, website, publicity the only thing I don't do is payroll. i have to run some stuff past the committee but i have quite a lot of autonomy which mostly makes up for the lack of a reasonable level of income (i am QTS but not paid as such). there is virtually no liaison with the reception class not for want of trying on my part but we are seen as less important.

 

my legal employer is the management committee, how about you? where do your wages come from? good advice about checking your job description although they are often vague I know