Organisation Isn't It Annoying!

[Guest]

Hello,I am just interested in how you are able to be organisedin your settings and any helpful hints you can possibly pass onto me especially those of you in Daycare settings ie Private!!!

For instance we have 2 bigpre-school rooms and only 2 memebrs of staff and it felt like most of the day I was tidying ie putting paints upstairs,sorting toys out,clearing the floor,doing the register,clearing paint up,drying clothes,tidying outside up.I feel awful because it takes me away from the childen which i don't like.

alsoi am not the best at remembering to do things so feel I will not be taken seriously till I do ie because we have no space for our registers and letters,recently ?I have been forgetting to send letters home,getting grant forms signed.It's so hard though before dinner when I am reading a story and one of the parents for the grant children comeI have to stop the children then go rooting around for a letter.I just don't feel as involved in the organisaton as the other staff member-probably because im not great at it and am on my own in the afternoons too!!

but anyway if you could just helpme well let me know how you organise signing of letters ,remembering when to fill diaries in,how you find time to organise your room ie tidy sort it out etc and best way to do this thanks!!!

Edited April 20, 2009 by eclmmcca

[Guest]

At first it appears to me that you are under staffed, it's not ideal to have a member of staff on their own in a room, not even sure if it contravenes the welfare requirements. (sorry not sure about this as I haven't worked in a setting since EYFS). When I had my preschool Ofsted said staff shouldn't be on their own in a room, implications regarding safety and safeguarding against accusations.

 

Anyway, besides that.....useful tips.

 

Enable and encourage children to clear up as they go along, provide self select (and therefore self tidy/put away) furnishings / boxes / draws etc.

 

Is there room to have a 'reception' table next to the entrance for register, box files for current admin, planning sheets, daily diary etc?

 

TO DO LIST helps organising tasks, prioritise the list , most important first. have 3 columns;

Must be done TODAY....ie: supplies order, write newsletter, get info for invoices....etc

can do TOMORROW.....invoices, key children notes, .....etc

complete by next week; giving out newsletters / invoices (if not posted out), check supplies delivery.....etc

 

You will find each day you will write the same things down for 'next week' thus helping you to remember until they become TODAYS task.

 

Write your TO DO list on arrival before anything else. Tick each task as you achieve it.

 

This list will also show what tasks are not actually your role, can te bosses get someone else to do some parts of the admin.

 

If reading a story I would expect parent to wait until I've finished. I actually found that it was best to have the children playing at pick up time rather than in a full group. Could this be workable in your setting? If not just indicate to the parent "I'll be with you in a minute"

 

Have a meeting with other staff and boss and make clear who is doing what when so everyone knows 1/ how much work needs to be organised. 2/ nothings missed because you each thought each other was going to do it. 3/ you can say which tasks you'd like to have input with if possible.

 

I do think you need some 'off rota' time for admin work. The best way to approach this is to write down all that needs doing (TO DO LIST) and show your bosses if it's too much to manage with the present set-up, the list will prove why, especially if it shows tasks are not getting done.

How many children do you have in each room? Even if the children tidy after themselves I don't see how one person in a room can 'supervise / interact with the children' prep/clear, and deal with parents and admin.

 

Children can self register but you still need to do it too, plus have easy access to it, either a table or wall boxes, near the entrance door, to hold papers / register etc is needed I think.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

yes it can be hard work and it's getting harder with more children moving up!!

Really??I didn't know staff can't be lefton their own .Yeah I have been on my ownin the room not for a great length of time but has occuredin the afternoons -up to 8 children normally!!

Admin work is hard because we don't have much space for admin!!

We have 2 rooms and normally split the children in the day ie 7in one room and 7 in the other -can be hectic sorting outbefore dinner as one staff member does dinner's!!

It is hard to supervise and interactand clear the room and deal with parents and admin at once

I try to interact as much as possible but obviously have to stop for health and safety or behaviour is getting outof hand.Admin is poor as normally tidying up is going on,children arguing and then parents arriving and me trying to find admin.We have the most chldren but no time to sort rooms out or admin .The 0-3 rooms have 1 hour and a half quiet time to sort theirs.ooh it's hard isn't it-just this admin and sorting rooms out is really getting to me at the moment!!!

Edited April 20, 2009 by eclmmcca

[Guest]

Don't quote me on the one person in a room, I'm not sure if its law, but definately good practice to always have a minimum of 2 persons in a room at a time.

1-8 for 3+ yr olds is the required ratio.

 

When one staff member is doing dinners does that man you are left with 14 children??

 

Could staff from the 0-3's room help out with enabling better staff deployment?

 

What do you think about the TO DO list idea, do you think that would help?

 

Peggy

[Guest]

yes,i supose.As i say im normally with 8 children(not always)Noi am nomally on my own in a room for a couple of hours so wasn't aware of that!!!!

Yes we do dinners with 13 children on one day-the rest of the days we do dinners with 7-10 children so yes that is the case!!!

do you mean 0-3s help with dinners????

 

sorry the to dolist sounds great!! i might put it on the wall somewhere - think i wil still struggle with getting everything done on time but at least I will remmeber so thanks for the great help!!!

Edited April 20, 2009 by eclmmcca

[trekker]

Definitely looks like you need more staff....the ratios are 1 adult to 8 children max BUT those staff must be working directly with the children - any time you are doing admin, helping children with toileting, dealing with parents takes you out of the ratios...this means that if you are in a room on your own then those children are effectively unsupervised!

 

The two adults in a room is certainly how we work -even if we have one or two children (like on a snow day!) or if someone is late collecting and we have one child...two staff have to remain with the child until they are collected. Its also stated as part of our safeguarding policy.

 

I agree with Peggy - If the 0-3 staff have all that extra time maybe they could be deployed to cover you while you do some stuff?...maybe have a 'floater' who can move between the rooms to boost the ratios.

 

We have small cubbys for the children to put their work in and we also put parents letters in too..so we dont have to hand them out. We check to ensure all important stuff is taken.

I sympathise with you over the lunch time / pick up...we also find that quite hectic...I may consider peggys idea actually and try to have children playing rather than having to herd them up ..its such a task to keep them in one place when parents arrive!

 

Definietly see about your staffing ratios though...thats probably the key!

[Guest]

You really shouldn't be left on your own with more than 8 children, this I would think contravenes ratio requirements, so I would speak to your boss about this. Maybe she/he needs to employ some 'dinner Time' staff. You do get a lunch break don't you, how is this staffed, when you have a break?

 

Do you have self selection so that the children can be more involved in tidying up?

How does the other member of staff feel about the current staffing levels, how is she coping?

 

I may be wrong but you appear to me to be feeling a bit 'overwhelmed' and maybe a bit isolated, is this the norm or maybe just a busy patch you are going through at the moment?

 

Sorry so many questions it's hard to imagine what it's like to be able to offer 'suitable' advice.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

hiya a busy day today!! well yes Iam on own with 8 children normally so didn't know about not being in a ratio with admin and prents.The lunchtime/dinner ratio is just for 45 mins until the other staff memebr is back.I have my dinner when the other staff memberis back!!Yes we have a grant sessin 9 am to 1130 then 1pm till 330 so the pick up times conincide with dinner so I am normally reading a story or singing songs .Then I have to stop while I speak to parents/

I don't think it affects the other staffmember asmuch because she is never on her own with them really apat from dinner and my break.I am n my own for 2 hours normally with the children or more.During this time I am having obviously to interact,supervise,deal with parents admin,speak to parents,clearup for snack ,do teeth.It is very hectic at the minute as we have 1 or 2 who are quite hard work and it is becoming a huge struggle.Tidyup time is not happening well.

I mean the manager helps at emergency times iewith toileting accidents ,covering breaks or if children are too rowdy but then she has herown work to do.It's not OTT like out ofcontrol just with one or 2 .I thoughtthey may be bored SO i have tried new ways this last week ie having free flow which has helped,parchute games,shaving foam etc givng them more interest in the afternnon hopefuly so I can sort admin out and boxes and files.There'snotime. think i may ned to bring it up to manager again.thanks guys!X

[Guest]

So it seems the manager is there for you to call on for support when needed.

You seem to be reflecting on your current practice and thinking of new ways to 'engage' the children, which in turn will help with 'supervision' and time management.

Good luck with your chat with the manager. Let us know how it goes. Maybe you could ask her for a chat about time managing the extra work which comes around in the Summer term with records of transfers etc for children moving on to school, and also keep in mind that Summer term can be the beginning of an anxious time for some children (and parents) as they become aware that a transition to 'big' school will be happening soon.

 

Peggy