Guest Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 (edited) Hi all im new here. Im currently in the process of setting up a pre-school along with a friend and any advice off any people experienced in setting up and successfully running their own pre-school would be great. Lou Edited September 16, 2009 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hi Lou - good luck !!!! Lots & lots of hard work, however very rewarding Dot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 hello and welcome to the forum - just wanted to wish you luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 (edited) hello and welcome to the forum - just wanted to wish you luck opps sorry - theres nothing like a double welcome Edited September 16, 2009 by hali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hi. I really want to do something of my own too.. What kind of setting are you setting up and how far have you got? I'd like to go for an outdoor based thing using the environment as my classroom, I've been having loads of planning permission problems but have finally found some land I am allowed to go ahead and use! Love to read about the people who made it on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I set up private nursery provision at our school, but I was lucky in that we already had LA maintained sessions running, I just added to that with lunch club, afternoon nursery and after school club. It was a steep learning curve with no one to ask who had done it before me!! If you think I can help at all please give me a shout!! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Does anyone do a 2 hour session which does not require OFSTED registration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I know of at least one member on here who does this, but cannot remember who! the biggest issue I can see is the parents paying when they can get 15 hours free, and amount they would need to pay, but if it is an outdoor setting you may do well with parents who want this as an alternative or different addition to the 15 hours. I wish you luck sounds like an exciting project. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Thank you Inge. I am going with the flow a bit at the moment as I've ended up on such a different path than I originally set out to do with the full pre-school idea! It's very exciting tho, I do love to read these threads, I find them very inspirational! This forum is just brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Hi, I am a playgroup leader at our local village playgroup and we work under the 2 hours (due to not enough qualified staff) so don't need to be Ofsted registered. We find it works very well, we still do all the paperwork etc as if we were still registered but we don't have the pressure of it all. We are actually now thinking of re-registering with Ofsted sometime next year as a couple of the staff will have qualified by then. Clare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Hi Lou and a very warm welcome to the forum! Good luck with your plans! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Sorry Lou! I took over your topic there. I started it again elsewhere! Sorry again, hope you get all the advice you are looking for (sure to, on here!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueJ Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Hi Lou I set up my own group 5 years ago after running one for another organisation. I started from scratch. My first priority was finding suitable premises and getting registered. Once that is in place you need to consider how you are going to staff your setting. You probably already know there are stacks of regulations on ratios and qualifications and then there is the time issue of getting clearances etc. There is quite a difference between kitting out a purpose build setting as opposed to a pack away - you will have different storage and practicality issues so you need to make sure that you keep these in mind when buying. I bought all kit from new - you need to decide what you really need to get up an running and then shop around. I went through Findel which then included Hope and Galt. Most of my kit was from Hope which was slightly cheaper and you get discount on a large bulk order. All the way through the process you need to be building up contacts too. Useful for giving out info leaflets etc to publicise your setting if necessary. If it is your own business you will need to be a jack of all trades - if you have staff you need to keep an eye on staffing legislation and running some kind of payroll system (see HMRC website) to ensure you are legit. If you are the registered person you need to familiarise yourself with Ofsted regs etc. If you are are delivering the curriculum you need to get up to speed with the EYFS stuff. If you are planning to be open for over 4 hours that puts you into full daycare and you need to think about becoming or employing an EYPS. That should be enought to think about for a while. Try not to do everything at once and remember the rewards are immense. I am very privileged to be doing a job I love and work for myself too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Hi. I really want to do something of my own too.. What kind of setting are you setting up and how far have you got? I'd like to go for an outdoor based thing using the environment as my classroom, I've been having loads of planning permission problems but have finally found some land I am allowed to go ahead and use! Love to read about the people who made it on here. Hi i am setting up a business partnership with a friend we did look into a committee run pre-school but decieded aganist it. We are nearly ready to open just waiting on ofsted to send registration certificate . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Hi all thank you for all the good luck messages another question anyone out there able to give me some advice on the best places /ways of funding or grants avaliable to pre schools.thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 I went to my Childcare Development Worker at the council. She was really really helpful telling me what I would need to do to be elegible for the different types of grants and funding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristina Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Hi I have just opened up my own Pre-School (opened Monday 7th September), so far everything seems to be going ok. I was really lucky as my local School were looking to implement a Pre-School using a private provider, so I put in a business plan and it was excepted. It is a hard slog with plenty of form filling and phone calls, I too bought my resources new and also through Findel. I received a 20% discount which when you move into the thousands was a considerable discount!! Because I am a private provider as previously mentioned I am a jack of all trades and need to be on top of everything. At the moment we run 5 morning sessions and I have to say I am quite grateful of the afternoons to catch up with paperwork etc. It is still a big learning curve, having run settings for other people there still seems to be things I am finding out. Anyway If I can be of any help let me know and Good Luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Hi all im new here. Im currently in the process of setting up a pre-school along with a friend and any advice off any people experienced in setting up and successfully running their own pre-school would be great. Lou Hi we are in the same boat i to have set up my own business, its going really well my advisors from the local Sure Start were great with me, though i have been left on my own now. The actuall running of the preschool is my domain though business link helped great with the important foundations, like the contracts and the legal stuff. I started with 9 children and now we have 30 every morning and about 12 in the afternoons. Would love to hear from you if you have any info on the planning side i seem to struggle with. Hope to speak soon. Kerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebe123 Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Hi everyone, Tomorrow is my last day as Deputy at my current setting as I start on 1st October as manager of a new setting opening in January. It will be a huge change for me as I go from a private full daycare 3 months - 5, to a pre-school, run by a church committee, not for profit, close to a children's centre. On the one hand I can't wait to have a blank canvas and recruit my own team, go shopping etc., but I hope I can manage all the hoops that will have to be gone through before it actually opens! Let alone getting enough children through the door! We also have a large outdoor area which I am planning to make into a Forest School, so will need lots of ideas! I will watch this thread with interest. Lesley PS Good luck to those of you who have already taken the plunge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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