Key Worker Groups

[Guest]

Wasn't sure which forum to post this in but I don't think its just nurseries/pre schools who have keyworker groups any more is it? I currently work in a foundation stage unit and we kind of have key worker groups (the nursery aged children are split into 3 groups for group times) but when it comes to the paper work its the teacher's responsibility. As a reception teacher I have always been lucky enough to have a classroom assistant and it never even used to enter my mind to ask her to have the same responsibilities as me including filling in Record of achievements. However, now we're set up as a FS unit I'm a bit unclear about the way thingsshould be done. Since joining the FSF it seems that a lot of you work in this way-you're responsible for a group of children and for the paperwork that comes with them-which would make sense as you know them best. My problem is that teachers are on a lot more money than support staff and it wouldn't be fair to expect them to be doing the same job. What do you think? I can't think of any other job where the boundaries of reponsibilities are so blurred-it seems that in some schools that the nursery nurses are doing equal/if not more than the teachers but that in others-like our school where many of our support staff are unqualified-the teaching assistants are just their as an added bonus if you will. Our LEA have suggested that a key worker system would be the best way of working but I'm scared of going down this track because of how it will be viewed by our support staff. Please help!

Zim

[Guest]

Hi Zim

 

Obviously since I work in a pre-school setting our situation is very different from yours. I am the supervisor, and staff range from the unqualified, Level 2, and Level 3 (and working towards, of course).

 

Each child in our setting has a keyworker, but we don't operate keyworker groups in the way that others in the Forum do. Our children are between 2 1/2 and 5, and are split into groups for certain activities such as phonics, physical etc.

 

Each keyworker does observations on their keyworker children, and we have an observation sheet for each adult-led activity where the adult running the activity can make notes about each child's completion of the activity. Any adult may make snapshot observations of any child during 'free play' time, and these are put in the children's files at the end of each session.

 

I take all this information and compile the observation files for each child, and we feed back on each child's progress at our staff meetings to ensure our planning is focussed on the developmental needs of the children. Profies are initially completed by my boss and I, with back up and input from the keyworkers.

 

This system seems to work for us: individual keyworkers are building up knowledge of their own keyworker group, and their expertise is valued and utilised during the planning process. However, the admin/paperwork side is handled by me as part of my management responsibilities.

 

Pre-schools generally rely on a considerable amount of goodwill from staff. I feel we need to strike a careful balance between not overloading staff with work we can't necessarily pay them for, and developing their skills and knowledge by encouraging them to take more responsibility.

 

This is similar to your situation: obviously teachers are paid considerably more per hour than teaching assistants, and have much more responsibility than TAs do. However, the boundaries can easily become blurred and you are wise to be sensitive to issues around pay, status and responsibility.

 

Good luck in your deliberations - I'll be interested to see how you resolve your dilemma!

 

Maz

[Guest]

I don't know if this will help and my experience is not within schools.

 

We have "Key" groups ( ability), I have 2 staff per group responsible for record keeping and observations. However ALL staff have opportunities to inform the childrens achievement files.

 

Even the unqualified staff are asked to do the record of Achievements, with support. This, I have found has motivated the staff because, as you quite rightly said, their knowledge of the children is sometimes greater than mine(as manager), and through involving them in report writing their knowledge is valued.

 

There is an element of training and support, but it is well worth it in terms of the resulting "Team efforts".

 

The "Key worker" role is a requirement of Ofsted, and is valued as a link person between staff and parent, and a "special" person for the child to "bond" to during settling in periods etc. However, because I have experienced a high turnover of staff, ( leaving a number of children without a keyworker). I prefer to have keyworkers (plural) allocated to a group of children rather than one keyworker per number of children. This is also relevant because of split shifts and the childrens various attendence days.

 

I hope this gives you some idea of what the term "Keyworker" means within my preschool, and maybe some of the points will help you consider the "keyworker" role within your class.

Ask your staff how they feel about you valuing their opinion / expertise of individual children, and their role in communicating this.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

just like to add, having read Maz's post, My staff write the Record of achievement files as an ongoing daily input. They also write the Record of Transfer in Summer Term, in rough, then I type them all up ( is this fair- I proof read them, and don't often have to change any comments, as they are informed by the ROAchievements).

 

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Thanks Peggy and Maz, That does help

[Guest]

Hi Peggy

 

Its easy for me to read your post and feel envious that you have got your system working so well. However, I have to keep reminding myself of the many changes I have asked the staff to make to their practices in the two years I've been in charge.

 

I feel I have to allow them time to consolidate their skills before adding another layer of responsibility. I am still spending time improving the quality of their observations, especially those of the newer members of staff.

 

I agree with what you say about motivation and morale, but would hate to jeopardise this by 'giving' them too much responsibility too soon.

 

Just goes to show we all face similar challenges, but find our own solutions.

 

Maz

[Guest]

Hi Zim

We are a pre-school and we have keyworker groups. 48 children are split into 5 groups, the older children in one and the rest between 4 other members of staff. They all do observations and assessments of their children in the group, but also undertake observations of all the children during the morning.

All staff have responsibility for their children's folders with support from myself. As they have more contact with the children than I do, as the owner/manager, they know them better than I do. I know them pretty well but not enough at times to make a judgement. I have qualified and unqualified staff and they all input into the children's assessments.

The unqualified doesn't have the same responsibilities elsewhere as the others. So she makes the birthday cards as her area of responsibilty whereas one of the others is our health and safety officer and one our SENCO.

I understand what you mean about giving them this work when they are not earning as much as a teacher but I feel it makes them more involved in the children's learning and well being. And it makes them all part of the same team.

Linda

[Guest]

Hi Zim

 

Our nursery/playgroup had a keywork system. We had 16 children and 4 staff. Each member of staff was responsible for 4 children each. This included settling in, keeping their file up to date etc. Parents were informed of their child's keywork when they started.

 

My deputy was responsible for the Special needs group (as she was our SENCO). I was responsible for the 4 plus group and dealt with that side. My third in hand dealt with the 2years 9month group.

 

We had a ''post a note system'' that meant anyone who noticed anything about a child that may not have been their's could post a note with their comments and put it in the correct file.

 

At our Friday staff meetings we would discuss the week, any problem area's and plans for the following week, including issues from our post a note system.

 

All staff were responsible for keeping their children's folders up to date, meeting with me and the parents of their children at parents evening and adding their own comments to the mid term and end of term reports as Peggy's staff do.

 

As with Peggy's group I prefer my keyworkers to be allocated ''per group'' mainly because of staff's special interest in a particular field, although everyone took training in all areas so that we all had a turn of being responsible for different groups each term.

 

As with anything Zim things go wrong and not all members of staff are team players. Continued training, communication and sometimes sheer good luck are needed to get things right. I was lucky that I started my keyworker system when I opened in 1999 and my staff have always been used to it (not saying that it was always that simple) because it wasn't.

 

You have to take one step at a time, you are aware that the keyworker system is something that OFSTED expect groups to be doing. Start talking about keyworker systems with your staff, get their feed back etc and you yourself will know when it is the right time to introduce it. Make notes in your staff meetings so that you can show OFSTED should they come before you have this up and running that you are at least aware of it and that you a putting plans in to action.

 

I have attached my keyworker sheet that is included in my parent pack (which is very large ) You should see my parents faces when they get one I don't know if it will be of any help.... Keep your chin up... good luck

 

Carolann

no.10_keyworker2004.doc

[Guest]

Linda, your system sounds very much like mine, do your staff do the record of transfers?

 

Maz, It has taken me a year and my system is not always perfect.

Spring term 04 - work / training on observations

Summer 04 - Work / training on Foundation stage curriculum, what different learning occurs in each "play area", Resourcing the environment

Autumn 04 - work / training planning for your own play area( we have 5 play areas and 5 staff ( who do the planning) they changed area each half term throughout the year)

Spring-05- work/training on how to include information from observations to ensure the childrens needs inform planning.

 

Here we are at Summer Term- so I've only just got there

My staff are 3 @ level 3 ( 2 only completing this year), 2@ level 2 ( again just finishing) and one who has learning disabilities who isn't yet involved with planning ( although she will be included soon as she has got 10 yrs experience behind her) She has just completed basic skills CLL, and is starting Basic skills Maths next term.

 

Keep at it Maz, You know you are doing a grand job and more importantly are always open to developing.

 

 

Peggy

[Guest]

p.s. SORRY Zim, I appear to have moved away from your post query.

 

Peggy

[mundia]

Hi ZIm, I aslo work in aschool nursery and we do have keyworkker groups. However since the overhaul of support staff pay and conditions, theyhave been advised by their union NOT to complete paperwork unless they receieve a rsponsibility point for doing so which the Head hads so far declned to give them n the bais of not singling out support staff from one part of the school (ie the nursery). This means that the profiles are now completed for all children by the teacher, no mean achievement with 42 children on register. Since we need to consult the staff on the chidlren as they do know the children best, this is fast becoming a logisitic nightmare. (ir e when exactly do we have time to consult them?). Personally I would rather pay them the point and let them continue dong all the things they have alwasy done, as would they, but we have been so far unable to convicne the Heda of this.

 

Im not sure that this helps your situation? You could alwasy ask your staff where they sit on this issue?

[hali]

We run ours very similar to Linda,

[JacquieL]

This is a really interesting topic Mundia. We are in the very early stages of changing to a FS unit and I am considering having a keyworker system. We have 20 X2 nursery places and a Reception class. I have 22 in R including some Y1 SEN.We run seperately most of the time but do have a 45 min free flow time several times each week. This gives the R children access to outdoor play if they so wish. There are 2 teachers and 2 NNEB's and sometimes we have students but not everyday. All staff do observations of activities they are involved in, and the NNEB's are now putting items in our children's acheivemnt records, and we do this with several of the children on a weekly cycle on Fridays.

Our NNEB's are classed as Level 3's and our HT has encouraged them to go for HLTA training so that they can cover for teachers as part of workforce reform. They attended a couple of meetings and both have decided that they do not wish to have this level of resonsibility, and they are also afraid that they will be used elswhere in the school. They want to be in FS.

both of them are fantastic and are equals in terms of our day to day planning and activities. It does worry me that we may be taking advantae of them if we ask more in terms of written planning and recording.

I am also concerned that I think our HT will expect them to cover for the FS teachers PPA time, but as they are not HLTA they cannot be paid at that rate. She has told them this.

Another query. The nursery teacher was ill for 4 days and the NNEB covered in the nursery with 2 students and me popping in and out from reception. We also had longer free flow time so that one qualified memeber of staff was outside in the play area. My NNEB has broken her arm so I am alone in R at the moment so it has been a bit fraught. Is this legal cover?

[mundia]

H there jaquie, it is a biit of a mindfield isn't it.

Our NN do cover for our PPA time in nursery and are paid an allowance for doing so. This does not cover the additinal writing and record keeping and so on that they used to do but are now being told they shouldnt be doing. The downfall of this is as you say that they can technically be called to be elsewhere in the school, for up to 'one session' a day. In practice the Head wont do this unless we are really desperate as this would levae us short staffed in the nursery.

In my experience it is quite usual for no cover to be allocated to nursery if the teacher is off sick, and for the reception teacher to be 'popping in'. This would not be legal cover if no qualified staff were put in as well as the NNEB and students should not be put in the position of being counted as the member of staff for this. In practice this is often the case however, as particulalry units will do a total number of staff and chidlren and be covered that way. So in your case if I understood you correctly you would stil have had 1 teacher and 2 NN to cover about 40 children? This would just about be legal, although not ideal. If you were without the NN with the broken arm at that point, you should definately have cover and I would raise it wiht your Head for 'next time'

 

Sometiems a cover teacher who doesnt know the school or the children, or who is not early years trained make life more difficult than if the NN were left on their own, and this is often a consideration too. In fact in one school i wokred in, my Head would cover the nursery teacher with 2 NNs knowing that at least they would be early years experienced. In this case, it would be reasonable to expect your head to consult with your NNs over this. My NN would rather manage with less staff than have to show a new person the ropes, eaapecially if the absence turns in to a long one and there is a new teacher every day!

 

Does that help?

[JacquieL]

Thanks Mundia much as i thought really. Yes the NN with the broken arm was way so there were 2 qualified staff and the rest were students and i will talk about 'next time'. I do think that all these issues should be clarified for everybodies sakes. I find it really hard to work without assistance especially as i have a large number of special needs children in this cohort and fitting in reading, phonics etc is almost impossible without someone else to support the rest of the class. The sooner R is staffed as nursery the better. No-one really thogut all these things through when the FS was introduced.

Next year I am being moved to nursery and our nursery teacher has been asked to do Y3 She is devastated as she went into teaching to teach nursery, so she either buckles down or leaves. I think that FS should be ring-fenced to EY staff. If teachers from other age ranges wish to move into FS then they should undergo some sort of certificated training to prepare them for the change, and to protect their first cohort of children.

Oh well we struggle on - thank goodness for the children- they cheer me up!

[Guest]

Thanks Carolan

Interesting reading all your other posts too-nice to know if we're not all in the same boat we're in a very similar one!!