Too Many Cooks!

[Guest]

Hi All,

 

I am pondering a problem that I have to discuss with my parent committee this week. I am the Leader of a small pre-school , one room, 2.5-5 year olds, 4 staff. I am level 6 (teacher), my deputy is level 3 (NNEB), we have 2 assistants one who is level 6 (experienced teacher) and one who is NVQ2 but about to, hopefully, qualify as EYP.

I am being asked to carve out some areas of responsibility for the EYP. Trouble is she is 15 years less experienced than the level 6 teacher but has more 'EYFS' and policy knowledge than the Deputy. My deputy is a lovely people person but not a manager. She doesn't really embrace the role, has no computer skills and does not like being left in charge. At the same time wouldn't be happy to take a demotion as she would see it as humiliating and would be less money. EYP is capable but very bossy and has poor people skills, very critical.

Deputy is the SENCO. We opened 2 years ago and the Deputy was the only applicant for her job.

level 6 teacher is actually the one who is most capable of being Deputy but doesn't want to be!!

 

Arrgh! Any suggestions of an area/areas that I could ask the EYP to be responsible for that wouldn't mean she could undermine my leadership (which she often does) and would keep her busy so she is not always re-arranging the cupboard or changing displays on my day off!

 

Can anyone suggest an area

[Cait]

Hmm, could she take on a responsibility for Health and Safety, or that staff training needs are being addressed and met?

[suebear]

Am very jealous of all your staff's qualifications but can see the downside you talk about. What about making her responsible for risk assessments and the updating of policies that should keep her busy

[Fredbear]

What about ENCO, Safeguarding, Health and Safety/Risk assessments.

[Inge]

Risk assessments and H&S also sprang to my mind...

 

also look at your workload and if there is something you really do not like taking up lots of time delegate that ! you could have it that she has to get you to approve it before taking any action needed...

 

as to the changing things when you are not there.. I would have a word and ask her to really think about what she is doing... how would she like her choices to be changed behind her back without consultation... would really irk me if I made a decision to have it changed for no good reason with no consultation.

[HappyMaz]

Can I ask a few questions? What are your primary job functions, Edlee? Has your EYP candidate been employed as a potential EYP or as a nursery assistant? Whose idea was it for this member of staff to achieve the Status? Since you have such a highly qualified workforce I wonder what the impetus was for her to gain EYPS?

 

I wonder if she has developed skills and attributes that you can harness for the good of the setting? Perhaps the best way of deciding areas of responsibility would be to look at your team's various strengths and see where they can best be deployed?

 

That aside, if there are stresses in your relationship caused by her actions in undermining your authority you really need to tackle these head on. As Inge said, she really needs to be able to reflect on her behaviour and consider how it is affecting others. In order to address these issues she must rely on the team initially to offer some constructive feedback so that she can make some changes to her approaches. It will be difficult to address, but my feeling is that these issues will not resolve themselves without action.