Advice Pleeease! Paperwork, policies etc etc

[Keyup]

Hi all,

 

Im hoping you lovely lot might be able to help after reading lots of interesting info! I hear lots of you managers saying about the paperwork you have to do etc etc and I don't see my manager doing any of this?? I am the MD but only because the preschool was about to close so I decided to save it, Oh if only I had a crystal ball! The manager isn't very grateful and is quite put out actually that she is no longer actually totally in charge of things. My first question of many is what paperwork are you managers actually filling out because all I see her doing is the milk confirmation, end of term funding forms, creating name tags, printing off bits n pieces for colouring that's about it??

Im updating the employee handbook and oh my theres so much stuff not being done, the new chair is working on the policies but we feel we are missing loads of them aswell. Do I need company policies aswell as the normal setting policies??

Feeling in a bit of a mess right now!

 

xx

 

[Fredbear]

Hi Keyup, are you committee run? A Company with Charitable staus or something else. As a little confused by the terms MD, Manager and Chair. This might help with any suggestions we might have.

[Keyup]

Hi, we are a ltd company with charitable status. We do have a committee as I still wanted to keep this aspect, however I ma the Managing Director as per companies house and OFSTED will want to see me as the responsible person. Hope this helps.xx

[Thumper]

Hi

 

I'm the manager of a committee run pre school.

 

The paperwork is endless, I could spend hours in the office!

 

But I suppose it is really all down to the way in which your set up with the committee as to their roles and responsibilities.

 

Without going into huge detail on paperwork I do policy writing/updating, income and outgoings, invoicing, registers, signing in sheets, appraisal paperwork, course bookings, children and staff observations and all that goes with them ie: next steps, SENco paperwork, risk assessments, emails, letters, name tags, new start paperwork, news letters, salaries, budgets, agendas. This is really the tip of the iceberg!

 

Hope you find that helpful.

[Stargrower]

Yep, all of the above, plus funding applications for 3 and 4 year olds, 2 year funding applications, dealing with enquiries from new families, sending out information, managing the waiting lists for each age group/room, managing students and all that comes with work experience, health and safety stuff such as recording emergency evacuations, risk assessment, PAT testing etc, payroll, booking staff holidays, arranging appointments with other professionals, updating the SEF, writing minutes of meetings. The list goes on and on.

But as Thumper says, it depends who is doing all these things. Does your manager have a job description and a clear idea of what her role is? That might be a starting point?

[Keyup]

Great thank you for your input! Ive just re-written her job description with very defined items on it. She doesn't have key children and never checks any of the journeys that the other staff have done so theres that, she doesn't do supervisions and since ive been involved( previously the treasurer) the staff haven't had appraisals. The funding forms the parents fill out she then enters the hours but only a small preschool so maybe 10 forms. We don't have students as they always let us down apparently. Policies have been updated and rewritten by the chair. SENco paperwork is done by the SENco, risk assesments takes about 10 minutes every morning. As for business plan, wages, invoices, I do all that. The SEF I got the chair to do by getting everyone to fill out their own copy and she compiled them all and uploaded them. Minutes are done either by me or the secretary.

She does the long term plan, and the 3 themes for the terms. The deputies write up the plan every week for the week ahead and she types it up, she will add the focus points for each day. Ermmmmm we don't really receive many interesting emails most can be deleted. What am I missing here?

Im really focused on having a really terrific pre-school where the children can learn whilst having fun, im currently studying for my level 3 so im also an apprentice aswell as MD! But had hoped that I wouldnt need to pull the MD card so to speak but soooooo much isn't being done that I don't seem to have much choice. I think the big O will have a field day!

Getting that sinking feeling.........xxx

[Stargrower]

Stay positive Keyup! It sounds like you are just what your pre-school needs. It is scary when you take on a project like that and realise just what needs to be done. When you and your chair and manager have time, have a look at the EYFS statutory requirements. If you make sure those are in place, then a visit from Ofsted could be a positive experience as their report should give you an idea of what else could be done to make the pre-school even better. You can then draw up and action plan and you'll be ready to wow them next time! Good luck!

[Keyup]

Thank you Stargrower! The problem is the manager isn't very accepting of change and were having power struggle issues now, she has been allowed to just do whatever she wanted and under the previous heading they got Inadequate then satisfactory! She really needs to go on some management training so will see how the meeting with her goes. Im trying to stay out of it and let the chair deal with her employment issues as she is more likely to open up to someone neutral and new! Im just about to start the employee handbook oh what joy!xx

[Mouseketeer]

Good luck keyup, and welcome to the form.......but before you attempt to re-invent the wheel, there are loads of great formats already on here for pretty much everything paperwork you could need, like planning, appraisals, supervions, policies, budget sheets, learning journeys, progress trackers, registration info, ofsted criteria check lists, probably even a staff handbook.....just search resource library or shout what you're looking for, someone will always know or upload...may not be exactly what your looking for but a good starting point and can adapt to suit your setting

Edited January 1, 2014 by mouse63

[Jeany]

Great thank you for your input! Ive just re-written her job description with very defined items on it. She doesn't have key children and never checks any of the journeys that the other staff have done so theres that, she doesn't do supervisions and since ive been involved( previously the treasurer) the staff haven't had appraisals. The funding forms the parents fill out she then enters the hours but only a small preschool so maybe 10 forms. We don't have students as they always let us down apparently. Policies have been updated and rewritten by the chair. SENco paperwork is done by the SENco, risk assesments takes about 10 minutes every morning. As for business plan, wages, invoices, I do all that. The SEF I got the chair to do by getting everyone to fill out their own copy and she compiled them all and uploaded them. Minutes are done either by me or the secretary.

She does the long term plan, and the 3 themes for the terms. The deputies write up the plan every week for the week ahead and she types it up, she will add the focus points for each day. Ermmmmm we don't really receive many interesting emails most can be deleted. What am I missing here?

Im really focused on having a really terrific pre-school where the children can learn whilst having fun, im currently studying for my level 3 so im also an apprentice aswell as MD! But had hoped that I wouldnt need to pull the MD card so to speak but soooooo much isn't being done that I don't seem to have much choice. I think the big O will have a field day!

Getting that sinking feeling.........xxx

Re-writing a job description would mean a change in contract which must be done with mutual consent. You need to tread carefully or you could leave yourself open to problems in future.

To be fair to your manager committees as they were originally intended would be dealing with policies etc so if she has been left to her own devices she hasn't been receiving the support she should have (as is the case with many and why committees are not suitable for this purpose anymore).

My understating With regard to Ofsted is that they will expect you to good knowledge of the EYFS as the responsible person, so I would say working together would be the way forward. Rather than approaching the Manager from a " this needs doing, that needs doing" perspective how about saying" I need to know XYZ and what with all the recent changes I thought we could go through together and see what we have/don't have".

Good luck.

[Fredbear]

Great advice from Jeany. Working it through together could aide a more positive relationship, or open the door for a reflective discussion on the way forward in the best interests of the setting. Good luck.

[Thumper]

Re-writing a job description would mean a change in contract which must be done with mutual consent. You need to tread carefully or you could leave yourself open to problems in future.

To be fair to your manager committees as they were originally intended would be dealing with policies etc so if she has been left to her own devices she hasn't been receiving the support she should have (as is the case with many and why committees are not suitable for this purpose anymore).

My understating With regard to Ofsted is that they will expect you to good knowledge of the EYFS as the responsible person, so I would say working together would be the way forward. Rather than approaching the Manager from a " this needs doing, that needs doing" perspective how about saying" I need to know XYZ and what with all the recent changes I thought we could go through together and see what we have/don't have".

Good luck.

Fully agree, great advice. ?