waiting list issue

[finleysmaid]

 

Me too - in fact I have some pretty big changes up my sleeve for September 2016

 

Don't know if they will be popular - frankly too old to care now! :rolleyes:

ooh what????????

[sunnyday]

I am going to be completely 'bucking the trend' and taking from 3 years only!

 

Alongside this I will changing my opening hours - 9 - 1 Mon, Tues, Wed and 9-12 Thursdays - and won't open at all on Fridays.......

 

This will only work if we don't get a change that says we have to open for 30 hours in order to receive funding in which case I will have to think again!

 

My staff are not in the slightest bit interested in opening for 30 hours.........so this could signal the end for my lovely, long established pre-school - hope it doesn't come to that.......

[Guest]

First come first serve

I write down

The date they applied, so it goes it date order

DOB, address, contact, e mail

 

I only fill in September, I highlight those that are due to start , and I work my way through, I look at those that have siblings and those that are already 4. Although we don't generally have anybody that is 4.

I stipulate min. 2 sessions as 1 is just not enough for staff to get to know and for children to settle and really get something from the preschool .

 

It's a bit of a guessing game how many offers I make, I generally send out 20 letters ( I already have half the children left from previous cohort staying) after that I fill gaps with a couple more then I send out letters to those unlucky to gain a place. Sent 25 this year turning people down.

 

I never guarantee a place, and I always tell them that we are a free flow, mainly outdoors setting and that if that's not what they want then maybe they need to look elsewhere

[thumperrabbit]

I am going to be completely 'bucking the trend' and taking from 3 years only!

 

Alongside this I will changing my opening hours - 9 - 1 Mon, Tues, Wed and 9-12 Thursdays - and won't open at all on Fridays.......

 

This will only work if we don't get a change that says we have to open for 30 hours in order to receive funding in which case I will have to think again!

 

My staff are not in the slightest bit interested in opening for 30 hours.........so this could signal the end for my lovely, long established pre-school - hope it doesn't come to that.......

Sunnyday I'm envious - I'm desparate to do longer days but less of them too!

What do you currently provide?

On your 9-1 days will the children have lunch with you before they leave?

Can't do the 3years plus as I'd have more staff than children!

[sunnyday]

Currently 9 - 12 Monday - Friday

 

No - I won't be offering lunch - do you think that is OK?

[lashes2508]

I do the same as Suer and this term has been the first time I have had to delay starts.

 

My daughter works in the local Hospital as a HR advisor , she suggested tonight ( out for consolation dinner - failed driving test ) that we should consider extending our hours as so many of the staff on flexi time find it difficult working in childcare around their shifts ,she said it's one of the biggest staffing issues they have, think it needs some market research but I am considering it . There is a day nursery at the hospital site but very expensive for most NHS workers .

Edited May 7, 2015 by lashes2508

[thumperrabbit]

Currently 9 - 12 Monday - Friday

 

No - I won't be offering lunch - do you think that is OK

 

I'm sure it's fine

We do a lunch club 3 times a week our core hours are 9:30-12:30 and then lunch club is optional 30mins til 1pm

 

Some of our older children are ravenous by 12:30pm; so that's why I asked.

 

In hindsight (wonderful thing that ) when we changed to 3 hours from 2.5 I wish we'd just added it as an optional lunch club - that way the younger children would've been able to still keep to a 2.5hrs session and go home, leaving those who are able to have lunch. For us having a very high proportion of 2yr olds a 3 hr session is just too long for some of them; but I can't say they can go home early as I would have to reduce their fees and we just can't afford that

[lynned55]

I find that, with a lot of our little ones. Our morning sessions are 3.5 hours and quite frankly for a two year old its an hour too long. However, like you to say just do 2.5 hours is just not feasible as the reduction in fees would outweigh everything else.

 

Our intake for September is looking fab, we have something like 24 new children starting and out of those only around 2/3 are under 3's.

 

Is that bad to be pleased about it?

[thumperrabbit]

I find that, with a lot of our little ones. Our morning sessions are 3.5 hours and quite frankly for a two year old its an hour too long. However, like you to say just do 2.5 hours is just not feasible as the reduction in fees would outweigh everything else.

 

Our intake for September is looking fab, we have something like 24 new children starting and out of those only around 2/3 are under 3's.

 

Is that bad to be pleased about it?

 

Glad it's not just me, feeling it with the two year olds and the length of the session.

 

Not bad to be pleased about - just gloaty :lol: we still aren't full for this year and have to continually keep taking a child the day they turn 2 and it is absolutely exhausting.

[sunnyday]

 

I'm sure it's fine

We do a lunch club 3 times a week our core hours are 9:30-12:30 and then lunch club is optional 30mins til 1pm

 

Some of our older children are ravenous by 12:30pm; so that's why I asked.

 

 

 

That is an interesting point - perhaps I need to reconsider that then......I was working along the lines of a group snack at 11am which I thought would see them through until they went home at 1pm.......hmmmm

[thumperrabbit]

 

That is an interesting point - perhaps I need to reconsider that then......I was working along the lines of a group snack at 11am which I thought would see them through until they went home at 1pm.......hmmmm

 

We have our group snack at 11am :1b

[Inge]

 

That is an interesting point - perhaps I need to reconsider that then......I was working along the lines of a group snack at 11am which I thought would see them through until they went home at 1pm.......hmmmm

This may depend a lot on location and children but ours were always hungry by 10 having had little breakfast or none in some cases... plus you also need to think about if they are leaving you at 1pm, how long could it be before they got lunch.. probably another half hour as a minimum.. and could be later for some.. Thinking from a parents view. it is only a short time before collecting from school for older ones so maybe would do shopping or be out in that time as well..

 

I would try asking those parents that are going to be using the new hours when they book which they would prefer as a mini survey with the suggestions and that you will inform them before they start on the result.. We always sent a letter/email with start date and other info so they could be told then.

[finleysmaid]

First come first serve

 

 

, I look at those that have siblings and those that are already 4. Although we don't generally have anybody that is 4.

 

 

 

So actually Suer you do have a waiting list system of siblings then fours then the rest ....so would you put your oldest sibling in first or the child who had their name down at birth!!!

I'm being a bit cheeky TBH but we have had to be much clearer on our policy after a parents questioned it and complianed last year.

 

We also take 95% of our intake in September..including up to 8 two year olds (actually 2.5 year olds ) . We are on the edge of three counties but are finding this is causing difficulties when we need support for children as we are unable to access others systems so i am trying to sort it out so that the majority are within our boundaries.

So i have now implemented the following (bear with!)

1 local and sibling (in the village of...thanks cait)

2 local

3 zone 2 and sibling

4 zone 3 and sibling

5 zone 2 only

6 zone 3 only

on top of this they must fall in to the rank of having their birthday before the end of March 2016!

 

I HATE WAITING LISTS :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink: :blink:

[sunnyday]

 

 

I would try asking those parents that are going to be using the new hours when they book which they would prefer as a mini survey with the suggestions and that you will inform them before they start on the result.. We always sent a letter/email with start date and other info so they could be told then.

 

Thanks Inge - sounds like a great idea - must admit it's all so far in the future that perhaps I hadn't given enough thought yet to the 'finer detail'! :1b

Edited May 9, 2015 by sunnyday

[lsp]

 

Glad it's not just me, feeling it with the two year olds and the length of the session.

 

Not bad to be pleased about - just gloaty :lol: we still aren't full for this year and have to continually keep taking a child the day they turn 2 and it is absolutely exhausting.

We used to take children at the age of 2 1/2 but when the 2 year funding arrived we thought it would help with our sufficiency. (Were we mad :blink: ??). So to be inclusion our admission policy now states that we will accept all children from the term after their 2nd birthday, the same as the funding.

[Fredbear]

I hate waiting lists too.

Each year we dread this part of our job.

Oh for the days when we could just play with the wonderful children.

[finleysmaid]

i apologise i said cait but meant thumperrabbit of course re the village info!!!

[Cait]

So how long they have had their name down has no bearing, Finlaysmaid? That used to be high up,the list for me, about where your number 3 is I think. It has to have some importance if you do have parents doing this, otherwise they could be 'trumped' by a child in the next category, who had only just arrived on your doorstep.

I think ours went

1. Child with sibling at preschool

2. Child from village

3. Child on waiting list

4. Child who has had other sibling through preschool ( these were mainly no. 3)

5. Child from surrounding villages

[finleysmaid]

So how long they have had their name down has no bearing, Finlaysmaid? That used to be high up,the list for me, about where your number 3 is I think. It has to have some importance if you do have parents doing this, otherwise they could be 'trumped' by a child in the next category, who had only just arrived on your doorstep.

I think ours went

1. Child with sibling at preschool

2. Child from village

3. Child on waiting list

4. Child who has had other sibling through preschool ( these were mainly no. 3)

5. Child from surrounding villages

They have to have their name down before 31st March or they are classed as a late application....we have people putting their names down before birth so im not sure how i include that as a catagory???????

[Cait]

We also had parents putting names down from birth, and occasionally before! I always felt that such dedication and loyalty to the preschool deserved the promise of a preschool place being offered before vacancies were offered to those who hadn't put their name down.

[thumperrabbit]

We used to take children at the age of 2 1/2 but when the 2 year funding arrived we thought it would help with our sufficiency. (Were we mad :blink: ??). So to be inclusion our admission policy now states that we will accept all children from the term after their 2nd birthday, the same as the funding.

Like that idea lsp, but would loose out on too much money we will rarely get any 2 year old funding.

 

I'm also bearing in mind the wise words of Sunnyday :1b although the 2 year funding is quite a good amount at the moment, what's the betting it won't keep going up and it will end up being subsidised by settings

[finleysmaid]

We also had parents putting names down from birth, and occasionally before! I always felt that such dedication and loyalty to the preschool deserved the promise of a preschool place being offered before vacancies were offered to those who hadn't put their name down.

Although i appreciate the sentiment i just don't see how i can do it? not sure i can cope with any more proviso's on my list!!

I have never been able to guarantee places as i often dont know when children are going to leave! due to the large amount of SEN children in our setting we have to allow for deferred places a decision which is often made quite late in the day.

[SueJ]

I have been following this with interest - sooooo like the sound of your plans Sunnyday - I don't think my lot would go for a 4 day week sadly although may I should just consider working a 4 day week and leaving the management of the setting to others on the Friday!

 

With regard to waiting lists - I no longer guarantee a space if children can't start in September as we can no longer afford to hold spaces that we could fill empty for a term or in some cases two. We used to do this only to find that when the January and/or April arrived parents either changed their minds or their circumstances had changed and they hadn't thought to tell us so we lost out financially on these spaces that we could have let out several times over. We are happy to put children on a list for starts later in the school year but give no guarantee that a space will be available if we are able to fill our spaces in the autumn term - it's that balancing act between being a sustainable business and being everything to all people! I'm sure if I said to Sainsburys (or any other business for that matter) that I would like to purchase a particular product later in the year and would they mind keeping it for me in the hope that I would return months later for it I would get short shrift.

 

Along with all the other lists we have I think I may generate a "Priority Allocation" list for spaces so that when the 30 hours comes in I've got my dustbin lid firmly in situ!

[Cait]

Although i appreciate the sentiment i just don't see how i can do it? not sure i can cope with any more proviso's on my list!!

I have never been able to guarantee places as i often dont know when children are going to leave! due to the large amount of SEN children in our setting we have to allow for deferred places a decision which is often made quite late in the day.

Ah, you are in a totally different situation from the one I was in. That's why we all have to have our own methods of allocating spaces.

[Mouseketeer]

Maybe toughening up is the answer and not trying to please everyone all of the time....it would make no difference if a child was 30th in distance from school, born in village and name down for a place from conception if a child then moved in closer and registered with our county by their 1st phase deadline date, the first child would lose their place

[Inge]

I have been following this with interest - sooooo like the sound of your plans Sunnyday - I don't think my lot would go for a 4 day week sadly although may I should just consider working a 4 day week and leaving the management of the setting to others on the Friday!

 

 

 

 

That is what I did, worked 4 days and deputy ran Fridays . Was so much better for me and the setting knew they could call if they really needed advice or help.