Guest Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 HI Is it feasable, and indeed acceptable do you think for the manager to spend some time working in the nursery rooms?. guess you can't take the hands on nursery nurse out of this manager hee hee and im itching to try and spend some time in the rooms, particularily the pre-school room as that was my initial base room. I know i would have to divide my time equally between all the rooms (and office) and that is fine but i really don't want to be office based all the time. this week i am in pre-school and the deputy is in the office. I know i need to be in the office for a proportion of the day every day and that is fine but i want to stay connected to the rooms. What do ofsted like?, do they like managers to stay in the office? how much stuff do you delegate to your deputy/ senior? Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 I would have said it was perfectly fine for you to spend time in the rooms-even essential if you are to know what is happening and to keep your finger on the pulse. I am supernumeray most of the time in pre-school but I spend a lot of time with the children, as much time as I can in fact. I read stories, supervise snack, and do activities as necessary. I couldn't imagine not doing. I can't see any reason why OFSTED would object-it is one way of showing that you know the children and staff and nursery. Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 I think it is great that you should be hands on, why not? This way you can see any problems arising, have a great working relationship with your team, children and parents. Also to have a boss whom works the work goes a long way in building staff confidence and team work. Why should you be in the office, go on! do some good time mangement and go and play!!! Ofsted should praise the fact that you know what is working well, what needs to be improved or changed and how else would you know with out spending time in the areas. Go on and get play dough knees! paint over your shirt & sand in your shoes... It beats the paper work side of things every time!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy P Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 I believe that spending some of your time in the rooms with the children makes fantastic sense. I feel that it is a great opportunity to lead by example and i have managed to 'crush' lots of problems concerning staff interactions with children by using this method. Some staff do feel a little stifled, normally the ones who have been qualified for many years but the newly qualified really appreciate my imput. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 I'd say it was essential! Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 Im a manager and i also run the preschool room which means im room based for about 90% of the day, although i have to admit its difficult to fit all my duties in i usually manage. Should i be super numery will ofsted not like the fact that im room based x jojom x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 Im a manager and i also run the preschool room which means im room based for about 90% of the day, although i have to admit its difficult to fit all my duties in i usually manage. Should i be super numery will ofsted not like the fact that im room based x jojom x I was thinking about it actually and my old manager used to be based in the pre-school room 90% of the time, she found it hard. OFSTED were okay with that, but our managing director was also in the office a lot so she made sure office based stuff was done. Not sure what the regulations are on managers being super numary or not. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 When I applied for my Ofsted Suitable Person Interview I had to fill in a form that asked me, as manager whether or not I was going to be counted in ratios or not. I was counted in ratios and my application was still able to go through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 I think that in order to manage the nursery successfully, it is essential that you spend time with the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 Hi Dawn, To be a manager, you need to be with the people you manage. Whether you are supernumery really depends on the size and needs of the setting. I personally think that there needs to be a senior member of staff, normally the manager available at any time ( ie supernumery) to deal with all the paperwork- uninterupted, the unexpected and parent visitors etc. You do also need to delegate work to your deputy, 1/ to share the work load- time manage, 2/ to enable his/her professional development. Depending on your style of management, you can either 'plan' specific hand-on time, or play ' spontaneously' or a bit of both. Ofsted will want to know that you know what is going on, this would be through 'informal' working alongside staff and through specific monitoring systems. Enjoy Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairynuff Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 What a fantastic site, at last i can find out loads of information and help within the foundation stage and be in contact with people who undersand the joys and problems of working in eary years. As a supernumeray Pre - Scool manager I have been going into the classroom at least once a day for the past 6 years. I either read stories, sing songs, lead activities or do whatever else the class leader asks me to do. I feel its vital if you want to keep you finger on the pulse of the group and for all staff to see you as one of the team. I find staff talk to me about the hundred and one little things that arise during the course of the day,and these can be delt with informaly and quickly at the time and so do not build into bigger and bigger problems. I have never found it a problem with OFSTED in fact i would say it gives me an advantage, as i am much more familier with the workings of the classrooms and the day to day running of the group. All that aside its much more fun being with the children than sat behind a desk doing paper work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 Welcome fairynuff! Enjoy. Liz x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I've just had recent experience of an Ofsted inspection in a children's centre, which failed its last inspection due to poor management. The then manager spend almost all of her time in her office, and staff felt left out of the loop as communication was extremely poor. She did help on occasion when there was a staff shortage, or to cover lunch breaks, etc. but she didn't do any "leadership"-type stuff with her staff. That's why it failed. I began working with the staff team, along with another QTS, and we changed virtually everything; most importantly, the manager, deputy, and a hierarchy of other practitioners were shown how to be "on the shop floor", leading their less experienced colleagues, and sharing best practice. We passed! The staff now feel an important part of the setting, their practice is improving all the time, and the higher-ranking staff are developing their leadership and management skills. Please get out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I've just had recent experience of an Ofsted inspection in a children's centre, which failed its last inspection due to poor management. The then manager spend almost all of her time in her office, and staff felt left out of the loop as communication was extremely poor. She did help on occasion when there was a staff shortage, or to cover lunch breaks, etc. but she didn't do any "leadership"-type stuff with her staff. That's why it failed.I began working with the staff team, along with another QTS, and we changed virtually everything; most importantly, the manager, deputy, and a hierarchy of other practitioners were shown how to be "on the shop floor", leading their less experienced colleagues, and sharing best practice. We passed! The staff now feel an important part of the setting, their practice is improving all the time, and the higher-ranking staff are developing their leadership and management skills. Please get out there Well done Helen, and what a great example of how best practice works. You must have got a great sense of achievement in seeing the turnaround, and I bet a sense of pride for all the staff who obviously worked well with you to cope with all the changes. Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 i agree with all that has been said it is hard juggling and getting your work done but that cannot be managed effectivly if you dont spend time in the nursery overseeing what is going on on a daily basis interacting with parents children and staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 Management consists of 2 parts - Being a Manager, and being a Leader. It is very hard to lead if you are in the office all of the time, and leading is so important, as it means that you portray your vision to others and take your setting towards where you want it to go. The manegementy type tasks such as paperwork, etc are important, but quite straightforward. It is the leadership that is far more important, and far more difficult. I am in the rooms a lot, and often this is so that I can allow my staff time to plan away from the children, or for the H & S Officer or SENCO to have some time to work on their areas. Without me in the room they would not get this opportunity. Shelley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 i am the same shelley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Thanks for that, Peggy Sorry I haven't replied earlier.....maybe it's taken me two months to recover! It was a really stimulating year and I'm so relieved the Ofsted went well. I'd certainly accept another role like that, but maybe not in the near future.....I was pretty confused coping with two settings simultaneously!Still lots more to do there, obviously, but that's someone else's job now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Thanks for that, Peggy Sorry I haven't replied earlier.....maybe it's taken me two months to recover! It was a really stimulating year and I'm so relieved the Ofsted went well. I'd certainly accept another role like that, but maybe not in the near future.....I was pretty confused coping with two settings simultaneously!Still lots more to do there, obviously, but that's someone else's job now Well they've certainly had the best induction. Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Hi, Well I am coming into this debate late. PC broke, had summer off completly, them had a spell in the hospital. I am the manager and I spend 90% of my time in the main room. It wasn't always like that, it used to be more 40%, but began to feel out of the loop. So luckily I had the finances to employ a finance officer and an administrator to take a majority of the workload off me. Although I still oversee everything, being back with the children and staff reminided me as to why I love my job. Ofsted were more than happy with it. Net xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK NET. Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 Thanx Peggy, Great to be back. Net xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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