What Will Happen In 2015

[Guest]

I was asked this question today by a collegue, in 2015 every setting is supposed to be led by an EYP, what if your setting is only open for on average 20 or so hours a week and you cant temp a graduate to fill the position, will the setting have to close?

 

Claire x

[Guest]

Good question Claire. I wonder how many pre-schools and playgroups are going to be able to afford a graduate or how many graduates would be willing to take on a post that pays next to nothing!

Linda

[Guest]

how many graduates would be willing to take on a post that pays next to nothing!

 

That's a really interesting question.

 

I myself am a graduate who went back into nursery work (as a nursery assistant to start with, even though i had my NNEB and degree) and the driving force for me was not the money but the job enjoyment. So i think if there are graduates out there that truely want to work with children then they will accept a position for the pay you get in nurseries/pre-schools.

(just my opinion anyway)

 

Dawn

[Andreamay]

very sad isnt it? I was thinking that the other day!We now offer all days to our 3to 4 yr olds and are asked constantly from parents of our 2half year olds when can they do full days!It has taken from september for our older ones to get used and cope with it!!!Why dont parents want their children at home anymore?(and im not talking about working mums) So will sessional pre-schools be fazed out i really hope not

[Lucie]

just wanted to reiterate what dawn has said.

 

im studying now so will also be a graduate and i feel that it is the job which graduates want to do and will do it for the money available.

x

[Jo A]

Perhaps there could be a scheme where the eyp could be shared between settings.

[Rea]

I think we'll all find that it will be the money or lack of it which is the defining factor. My old playgroup still pay just above minimum wage purely because the money isnt available to pay more. A graduate doesnt generate more money. It will be a very sad day if playgroups have to close.

[Guest]

Perhaps there could be a scheme where the eyp could be shared between settings.

 

I think this is what my setting is hoping will happen, The company i work for have four nurseries in total, all relativly close together (furthest one away is 50 mins from my nursery). so the plan (if were allowed to do it) is to emply me as EYP to work across all four nurseries.

I wonder if that would be possible......

 

Dawn

[belle06]

Hi

i am in the same position as Dawn and we are hoping I will be the graduate that can support the four settings(Fingers crossed)

[Andreamay]

I think the idea is the eyp will have a big say in the implementing of the fs curriculum so yes i would say it will be possible if you oversee all the planning

[Guest]

It was not a critisism that graduates would want more money-far from it. I do feel though that if you have a degree you should be paid accordingly. It is doing a great disservice to graduates that we expect them to accept low salaries because they are working in early years and in a job they really want to do.

I worked out my guaranteed hourly wage the other day. I am not a graduate but have a teaching certificate and over 17 years experience owning and managing my pre-school. I take out a monthly salary and then, at the end of the year if there is enough money to do so, an annual amount. Sometimes the annual figure is very small so my guaranteed wage is less than £5 an hour. This doesn't include the work I do at home, but just for the hours I am in pre-school. I daren't calculate the amount I actually earn because I think I would cry if I did.

I love my job-not the paper work but working with the children, their parents and my staff. But loving your job and the children does not mean you have to be paid a measly amount of money. And that is what we are expecting graduates to do and it is just not fair.

So please don't think that I feel graduates are just in it for the money because I know they are not. But I wouldn't blame them if they went elsewhere, because they deserve it.

Linda

[Guest]

It was not a critisism that graduates would want more money-far from it. I do feel though that if you have a degree you should be paid accordingly. It is doing a great disservice to graduates that we expect them to accept low salaries because they are working in early years and in a job they really want to do.

I worked out my guaranteed hourly wage the other day. I am not a graduate but have a teaching certificate and over 17 years experience owning and managing my pre-school. I take out a monthly salary and then, at the end of the year if there is enough money to do so, an annual amount. Sometimes the annual figure is very small so my guaranteed wage is less than £5 an hour. This doesn't include the work I do at home, but just for the hours I am in pre-school. I daren't calculate the amount I actually earn because I think I would cry if I did.

I love my job-not the paper work but working with the children, their parents and my staff. But loving your job and the children does not mean you have to be paid a measly amount of money. And that is what we are expecting graduates to do and it is just not fair.

So please don't think that I feel graduates are just in it for the money because I know they are not. But I wouldn't blame them if they went elsewhere, because they deserve it.

Linda

 

HI Linda,

 

I can't speak for anyone else but i didn't take what you said as a criticism, in fact its a very valid point.

Sadly working in the childcare setting is just so poorly paid, and i think we ALL deserve more recognition (be that financial or otherwise) for the jobs we do

 

Dawn

[Guest]

One thing that seems to be happening is that pre-schools are forming partnership Foundation Stage Units with schools. Not all of these are even on the same site as the school, and it does not mean that the school is taking over the pre-school, what it does mean is that a teacher has overall responsibility for the delivery of the curriculum, and often there is join planning. This mean though that the pre-school won't need to employ a graduate, which as you say most can not afford.