Devondaisy

Really hope it isn't serious enough to need an op - starting to regret working in a place with no sick pay now! I'm going to phone the doctors on Monday and get an appointment. I so hate being ill!

Thanks for the messages, I'll let you know how I get on.

Help!

I have had a slightly dodgy knee for ages - slight twinge sometimes when I bend down - but on Friday this entered a new dimension! Sudden excruciating pain on bending, what on earth have I done?

Obviously in this job we spend a lot of time on the floor,or at best, sitting on mini chairs, but I have been doing this for years with no ill effects. I have had no injury, it came on really suddenly. Any ideas what I might have done and possible treatment? I'm panicing really, as I can't see how I can do my job if I can't bend down.

I have to say, in my setting at least, the better the ratio, the better the experience for the children, so I do worry when I feel we're getting too close to the minimum. At least I'm not alone!

I'm worried because one day of the week we have 14 children of whom 3 are 2 years old and 2of those are very hard work and need constant supervision. We also have a 3 year old with behavioural issues who needs a lot of support, and a child with very little English (one or two words). That day is a real struggle already, and in January I have 2 other children who want to add that session. I would really like another staff member but know the committee will say we are okay as we are in ratio. It is a constant battle between me wanting what is best for the children (and staff) and them talking budgets all the time!

I know what the minimum adult/child ratios are, but just wondered what ratios other groups work to - how close to the minimum ratios do you work?

I have been looking at the bookings for January and we're getting a bit close to the wire for my liking, but I know I'll have a battle on my hands if I ask the committee for more staff as we're still legally okay. There's a huge difference between what's legal, and what's good for the children though!

We had somebody put rows of screws, hooks were too expensive, not all the way in, on the wall in the 'office'. We then clip each child's obs, photos etc onto a mini bulldog clip (from Tescos) and it hangs on a screw until collected by keyperson. Simple, but it works for us.

We did a summer trip and used parent's cars to transport children as a bus was too expensive. However, all the parents transporting were committee members so were CRB checked and all had business class insurance (one had to add this but it didn't cost anything.) Parents all agreed to this in writing as well. Staff transporting had mileage costs paid.

The big difference with our trip was that staff were happy to go on the trip with the children and were all paid. Some parents could not attend, and it's unfair to exclude those children I think - they obviously need supervising. Staff and committee members had 2 children to supervise each, often their own. I also visited the place first and risk assessed, for my own peace of mind.

I would be furious if my committee did anything like this, and you need to let them know how you feel in no uncertain terms!

Thank you everyone for the examples - I have a much better idea what I want the appraisal form to include now. It's difficult isn't it when you know that you don't like something, but you're not really sure what you want instead!

Thank you everyone for your words of support. Wow Simcity, 18 years - amazing!

The "to do" list is all mine, I just have to write everything down or I forget things! Today I made a "must do today" list instead and actually reached the bottom of it just now - I feel so much better. Still lots on the "needs to be done but not immediately life threatening" list though! I do set high standards for myself, so I only really have myself to blame!

My staff are all great, but they get paid so little I really can't ask them to do more in their own time. I also have a good committee chair at the moment, whose only fault is a tendency to want to take over - she's been in position ages, so really I'm quite well supported. I'll just keep plugging away at it, and try not to take so much home.

Really looking forward to EYP training, (and also a bit nervous!) so thanks for the words of encouragement. It feels like I'm doing something for myself and I've been wanting to do it for a while now. Fingers crossed it goes okay.

Hello everyone, it's another moan I'm afraid!

I am a pre-school leader/supervisor/manager whatever you want to call it, and have been in the job for a year. I have plenty of experience having been a childminder and worked in a children's centre previously, and also been in retail managment for many years before this. Now I expected the job to be hard work at first, especially as I had loads of changes I needed to implement to get us up to scratch in the beginning, and believe me I have worked my socks off. The trouble is it never seems to end! I never reach the end of my 'to do' list, and I go to bed at night thinking of all the things I still need to do. I had a big committee issue last week which caused me many sleepless nights (all sorted now), and I tried to go in all positive each day, but by Friday even the parents were asking if I was okay, I looked so rough!

Trying to balance work and home (I have 3 teenagers at home) is a constant battle. Never mind not being able to please all of the people all of the time, I can't please anyone any of the time!

I would really like to ask all you "old hands" who have managed to do the job for years, just how do you do it? When I first joined this forum sokmeone posted about the average burn out time in this job, and they suggested 4 years. I think I'm close to that now. Help!

Also, just to add to it all, I'm starting EYPS in January, and really not sure I can cope with that too, but I really want to do it for myself.

Does anyone have a staff appraisal form which they would be willing to share please? Our current one is quite rubbish to be honest (have no idea where it came from) and I would like to have a new one ready for next year's appraisals in January.

Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

We're doing an evening celebration as it was such a success last year. Mulled wine (or fruit punch) and mince pies, a chance to mingle, and then the children sing their Christmas songs, whilst hoding their clay candle holders with LED candles! The highlight for the children is the visit from Father Christmas afterwards. Haven't decided on the songs yet, but need to get a move on as we need lots of time to practice!

My ABSOLUTE favourite (thanks to a friend in a nearby LA Reception class )......

 

Prince-Armanii

 

Nona

Well, I don't think anyone's going to beat that!!!

Where I used to work we had some very interesting names - twins Xander and Ella-Rae, Ailanni (big sis was Lakarie), and Merrilees - she used to love it when we sang 'row row row your boat', as she thought we were singing her name...!

Alfie must be popular, we have one of those too!

We also have 2 Amy's and 2 Oscar's.

Slightly unusual one - Marina, but it's a lovely name, reminds me of the Thunderbirds!

I slept too. The chickens were very grumpy when I finally let them out!!

I'm thinking about building a willow dome or wigwam in a corner of the pre-school garden, as the children really love dens, and we don't have the money for a wooden structure. We often use a pop-up tent which is popular, but the garden is very windy so it isn't always possible.

Just wondered if anyone had done anything like this? Is it easy? Any tips? How much maintenance is involved (as this will no doubt fall to me!) I'm quite excited about the idea, but don't wantto bite off more than I can chew!

I too can sympathise, but haven't really got any ideas to help. We're in the same situation, and really should have lost a member of staff this term, but nobody wants to do that as we would need her back by the summer! We went to single point entry this year too which hasn't helped!

My committee chair is very finance orientated, and showed me a breakdown of finances, and we are only making a profit on 1 day out of 4 this term - quite shocking. We are doing everything possible to fundraise at the moment, as I'm sure everyone else is too!

I'm very interested in the idea that hourly fees should be equal to the hourly funding rate, as ours are way below this at the moment. Is this written in stone anywhere? Makes sense to me anyway as our unfunded children are younger and so need a higher staff ratio anyway.

Has anyone got any pictures they could share? I can't quite imagine hessian on the dispay boards although I like the sound of it...what do you use as a border?

Having spent an hour yesterday taking a display down and putting new backing paper up (bright blue I confess!) in my own time in half term, I'm quite tempted by this idea. Not sure my room will ever be calm though, but it might help!

The thing that's being used most in our mark-making area at the moment is mini whiteboards - the children absolutely love them!

Thank you everyone for the replies.

I have now spoken to Mum at length, and am feeling a lot more comfortable. She is happy for her child to learn the songs and join in with Christmas activities, as long as she is not preached at. She also recognises our need to celebrate diversity and talk about other religions and ways of life, so that is fine.

However, the whole thing has made me think about balance, as we really do spend more time on Christian festivals than any other religion, as we don't have children of any other religion at pre-school. I'm wondering how to redress the balance, or whether it is better to concentrate on those festivals which are relevant to the children attending. Food for thought anyway!

Does anyone else go to Church with their local school? We have been invited to join the carol service, and a number of parents this year were disappointed that we didn't go to the harvest festival service.

I have had an e-mail from a parent regarding our Christmas activities. They are an Atheist household and so don't celebrate Christmas, and she is anxious to shield her daughter from the onslaught of Christmas. We are planning an activity morning where parents can join their child and join in with lots of Christmas activities, and she wants to know exactly what we are planning to do (actually I don't know myself yet!) Also she wants to miss our evening celebration where children sing songs for the parents (it's not a Nativity).

I just wondered if anyone else has come accross this and how you managed it? We will have lots of Christmas activities on offer in the run up to Christmas, and will be practicing our Christmas songs daily, so it will be hard to shield her entirely. Obviously she can miss the evening celebration and activity session if she chooses to which is absolutely fine. Also, we like to celebrate cultural diversity by celebrating other religious festivals during the year - can we still do that?

I've worked in settings where families have a variety of cultural beliefs and we have celebrated everything with everyone, and really enjoyed the input from families. This is a new one for me though.

Any advice would be appreciated, before I e-mail back, thanks!

We're doing Christmas cards at the moment - collages which the children do and are then sent away to be scanned and made into packs of cards for the parents to buy. I have had more than one parent ask me to get their child to add a bit more here and there before they will buy the cards.Such a shame as originally they were all their own work, but I have to admit I have respected the parent's wishes on this one!

How about just getting every parent'e e-mail if they have one and e-mailing everything when you need to. As a response to a parent's comment on last year's questionnaire I now do a weekly newsletter by e-mail, which contains lots of photos of what the children have been up to that week. Parents love it and I have had so many positive comments. I also really enjoy putting it together!! Having all the e-mails is also useful when I need to let parents know about something quickly - we had hand, foot an mouth recently so i was able to send a link to the relevant NHS page giving information about it. I still have a folder with all the newsletters/info printed out, butall our parents at the moment are happy with e-mail.

I just worry about facebook as i'm never sure just who can see what, so this solution is better for me.

If it helps, I'll tell you what we do. I took over a year ago, and have changed many things, but a little at a time, so as not to overwhelm everyone - staff and children alike!

9am we open and children come and sit down in the circle (although sometimes very little ones choose not to which is fine, mostly they do because we have an activity to do and it is fun!) Once most are in we say hello around the circle, count the children and then go off to play.

From 9.30-ish freeflow, indoors or out. Cafe is prepared with a child volunteer, and children come as and when they wish. We close the cafe around 10.30, giving lots of advance warning!

11.30 tidy up followed by number songs and then story.

12.00 Some children go home, others wash up for lunch club.

We are open until 3.30, with children doing varied sessions to suit. The afternoon is free play/free flow from around 1pm until 3pm, then songs and story again.

Later in the year we start taking groups for focussed work, as the need and/or ability arises, such as letters and sounds. We also often do group activities, for example this week we all made gingerbread men, but this always follows children's interests.

Throughout the session staff are observing children, taking photos etc, which gives us the evidence we need to show their progress.

Hope that helps!

My pre-school takes children from 2 years until they go to school, so 4+. We do have lots of books, but I'm getting a bit bored as we seem to read the same ones quite often! Just wondered what your favourite children's books are for this age group - hoping for some new ideas.

Thank you!