Headteacher uses Nursery as a creche

[madamecholet43]

Our Head teacher uses our Nursery class to park her child quite often.(child is too young for nursery this year). She also encourages her friend who is deputy chair of the governors to do the same and they quite often have their children stay for lunch as well. As a parent at the school I feel incredibly sorry for the staff who I imagine have no say in the matter. I also worry what would happen if there was an emergency and it emerged that there was not only a child under nursery school age on the premises but that we were over the quota of children in the class. There seems to be no way of complaining to anyone since it is the headteacher and a governor involved. What would you do to stop this happening?

[islandofsodor]

There might be nothing you can do. How do you know that it takes them over their quota. They may only do it on days when someone else is absent, or they may have spaces.

With regards to age I think most nurseries are registered to take children from the age of 3. However in practice they take them the term after their 3rd birthday or the September after.

It is in some places seen as a perk of the job although I obviously don't know the specific arrangments at your school. It might be that the nursery staff themselves suggested it as a way of allowing the governor to attend meeting or something.

[madamecholet43]

Hi there, thanks for making some valid points.
The school nursery is over subscribed. I don't have much of a problem with the governors child, who actually is entitled to be at nursery. However this makes it impossible to complain to the Head of Governors which would be the logical step.
The head teacher's child comes in every Friday wearing plain clothes after the time everyone comes in, so it is not something that appears obvious.
Surely there must be some Health and Safety rules that make it very dodgy to have children who are not registered to be at school coming to school. What if there was a fire or an accident? I would sue the school if anythng happened to my child at this session because they can't provide proper care.

[islandofsodor]

Well there will be ratios that have to be adhered to and the child would need to be signed in as a visitor. The Pupil intake number of a school is sometimes set as lower than the actual staff/child ratio if classroos etc are smaller. The LEA should be able to give you the details.

As an aside there were several children of teachers and TA's at my dd's school yesterday. They were off for voting, ours wern't but I didn't see it as a problem to be honest.

Is your child in the nursery or actually at school? Nursery classes are usually quite self contained so in the event of a fire would have no impact on your child.

[crokky]

My DS is at a school nursery and they take children from the term after they are 3. They don't have any nursery for younger children. Anyway, they have actually allowed a 2yo in this term (not sure why, I'm sure she's very advanced etc) but the insurance etc must cover it. I would imagine this child is put onto the fire list etc. I would also imagine that they are not over their numbers (ratio wise). I don't think there's anything you can do, in fact I don't actually see the problem.

[KristinaM]

i have a 4yo at nursrey where we have to take a turn at being "on duty"

i am not allowed to take my 3yo with me as he is not registered at that nursry, even though he is old enough to be there

so i agree with the OP, its seems a bit strange

[stealthsquiggle]

Do you know for sure that they are over their numbers in a staff/child ratio way? Or that they are not insured for younger children? DD's nursery is insured for DC from birth to 16 even though they clearly don't take them for that whole age range.

If it really worries you, why not ask one of the nursery staff whether it does compromise staff ratios or insurance?

[KristinaM]

and if i coudln't get my child into teh nursery, but saw teachers using it as occasional childcare, then i woudl be annoyed too

i am not talking about teachers registering their child in the normal way. if they live in the catchment area or pace a placement request then of course they are entitled like everyone else

[Northernlurker]

Goodness me you seem very worked up about this! I think if you trust your child to the nursery staff that includes trusting them to take care of him in an emergency. One or even two extra children is not going to make any difference about that.

i think this seems very petty actually and would recommend you find something serious to worry about.

[madamecholet43]

I don't think this is a petty issue.
I believe this an abuse of power to expect other staff to look after this child, who isn't entitled to be at this state school in this borough. If it was a one-off case as mentioned for the voting day or if the nanny was ill, then it would be a different matter.

[badgerhead]

Ratios of staff to children in a school nursery class are 1 adult to 13 children, however if it is a maintained nursery(that is funded by the local authority) then children who attend should not be under 3 years unless the parent is paying a fee for them to do so. A way of checking what numbers they are allowed is to go to the Ofsted Website and search for the registration details of the Nursery. This might be in a couple of places on the site as it is a school & would be dependent on its type of funding. (maintained or pvi, therefore drawing down funding in a different fashion)If you can prove or strongly suspect that they are not adhering to their registration conditions then a complaint can be made to Ofsted raising you concerns over too many children being cared for on a regular basis. Ofsted will either write to the nursery or do an unannounced visit to investigate the complaint. I would hope that it would be the latter in view of the connections of the children involved.(I would stress this connection in any complaint made). Complaints can be made anominously if you are concerned.

[Northernlurker]

An abuse of power?



Come on - correct me if I'm wrong but does your knowledge about this outrage rest only on what you think you have observed in day to day pick ups and drop offs? Do you have any knowledge of the children's actual age or status within the school? Do you know how many children were in for the sessions concerned? Do you in fact know anything about this situation that goes beyond the conclusions you yourself have drawn?

Your problem isn't how to stop this happening when the head is involved - it's why is this troubling you so much when it is in fact none of your business.

[littlebrownmouse]

My DD is four and starts school at the school ewre I work in September. I wouldn't bring her into school and put her into our full reception class now. She's too young, the class is full, it wouldn't be right. Surely what the head is doing is the same thing. It isn't right. The child isn't entitiled to be there. Nursery class attached to a school is NOT a day nursery for people who go to work to use as a creche, its a part of the school's provision for education. Nursery education is the same as reception, KS1, KS2 etc. It should be valued as such and not used as a creche facility.