Pre-school Chairperson duties-warts and all, do you have them?? URGENT

[Ripeberry]

Hi, been on before about pre-school committee problems and we may have found a retired man who wants to help.
But he wants to know the ins and outs of the duties.
And to be frank today i can't think and can't find anything on the internet for the UK, just loads of american stuff
Can anyone list the whole duty rota, even horrible things like attending tribunals ect...
Got to get back to him this evening as it's becoming serious about our pre-school closing.
Thanks!

[Prufrock]

I've just done this list to hand over to my successor (I'm trying to say this without being smug because having done it for 3 years I do know how awful it can be and I am v. thankful that I have a great manager who identified parenst that could be on the commmittee really early on so I could get them lined up.

Areas of responsibility

Waiting list -
Claiming of NEGS
Keeping waiting list
Sending out new parent information

Staff -
Staff appraisals
Hiring of new staff
Job descriptions
Staff liaison

Buildings & Equipment -
Arranging maintenance as necessary
Inventory
Cash & Carry shopping
School/Wacky liaison committee incl. new building
Managing cleaner
Phone top-ups for gate system

Health and Safety -
Ensuring compliance with Health and Safety policies/procedures
Arranging annual fire inspections

Administration -
Meeting minutes/agenda
Committee registration - CRB/EY2 checks
Ofsted correspondence
Charity commission correspondence/returns

Parent liaison -
Parent helper rota
Parents contact list
Half-termly newsletter

Fundraising -
Organising committee to organise events

Treasurer -
Fundraising finance
Liaison with administrator (who does wages/acounts etc)
Reporting to committee on spending

[DaisyMooSteiner]

Blimey Prufrock! I'm chair of our committee and I don't do anything like that amount of stuff. Cut and pasted from your list I do:

Staff -
Staff appraisals
Hiring of new staff
Job descriptions
Staff liaison

Health and Safety -
Ensuring compliance with Health and Safety policies/procedures

Committee registration - CRB/EY2 checks
Ofsted correspondence

Everything else is delegated to someone else. Only other thing I can think of is chairing meetings and getting moaned at!

I think I've got it easy now and will never complain again.

[Prufrock]

Oh no, I didn't do all of that - that is all that the whole committee has to do - much was delegated, but I have left it to my successor to delegate amongst the new committee.

[Ripeberry]

Thanks for replying so quick! I'm going to pick out the bits that i can do as the secretary (which is most of it), so at least it should look tempting!
Some poor lady came to the pre-school yesterday to have a look around and she was pounced on and given a copy of the constitution to have a look at.
Suppose she's run as far as Scotland by now .
Wish me luck!

[VanillaPumpkinLantern]

Ripeberry - I have just done tor's for all our positions based on stuff our county gave us. Do you want me to email you??
CAT me if I can help.....

[VanillaPumpkinLantern]

Chair ? Role and Responsibilities

Organise and lead meetings through the agenda

Make sure personnel files are kept up to date

Ensure everyone has a chance to contribute to discussion at meetings

Line manage the nursery manager

Draw up the agenda with the other officers

Sign the minutes of the previous meeting when passed as correct

Ensure enough information is available for all items on the agenda to be fully discussed

Delegate work and check that decisions are acted on

Have a casting vote in the event of a tie

Keep in regular contact with the other officers and the Nursery manager

Discuss the day to day running of the Nursery with the manager

Prepare report for the AGM

Keep up to date with current relevant legislation ie H&S, employment law

Receive copies of bank statements via the Treasurer.

Be the voice of the setting

Bring parents and staff together and welcome new parents

Write employee contracts and job descriptions with assistance from committee

Sit on interview panel for potential new employees together with other committee members

Conduct regular appraisals for manager

Ensure all committee members complete a CRB check

Receive letters for the nursery and keep records of all correspondence

I have these for the Sec, Treasurer, Accountant, manager, committee, parents etc etc if useful. We have jiggled a bit with ours but not too much.

[Ripeberry]

Hi vanilla, Wow you are so organised! That description is so perfect i'm going to laminate it and put it in the Chairperson file so that everyone now and in the future knows what it entails and might not be so put off.
I'm sorry i can't CAT as i don't have the facillity.
But i think everything has been covered.
I could give you a hug!

[VanillaPumpkinLantern]

I will post the other stuff as it may be helpful....

[VanillaPumpkinLantern]

Accountant ? Role and Responsibilities

Organise the staff payroll ensuring proper procedures are in place

Register with Inland Revenue and deal with tax returns / National insurance

Committee ? Role and Responsibilities

Keep the parents notice board up to date

Keep all essential documents safe

In consultation with the leader ensure that Ofsted requirements are met following inspection

Ensure that all national standards for the setting are met

Ensure that all relevant documents are displayed during the session

Ensure parents are encouraged to be involved in all the preschool activities

Ensure the preschool is a safe place for everyone

Help with organising parents evenings for new and existing parents

Work closely with the Nursery manager

Start and finish meetings on time

Ensure all policies are up to date and reviewed annually

In consultation with the manager ensure that staff implement all policies

Ensure that CRB checks are completed on all staff

Make sure that staff contracts are current and staff have copies of disciplinary and grievance procedures

Fundraising

Collecting vouchers

Publicity

Produce publicity materials as agreed by the committee

Assist with marketing the pre-school

Prepare and send press releases as necessary

Welcome everybody

Write employee contracts and job descriptions

Sit on interview panel for potential new employees

Parents

Support fundraising events

Be involved

Keep pre-school matters confidential

Help organise events

Welcome new families

Help regularly during the pre-school sessions

Assist with cleaning nursery equipment and toys

Attend Nursery events eg. AGM and Nativity

Secretary ? Role and Responsibilities

Draw up an agenda for meeting with the other officers

Notify members of the date, time and venue of meetings

Book meeting rooms and other venues as necessary

Bring all correspondence to meetings and if urgent deal with as appropriate

Write letters as directed by the committee

Inform Ofsted of any changes in opening times, sessions or proposed change of premises

Inform Ofsted of any changes in staff or committee

Inform CIS of any officers, staff or mailing address

Write up and deliver minutes of meetings and agendas to relevant people

Keep all pre-school families informed of news events and activities

Treasurer ? Role and Responsibilities

Keep a written record of all receipts and payments

Bank any cash or cheques received promptly

Prepare and present the annual accounts to be independently examined before the AGM

Obtain cash floats for fundraising and other events

Ensure that everyone who has incurred expenses is offered reimbursement

Deal with funding issues regarding children receiving Nursery Education Funding together with the Preschool manager

Prepare forward budgets with the other officers

Receive bank statements and check them against accounting records

Take account books to all meetings and report on the latest balance and financial position

Ensure that insurance cover is adequate and reviewed annually and renewed promptly

Deal with grant applications for additional funding together with the chair and other committee members.

Send annual returns to the Charity Commission

Receive copies of bank statements

Obviously these are for our setting ie we have a paid accountant. Our county ran a great course and I have copied the info from their handouts and re-jigged it a bit.
The general committee one will be kept hidden I think. No-one would ever join would they ....but actually with jobs delegated the officer roles should not to too bad
Obv the parents one is not public either, but is encouraged through letters home etc .

HTH.

[VanillaPumpkinLantern]

Sorry that is not easy to read, but I hope you get the jist/gist (?)...

[Ripeberry]

Thanks for all that Vanilla. Now i've put it all in our committee files so EVERYONE knows what they need to do.
May stop people getting so worried about taking on positions or maybe not...

[VanillaPumpkinLantern]

I am waiting for it to backfire on me at the moment. Will anyone take anything on????
Good Luck!

[Ripeberry]

But if it was me and i was new to a committee if i could SEE what was expected of me then it would not be so bad.
It's just when you take something on and it gets worse and worse and then you start getting angry for letting yourself be pulled into it and can't wait to get out.
Well, that's what most people seem to do.

[VanillaPumpkinLantern]

I agree!!

[bumpybecky]

I'm still at the getting angry stage!

thanks Vanilla, these descriptions are v helpful

[VanillaPumpkinLantern]

[bubaboy2002]

Hi All,

Have taken over as Chair of my youngest son's preschool this April due to preschool having to close without one :( am fish out of water completely! Could really do with some advice on bad payers and any on how to be a good chair !!! Am a bit overwhelmed at the mo and wishing i hadnt agreed to do it but at same time do want to make a difference and help out. Any advice is gratefully recieved x

[ragged]

ALERT: ZOMBIE THREAD RE ORIGINAL POSTER

Buba: don't let fellow committee members natter on about irrelevant matters (my big mistake).

Look up online others' nonpayment policies; discuss several options in committee, vote on them and enforce what you decide with no exceptions.

There are LEA courses you can go on to help you have a clue what you're doing.

Be nice to staff because interviews for replacements are a faff!