Working in nurseries.

[Ilovegreentomatoes]

I work in a nursery. We are permanently understaffed and can never seem to encourage applicants.I notice this is a common theme among nurseries struggling to recruit staff. So out of interest just wanted to know what would put people of working in a nursery? Yes pay is normally minimum wage could it be that? Or working with children in general? Just interested to hear opinions.

Left as the deputy manager but was still only earning 50p above minimum wage.

Yep, nowhere else are you given so much managerial responsibility for absolutely sweet fuck all.
There are zero responsibility roles, at much lower levels, that pay so much more. It's bonkers. Cos it's womenswork

Such big responsibility, long hours and pay is absolutely peanuts

I worked in a nursery for 12 years, I did it despite the low pay as I loved it and it fitted in with my children's school times. I worked in a nursery which wasn't part of a chain and we provided a high quality of child care, I was paid a decent amount.
Once my children were older I left it for a job paying a lot more money and also much less physically demanding.

Being brutally honest, every nursery I worked at had incredibly catty staff. Endless drama. That on top of the low pay and zero career progression I moved on and would never go back.

It’s probably one of the only jobs that you train for for 2 years and still only get minimum wage! I’ve just left to work in a school.

It's not only the minimum wage, its the fact that many places need you to have a level 3 qualification and still pay minimum wage.

Yes - I’m not a nursery worker but I think this is at the heart of the problem - the pay doesn’t even come close to reflecting the level of qualification required and the responsibility and stress.

I love my son’s nursery workers. They are just some of the most caring, emotionally intelligent people I’ve ever met. And I think they, and nursery workers everywhere, were incredibly brave during the worst of the pandemic, as well as being critical to the response (childcare is infrastructure after all) but received virtually no recognition for it.

I was room leader in a nursery after maternity leave with my DD I didn’t go back it wasn’t worth it financially to put her in my hourly rate would of been paltry why would I leave my baby for that
Luckily my DH has always been in good paying secure jobs
I loved the children and the staff were all brilliant we were like one big family best times of my life I had with those guys
But it’s the pay it’s scandalous all that responsibility for poor pay and not much flexibility

It's very hard work. A lot of responsibility. Minimum wage. At my Special Needs nursery everyone has at least 2 key children, sometimes up to 5. All the writing up of observations and keeping paperwork and files up to date (with the spectre of Ofsted hovering) has to be done in your own time, unpaid. Adds up to many hours over a term, with 4 or 5 key children. Yes the work is rewarding, but my goodness, not at all in terms of pay and conditions.

It's sad that the most important jobs in our society - looking after the most vulnerable, the very young and the elderly - have the lowest status and are the lowest paid.

I'd love to work with young kids but wouldn't want to do the qualifications required to only earn minimum wage.

The pay is low, I think that's the main thing. You mentioned supermarkets and how they don't struggle to recruit as much but similar pay...I think that's the level 3 requirements you usually need for nurseries but not supermarkets.

I think pay progression is a problem too..like room leaders aren't on much really are they.

Out of interest what sort of salary does a nursery manager outside of London earn?

Definitely the children! 🤣 I find 2 5 and unders hard work, can't imagine a room of them... Plus I have a sick phobia, I'd be constantly on edge every time one of them complained of not feeling well.

But also the pay and general conditions.

I’d love to do it, and would be good I reckon, I go to toddler groups most days and end up entertain the kids while parents chat. But pay! Before I had children I worked in admin and earned almost double to what I saw advertised for a room leader in a nursery and spent half my day twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do. Though I have to say I was miserable and I now value my happiness in work over the salary, I enjoy being around kids and being a mum so it may still be something I go for once my youngest starts school

Long days, lots of responsibility, a role held in very poor regard even though many of us are very highly educated and experienced. I will be leaving the job at some point, mostly because of the pay. It doesn't match what we're expected to do re: care, planning, paperwork etc. And there's few opportunities to progress.

Ridiculously low wages and so much work. Not just keeping so many kids safe and happy but the care plans/ensuring they are developing milestones when they should be....so so much responsibility. I honestly naively never realised all what goes in to it before putting my son to nursery.

The only people I know who have done it have gotten a free childcare place for their child so whilst they may only be earning around £1000 for full time work they are at least getting it in their bank whereas someone earning around that for 3 days work may see the full amount go out for nursery fees.

@Sugarcoatedalmond not always...Google Hamilton School in Aberdeen. It was a very prestigious private school that was instantly closed by inspectors. The nursery too.

Purely the money. I’ve often thought I’d love to work in a nursery, but there’s just no way I could afford to, or that I’d be willing to take on such an intense job with so much responsibility for peanuts. Clawed my way out of NMW insecure jobs over the span of a decade, not a chance I’d willingly return to one.

@Sugarcoatedalmond

I’m currently considering moving my DC to a nursery attached to a (private) primary school. Is the staff pay there likely to be better than in a large chain day nursery?

No I can tell you that in my experience it is not better pay, its the same as other nurseries. The facilities will be better though for the children, nice grounds etc..

I worked in one for 10 years and loved it, I was fortunate that my DH earns well and it fit in with school hours so for me the pay was ok.
I left due to my health but other than the money the biggest down side for me was the huge amount of paper work, which took time away from interacting with the children which I really enjoyed.

I work in a nursery
I’m on £10.45 an hour and get 30 days holiday a year, including bank holidays
I’ve worked my way up and have undertaken lots of qualifications along the way and my pay does reflect my qualifications and experience
It is hard work, yes, but very rewarding and I wouldn’t want to do anything else
It’s not always about the money
DH earns 3 times what I do but he hates his job
I do find that lots of people think that working in a nursery will be easy and many don’t last very long

See, the very fact that you think £21K for a 40 hour working week, with little flexibility, after you have 'worked your way up', and only getting 22 days AL (+BHs) is good, explains exactly why not many people want to work in Nurseries.

If you want to work with little people and qualify as a Teacher, you would start on about £23 / £24 (is it now ?), and go up from there. You wouldn't have the responsibilities of things like employing other people and all the legal responsibilities that PVI Managers and deputies do. You would have school holidays.

The poor pay and lack of progression is why people don't want to work in Nurseries.

Young people who live at home tend to work in a nursery as the pay is ok of you have no real bills as such!

Pay is awful. Especially considering the amount the parents pay a day to put there child in one

I work in a nursery
I’m on £10.45 an hour and get 30 days holiday a year, including bank holidays
I’ve worked my way up and have undertaken lots of qualifications along the way and my pay does reflect my qualifications and experience
It is hard work, yes, but very rewarding and I wouldn’t want to do anything else
It’s not always about the money
DH earns 3 times what I do but he hates his job
I do find that lots of people think that working in a nursery will be easy and many don’t last very long

21k is actually a lot more than I thought it’d be, tbf, though perhaps not for having worked your way up. Round where I’m from though that’s a good wage. Most people are delighted to hit 25k and 17k is the average I think (town in South Yorkshire).

I've worked in a nursery for 7 years. Even went back part time after having my daughter. The pay is shit, parents can be annoying though most of ours are brilliant. I do it because I love the children

I'd say pay. And then the nature of being a childcarer means that when you have your own children you're more likely to want to stay off with them until school age, and then more likely to want school hours and TA work.

Working in a nursery also means following SO MANY regulations and guidelines (for good reason) which some people find is quite draining and restricted after a few years. The high turnover of staff and low pay is hard for staying motivated. There's more money and flexibility in nannying or childminding. There's more of a career structure in teaching. Its a shame its such an undervalued career, it could be so much better.

When I left work on Friday at 4.30 the children were in the garden and shouted my name as I left, they kept shouting my name till I was out of hearing
I felt like a pop star 🤣
That’s why I do it
Bet many of you don’t feel that much love as you leave work 🤣