To be jealous my nursery teacher friend is on more than me

[Nurseryh]

I'm a nursery manager on £23,000; have a been in the job a couple of years. My friend is a nursery teacher and comparing wages, I'm shocked. After having a chat, we literally do the similar things. I feel a bit put off by it but I suppose I'm the stupid one for not qualifying.

What is it with the UK government and loving to have staff on the cheap? Why am I on so much less for literally the same job apart from the different name??

She's been to uni and got her qualifications. You can do the same

Ah typos - sorry typing too fast

@maddy68

Agree with this. Tbh I doubt you'd get it as it's a job you need a qualification for. The rise in money comes with the relevant qualifications. Probably like in your nursery (presumably) the unqualified staff will get a bit less than the qualified. They all do the same job

I plan for the children, I arrange the activities, I tell the nursery nurses tasks for the day, I visit parents before their children join the nursery, I stay behind after work sorting out the next day activities, I observe the children, we do circle time on the carpet, our nursery has started doing phonic input, we do our numbers etc.

Has it always been this way? I wonder if there is just more pressure on nursery’s these day and what they need to achieve. Sounds like they are essentially asking you to do a teacher’s job and it will get to the point where it will become the expectation that a teacher does it. Sounds awful, but maybe the role of ‘nursery manager’ will get phased out.

Yes

@maddy68 I have been to uni but I focused more on BSL and I am now a fluent BSL speaker and it's something we now do in the nursery;
I'm not saying my nursery teacher friend is wrong to be paid what she is, I'm just saying it's sad that childcare is still not recognised as deserving good money

@housepilot it was a statement not a question

You are responsible for the running of the place but your friend is responsible for the children's development.
If the children are not meeting targets etc then it falls on the teacher first I'd of thought.
It will be your friend who has set work etc and who knows what to teach I'm guessing?

@EV117 phonics has become more of a "thing" is many nurseries now;
And no, it won't be phased out, why would they pay a nursery teacher when they can get nursery workers on the cheap; in the same way schools aren't phasing out HLTAs or cover supervisors

OP it's also worth knowing that if you did a pgce and worked in the public sector you'd get an automatic pay rise for a number of years.

Nursery staff in the private sector get paid abysmally.

You have a lot of potential if you're fluent in BSL and could earn a lot more than you are now if you wanted to.

@KylieCharlene ay?? I'm also responsible for the children's development? I don't think parents would continue sending the child to our nursery if we just let them loose. Activities are well-planned and we focus on counting, numbers, sounds etc.

I was in a similar position many years ago so I went to teacher training college. You would only have to do a PGCE or School based training for a year to gain QTS. I know it's not fair but it's the system. You would get school holidays and a teacher's pension too, no brainer. You'd be snapped up.

It’s shocking how little you’re paid for the responsibility you have, however I’m not sure what that’s got to do with the government? I do think it sounds like it would be worth investigating teaching qualifications. I’ve worked in both settings and the jobs are not the same at all but I’m sure you’d be very capable of being a nursery teacher with your experience.

@girlmom21 totally agree! Especially nursery nurses - £12,000 a year some of them and many have years of experience and 2 I work with have degrees in child development and another in SEN (don't know the exact title of the degree). It's shameful but I suppose because it's a popular job, there's no need for a pay rise

I think PP is talking about accountability rather than responsibility per se. Nursery teachers will be accountable to the school and will have to report on student progress. If any students aren't making expected progress they will be expected to run interventions and explain why targets aren't being met.

I don't know how that works in the private sector - it may be the same.

If there is a qualified teacher in a nursery class (of 3-4 year olds) I believe they can have a ratio of 1:13. So they are paid more but need less other staff. It's always seemed a bit strange to me that by being a qualified teacher they can support way more children at once.

Go do your PGCE and then become a teacher not a manager.

You have the experience.

Btw I'm well aware that phonics is taught in early years because my DD comes back from her CM making the sounds of letters. The CM reinforces and extends what she learns at nursery.

Sorry I probably worded the OP wrong; I meant I don't understand why the pay in private sectors can't be clamped down on by the government; private sector pay needs a rethink I think

If your friend is a nursery teacher in the public sector, they'll have done a primary PGCE or education undergrad, which is a teaching qualification. That means they can teach all the way up to year 6.
Somebody working in nursery may not necessarily be allowed to stay there either. They may do nursery for a bit, then maybe asked to teach year 1 the next.
This qualification is why they're paid so much. Yes they might be essentially doing the same job, but as they're a qualified teacher, they are qualified to teach across the primary range, and are therefore paid as such for their 'ability' to do so.

Because it's a free market economy and that's not how it works, especially under the tories

This has not been the case since approx 2011. All teachers pay increases are now purely down to performance

Thanks Holly.

@Heathofhares effectively it's still pretty automatic. Unless your PD review is abysmal and your HoD really hates you 😂