dream day nursery

[iuseantiageingstuff]

What is your idea of a dream day nursery?

Mine would be
one to one care and wide open outdoor play space.

Staff that stay on longer than a term because they know the pay structure is sound and fair.

I am a nursery nurse but have been a kids rep too, so I have in the back of my mind how a day nursery would be and would love to set it up and run it one day.

Large bungalow in it's own ground rooms for 0-1's 1-2's, 2-3's 3,4's and 4-5's with each room having a staff ratio of 1 - 3 and the maximum allowed in each room being 9 children.

The nursery would be set in it's own grounds and have a lake, with canoes and small boats so that staff and children can go sailing, the lake would have it's own sandy beach so we could play in the sand and build, there would also be a nice park area, and lots of nice country style lanes for the children to walk along with staff or drive their toy cars and bikes these lanes would also have traffic lights, crossings, and road signs.

All the childrens day rooms would be large and spacious with different areas eg sensory paly area, where we could do flour play etc, home corner, small world etc and lead out into a large courtyard where we would have teepees and other outside equipment.

The children would all arrive at 8.15 am and have breakfast together from babies upto pre-schoolers in a large refectory with mixed ability tables so that the children all get on and speak to eachother and learn from each other, then they would all go through to their rooms and come back to the refectory to eat lunch at 12.15 and then tea at 4.15.

The day would be spent mostly like it is done at home out and about and we would have a small shop within the area for local people to buy things from but also for the children so that they can help buy things for lunch etc or learn about shops, we would also have a "community" bus which the children would go on "trips" on, around the "campus".

The children would do a lot of art and craft at the nursery and we would use a lot of the local people to come in and help lots of parent helpers and "older" people to teach us things or just for a new perspective or for children who don't have dads/mums/grandparents etc to have good role models.

We would have our own libary within the nursery which would be open for parents to use and would be open at the end of the day 5.15 pm onwards and also on the weekends when we would do activities with parents and the children.

We would also provide seminars for parents on all matters of things from baby signing, to behaviour issues etc and let the children attend the sessions with the parents etc.

Each child would also have their own a4 arch folder with photos, statements and "work" in, which would be kept in the lobrary for parents to peruse to see what their child gets up to etc.

Oh all staff would have to stay for the academic year at least to see the children through as all children would move through the rooms together as a group, rather than individually on their birthdays. Pay would be well spent on staff and parent helpers would recieve reduced childcare due to their help and expertise

SOUNDS GOOD TO ME YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LOT DYNAMICNANNY

I am trying to convert a modern agricultural barn into a children?s daycare nursery. This would take children from age 2 to preschool and provide Nursery Education.

The nursery would prioritise the importance of food and eating with particular emphasis on natural local produce, hopefully from farmers markets, supplemented by vegetables grown on the premises. Meals will be had together and the staff will eat the same food at the same time and place as the children.

The Nursery would also keep chickens and we are investigating the possibility of both an orchard and keeping pigs. I will be having a large outdoor area, with vegetable beds, chickens, a human sundial and a sensory garden surrounded with either a hedgerow or living willow fence.

While running the nursery I will use sustainable supplies and would be keen to use reusable nappies & wipes.

I feel that teaching the children at an early age that the world is under threat and by considering our daily actions (e.g. recycling, constant consuming, waste, carbon footprints & ill-considered use of transport) we can improve things dramatically.

I intend to use bio-fuels, recycled or low impact building materials, local labour, rainwater harvesting and hopefully solar hot water.

I intend to have qualified staff, alongside volunteers from the surrounding areas, as we will be a co-op I hope that the staff will take ownership of the nursery & that this will contribute to low turnover of staff, as the high ratios of adults plus the respect they get will encourage them to stay.

We are hoping to have adults with special needs using the nursery grounds as their work placement whilst working towards a horticultural or agricultural qualifications again using volunteers to help maintain a high ratio of staff to children so that the children can join in.

Iuseantiagingstuff - and that was just of the top of my head

DN would you like a job??

I would love a job!

If you know of such a nursery, dynamicnanny, please provide the address.

Unfortunatley don't know of a nursery where all of that is possible - I wish I did but then I guess there would be a l......on.......g waiting list!

Katymac - I wish I could be positive about your idea, but I can't. It's a long story, with lots of political backstabbing, etc. But in short: I'm on a committee of a local very rural pre-school playgroup, taking children from 2-4 in a purpose built premises next to the main primary school. The building works were funded by, somewhat ironically, SureStart. I say ironically, because it's as a result of a SureStart Children centre that it's due to close! This morning my worst fears were confirmed: both the pre-school and primary school are due for the axe - starting with the pre-school. The pre-school playgroup is an independently parent-run group which just recently had a "good" OFSTED report - only narrowly missing out on "outstanding" and the school is good too. For my children - and a few others - this closure will result in a 20 minute car trip to the next nursery/primary school. There is another primary school, just 5 minutes away, that only takes children from 5 years to 11 years, but I suspect it will be in for the chop too. The problem, the LEA says, is that there are more places available than children and although they deny this vehemently, state owned and run (that is, LEA schemes) like SureStart Children's Centre based at the alternative nursery/primary school, I believe, gets priority over independently run playgroups like the one my child attends. To say their methods are underhanded would be an understatement. I sincerely hope you have better luck.

DS's nursery is pretty close to it. They have a big garden with chickens and rabbits and the children spend a lot of time outside. The staff:children ration is very good, the staff turnover rate extremely low, and the working conditions for staff far far better than the norm (I know staff there who have turned down positions with more responsibility elsewhere). They do a lot of heuristic play and free play and there's a real community feel about the place.

Now, if an eccentric millionaire benefactor were to make the whole thing free then I wouldn't object...

My advice is not to set up within the vicinity of a SureStart Children Centre and if you are already set up, and a SureStart Centre is planned near by, to fight against the centre. Otherwise, you'll be counting the days to your closure.

I'd second you on thath one MOH- I struggle to keep staff not becasue they are unhappy with us but we are out of the city & SS can pay super-high wages becasue they are so heavily subsidised!!

DynamicNAnny which area of the country are you in!!

(sorry for thread hijack iuse!)

Nowhere near you unfortunately!

I was vetoed by the secretary - who has a gross conflict of interest and should have stepped down from the committee IMO. The minute she gained her NVQ Level 3 (paid by the playgroup funds!) she dumped the playgroup and joined what is essentially our competitor - but insisted on staying on as secretary, although it's a long story - lots of history so it is somewhat more complicated than what I can write on a post. Anyhow, my suggestion was to offer a 1% pay rise for the staff - as a goodwill gesture to show that we appreciate their loyalty and hard work. It would have amounted to 6p extra per hour to the staffs' pay. I had to explain to the staff that my bid to win them a meagre payrise had failed. The two members of staff were very understanding and full of sympathy (they gave me a big hug), but in all fairness they told me, it would not have kept them at our playgroup because SureStart is offering them OIRO £9.30 to £9.50 per hour. As a small, independent, mostly unqualified parent-led playgroup committee, we simply can not match that rate of pay - ever. I can't blame the staff from wanting a better pay for what is essentially the same job. We will continue to run the playgroup and the two members of staff will try their best to find replacements but I don't think there's much chance of matching them. They will gain their BA (Hons) in Early Years Foundation Stage in the summer of 2008 and leave us. Worst still, by September 2008, all settings - including ours - will require an EYFS qualified person. I am very well aware that there is a shortage of qualified EYFS practitioners, let alone good experienced EYFS practitioners willing to drive out to a remote rural setting for £1 above the minimum wage with no prospects of pay rises etc. It will be a miracle if we survive into next year. As I said on another thread, it makes me want to weep!

Oh MOH me too!!

Whilst it's great that we're heading towards all EYFS lead settings, until ALL pre-schools & nurseries get subsidies to pay a reasonable wage to staff no degree- trained practitioner will look at us!

ALthough I am a private setting I cannot charge enough to pay staff what they are realy worth- I am not making a huge profit & over 70% of my income goes on staff wages.

If there were a subsidy I'd gladly pass it ALL on to the staff if it meant keeping them, so I'd not gain financially.

I wholly agree. I actually mentioned this to the OFSTED inspector - off the record - that although we have strengths compared to subsidised settings such as SureStart and the big chain private nurseries - we have significant weaknesses which places us in an almost impossible position. One of which is the geography - we are in a very remote area so not a large population, and the population itself is ageing 2)in a somewhat deprived area of ill health with a relatively low employment rate with the majority being paid the current minimum wage of £5.40. Hence, why we can't raise the session prices beyond the £6.50 mark so our income generation in this manner is limited. However, we fundraise successfully and have several generous benefactors who help keep the playgroup running - our key strength.

I was not surprised by the announcement of the SureStart Centre. Indeed, myself, together with most of the community, welcomed the SureStart Centre at first. The SureStart centre is based at an adjacent primary school, about 10 minutes drive or 30 minutes walk from our playgroup. The facilities are outstanding. Really impressive - with all the "middle-class" trimmings (baby signing, message, gym class) free of charge. It's a real hub, and when they paid for the construction of the playgroup building back in 2004, I was confident that the future of the playgroup was secure. I had assumed - wrongly and rather foolishly as it turns out - that SureStart wouldn't pay a fairly substantial amount of money to build a creche specification/standard premises, only to have it shut down within 3 to 4 years latter!!!!

Sure-start has had BUCKETS of money thrown at it to make it work & it has wasted SO much. All their equipment is straight out of the top expensive catalogues, & they can afford to be be over-staffed while setting up for up to 18 months while they build up a client base.

The budgets must be ENOURMOUS!

Well, around here the general consensus is that SureStart is great for the home education movement. Many people around here are one vehicle only households. Hence why they attend the playgroup, as its walking distance. I think it's rather unfair to expect a 2-4 year old to walk for half-an-hour along country lanes - especially in poor weather, and there's the safety aspect too. People do get killed along these country lanes. SureStart's solution? Hire a minibus to collect the children from what would have been our playgroup and drive them up to the SureStart building!!Yes, they must have enourmous budgets - presumably they'll pay for the parent's trip to the Surestart centre and back, should the lo fall ill during the day?

That's appalling about the SureStart centre!

I have to say I'd rather work for a nursery like DynamicNanny's (and I've sworn off working for nurseries for life after the last 3) than a massive brand-new extremely well resourced SureStart centre.

And things have got worse. It's almost certain the playgroup will be closing next year (2008) so I enquired about places at the SureStart Centre. But guess what? Everyone else most have thought likewise because the damn place is FULL. Yes, you read correct. SureStart accelerates the closure of the playgroup my dd attends but doesn't have the foresight to increase the number of places at their centre to accomodate these children. Happy New Year? I hope this is not going to be a reflection on the rest of the year. And of course, this all happens when my daughter is now entitled to the NEG funded places. Off to have a mince pie and chocolates. Dd is now on "waiting list". Never mind, she can stay at home with me in the meantime.