Nursery Manager leaving cos too much paperwork

[cathycheeks]

My Ds goes to pre-school 1 morning a week and the Leader told me today that she is leaving because of all the paperwork involved in running the setting-she had no issues with commitee or anything was just genuinly pissed off with all the work behind the scenes.
This got me wondering whether any other manager/leaders were considering leaving the profession cos of the huge amount of paperwork-I also wonder (as a newly registered childminder) whether people will not become registered because of the amount of work involved for just a few hours of childcare a week.
Just looking for your thoughts really!

I was a nuresery manager 4 years ago and left the job simply because my working day was spent in the office doing paperwork and not in the rooms looking after the children. I became a childminder 3 years ago and at first loved spending time with the mindees and would do any paperwork/prep at weekends and int he evening, after 3 years i was having to do paperwork during the day and it had got so bad i couldn't do as much as i wanted with the mindees. I only looked after 2 children and in the end the paperwork and planning for 2 children made my life horrid and my job more stressful than it needed to be. I quit childminding in Aug 07.
I am actually a BTEC qualified chidcarer with 14 years experiance of working with children and i would not consider another job in child care NOT because i no longer enjoy looking after children BUT becasue i feel it has all become over critical and demanding.

Thanks for replying bonkerz. I too have worked as a nursery manager then left to have my son and now have registerd as a childminder,it is such a shame when people want to do the job but feel forced out of it.

The level of paperwork seems mad. Our nursery manager (it's a co-op, 'owned' by the parents, so to speak) is great with the kids, really intuitive, marvellous, great with the parents too. But I don't think she really enjoys the paperwork, either.

why is there so much, what does it all cover, does anyone know?

It's everywhere.
You should try being a salt in the nHS.
I did a course the other day, part of which was spent learning how to pick up a pencil on the floor (and ticking a list to say you'd done it.)

Madness.

Its there cos OFSTED (sorry didnt mean to swear) want it
It covers EVERYTHING that a child does, the premises, the staff, the outdoors, the indoors, the food, the toilets,the outings, the whole thing
Everything has to be written down as evidence and its the time that this evidence is taking that should be used with the children.
Madness alright

It put me off being a childminder.

what, everything each child does every day? what a chore.

Message withdrawn

I've been a nursery manager for years and to be honest the paperwork is just reaching my tolerance level! Going on maternity leave in May and seriously considering whether i'll do something else when i go back.

ah, at our nursery they've stopped sending these forms and instead tell you what they've been doing in person. manager said it was getting silly, taking time out to fill in a form.