Preschool committee help

[ouchinmypouch]

Can you tell me how much your committee controls what happens within the setting?

Does the manager of the setting have control or a say in what goes on?

I have an issue in our pre school committee in that the committee (ie a previous chair) has run the setting as her own and the manager does nothing - has no input etc.

It doesnt feel right to me and Im interesetd in other peoples way of running things

In our place I would say that the manager runs the setting with the committee help and say so. I think we are a pretty good team and talk about things together. The manager runs the place day to day but has to run big decisions past the committee.

Does that help? It's a bit wooly - sorry.

I don't think I'd want to be in a place where the manager doesn't have any input - surely they are the one with the Early Years experience. Being a parent is great but doesn't give you knowledge of teaching a bunch of preschoolers altogther.

Thanks for that - she runs the place on a day to day basis - ie what happens with the children etc.

But i just feel that the committee have taken over (under the previous chair) and it just doesnt sit right

But Im not sure the manager is up to it without being nasty - but maybe she has never had the option?

And i dont really know what to do about it

Taken over how? You need to give more specifics. The committee is responsible for what happens, but only to the extent that they have delegated to qualified staff who appear to be doing a proper job.

The committee make decisions on everything - all fundraising and what we are going to do

decisions such as

a private nappy change area being put into the setting

increasing numbers and what to do about it

increasing fees

grants etc for different ideas

hours of the staff and if they have to be decreased the committee tell them

Those sound very much like the usual sorts of decisions committees make (ime). And a lot more, really, like admissions policy, having to know educational standards, getting accounts signed off, hiring, firing, etc.

thats ok then - i just wondered because of the people involved whether someone was takin gover too much

the commitee have to run the preschool and do all the things you mention plus lots more, we make all the decision (im vice chair) but we make alot of them with the staff at the meetings so that everyone is happy!!

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

And just as an ordinary parent doesn't necessarily have the Early Years qualification and experience to make curricular or childcare decisions, a preschool manager / supervisor doesn't necessarily have the business expertise to handle the marketing, finance or HR.

That sounds like decisions our committee would make. We'd discuss everything with the manager and possibly senior staff but ultimately the committee would have final say. It's the day to day and most educational stuff that we leave to the manager.

I was really shocked when I joined the committee to find out that it really was the management of the preschool rather than just a pta type fundraising thing. We seem to do more than govenors of a school do. Definitely should have looked into that before joining. I feel I live at preschool sometimes! When you get invited to staff dinners you know you are spending too much time there.