Is anyone on the committee running their pre-school?

[geogteach]

As of one week ago I am chair of the pre school. I'm not sure I really knew what it entailed, so far I am fielding applications for an admissions secretary (the only paid position), mopping upproblems that arose from apraisals and trying to get the contact details of everyone on the committee.
Does anyone else have an active role in pre school, care to share how you get on?

Hi there geogteach. Well done you for taking on a chair's role!

I've been on my pre-school committee for almost 5 years now , the first three as treasurer. I'm currently secretary.

Can I ask a few questions about your admissions secretary? There's such a huge volume of work now that committees are required to do, we have real trouble getting committee members who are prepared to do the work. Last year, after much discussion, we employed an administrator, but she had to resign quite quickly due to ill health, and because the new committee were having a panic about finances, we didn't replace her and now the chair currently does everything. She is now not happy to do that anymore (understandably) so we are going to go back into the debate about finding another adminstrator.

What responsibilities does your admin sec have? How many hours does she do? Is it a permanent position? And, erm, anything else you care to tell me about it!

As to how we get on, I have to say, I've found the pre-school committee a minefield for personal relationships. People tend to join the committee who already know people on it, but the politics of the committee can really kill a good friendship. Oh, the rucks that we've had over the years... I don't think it's just us either, I think a lot of pre-school committees are like this!

The admissions sec job is a permanent position, 10 hours a month worked from home. The person who does it fields all enquiries about the waiting list, accepts applications, manages the list, informs people when they are due to start and negotiates which sessions they want to attend. IMHO we give too much choice on this last bit.
The rest is done by the committee and I too am shocked at just what that involves, applying for grant, collecting fees, staff management, health and safety...
I anticipate a fair number of rucks too, it is a church playgroup that has been going 25 years so one man and his dog have an opinion on how it is run!

You can go on courses to learn "how" to be a preschool committee officer. And what your responsibilities are. Ask your staff, it will be listed in one of their course offering booklets.

Thanks thats interesting

Pre-school Learning Alliance will have loads of info about this. Well worth contacting them.

Arrgh help! Does anyone on a committee know anything about CRB checks?

Not much but I'm about to find out! Just become Secretary (as I refused pointblank to be Treasurer!) and I need to get myself checked. Apparantly you can do it online but thats all I've found out so far!
Only named officers are getting checked at our pre-school.

Yes, pretty much the same as myself. I have taken on the role of staffing officer but wonder what I have let myself in for!

A member of staff has asked me if her CRB from 2004 in still valid as when hers was approved she was the Chairperson of the committee. I.e. does it make any difference if you change jobs within the same setting. I imagine not, but the CRB site is not much help.

I see it turning into a full time job as this rate!

We are lucky in that our ex-chair has become Administrator, deals with waiting list/admissions, fees, grants and helps with typing stuff up. 5 hrs per week @ £6 per hour. She does more, but that's what she gets paid for, give or take a bit of overtime. However, it can be a bit daunting for new staff/committee as she knows everything about everything - bit of a control thing.

Fimbo, staffing officer interesting - what other named roles do you have?

if you're a volunteer on a committee, then Ofsted do the checks for free (and the chair definitely needs one to be the registered nominated person). Members of staff have to be done through a company (we use Capita) and you have to pay a nominal fee, unless it's the first one they've had. If you phone Ofsted they'll send you all the forms.
Don't you have to learn a lot quickly...I've only been doing this since Sept (and I already want to quit!!!)

We use Capita for the staff too

The form you need is called a DC2. A meeting I went to last week run by the local authority said all committee members need them, I think that is overkill and will put people off, we check people who have access to personal info, chair, fees officer, admissions officer (we pay someone to do this) and treasurer. We were also told at least one committee member should have child protection training, has anyone done this?

I'm in overall charge of Child Protection purely by job description..but I haven't had any training since giving up work (over 6 years ago). Ilooked into local courses, but would have to give up 2 Saturdays (full days) which isn't a possibility...anyone got any suggestions!

LOL - I thought I was taking on an "easy" role. Ha ha how naive was I?

RedShoes

We have;-
Chairperson
Secretary (does the minutes of meetings)
Treasurer
Activity Group Register Secretary (we have a group where parents stay with children age 2-2 1/2 for 11/2hr session - separate to p/group}
Playgroup Register Secretary
Health & Safety Officer
Fundraising Officer (x2)
Parent Helper Rota Secretary.
Staffing Officer (that's me!)

We do not have any paid positions on the committee

Hello! I've been chair of our local pre-school for 6 months now, and I too am shocked at the amount of free time I have to give to this role! I really had no idea what I was taking on!(doh!) I occasionally get frustrated at the difficulty I find in getting simple questions answered, and feel it would be a real help to speak to others doing the same kind of thing: are any of you up for an occasional on-line chat?

I'm the nominated person for both an Out of School Club and a Preschool and have looked after all the admin/governance side of things for 6 years now. The amount of work that is required by volunteers shows quite clearly how much 'free' early years provision is subsidised by the settings. If all the work involved was actually paid then IMO no setting would bother with the funding.

WRT CRBs, although the checks for the manager and committe are done through Ofsted via the EY2 form, CRBs for staff have to be done through one of Ofsted's nominated companies (like others here I use Capita - free for the first one and £53.63 for subseqent checks).

But this is all changing from next month when the new Vetting and Barring Scheme comes in so you might find it worthwhile looking on the Independent Safeguarding Authority website for more information.

Also, I'd recommend that you arrange a meeting with your area development officer who should be able to check your current set up and help fill in any gaps.

I'm not sure what the protocol is here for recommending other sites but I subscribe to the Foundation Stage Forum, which costs £20 per year to join (or free if your LA is a member) and I get loads of info and resources from there.

Good luck.

Me too - been on committee for last two years and as of last night became Treasurer! I actually arrived at MN looking for a community of pre-school committee mums.

So, yes happy to chat and share how we do things. I think there's a few of us here.

There's also a Foundation Stage forum which some local authorities pay subscription for.

I was committee memeber for 2 years, then Chair for 2.5.

I am now a paid admin manager for the setting (10 hours a week, based in the preschool) and am also a paid member fostaff working iwth the children.

Am happy to help with questions!!

I think it is very daunting when you firstbecome involved, but remember you are doing it as a volunteer and so people should be very understanding baout your role and what time restraints you have.

I've been Chair of our preschool for over 2 years now and took on the role knowing very little about it. I offered to join the committee and the following week became secretary and the following month became Chair. If I knew then what I know now, there's very little chance I'd have taken the role on. Don't mean to scare you - but I can't believe how much responsiblity comes with the posisiton.

Although I have become very passionate about the whole thing and doing my best to make our Pre School the best in town!! We have just rebranded ourselves (new logo), new promotional leaflets and posters and, as from September, new hours. I have a fab vice chair (who's always helps to make those decisions you can't make on your own!) and she's also assisant treasurer. Our treasurer is a fully qualified account and knows his stuff which makes the money side of things quite straightforward. If I could drop one responsiblity it would be the dreaded appraisals and pay reviews - aaaaarrrrgggghhh!!!