Working in a private day nursery vs as a teacher in a school?

[Redcameralove93]

Hello!

Just wondering if this lovely website can give any insight to work in a private day nursery compared to a school nursery?

I have worked as a manager in private day nursery since October. I have completed a degree in Primary Education 5-11 years and chose not to go into teaching after graduating because I hated my last placement and completely lost interest. I have not completed my NQT year. Working in an Early Years Nursery has brought an interest that I honestly thought was gone, I have even undertaken a master's degree in early years.

I currently feel unsupported as a manager and that I don't get the time to do all I want with children. I spend half the time in the office and the other half with the children. I am not a keyworker or part of a room team and I'll be honest, I hate the managing staff side of things. I am currently paid £9.30 an hour (I see the same role online for more pay?). I do not get paid overtime so have to take my time back which is a struggle due to staffing and feeling guilty. I follow many pages for Early Years on Facebook and see all these rooms ideas,/philosophies etc that I'll never have the opportunity to put into place as my manager wouldn't allow me (EG. I'd like to be more natural, hate displays etc). When I was a keyworker (covering staff gaps), I was expected to do it all (eg assessments, displays, planning etc) within three hours a day without extra opportunity to catch up. My nursery doesn't offer time out to support staff. I would really like my room and all that comes with that I think.

I have considered looking at a demotion at my current nursery but I know there is not avaialibility and much of the above wouldn't change. I know I've missed the boat for September but it doesn't hurt to plan ahead for 2020.

I just wanted to see what people's thoughts were about each environment as I've not had the opportunity to work in a school nursey. I'd like to consider your views and see if it's just a bad few weeks or not. :)

(Ps I posted this in a different section and can't figure out how to delete it so sorry for the repeat)

I'm a bit confused.

You've completed a degree, but not your NQT year?
If so, how would you get a job as a teacher in a Nursery class in a school ?
If I've got it wrong, and that is an option, then obviously the first advantage of being a teacher in a school is that the pay is much better than what you are getting in the PVI section.

The holidays are also better, working in a school.

The ratios aren't so good (1:13 vs 1:8)

If you are a Nursery Teacher then you'd get to spend a much higher amount of time with the dc than if you are managing a PVI but you also get to spend a LOT more time doing pointless paperwork / tracking / staff meetings that will be little to do with Nursery, etc

It is likely your overall hours per week will be longer as a teacher, but a fair amount of that will be a bit more flexible than if you are managing a PVI.

Managing a PVI, you'll have to deal with much more stuff around staffing / employment / training / regulations / etc than if you are a teacher in a school.

Feasibly, in some schools, you could be moved out of Nursery and into other year groups.

I'll need to find a school where I can undertake the year or I can do it at my current setting. I've not done it yet as it's not been necessary :)

Have you worked in both roles? If so, what did you prefer?

Thank you for pros and cons :)

Could you not qualified to be a nursery nurse in a school nursery? I feel like even then you would be on more pay than £9.30 an hour! I know the nursery nurses in the school I work in are on over £10 an hour. They are like key workers you then wouldn’t be under as much stress of management but paid more.

You can do your NQT year in your private nursery setting? Are you sure?

Have you looked at independent schools? I work in at nursery in a private school. We have a qualified Early Years teacher in charge and the rest of us are all level 3. We get the advantage of all the facilities and equipment of the school. We have different classes within Early Years each with their own teacher and level 3s. And long holidays! I’m currently on a 9 week summer holiday.

Interesting and not something I've considered really! What are the differences with a teacher?

Absolutely :) outside companies who are teachers that do your observations/reviews twice a term, set a weekly targets based on data tracking, planning etc with an assessment each term. I don't have the ins & outs but it was offered to me at another interview and when I rejected it, the lady offered to take me through this wherever I went

A 9 week holiday!? Lucky you! Enjoy all your lie ins!

I hadn't considered this, where do you find these types on roles?

I haven’t taught in a PVI setting but I am a teacher in a school nursery. I get PPA one morning a week to do paperwork. I do still have to do work before the children come and after they’ve left. We have children 8.30-3.30 with an hour between sessions. We have fifty children in total - a mix of morning, afternoon and all day children. I work with two nursery nurses and have some SEN support too. The nursery nurses have key children so we split the workload. It’s hard work during term time but the holidays are lovely. It does depend on the school though. I have a lot of freedom where I work now so can go for a natural look and change how we plan. Management are very supportive. In my old school I didn’t have that freedom and we didn’t split the workload. You can be moved about in a school too, so it isn’t a guarantee that you’ll always be in nursery. Again, it depends on management. In school settings there can also be a lot of pressure from above, from people who don’t understand Early Years and have little experience in it. You need to be able to stand up for yourself and your children. You can complete your NQT year in a school nursery class too. Hope this helps!

If you are interested in independent schools then just look on their websites, they usually have a vacancies page. I started off by volunteering though. We are lucky in our area in that we have a quite a few private schools, and they all have nursery departments.
I don't think there's any big differences with the teachers really, they work from 8 am until about 4ish, they do have a PPA session once a week. Class sizes are relatively small but can grow during the year as they allow intakes every term.

You could complete your nqt year at a school, lots of schools prefer that as you will be at the bottom of the pay scale so cheaper, and they can "mould" you into their ways

I don't know any teacher who leave at 4pm in early years or ks1, I'd say 8-5 was more realistic at least in my experience

You would get 10% planning time plus an extra 10% nqt time in the first year

Keep in mind that many schools are looking at replacing teachers with cheaper staff, nursery nurses, hlta etc to teach nursery now. If I were you I'd be looking at reception roles as that is compulsory school so a qualified teacher needs to be with them (or an nqt)

Hope that helps!

Nursery teacher = more pay, (up to £36k) school holidays free
However, as a teacher you'd be expected to be able to work in any class! Our current nursery teacher is moving to Year 3 in September.

I can't advise on teaching in nursery settings as I teach secondary, but just wanted to share my experience which may help you with your plans (or may not haha!).

You mention you also have a 5-11 teaching qualification and I would just say, don't discount reception/KS1 jobs to do your NQT as well as nursery.

I know you mention that your second placement was awful and has put you off - I was the same, treated really badly on second placement and almost gave up. I took a learning mentor job after graduating as I couldn't face teaching.

Long story short - I did eventually do my NQT year in the school where I was a mentor (a post came up late in the year and they asked me would I do it). I ended up really enjoying it, have since moved schools and gained two promotions!

I honestly thought I'd never teach after that horrible placement but it might be worth you considering. Not all schools are awful and if you get a supportive one, you may well enjoy it again!

Good luck

However, as a teacher you'd be expected to be able to work in any class! Our current nursery teacher is moving to Year 3 in September.

Ours was moved to year 6!

It does not sound that your current role and setting is suitable for NQT induction.

If you want to start induction, you will have to move to somewhere where you get an opportunity to demonstrate teacher standards and have a supportive and qualified headteacher, trained to oversee NQT induction.

The head/owner of your nursery has ultimate responsibility for signing off that you have met standards, not external “tutors”.

The 10% reduced timetable is not to give you extra time for planning, but should be used for growing you as an NQT, eg by having mentor meetings, observing colleagues, visiting similar settings, learning more about SEN, etc.

I can do it at my current setting.

Can you expand on this? I can’t see how you could get QTS or do an NQT year in a private day nursery?

Being a nursery nurse in a private setting is going to be a completely different role to a teacher in a school. Your points here concern me-:

I hate the managing staff side of things. I am currently paid £9.30 an hour (I see the same role online for more pay?). I do not get paid overtime so have to take my time back which is a struggle due to staffing and feeling guilty. I follow many pages for Early Years on Facebook and see all these rooms ideas,/philosophies etc that I'll never have the opportunity to put into place as my manager wouldn't allow me (EG. I'd like to be more natural, hate displays etc). When I was a keyworker (covering staff gaps), I was expected to do it all (eg assessments, displays, planning etc) within three hours a day without extra opportunity to catch up.

As a teacher, you have to manage staff, won’t get overtime, you do have to do displays (in line with your head teacher’s guidelines and following school policy) and will be expected to assess, plan and do displays-all in your own time. Once you work out all the hours you’d do-probably 730-5.30 plus evenings/weekends, you’ll be on less than £10 an hour!

What appeals about teaching?