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newnurseryowner

7 replies

lostsoul · 22/11/2006 15:48

I am an ex primary teacher and bought an established Nursery business in May this year.
After 6 months of managing,digging and watching I'm dismayed by many aspects of the Nursery business-not least the degree of inconsistency and incompetence shown by my legislative body, the CSIW (Wales.
If anyone is of a mind to give me advice I am looking for some guidance/opinions/honest feelings on introducing a Montessorian based approach to the activities and learning issues that need improving (to say the least!!)for my 3 month to 5 year olds.
Have been reading many of the threads on this site all afternoon, I am at home and not wasting valuable time while at Nursery, and recognised that as a group you have much to say that Nursery owners&managers should be taking heed of.
thankyou

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Katymac · 22/11/2006 16:27

Hi lostsoul - I am considering opening a nursery & I plan to use Birth to Three extensively - have you looked at the websites for this?

It can be extended fopr foundation stage as well

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lostsoul · 22/11/2006 16:43

hello katymac
have read a number of your threads on opening a Nursery-starting from scratch will be VERY time consuming and fraught with bureaucracy! My registration was approved on the grounds that i was adopting all the operational procedures and policies of the previous owner who had had 3 or 4 very acceptable Inspection reports-so they could hardly refuse.
However to get back to your question
I have a copy of Bto3 and see it mainly as a recording programme with no clear planning guidance of any depth and frankly I ain't impressed! But neither am I impressed with the idea of my Baby staff spending time making up recording notes to please ME when they have no clear understanding of what observation is about nor how to subsequently use it. I had to take on the staff underTUPE and hoe to eventually persuade them into my way of child centered learning and play.
My advice to you:-
Choose your staff with carefully and withdiscretion
Be immaculately organised
speak soon
connie

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Katymac · 22/11/2006 16:46

I use B23 atm and it involves very little paperwork (unless I am doing it wrong) it is very child centred and seems to need little planning (but then I am not foundation stage trained)

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mumofhelen · 23/11/2006 11:37

I really need to get my SIL to post her experiences. She too was a nursery manager - she set up her own nursery but quit soon after for various reasons, but she too used the identical sentence you wrote especially the "After 6 months of managing,digging and watching I'm dismayed by many aspects of the Nursery business - not least the degree of inconsistency and incompetence shown by the legislative body." I think your concerns are widespread.

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lostsoul · 23/11/2006 15:30

i welcome your comments but intend to rise to the challenge and make my Nursery outstanding.
With only the best intentions for the children I do not see why i should be beaten down by ignorant beaurocratic impractical nonsense (just to keep Inspection organisations,policy makers and new thinkers in a job supposedly leading a service they rarely have any real experience or practical understanding of
By the way what did your sil go on to do instead?

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Uwilalalalalala · 23/11/2006 16:11

You should CAT Bubble99. She owns Lambsmead Nurseries in Hampton and Ham. Hope she doesn't mind me pointing you to her. She also has a (gorgeous) 4 week old boy, so not sure how much time she spends on MN/e-mail. But, it's worth a try.