If you run a nursery, you’ll probably recognise at least one of these.
Our team spends a big chunk of every week on the phone and in settings, talking to nursery owners and managers across the south. We ask how things are going, what’s keeping them up at night and what they wish they had more of. Usually the answers are all over the place. This month they weren’t. Almost every conversation came back to the same three things.
“My best people are ready for more”
This one came up again and again. Managers have practitioners who are brilliant with the children, who the parents adore, and who are quietly starting to wonder what’s next. If they can’t see a next step where they are, there’s a good chance they’ll go looking for one somewhere else.
The settings holding on to those people aren’t waiting for a quieter term (let’s be honest, it never comes). They’re getting them started on a Level 3 or Level 5 now. There are no cohorts or start dates to wait for, and the learning fits around the rota, so nobody gets pulled out of the room at the worst possible moment.
“I need more qualified staff on the floor”
Ratios are ratios, and when you’re short of Level 3s, planning the week turns into a puzzle.
The instinct is often to recruit, but a lot of managers are finding the quicker answer is already in the building. Your Level 2 and unqualified practitioners already know your children, your families and how your setting works. Helping them qualify is usually quicker and far less of a gamble than starting from scratch with someone new.
It helps that our tutors and assessors have all worked in nurseries themselves. They know what a Monday morning in the baby room looks like, and they plan their visits around it. It shows in the results too, with 99% of our learners passing their end point assessment and 46% achieving a distinction.
“There’s no time or budget for team development”
This is the one where we see the most surprised faces.
When just one member of your team is doing an apprenticeship with us, your whole team gets free access to award winning CPD from The National College. It’s all tracked in one place, so you can see who has done what without chasing anyone, which comes in very handy when supervisions or an inspection come round.
So what does it cost?
For a lot of settings, very little or nothing at all. Training is fully funded for eligible apprentices aged 16 to 24, and employers taking on an eligible apprentice under 25 could receive up to £3,000. Every setting is a bit different though, so the easiest thing is to ask us and we’ll tell you exactly where you stand. Read More
If any of this sounds familiar
Drop us a message or give us a call. We’ll get back to you the same day and talk it through properly, rather than just sending you a brochure. And if you’re short staffed on top of everything else, tell us about your vacancy. We’ll find and screen your next apprentice for you, free of charge.
