The Olive Tree NurseryHelen HazellOwner and Manger

We are a privately owned nursery in the Eastover area of Bridgwater.

We currently have 151 children enrolled with us, 12 more due to start in January 2015.

We have a full responsibility to delivery the EYFS, this includes assessments, monitoring and recording development on every child. We plan for the individual child, extending their learning and planning for their Next Steps.We use a range of methods of observation and additional tools such as ECAT, STC Home Communication records, and working with the parents to create a Baseline Assessment on entry.

All staff are given up to 2.5 hours non-contact time a week to plan and update children’s files.

We carry out three ‘Parents Evenings’ a year.

We open 8am-6pm 50 weeks a year, we only close for Bank holidays and Christmas week.We have a mix of Term Time only place and All Year Round place.To balance this I have a mix of Term Time and All Year Round staff.We are based in an area of deprivation, with families experiencing social issues including drink and drug dependence.

Staffing Structure

ManagerDeputy

Manager

Pre-School SEYP

2-3 SEYP

0-2 SEYP

SENCo & EYT

Admin

Cook

Cleaner

4 Full Time EYP

Modern Apprentice

1 Part Time EYP

1 AYR Activity support

1 AYR SEN support1 TTO SEN support

1 Part Time EYP3 Part Time TTO EYP

3 Full Time EYP3 Part Time EYP

Modern Apprentice

Modern Apprentice

Approximate Annual Salaries is £260,460, This will increase when we enrol to workplace pension and other increases.

External ‘buy in’ for

HR and H&S

1 Full Time EYP

The Olive Tree Nursery

Birth to 2 Years Old We have a linked baby room, where we cater for up to 9 0-2’s a day, currently 22 children within this age range.We currently have very little availability for the under 2’s and some families choosing to be placed on our waiting list until a place becomes available.

2 – 3 Year OldsWe have an adaptable space that we use for our 2-3, with up to 24 children a day and 49 children enrolled in this age range.This area needs to be adaptable as the balance between the 2 year olds and the 3 year olds shift throughout the year.

Pre-School This room is dedicated to the next ‘Intake’ year, working towards School readiness. We take up to 32 children a day with 77 children accessing throughout the week. For September 2014 we had 14 feeder schools and 4 SEP’s needed and 2 Sensitive transition meetings.

We currently have 66 children a day, we increased in September 2013 from 55 due to a massive demand in the area, from pressures such as development and extension of the 2 year old funding offer.

SEN and EAL at The Olive Tree

SEN

We currently have 21 children on our SEN register, these are supported by SENCO and SEN support staff.

These children have a range of additional needs such as Speech and Language, Communication, Physical, Medical, Emotional and Behavioural.

Some children require 1-1 support and interventions such as catheterisation.

We work with a number of professional to ensure that children’s needs are meet.

EAL

We currently have 28 children, for whom English is an additional language.

Parents and children have little or no English, some have only just entered the country.

Range of languages including Hungarian, Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, Mandarin, Konkani, Latvian, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish and Tetun.

We have all our ‘Key’ documents translated in most of the above languages.

Funding Streams

We have a number of different funding streams for the childcare that we provide. EYE Funding 2 Year Old Funding Supported Childcare via

GET SET College funding via

Bridgwater College Social Care SEN support funding

via SCC Private funded

We have to continually monitor the outstanding ‘bad debt’ as this is an historic problem for Early Years settings, exacerbated by benefits such as childcare tax credit being paid to the families not the setting.

With all external funding we have to apply for, this can include a large amount of paperwork. It also often leads to funding being paid in arrears, sometimes as much as 60-90 days in arrears. It is a massive task to keep on top of claims, complete paperwork and keep the books balancing.

We currently have 34 ‘2 year old funded’ children, 77 accessing ‘EYE’ and 14 from additional sources.

SafeguardingWe currently have 12 families that have involvement with Social Care, approximately 6 families that have had cases recently closed that still require monitoring.This can range from CIN level to removal and Childcare Arrangements with extended families.We also work closely with local Foster carers, we have taken emergency placements and supported families with finding their ‘forever homes’.This brings pressures such as paperwork, recording, monitoring and liaising with other professionals. Nursery send a representative to every meeting, most of which are every 28 days, some families require 2 meeting as both parents can not attend the same meeting. We have had cases in the past that have been very hard hitting and we have had to ‘buy in’ additional support for staff such as a listening service and counselling.

CPD for ALL

We support all levels of CPD, from apprentices to existing staff completing Degree and EYT.

We close to the families for 4 days a year for INSET training days. This is a very important part of nursery life, although a costly part. For example a full days closure can cost upward of £5,285.00Including loss of revenue, increasing/overtime for staff, ‘buying in’ training & lunch.We also hold monthly staff meeting from 6pm to 7.30. Staff are contracted to attend 80% of all staff meetings and 100% of all training days. All staff are paid for all hours worked.

All staff have regular line managements when training can be requested and suggested.

Peer to Peer Support

Cluster MeetingA time to talk, share ideas and receive updates “As a professional sector that spans great diversity, we all understand the need to network, share good practice and stay up to date with changes that affect our sector. We are actively promoting these events to enhance and maintain everyone’s settings. We have set aside 5 dates in this academic year for each setting to send a representative along to these events, these events are led by you, you will have input to agendas, speakers and will be an access point for FREE TRAINING. Please come along to support this group”

Extract from newsletter.

Manager Meeting

I chair and organise these meetings within my daily role. There is no additional funding for admin time. There is a lot of planning need to ensure that these run and are well supported from creating agenda arranging speakers, creating newsletters, minutes and sending emails etc.

Example of topics covered at a Managers Meeting.