Management Models In Children's Centres Attached To Primary School

[Guest]

Hi Everybody,

 

I'm looking for examples of management structures in children's centres that are attached to primary schools. Is the HT always the Head of Centre? Is that usually just a nominal title because the daily running of the centre is managed by someone else? The extended services manager? And what about the QTS... any new and interesting titles to reflect the pedagogical and advisory nature of their role? All conventional and ground breaking models gratefully accepted!

[Guest]

Hi LaLa

 

I manage childcare for our Children Centre although we are not fully on Primary school site, we are split between family Centre and School.

 

The HT is not the Head of the Centre, the centre has coordinator who manages the daily running of our centre and another centre that is attached to a primary school.

 

The coordinator is then managed by a cluster manager(who has responsibility for approx. 5-6 centres) who is then managed by the head of extended services for children centre's for the district.

 

My QTS is the foundation stage coordinator at the primary and works alongside me ensuring high quality education alongside the care. We have an excellent working relationship which does help and she is fully supportive of the whole ethos of CC.

 

The childcare is delivered by a co.ltd by guarantee set up by the governors which the Head is part of, so he is involved in all the decision making.

 

The governance of the centre is mostly parents and service providers.

 

I hope this has been of some use, please pm me if i can be of any more help I know it is a confusing time until you get your head around things.

[Guest]

I have just visited a school which is setting up a phase 2 Children's Centre this year. The head of the primary school will have overall responsibility and she will employ a centre manager (who in Lancashire must be QTS with early years specialism). The centre manager has no teaching responsibilities as there will be no day care element apart from a creche for adults who are attending the centre on courses etc. But the manager needs to liaise with the local nurseries, childminders and pvi's to find out what local needs are. Beneath the centre manager will be an extended services manager. On from there I do not know as it has yet to be decided. I am actually contemplating applying as I need management experience and there is a possibility of secondment from my current post as a nursery teacher. It also sounds very exciting. I just think I may miss the children terribly.

 

Forgot to say, the HT said once it is set up she does not want to have responsibility for the centre just for the centre manager to report back what is happening.

Sue

Edited March 9, 2007 by Guest

[AnonyMouse_7317]

i manage the daycare within two children centres which are both attached to primary schools. Although the childrens centre is under the govenance of the school and as such the head we have a centre manager and deputy centre manager who take responsibility for the day to day running of the centres who then feedback to the head.

[Guest]

I work inaprimary school which has a children's centre. We have a centre manager which is from ahealth background, a day centre manager, and ateam leader. Non of these are from an aducation background yet th 3 and 4 yearolds are accessing their day care in the same classroom as children accessing their education.Overall we have a princiapl responsible for birth to 11.

[Guest]

I'm the QTS in our centre but I''m called a community coordinator. I along with a senior health practitioner am the centre manager. We have a centre management team which the Head Teacher sits on and she and i have fortnightly meetings. i am managed by an education officer who is responsible for 6/7 centres - we also have a Sure Start change manager.

Hope that makes sense!

[Guest]

Thanks everyone.... your replies are really helpful !

[Guest]

I am quite surprised at the variety of management structures in different areas. Our centre manager is senior admin background and I am in East Durham.

[Guest Wolfie]

I don't think anything about the differences between Children's Centres surprises me any more - the more I talk to staff from other Centres, the more I discover that no two are the same! The set up, the staffing, the management, the services provided etc etc etc - all completely different. Ofsted visited us recently, as part of a national review of the work of Children's Centres and the impact they are having on their local communities - both inspectors told me that they were struggling to find many things in common between any Centres!

[Guest]

The differences in standards between daycare and nursery education is one thing that really concerns me. when a children's centre is Ofsteded what implications does that have if the 3 and 4 year olds are in the same room as children accessing education? Also it has ben necessary to put key pads on our nursery doors as i understand this is one of the standards of day care.Any observations from anyone?

[Guest]

If you want to have a look at the implications for each governance then the National Audit Office undertook an audit on about 35? childrens centres and they reviewed the information from personnel on the pros and cons of each governance/management. Some are registered as companies to take advantage of other funding too. Its a really interesting document especially if you are setting up. I have jsut been appointed as a Childrens Centre Manager and they are currently voting on how it should be governed and managed. Just type in National Audit Office and look for childrens centres - its a fairly comprehensive report and some bits are slightly alarming and worth bearing in mind to avoid similiar issues.

Nikki

[Guest Wolfie]

Nicola, I can't find that report- what exactly do you type in under "Search"?

[Guest]

www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/06-07/0607104.pdf

 

I thinks thats right - I just cannot copy the address in for some reason - mainly my lack of technical ability -

Failing that go to the website and go into the section marked

Publications then to

List of value for money reports and scrolll down to

Sure Start Childrens Centres

Publication date: 19.12.06

ISBN 010294413X

 

Do you know how you can copy these http addresses across - I must find out - sometimes it will do it on a copy and paste and other times it wont - why? Hope you can get to it now - let me know if not and I will email you the link if you let me have your email address cos I know I can do that.

 

Makes interesting reading - only 53 pages long but full of useful info for childrens centres and its fairly recent.

 

Enjoy

 

Nikki

[Guest Wolfie]

Thanks for that, it's second on my reading list, after the EYFS! Will get back to you in 2009!!

Edited March 17, 2007 by Wolfie

[AnonyMouse_64]

http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_rep...-07/0607104.pdf

 

Works for me!

[Guest Wolfie]

Thanks for that, it looks very interesting.