Welcome to the second installment in our brand new series on Ofsted. We’ve talked to five outstanding nursery managers and leaders, as well as leading early years expert Dr Sue Allingham, to bring you all the tips, advice, and guidance that you need to improve your Ofsted rating.
This time, we’re talking about leadership and management. Ideas to improve the way you lead, why you need to spend time in the room, and the difference between management and leadership in an early years setting.
It can be tough at the top. But to be the very best you need to be an outstanding leader and a great manager. So, how do outstanding leaders run their nurseries?
1. Committing to your setting
What really matters the most when it comes to being an outstanding leader and manager? For Becky Pike, effective leadership and management is about one thing.
Becky Pike, Partner, Hollies Day Nurseries
2. Talk to Outstanding settings
Oustanding leadership and management are also about being honest about where you need to improve. So why not learn from the best?
Lizzy Barlow, Nursery Group Leader, Hollies Day Nurseries
3. Do the dirty work
Effective leadership and management are about more than just sitting in your office dictating what needs to be done. You need to show your staff you can get stuck in too.
Catherine Walker, Childcare Manager, Priesthills Nursery
4. An outstanding staff meeting
This is the first three things the team at Cotswold Montessori discuss at every meeting to ensure that all staff are on top of the latest safeguarding issues and risks. It means they are prepared for Ofsted to come at any time.
- They always start with safeguarding. Are there any issues that we need to address?
- Next up, are there any early help concerns? That’s a level down from safeguarding and it’s about spotting early warning signs. For example, it could be parents who are struggling.
- Finally, risk assessments. Is there anything that they need to change or anything new that isn’t working?
5. Out of office
It might be time to reconsider how much time you’re actually spending in the rooms with the children and practitioners. Being on the floor gives you a perspective on your setting you won’t get elsewhere.
Lizzy Barlow, Nursery Group Leader, Hollies Day Nurseries
6. Leading vs managing
Leadership and management are not the same thing. So what is it that sets leaders apart from managers?
Dr Sue Allingham, Early Years Expert, EY Out Of The Box Consultancy
7. Being in the room
Empowering your staff to be a little silly, get down on a child’s level and play is an important part of the job that so many managers end up leaving behind.
Becky Pike, Partner, Hollies Day Nurseries
8. Are you approachable?
How often do your staff come to you with concerns, ideas and queries? Making yourself approachable to your staff is absolutely crucial if you want to improve – open communication is the only way to get honest feedback.
Catherine Walker, Childcare Manager, Priesthills Nursery
9. The tenth man
Want an actionable piece of advice that you can try out tomorrow? This concept of the tenth man from Becky Pike is something that could benefit any leader.
At any staff meeting, if everybody agrees on something, then it’s somebody’s designated job to disagree. They need to find an argument against it, play devil’s advocate.
Funnily enough, that argument can often win out, because being able to take a completely different view of something can often come up with the best answers. We call that the tenth man. I think it came from a film! It’s just a great way of questioning stuff.
Becky Pike, Partner, Hollies Day Nurseries
Found some helpful tips? Well, we’ve got some good news. You can now download the full guide for free, with 12 different sections covering every area of your Ofsted inspection. Time to get the outstanding result that you deserve.
Free outstanding Ofsted guide
Download the full guide to read 12 sections of outstanding advice, completely free.
