Case Study – Apprenticeships and SMEs NO: 7
Name of the Business: Tiny Toes Day Nursery
Offering apprenticeships in Child Care
What is the nature of the business?
Tiny Toes Day Nursery has been set up to cater for up to 46 children aged six weeks to 5 years. It has been in existence for eleven years. The centre is open from 7.30 am to 6.30 and is unique in that they collect and look after school children from 3.00 each afternoon.
Where is Tiny Toes Day Nursery
Tiny Toes Day Nursery is located at the end of Chambers Street in Hertford.
Who runs the centre?
The centre is run bySue Alexander. In total there are fourteen other members of staff, four of these are part-time. Sue currently has four apprentices with her – two studying with Hertford Regional College and two with Redbridge College. For the past five years Sue has taken on apprentices, before that investing her own time in training students. Sue is planning to interview three more potential apprentices in the coming week and has plans to offer two of them a job if they are suitable. All of the apprentices are Hertfordshire residents.
Why does Sue believe in apprenticeships?
Sue does not take on 16 year olds as in her experience they have not lasted – ‘they are so young at 16’. Sue believes apprentices can be trained to her own specification with college back-up. With a shortage of qualified nursery nurses Sue knows that she needs to grow her own. She has received no government incentives and has taken on as many apprentices as her payroll will allow.
Tiny Toes Day Nursery has a good working relationship with Hertford Regional College, initially becoming involved in apprenticeships through Sue’s relationship with a personal friend working at the college.
The link with Redbridge College has been built up and Sue is impressed with their support and training programme which is all in-house i.e. no time-out for day release to college. Colleagues from Redbridge have introduced Sue to the National Apprenticeship Service and the www.apprenticeship.org website where she has advertised the most recent vacancies, receiving twelve applications for the two available positions. Sue does not interview any young person who does not have a GCSE Grade C and above in English and Mathematics.
Sue would definitely recommend small businesses take on apprentices to increase their workforce.
Sue does not count them in her staff to children ratios so she always has a spare pair of hands which makes a real difference in a nursery situation when taking the children on walks and at opening /closing times. The main downside for Sue in taking on apprentices is that if there is day release to college this comes on the same day, so she can be two or three members of staff down at the same time. This is another reason for not including the apprentices in the ratio so she can more easily cover for the loss of two or more members of staff.
As a responsible employer Sue does not want the apprenticeship programme to be labelled as ‘cheap labour’ and she acknowledges that the young people are not paid to take on the responsibility of a paid employee. She wants to make sure that the training they receive ensures they are competent.
Sue is pleased that the standards of apprenticeships are rising and that the careers education and IAG programmes in schools and colleges are not encouraging lower ability students to consider nursery nursing as a career as in the past. Students are more aware of the demanding work, long hours and low pay. Sue also highlights the importance of the practical work experience to complement academic ability and she wants them to be independently mobile if they live outside of the immediate area in order to be at the centre for the early start to the day.
Who are the apprentices at Tiny Toes Day Nursery?
On my visit I met with Jennie and Daisy, both working towards a Level 3 in Child Care with Hertford Regional College. Two other apprentices are currently with Sue. Georgia, now established as one of the most valued employees, has set the standard for all the other apprentices coming through the programme and Sue’s expectations are set high.
Jennie’s story
Background
Jennie was a student at Chauncy School in Ware until October 2012. She gained GCSE qualifications in Child Care (A), Maths and English (Bs), Photography (B), English Literature (C). She did start Year 12, lasting only one month on a Level 3 programme of English, Maths, Health and Social Care and Sociology. Since the age of six Jennie had wanted to work with children and so she enrolled on a full-time level 2 Child Care course at Hertford Regional College. As well as the classroom based work, the course also included valuable work experience in a Ware nursery. It was whilst at the college Jennie was given information about the apprenticeship pathway.
Jennie and Charlotte, Deputy Manager and Early Year’s
Teacher check out the progress of the children
Jennie’s experience of being an apprentice has been a very positive one. Not only has she enjoyed working alongside the children, she has also learnt what it is really like to be part of a team, not something you experience purely from a work placement. She emphasised the importance of preparing children for moving onto school with a focus on literacy and numeracy including addition and subtraction, identifying letters and colours and handwriting practice. Jennie is working towards her Level 3 qualifications supported by Hertford Regional College and plans to remain at Tiny Toes Nursery. In the future she would like to do a Foundation Degree and consider being a nursery teacher in a school.
Daisy’s story
Four years ago Daisy was a student at Birchwood High School in Bishop’s Stortford gaining 4 B’s and 6 C’s in her GCSE examinations. She joined the sixth form and followed a Year 12 programme of study which included AS level Media, Film Studies, Geography and Sociology. In her words she said ‘there was too much writing’. Daisy then looked at all kinds of career pathways working at Waitrose and doing some waitressing before deciding to pursue nursery nursing. She knew what it entailed as her mother is a nanny and child-minder. Through her mum Daisy learnt about apprenticeships and searched the official apprenticeship website for opportunities.
Snack time. Daisy oversees the children.
Daisy enrolled at Hertford Regional College and has now finished level 2, moving onto Level 3 at Easter 2014. Whilst studying at Level 2 Daisy attended college for one day a week, for Level 3 the assessor visits her regularly in the work place signing off the assignments. Daisy has found that she enjoys the combination of the practical experience with independent study and research.
‘Putting together a portfolio of experiences and learning is preferable to writing essays.’
Tiny Toes Day Nursery contact details:
Address: 41 Chambers Street, Hertford, SG14 1PL
Phone Number: 01992 589020
Centre Manager: Susan Alexander
Opening Times: 7.30 am – 6.30 pm
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