In her first column for this new series, she explains what her priorities are for the job and how she intends to inspire, motivate and improve a large nursery team.
Head teacher Michaela Saunders writes, 'I am pleased to say you have got the job and just in case you wake up in the morning and don't believe you have the job, I will post out a confirmation letter.' And so my journey begins as nursery leader at a large primary school in Nottingham, with a 90-place nursery and a large staff team of fantastic teachers and assistants. Getting back into school after a few years as an EYFS advisory teacher and Communication, Language and Literacy Development consultant is a challenge I am ready to embrace.
As my job title is nursery leader, it is essential that I reflect on what a leader is and what qualities I need in order to get the staff behind me and build on the nursery's strengths.
Leading by example
In my view, the main personal qualities of a leader include flexibility, commitment, courage and resilience. A leader fosters:
- - A team ethos in having shared goals about what we want for the children in our care.
- - Everyone having a voice (including the parents and children), all the staff's opinions listened to and acknowledged.
The partnership with parents is crucial in clarifying the role of 'leader'. For example, how do parents engage with children's learning journeys and how are they encouraged to be active partners in their child's education?
From the start, I aim to work in partnership with the nursery team to answer the following questions: What do we believe in? What is the best way to get the most from our children and families? Where would we like our setting to be in three to five years' time?
It is my role as nursery leader to plan how the team's vision and ethos will become a reality. Bring it on!
In my next article I will discuss how I am forging initial relationships with staff by developing a questionnaire.
