Calculating occupancy seems to throw everyone into a spin, and for a variety of reasons.
When I’m valuing a setting, I will always ask about occupancy, and the answer is rarely confident. The fluctuation of demand, coupled with the sheer intensity of day-to-day management, often stops managers from exploring their occupancy levels and understanding them. In many cases, a manager will tell me occupancy is at 85 per cent, only for me to calculate it at 70 per cent.
For those who use occupancy software, it can go the other way. I only recently found out that one software provider calculates a full-time equivalent (FTE) place to include all opening hours, which sounds logical on paper. However, it means that a child who doesn’t attend breakfast club and arrives at 8.30am rather than 7.30am would be calculated as a 0.9FTE – so the report will say you have capacity, when you in fact have a full house by 9am.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
