From more strategic roles to that of a hands-on manager, meeting the challenge of a new role in the early years sector is outlined here by four high achievers. These profiles highlight a shared remit to create the very best quality provision for young children.
Ros Marshall, Chief executive officer, Kidsunlimited
Throughout her career Ros Marshall has demonstrated an impressive talent for creating management structures which enable companies to prosper.
Very much a 'people person' she is now relishing - and clearly enjoying - the opportunity to consolidate a strong company ethos and a common vision for all staff at Kidsunlimited.
'The best part of my job has to be the people,' she says. 'I have the opportunity to work with people who have real commitment and are passionate about what they do.'
Ms Marshall moved to Kidsunlimited in January 2010 from a voluntary position as deputy chairman at the Children's National Orchestra. Before that, between 2002 and 2008, she held senior roles at Nord Anglia Education, first as managing director and then as chief operating officer.
Ms Marshall sums up her first year at Kidsunlimited as one of investment in staff. Initiatives range from creating a development training programme which will help to identify future nursery managers, to improving communication with the launch of a new website and staff intranet. A recognition and reward scheme has also been introduced with the aim of making employees feeling valued at every level.
She says, 'We have also created a cultural shift in the company with a focus on staff as individuals. We want them to feel in control of their own nurseries with central services supporting them.'
Kidsunlimited opened its 57th nursery in Esher, Surrey, last month with an aim of having 61 across England by the end of the year. There is a growth strategy of four or five nurseries a year.
'Opening new sites and improving the quality of settings makes it an exciting place to be,' says Ms Marshall. But she adds, 'It is not about numbers, we're not megalomaniacs wanting to take over the world. It is about providing the best quality childcare possible in the locality. We want to ensure that we become the parents' first choice in the areas we serve.'
Ms Marshall travels into the Wilmslow, Cheshire central office two or three days a week. She also regularly visits the nurseries. 'This is integral to the work I do because I need to meet the nursery managers to really understand what is going on. I can pick up so much more from observing the children and staff. It helps me to understand the challenges.'
From what she has seen so far, she adds, 'I am getting to know each nursery and am hugely in awe of what the staff do. It is such a difficult job and so underrated by society.'
Emma Pike, Childcare director, Gateway Nursery in Harlow, Essex
'Oh dear, it's all down to me now,' was Emma Pike's initial thought when, aged 29, she bought a struggling nursery in July last year. She'd dreamt of owning a nursery since beginning her childcare career at the age of 16. Steps along the way saw her managing after-school-clubs at 19 and going on to become a manager in a nursery chain.
'The pressure and responsibility does hit you in the first couple of weeks but managing a nursery has been my job for so long which really helps. It was strange that there was no-one above me to ask questions and normally I'd be given policies to review whereas now I have to write them. Thankfully I was trained in accounts and budgets so, although I have an accountant, I can understand the nursery's finances myself.'
Ms Pike counts herself fortunate to have support from an aunt, who 'has owned nurseries for as long as I can remember', and also gains invaluable advice from her father who is a health and safety adviser.
Her advice to anyone sharing her dream is to get as much experience as possible and in different settings. 'Even getting told off is important because everyone learns through their mistakes,' she says. 'By working for other people you gain an understanding of what you'd like to achieve as an owner.'
Strong links with the local Sure Start Centre have proved invaluable at Gateway, especially when it came to promoting the change of ownership and building the nursery occupancy, which has leapt from 33 to 91 per cent under Ms Pike's ownership. The pre-school room is full.
'It's all been down to working as a team,' she says. 'The nursery did not have a good reputation so when I started I told the staff that I would be turning everything on its head - new plans, policies, procedures, uniforms - totally starting again. I had to reassure people that we were going to make a difference. Change is very hard to manage and the staff had to trust me. Thankfully nobody left even though they had been told that their jobs were on the line.
'As a nursery manager I did not have to worry about the future, but now I need to take in the bigger picture, such as being aware that 33 children will leave for school in September. The past few months have been a big learning curve. I am financially responsible for protecting my staff jobs and safeguarding their future.'
Ms Pike loves being able to follow her own visions. She has actively reduced staff paperwork so they can spend more time with the children. Surprisingly, she's also more hands-on. 'If I decide that the paperwork can wait then it does,' she explains. 'It is also very positive to go into the rooms and show the staff that I don't mind getting my hands dirty and that I do know what to do, although I often end up covered in paint.'
Adeline Garman, Business development manager, Early Years Childcare
There is never a typical day for Adeline Garman, who has responsibility for the Early Years Childcare nursery chain's marketing and PR as well as, on a strategic level, looking at increasing occupancy levels and potential new business opportunities.
This is Ms Garman's first role in the sector and she is enjoying the challenge of applying her business experience to a new market with its own, special priorities.
Early Years Childcare currently owns nine nurseries and has plans to expand to up to 15 over the next five years. While some of her days are spent visiting the group's nurseries, others involve meeting design agencies or photographers, discussing issues with other senior managers or identifying suitable sites for expansion.
Ms Garman left fulltime employment in 2008 after having her second child and finding the travel commitments too demanding. She worked freelance before taking her current post in September last year. Her daughter attended an Early Years Childcare setting so she had a good understanding of the company when the opportunity arose. She also finds her voluntary work for the National Childbirth Trust helpful in understanding what other parents want from childcare.
'We've made quite a lot of changes in the past six months,' she says. 'We've audited all our current marketing activities, pared down spend on print advertising, increased digital spend on our website, pay-per-click advertising and advertising on other sites. We have also revised our advertising to make it more appealing to our potential parents and are working on a new newsletter to go out to parents and use as a promotional tool. At the same time we have started looking at new business opportunities. The task is varied and there's always lots going on,' she explains.
'As a parent the work is really relevant to me which I enjoy. My last full-time role was for a CCTV company and although I thought the technology was good I wasn't sure that I fully endorse CCTV. Having a belief and passion for my role makes a big difference in my ability to do my best work.'
Jenna Lestocq-Wooldridge, Nursery manager at Teddies Nursery in Tonbridge, Kent, part of Bright Horizons Family Solutions
Jenna Lestocq-Wooldridge started working at Teddies Nursery in 2002 as a nursery nurse in the baby care unit. She has gradually moved through the ranks and was promoted to manager in December last year.
Leading up to her promotion she was personally supported by a senior nursery manager from the group's nearby Sevenoaks nursery. Bright Horizons uses a 4Ps plan - Programme, People, Performance and Partnership - for training, development and appraisals and this framework was used to compile a programme for her career development.
'In turn, during my time as deputy manager and as part of my succession plan I supported another nursery, working with the staff team to help them to develop their knowledge and improve the quality of care for the children,' she says.
Ms Lestocq-Wooldridge has stepped into her new role at a challenging time as the busy nursery is being completely refurbished. 'It does mean that the work is even more exciting because we have been implementing new ideas into all the rooms. I have been working with the staff team on how each room will look once the refurbishment is completed,' she says.
Since becoming nursery manager she has introduced a weekly email newsletter for parents to increase interaction and encourage them to give feedback as a means of improving the quality of service that the nursery offers to the families.
The working day starts at 7.30am for Ms Lestocq-Wooldridge as she personally greets children and parents into the nursery before catching up with her deputy and planning the day ahead. While time is spent in meetings, conducting staff appraisals and showing parents around the setting, she is conscious that she also wants to be a hands-on manager. 'Every day I aim to be driving quality by role modelling and spending time in the rooms,' she says.
For Ms Lestocq-Wooldridge the highlight of becoming a nursery manager is at the end of each day when she sees the children going home excitedly talking about the fun they've had at nursery.
