Ofsted regulations mean that nurseries must have an adequate staffroom; but there is much more to gain from staff facilities than mere legal compliance.
Staffrooms are an essential element of the wellbeing of nursery staff and the respite they provide can be invaluable.
'I think it's quite a stressful job,' explains Linda Knight, chief executive of Nunu nurseries. 'We make sure staff have morning and afternoon breaks and their lunch, so that they've got time to just get away from it.'
The break from the working environment, however, is not just a matter of quantity, but quality too.
'I designed the buildings so that the staffrooms are as far away as possible from the children's areas,' says Linda. 'I think they need to have a complete break from being with children. If they're too close to the children they can hear the noise and I don't think they switch off completely. I like them to have a comfortable environment that is similar to their home, so they can relax properly.'
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