Nursery nurses are a hard-working, conscientious and committed group of professionals involved in the education of children aged nought to five entrusted to us by their parents or carers.
We are the largest single group of qualified childcare professionals delivering the highest quality of early years education and childcare. We plan, assess, evaluate, observe, record and monitor every aspect of each individual child's learning, ensuring that they access a varied, stimulating, thought- provoking, and fun pre-five curriculum. This is demanded by documents and policies such as local starting points, national curriculum guidelines and national care standards.
We are not directed by teachers but work in partnership with them, as well as parents, learning assistants and visiting support specialists such as speech therapists, physiotherapists, and so on. We all have a role in creating an interesting, caring, supportive environment where children can, at their own pace, develop and learn using a wide range of skills and strategies.
But our salary does not reflect our skills and expertise. We have not been regraded for 15 years, during which time our job responsibilities have changed dramatically. Various initiatives and policies have been put into place that we have had to implement - with no commensurate pay.
The Scottish Nursery Nurse Working Party submitted a fair and equitable pay and regrading claim in September 2001. Our employers have continually refused to look at and engage in meaningful negotiations. We find this totally unacceptable. All Scottish nursery nurses have been balloted. The returning high majority Yes vote has resulted in the withdrawal of specific duties indefinitely, and strike action.
I am a dedicated professional who is passionate about my career, but I intend to pursue our regrading claim until we gain recognition of our professional status, and secure a reflective and fair annual salary. Please support our claim.
