Prioritising on graduate leadership across all its sites is enabling Kaleidoscope Day Nurseries to pursue a steady course of growth, and to gain accolades along the way.
Founder Jane Middlebrook scooped the Trainer of the Year title at the Nursery World Awards 2012, while her colleague Alison Turner was named Operations/Regional Manager of the Year. Kaleidoscope reports that it has also just won the regional heat for the Yorkshire and Humberside Medium Employer of the Year at the National Training Awards and is now through to the national finals.
Mrs Middlebrook says, 'It's fantastic to get recognition and it highlights the extent to which our degree programme for staff has created a strong strategy for our business.'
SUPPORTING STUDY
Since the opening of its first nursery in York in 1991, the company has gone on to launch five more nurseries and after-school clubs across 12 sites in Leeds and York, offering a total 596 places. Its new nursery opened in Drighlington at the beginning of October, and is registered for 116 children. This has created the opportunity for two promotions.
At Kaleidoscope, all the managers either have degrees or have enrolled on a degree programme. 'So far, seven managers and seniors have BAs in early years or early years leadership, two have foundation degrees, and three other senior staff have just started foundation degrees,' says Mrs Middlebrook. 'In addition, six staff are EYPs.'
The focus on training was sparked in 2006 when Ms Middlebrook began to scrutinise Every Child Matters and identified the need to get involved with the children's centres programme.
'At the time, Leeds was a beacon council for early years and I secured a six months secondment to shadow a head of Children's Centre Services with Leeds Early Years,' she says. 'This was a brilliant experience and culminated in my undertaking the NPQICL.'
She embraced the Government's vision for graduate leadership and used the Graduate Leadership Fund, along with her own investment, to implement training in her settings. While not everyone could undertake courses simultaneously, a programme was devised to ensure all managers had the opportunity to be degree-qualified by 2014.
That vision remains firmly in place and a priority is to ensure that staff are well supported on their programmes. A system of monthly supervisions supports them, and this feeds into the annual appraisals scheme.
AMBITIONS REALISED
The company culture has also been changed as a result of Mrs Middlebrook achieving a Masters in leadership and management in education.
She says, 'We have introduced a shift from caring for children to nurturing, ensuring the pedagogy of learning through play is evident and key to quality practice in all settings.'
Mrs Middlebrook is confident that well-qualified staff members are what make the company dynamic. Kaleidoscope promotes the fact that its practitioners are skilled professionals, with a strong understanding of child development and the importance of learning through play. It has also developed strong partnerships with parents.
She adds, 'We are very proud of the fact that as a private company we have achieved our goal of developing graduate leaders. We believe it will ensure our success in the long term.'
