Ten years ago Jocelyn Ashton began transforming a derelict church building in a leafy part of Wimbledon, London, into an 82-place nursery. Today it boasts full occupancy, with 100 children on the waiting list.
Ms Ashton came to nursery ownership after the birth of her second daughter. She had originally trained as a teacher and developmental psychologist and had then turned to childminding.
'Childminding was very good experience but it was frustrating in a way,' she says. 'There were so many things I wanted to do with the children, but as one person looking after them it was very difficult to organise. That is when I first started to think about the potential a nursery would offer.'
Ms Ashton feels this led her to the role that has ultimately proved very fulfilling.
'Although I had had no experience as a nursery proprietor, I persevered in acquiring the building and was successful in the end,' she says.
'We developed the Wimbledon nursery on the basis of services that local families were greatly in need of. For example, there were no part-time sessions for 18 months to two-and-a-half-year-olds, and I knew that at this age children are really ready for some developmental input.'
Within a couple of years, demand for extended care for older children who had moved on to school from the nursery prompted the launch of an after-school programme at a nearby hall. In 2006, Ms Ashton acquired her second nursery in Teddington, which this year was rated outstanding by Ofsted.
'We had got to the stage where we were considering expansion and beginning to look at some sites,' she recalls. 'When I first visited the nursery in Teddington I could see there was room for improvement. On balance it probably wasn't that bad, but I really felt I had a mission to make it better.'
Ms Ashton has trained staff to be reflective practitioners and she reports that the team is now strong, with high morale. Aspects of the nursery that were particularly praised by Ofsted include its 'exceptional' partnership with parents, the excellent understanding of staff when it comes to learning and development, and the sense of security and belonging to the setting evidenced by all the children, including the babies.
Ms Ashton says, 'I do not consider it a luxury to be outstanding - it is a responsibility.'
MISSION STATEMENT
Business development at Building Blocks has been founded on a clear vision that every member of staff shares.
'Everyone needs to be looking in the same direction,' Ms Ashton says. 'It doesn't work to have the executive staff following their own vision. Goals need to be fed down from the top, through all levels and every person who works in the nursery. This brings out the very best in people, so that mediocre staff become good and good staff become superb.'
In its mission statement, Building Blocks clearly sets out that staff are the key to its over-riding aim of providing excellence and innovation in childcare and education. The statement underlines the importance of acknowledging the value of staff, assisting them in achieving their potential by encouraging reflective practice, supporting training and development, and giving them a voice.
'The mission statement is quite long, but it does cover everything we are about, and all of the staff understand it,' says Ms Ashton. 'Everyone in the nursery has a relationship with the children, even if they are not practitioners, and that has an impact. For this reason they have to understand our mission statement.'
The staff structure at the two main sites includes a manager and deputy, a nursery co-ordinator who is super-numerary, room leaders who are senior practitioners and room practitioners, and qualified nursery teachers. There is also a human resources co-ordinator for the group and administration staff.
Charlotte Hunter, who is a senior partner, is director of operations across the group. Building Blocks has just taken on an EYP and also has apprentices who are working towards their Level 3.
'The nursery co-ordinator is outside of ratio and is there to observe practice and have an overview of the day-to-day running,' says Ms Hunter. 'It is very important to exercise this level of observation across all the sites and it is an important process for those who are observed as well.
'We have an open-door policy and invite feedback. Our staff appraisal scheme gives staff control over their progress, and our culture is very much based on everyone contributing.'
She adds, 'We have some long-standing staff, with around 20 to 25 members having been with us for over five years.'
WEBSITE REVAMP
Since Building Blocks opened in 2001, quite a few other new nurseries have opened nearby.
Ms Ashton says that Building Blocks' reputation has been built solely on word of mouth and she currently has 100 families on her waiting list for the Wimbledon setting.
At the same time, she recognises the value of having a first-class website. The group's site is currently being redeveloped.
'It will be a lot more interactive, enabling parents to go to past reports, and read newsletters. There will be a chat room for parents to talk to each other and also an area for women in business. They will be able to advertise and promote their services.'
The company's priority is for training, so that is where resources go. 'We are not looking to maximise the amount of money we make from each child in terms of fees,' says Ms Ashton. 'What we aim to do is to always provide an excellent service and quality care, to achieve high occupancy in a sustainable way. We currently have long waiting lists for all our settings and the lowest occupancy we have ever experienced was 93 per cent during the first eight months we were open in Wimbledon.'
SNAPSHOT
- Building Blocks Wimbledon Nursery is registered for 82 children; its Fulwell Nursery in Teddington is registered for 100. Its Kingston Road after-school club takes 26 children.
- Around 92 staff, including bank staff, are employed across the group.
- The Fulwell Nursery in Teddington was awarded outstanding in March 2011; the Wimbledon Nursery was graded good in 2008.
- It is about to open an after-school club for sevento 13-year-olds in Wimbledon.
CLAIRE BOYLE, NURSERY CO-ORDINATOR
'As nursery co-ordinator I am responsible for all aspects of the Wimbledon nursery's day-to-day running. A particularly important aspect of this is keeping channels of communication open with parents and ensuring that staff are also communicating well with each other. We have regular staff meetings and these are always actioned.
'The job is very enjoyable and no two days are the same. I like to ensure there is consistency in the way we operate and that new ideas are followed through. Part of our culture is that we are not afraid of criticism; we see it as a positive thing because it enables change to happen.'