On a cold, dark, wet winter's night as the minute hand inches towards six o'clock and everyone is longing to go home, nursery managers and their staff will be able to predict with a high degree of accuracy which parents will be late.
For some people punctuality is a matter of pride. But there are just as many others who are consistently late. A perennial personnel problem facing nursery managers is how to cope effectively with such parents while preventing their long-suffering staff from becoming resentful.
One way to deal with the situation is to set up a system of charges for latecomers (see box below). A payments scheme was introduced last year at the Oakfield Nursery School in Altrincham and its founder, Finola Barr, says it has had a dramatic impact and almost eradicated the problem. To limit the bureaucracy for the nursery management, the parents pay the staff member who has waited with their children directly.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here