Partou Reviews

You are massively understaffed. They always make sure that your numbers are in ratio - but if you need extra support, don’t expect it. Very often you are the only qualified staff in the room, left with apprentices/support staff so if you want to go to the toilet or so you need to call for management. As the only qualified person in the room I had 14 key children with at least 2 that have been with special needs that needed constant support. Management would tell you that you are not doing enough observations/planning but not support you by giving time out to catch up etc. - the most I was offered at some point was “sitting outside the room whilst there is someone qualified without knowledge of children in the room” or “sitting on the sofa in the room, because we are in ratio”. When you raise concerns about anything with manager they make excuses or tell you that “we can make a plan how to help”. You are expected to be at work early to make sure your room is ready etc. and you pretty much always leave late because you don’t have enough staff to catch up with everything. You often have to go outside to join with other rooms (which is fine usually but when you want to catch up you are not being listened to) because management says “they have to be in the office”. Overall it might not be a whole company like this but one particular nursery I worked at definitely was not worth the stress and tears.