Question –
Q – “What are everyone’s thoughts on a teenage level 2 for a deputy and an unqualified room leader? Is this okay as long as they have adequate knowledge or would your setting not allow it?”
Answers
A – “The age part is irrelevant if they have the correct qualifications and leadership experience to back it up with but unfortunately it sounds like this is not the case. To be a Deputy you require minimum of level 3 and the same goes for a room leader. The room leader may get away with a level 2 IF they were working towards their level 3 but had a wealth of experience but an action plan would need to be put in to place. Hope that helps”
A – “I’m under the impression that management need to be a minimum level 3 and have leadership experience? I know age is just a number but sound knowledge and experience is vital in management”
A – “Statutory requirements state that a deputy needs level 3 and a minimum of two years QUALIFIED experience. Questions like this shouldn’t need to be asked if the statutory requirements are read and adhered to.”
A – “Manager needs at least a level 3, deputy can be a level 2 if had enough experience and it’s down to the manager to make that decision with the deputy. I know this as I had to ask ofsted about a deputy and they said it is managers decision there’s nothing to say no. Look in your EYFS.”
A – “I personally don’t think a teenager would have the experience be room leader. How long would they have actually been in childcare to have learnt enough to fill post?”
A – “I know age shouldn’t be an issue but can a teenager really be deemed to have enough experience?”
A – “It’s illegal! The qualification specifications are in the Statutory Requirements”
A – “All my senior staff/ team leaders need to be at least level 3 qualified and have 2 years post experience”
A – “I think that it would be preferable to have sound knowledge and experience to be in a leadership role.”
A – “No no… Look at the welfare requirements for the EYFS. Follow this”
A – “We have to be at least a level 3… Age doesn’t matter but definitely experienced and knowledgeable”
A – “To be a senior member of staff you have to have at least a level 3 qualifications and level is not qualified enough you need to be contacting ofsted”
A – “I was level 3 qualified just after I turned 18 and was a supervisor in an after school club by 19. This was 10 years ago!”
A – “Age is irrelevant but they are not qualified enough for my setting”
A – “No and no”
A – “I’m sorry….I know age is possibly irrelevant…..but a teenager, no matter how many years’ experience (let’s be honest….max years’ experience in a setting could between 2 – 4 years?)…but they don’t have enough life experience to be able to deal with parents questions, the ever changing policies & procedures, children’s changing behaviours etc. I would welcome ALL MY STAFF to strive for promotion & would actively encourage & support learning & personal progression…..but as a manager I wouldn’t promote a teenager into a senior position unless they were shadowing a senior staff all the time. No disrespect meant or intended”
A – “Personally would not allow it. Deputy should be level 3 with experience. Knowledge is very different to experience. The unqualified may have more experience than the level 2 teen but from a safeguarding/covering yourself point of view, in my eyes it’s a no.”
A – “Don’t think either would wash with Ofsted! In our setting all room leaders have to be fully qualified level 3 or equivalent AND have two years minimum experience of qualified nursery nursing. Deputy should be similar but usually more highly qualified (ours is early years teacher qualified) and more experience than room leader. Someone in the setting should have EYPS or early years teaching so it makes sense to be the manager or deputy.”
A – “Level 3 is a supervisory level and in addition I would look for people with 3 years’ experience of working in a nursery setting. You need a strong team to run a setting and to have adequate knowledge. There are times you will need to call upon your training and experience to handle situations. As most settings only employ 17 year olds and above (insurance reasons) with the addition of 3 years’ experience (the normal time it takes to complete level 2 and 3) you wouldn’t have a teenage Deputy; or room leader for that matter. Parents need confidence in the setting and that the people who run it are suitable to do so.”
A – “It might be acceptable if they’re in the middle of doing their level 3 but would repeatedly have to reassure parents that they are knowledgeable because as much as we hate to admit it, age really does have an impact on parents choosing your setting. We often have parents comment on how at ease they know that our setting isn’t full of young, freshly qualified staff and have a wide range of ages.”
A – “What’s a teenage level 2? … Most settings i know would prefer at least level three but i guess everywhere is different. a room leader who can’t be counted in ratio seems bit odd though”
A – “I always thought that you had to have, or working towards a level 3 these days? sorry but a teenager with a level 2 I don’t think is a good idea, no experience, or correct qualifications, just saying.”