Talking about supervision: embedding appraisals

The Revised EYFS has brought a number of changes to the sector; one change that will have a big impact on nursery management is the requirement to have staff supervisions. I think most managers are aware of the benefits of regular staff supervisions, the theory behind them and the advantages of having a robust system in place. However, regardless of this it is often a struggle to implement and imbed for a number of reasons.

Many nursery managers are nursery practitioners who have worked their way up the ranks to that of nursery manager. I, like many others have attended management training to support me in my role, which covered staff supervisions and the importance of continuous professional development. However moving theory into practice is not an easy task with many barriers to success.

First there is finding the time, not just for the meeting, but to ensure you have time to prepare in advance and follow up afterwards, and prioritising the supervisions over the many other responsibilities nursery managers have. Second there is the need to be confident in your ability to have difficult conversations. Supervision with a staff member who is achieving well and meeting, or exceeding, the requirements of their role is easy, but facing a meeting with a member of your team who is not performing can be daunting. Approaching such situations constructively, and meeting your objectives can be hard. Such meetings can be very emotive and take practice and skill to achieve. Finally ensuring that the meetings are meaningful, targets discussed are measurable, there is clarity about expectations and a follow up is planned, are all important.

REALITY CHECK

I have managed four nurseries in my career to date, and until March of this year I had never been appraised. I had implemented continuous professional development policies and led on staff appraisals in all of my settings, however I had always found embedding the practice difficult. In March I had my first ever appraisal as a nursery manager, when the nursery I work in joined the London Early Years Foundation. This meeting was an eye opener to how it feels to be appraised; I had a clearer sense of direction, and I had measurable targets to work towards and expectations were clear.

I realised then that the problems I had with embedding appraisals and supervisions were due to my own lack of belief in the systems; the theory had taught me their importance, but being appraised taught me the reality. Having clear direction does provide improved staff satisfaction, makes you feel more valued and ensures you achieve effectiveness.

During the summer term I appraised all of my staff for the first time in 18 months, and now meet with every team member every six to eight weeks for supervision. My team’s morale has improved, staff productivity has increased and staff have commented that they feel valued and listened to. It is still early days but by next summer term I hope I will have finally achieved embedding appraisals and regular staff supervisions into the culture of my nursery.