Policy: Deployment

In this article, we review the School's deployment model and how we structure our personnel to ensure that there is always sufficient contingency and buffer within the teams to manage all eventualities

Staff Deployment Policy

Hatching Dragons must adhere to both Ofsted’s Staff requirements in the EYFS in :

• the number of staff we deploy against the number of children in the setting by age (the staff ratios);
• the relevant qualifications and experience of that staff team (the qualifications requirement); and
• our own operating deployment procedures of Chinese to Non-Chinese staff (our 50:50 model) to meet the needs of the children and deliver our model. They are set out adjacent

• Deployment Management: Managers are responsible for organising deployment of the school and its team in line with our policy requirements and it is best to do so on the basis of set, repeating shift patterns for the permanent team, supported by part time, bank and agency staff only when and if required. Bank staff and agency should never replace a full time / permanent person. Managers must ensure that staff shifts are inputted into EY Man's Staff Scheduler on a set and repeating pattern to meet the needs of the key person / key child model for the school.
• Teaching Staff Budget: Managers will be performance managed against the budgeted staffing levels required to deliver against the numbers of children in any given room. The staffing budget is defined in the annual budget which sets the number of staff / number of children forecasted in each room, which nursery managers will receive at the beginning of each year, and the template nursery deployment plan see here. Whilst other competitors allocate 35% of revenue to staffing, Hatching Dragons is committed to the model which provides surplus staff and allocate 45% of its revenue on an ongoing basis to teaching staff. Managers have access to the forecasted budget for staffing in the School's rolling budget available during month end reporting as a standing item on the agenda.
• Deployment Forecasting - managers need to forward the Operations Manager their deployment forecasts (3 months) each month end so that the school can effectively plan its recruitment and staff needs. See training videos and guidance here and here
• Staff Shift Patterns: The primary shift pattern for all staff 40 hours / week allocated on either 5 X 8 hour shifts; 4.5 days, or 4 long days. Part time staff may be employed within this framework when and if there are days in which more staff are required but these part time staff will only be engaged on the basis that they are happy to go full time when and if required.
• Staff Contracted Hours: Staff working hours in the week are set out in their contract and must be deployed against the total number of hours required of them at either their primary nursery or, in the instances of surplus deployment, at other nurseries in the portfolio that may have a need for staff. This does not mean that their working hours are in a set pattern or that the staffer has a set nursery - the nursery reserves the right to change deployment to best suit the needs of the children and the company across the business whilst still ensuring staff that their contracted hours of work and pay are delivered
• Extending Hours: Staff have all signed contracts that waive their requirements to the working time directive, which allows them to work in excessive of 42 hours a week if they so choose. Managers are entitled to ask staff to work more hours if the staffer would like to receive more pay - pro rated, as it will be, for the hours that they work. E.g. 50 hours a week. Hatching Dragons will never coerce staff into doing more hours than they feel comfortable with - this is purely a self-elective option for additional pay when and if required.
• Surplus staff: Surplus staff may be directed to other nurseries in the company’s portfolio if required, based on the assessments of the deployment issued by managers. Other nurseries may have a requirement that could be met by other staff in the business before agencies step in, which is our preference. The Operations Coordinator

• Consistency of Pattern: The managers will endeavour to provide staff with as regular a working pattern as possible but there may be changes due to:

• • • Staff holidays & Sickness
    • Children’s changing rota
    • Other nursery needs if the nursery is operating with surplus requirement