30 hours of free childcare is meant to cover the delivery of those 30 hours. We understand it generally doesn’t! Juggling costs and seeking savings without compromising quality is challenging. At spark we strive to support and enhance standards while also becoming slicker and leaner.
As good business owners we can improve the efficiency; maybe redeploy revenue or staffing to reduce costs. To deliver whatever our vision is, our businesses need to be financially strong and resilient. At the moment looking at savings may well be a priority.
Risen from within the industry, and designed by and for nursery owners, managers, practitioners and parents, spark offers ways to invest in what is needed by choosing an individual or interlinking package. Therefore, purchase just what you need. These promote savings in time, staffing and general efficiency in the delivery and evaluation of the EYFS curriculum and nursery administration.
– Save time:-
- sparkADMIN handles the working out of staff ratios and duty times to payroll
- With automated invoicing and funding
- Communicating with parents in the way they prefer and in a flexible manner
- Retrieving family records
- Manage health and safety, incidents and accidents efficiently
- Link up to accounting software, reconcile invoices to registers
When using spark for your EYFS, save time as:-
- Senior staff will not need to check regular observations before sharing with parents
- On paper learning journals; ‘cut out and stick’ evidence into books
- Cross-referencing observations; it is all done for you (1)
- Working out the next steps as spark will provide appropriate focused suggestions
- Carrying out analysis; progress is instantly before you, all at the touch of a button
- Tracking groups; with a range of options you have everything to hand
- Planning the environment and activities, with a range of tools to use on the go
- Writing daily diaries in longhand; sparkDIARY makes life quick, easy and is professional
- Compiling transition reports; just choose what you wish to share
– Retain staff and reduce recruitment costs by enhancing job satisfaction:-
- Enables staff to spend more of their time with the children, which is the part they generally most enjoy, as there’s less non-contact time to do paperwork
- Improve work:life balance, if there is currently a need to take work home
- Focus on children’s needs/setting needs as appropriate to the role; efficiency enables time for an ethos of ‘continuous improvement’; less stressful than always being ‘on the catch up’!
- Redeploy the saved staff hours to fill a role or vacancy that has been hard to fill
– As an ongoing training tool, spark supports less able or inexperienced staff in understanding and to appropriately deliver the EYFS curriculum confidently
– Evaluation and writing reports is less laborious as staff are supported through the software and with their literacy skills (2)
– spark pinpoints training needs, so there is a targeted focus on training expenditure and the difference it has made
– We offer you a heavily discounted price on over 39 E-learning approved CPD courses; saving over £16 per person each year (3) https://www.flicklearning.com/about-flick (2017 Nursery Award Winners)
-Cash flow savings on resources:-
- Post-it-notes
- Paper
- Printer ink
- Diary booklets
- Scrapbooks, folders, laminating pouches and glue
- Our EYFS software works on inexpensive tablets too
– Generate more revenue:-
- sparkADMIN handles leads and your waiting list
- Provides maps to help focus marketing efforts appropriately
- Improve occupancy through an enhanced reputation
- Professional curriculum reports, charts and graphs available to share with sparkPRO
- Time to be customer focused; to enhancing customer service
- Developed partnerships with parents, external professionals, local schools and providers
- Boosted progress in children’s learning and development as staff are consistently focused
- Increased recognition by regulatory and professional bodies (Ofsted, Quality Assurance, External Professionals)
- Add a fundraiser by introducing spark@HOME
– Be professional and keep within the law; maintain at least the minimum/living wage rates by not needing staff to work ‘unpaid’ hours at home as they strive to keep up with paperwork
– Save on space and the maintenance perhaps! There’s no need for shelves of heavy files, where paper may slip out, get lost or get tatty. All the valuable information is kept safe and altogether in one place on spark
– Finally, become greener and do your bit to save the planet for the children in your care
Extra Info:-
sparkESSENTIAL and sparkPRO, are both EYFS software packages, although this article has focused upon sparkPRO, sparkESSENTIAL (where sparkPRO can be added later) can potentially improve your bottom line too.
- Cross-referencing refers to; Areas of Learning, Development Matters Statements and Characteristics of Effective Learning; spark will also cross-reference to ECaT and Sustained Shared Thinking Strands
- For example, in 15-20 minutes a detailed report of progress can be produced. Included are the child’s progress, the chosen next learning and development needs with ideas in how the parent might help their child at home. Get in touch, and we will send you one!
- Price in October 2017
Call to have a chat without an obligation 020 3930 4805 or drop an email with your queries info@sparkearlyyears.co.uk
