Ten tips for dealing with an underperforming employee

Every manager hopes that all employees will perform satisfactorily in their roles 100% all the time, but there will be occasions when performance falls below an acceptable standard. Early action is the best policy, rather than waiting and hoping that things will improve. They rarely do, and delay just makes subsequent interventions more difficult. Val…

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Can disciplinary action be taken for an employees behaviour at a works party?

The Case study below is based on a question asked due to an employee’s behaviour at a works party? Natasha, a Nursery Manager contacted the helpline to discuss Sam, a member of the team who had been with them for five years. Sam has been a good employee but had recently started acting very strangely….

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Early years pupil premium roll-out begins

The early years pupil premium scheme has been kick-started in seven local authorities. Blackpool, Bristol, Cambridgeshire, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Hackney and Stoke-on-Trent have each received a share in £1 million with the hope of helping the most disadvantaged children in their areas to receive high-quality early education. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “This new…

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Separate registration for two-year-olds provision on the way out

The Government is putting in place legislation to remove the requirement with Ofsted that schools must register separately their early years provision for two-year-olds. Subject to the approval of Parliament, this should come into effect in September 2015. The aim is to make it easier for schools to offer early years provision for two-year-olds, whether…

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More joined-up help needed to “get it right” for families

The Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) has published a new report claiming that families with young children are not receiving “joined-up” support from public services. Getting it Right for Families: A Review of Integrated Systems and Promising Practice in Early Years gives practical advice for local areas together with examples of how services can be integrated…

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Latest from Ofsted: “sustained improvement”

Ofsted has reported that most early years providers were judged “good” or “outstanding” at their most recent inspection. More than 83% of providers active on the Early Years Register at the end of August 2014 were awarded grades of either good or outstanding according to the most recent Ofsted statistics. This figure represents an increase…

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Councils struggling to deliver on flagship nursery care policy

Councils are struggling to deliver a flagship policy to provide free nursery care to vulnerable two-year-olds because of a shortage of nursery places, a new survey shows. Under the Scottish Government policy local authorities were expected to offer 600 hours of childcare to two-year-olds from workless households by August this year. However, a survey by…

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Can early education mean higher earnings?

A report has demonstrated that children generally have a better chance in later education and in life if they have been in pre-school education. Students’ Educational and Developmental Outcomes at Age 16, carried out by leading academics at the Institute of Education, University of Oxford, and Birkbeck, University of London, looks at what influences attainment…

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Toddlers Attending an 'Inadequate' Nursery May Have Been Exposed to Dangers

Toddlers attending an ‘inadequate’ nursery in Wembley may have been exposed to dangers after staff failed to carry out regular risk assessments, it has been revealed. A damning report by Ofsted detailing an inspection of London Road Nursery in London Road, slammed a number of shortcomings in its level of child care. The dossier revealed…

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Teachers call for pupils to start school at the age of seven

Teachers call for pupils to start school at the age of seven to stop them being damaged by ‘too much, too soon’ culture Teaching union says curriculum should be focused on play until seven Early testing and formal lessons can be ‘damaging’ for pupils ‘Childhood is important’ says top teaching union official Teachers claim children…

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