Sylvia Archer, director, The Children's House and The Montessori School, Lincolnshire
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Sylvia Archer opened the Montessori School in 2003 and next April will see her open a new purpose-built facility.
How did you get into this role?
I started out as a volunteer leader at my children's pre-school playgroup, which I did for 12 years. After that, I started the first day nursery in Grimsby and helped develop a chain of 11. In 2000, I decided to go into business with my sister, who is Montessori trained. We opened the Montessori School in 2003 and next April will see us open a new purpose-built facility.
What does your day consist of?
You never know what's going to greet you. Today our cook and our nursery manager are both ill, so I've found myself rotating staff, manning the phones, conducting project meetings with builders and I'll also spend some time in class. My role is strategic and focused on the business. I have a Masters degree in business so I have a symbiotic relationship with my sister, who handles the classroom side of things. Many nursery managers have to deal with both at once.
What are the challenges?
Currently, flexible free entitlement is a constraint for private day care. We can only charge what the government allows us to and this means remuneration is under pressure, which can affect staff turnover. We've tried to think creatively about incentives such as free staff uniforms, organic meals and training and last year our turnover of staff was only four per cent.
How has the sector changed since you started?
The changes have been huge, not least in the expectations of parents. They are now very knowledgeable and make informed choices, which keeps us on our toes. In our latest Ofsted report we were rated outstanding across all areas, which was hugely satisfying.
What developments does the future hold?
It's all about keeping the quality threshold up. The new facility will be fantastic, but we probably won't expand beyond that as it would mean losing touch with the classroom. I consider myself very privileged to work with such a fantastic group of people. You can only deliver a quality service if they buy into your vision.
