Tops Day Nurseries was the only childcare provider in a list of the very best training providers in England included in the Adult Learning Inspectorate's annual report for 2001/02. It ranked among four military establishments, two NHS trusts, nine engineering specialists and the British car manufacturer, Jaguar.
Tops Day Nurseries director Cheryl Hadland said the secret of their training success was 'probably because we're in such a caring environment.
We have a high completion rate and people don't drop out'.
The company, which owns five day nurseries in Bournemouth, Poole and Wareham, set up its own in-housing training centre five years ago, accredited by City and Guilds.
Ms Hadland manages the training centre and acts as the main internal verifier for the programmes, as well as being one of the lecturers. She is now thinking of developing a CD-Rom to share good practice with other training organisations.
The nursery takes people on from age 17 to study for advanced modern apprenticeships and Level 4 NVQs in early years care and education. It also trains for assessor and management qualifications and NVQs in playwork. The centre currently has 16 modern apprentices, all employed in its nurseries.
The report highlighted good career progression opportunities within the company and its nurseries. Ms Hadland said the inspectors were also particularly impressed by the high staff retention rates, as there is a national problem with retaining students.
So far the company has trained a total of 25 people, of whom 23 work in the nurseries. Many have gone on to be managers, deputy managers and assessors in the nurseries.
The report described the quality of the work-based training and learning as 'outstanding' and awarded the nursery a grade 1, the highest score possible. A rating of 2 was awarded for good leadership and management.
Inspectors particularly praised the company for its good practice, including a proposal to the DfES to part-fund an innovative project aimed at recruiting more men to work in the nursery by, for example, sponsoring a football or rugby team, or recruiting teenage fathers.
Tops Day Nurseries will also pay for staff to take driving lessons and let them repay the company in monthly instalments from their wages. Other benefits include flexible working hours to fit in with family commitments, and the training centre offers staff childminding facilities.
Ms Hadland said inspectors were so impressed they had suggested that she might go on a national lecture tour to share good practice with other training organisations.
But with children of her own, not to mention a company to run, it is more likely that they will find a technological way of sharing good practice with other training organisations.
