Honest Review - Disappointing - Behavioural Therapist The Growing Academy Employee Review

1. Constant lack of manpower - management and seniors will tell us to lie to parents that the classroom ratio (teacher to student) is 3:12. In reality, with people constantly leaving and management adding more kids, the classroom ratio is 2:15, and even 2:18 on some days when teacher MC. It is challenging for teachers/childminders or even anyone to watch over a large group of special needs kids. However, they continue to pump more kids in when there is no quality with the number of new teachers coming in. Not to mention there is no training provided for new staff. New staff are expected to watch the children and spend half of their time only child minding. And when we are unable to manage these special needs kids, the blame would fall on us. 2. No proper training - as mentioned by ALL the other reviews, there is no proper training worth 5k while you work here. IEP, and lesson planning ‘training’ are all done 1 or 2 weeks before the deadline. Oh not to mentioned that bosses also said that changing of diaper and clothes is also included in the 5k training. They only put that in because they have such a high turnover rate and need manpower (which they are still unable to get despite this business being a SPED school - is this ethical?). 3. Very hectic schedule with no real breaks in between - therapists daily timeline is insane (group classes twice a day, changing clothes/diapers, feeding the kids lunch/snack time and childmind during the free times in between the schedule) on top of constant lack of manpower and false promises of more support. Not to mention we have to also send DAILY communication comm logs when other sped schools or preschools only send it once a month. Not to mention lesson materials which have to be prepared as well. Everything is expected to be done by a deadline but there is no proper time given. 4. Safety management is questionable - for example, whenever there is an accident (e.g. a child who has been injured) or situation, management's priority is to inform the parent of the kids so that they are not annoyed/angry at the school, not because to inform whether the child is actually fine. They would let the staff handle the situation by getting us to send the message to the parents - even if the staff doesn’t know how to handle it, No follow-up to check if the staff is affected by the situation or any discussion. Overall, there is NO proper structure in this company - no HR or any proper procedures e.g. proper induction/staff development/training/staff leaving. Decisions made seem to be always given out on the day or last minute and NOT discussed with the staff (only the management team) and yet they expect us to be okay with it when management is not even working on the floors. Everything done is for the aesthetic and “for the gram” as quoted by bosses, so believe what you will. Also, good luck if you are posted to the most burnt-out and overworked centre because they left it there to burn and are continuing to add more children.