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In this leadership series we hear from Michelle Demirtas, head of pedagogical research and development, emotional wellbeing at Bright Horizons
Daniel Weir explains the importance of creating a sustainable workforce
Active8 share what they do and why they want to support the sector
Jassi Sunner explore what attracts investment into the UK day nursery market
Daniel Gorry explains what to expect across the legal landscape with a new government
Tom Kennedy shares his work with German nursery group Kinderzimmer as it grew across the UK
Karen Derbyshire explores how external training plays a crucial role in recruitment
Alex Raher shares how you can transform the design of your nursery setting
Find out more about your rights as an employee from Ella Halliday
Clare Stead shares her insights on those early years in development
Find out what managers across the country have been getting up to
Charlotte Goddard explores how varied the role of a nursery manager can be
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In this nursery managers series, Charlotte Goddard speaks to Lachme Kaur, nursery manager at Little Limehouse Preschool in East London
NMT shares some of the highlights of the last show in Birmingham
Charlotte Goddard finds out how children develop selfregulation and what nurseries can do to support them
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Given the obvious discontent and apathy across the country for the Conservative leadership, the results of the election were hardly surprising, yet there was still a moment of apprehension before the first exit poll was released.
Now begins a new chapter, one that’s full of pledges and expectations. While it is encouraging to have the opportunity to boost the status and value of the early years sector, the new government must swiftly move forward with its promises to ensure the early years doesn’t fall behind the rest of the education sector.
So, what has Labour pledged? The party’s manifesto states that:
• Labour will deliver half a million more children hitting the Early Learning Goals by 2030.
• The party will bring a new focus on supporting language skills and maths learning right from the start.
• There will be more support for staff working in childcare and early education.
Labour has also commissioned Sir David Bell, former chief inspector of Ofsted, to look at how we can drive up standards in childcare in England.
Starmer’s party has also pledged to continue the entitlement expansion that the Conservatives began to help more people back into work while being able to afford childcare. Labour estimates that its policies will support three quarters of a million more parents to re-enter the labour market.
Following through
One of Labour’s pledges is to create 3,300 new nurseries that will deliver an additional 100,000 childcare places. Labour’s proposals will see empty or under-used classrooms in England’s
primary schools turned into nurseries.
Leaders and experts across the early years sector have warned that the childcare sector is facing a staffing and funding crisis – with parents struggling to afford childcare and find places for their children.
The prime minister said: “Labour will roll up our sleeves and take the tough decisions needed to support parents’ progression, improve kids’ life chances and ultimately, drive growth. We will create the childcare places needed to turn the page, and rebuild Britain.”
The chancellor, Rachel Reeves recently repeated the plans for private schools to charge VAT which will come into effect next January. The institutions will also lose an 80% discount they get on business rates. The money will be used to pay for an extra 6,500 teachers in state schools, improve training for headteachers. and create 3,300 nurseries in primary schools to boost the availability of childcare. The early years sector deserves more funding and certainly more recognition for the vast ranging skills and dedication that providers and the workforce bring to settings every day.
Briony Richter Editor, Nursery Management Today briony.richter@nexusgroup.co.uk
Addressing poor pay and valuing the workforce are critical to tackling the early years staffing crisis as early years settings continue to struggle to recruit and retain staff, a new survey by the Early Years Alliance revealed.
The online survey, which received 889 responses and was carried out between 10 and 19 July 2024, found that 78% of settings have found it difficult to recruit staff in the last year, with nearly half (48%) finding it very difficult.
As a result of the sector’s ongoing recruitment and retention challenges, in the six months prior to the survey, half of respondents (50%) have had to limit or stop taking on new children and nearly two in five (17%) have reduced or restricted their opening hours. Half of settings (51%) said staffing shortages have had a negative impact on the quality of provision.
Stephen Morgan has been appointed as a minister with responsibility for the early years sector.
Morgan, the MP for Portsmouth South, was shadow schools minister from December 2021 until September 2023. In the 2023 shadow cabinet reshuffle Catherine McKinnell returned to the frontbench as shadow schools minister, replacing Morgan.
Prior to entering Parliament, Morgan
worked in the charity sector and local government.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “There’s no question that Mr Morgan begins this role at a particularly challenging time for the sector, with providers continuing to face severe staffing shortages and significant underfunding in the run-up to the next phase of the entitlement expansion.”
Ofsted published figures that revealed a decrease in the number of early years providers but a small increase in childcare places
Key findings from the report showed:
• 61,800 childcare providers were registered with Ofsted, down by 1,440 (2%) since 31 March 2023. Most of this decline was due to a fall in the number of childminders.
• The number of childminders registered with Ofsted had decreased by 1,340 (5%) since 31 March 2023, to 26,500 providers. The decline was lower than in previous years, in part due to the lower number of leavers.
• At their most recent inspection, 97% of childcare providers were judged Good or Outstanding, an increase of 1 percentage point since last year.
Bespoke ‘Bright Spaces’ children’s rooms have been situated at Hertford, Stevenage, and Watford police stations, to provide a safe environment for vulnerable children and young adults while appropriate safeguarding measures are put into place.
The Bright Spaces were created by the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children and contain comfortable and homely seating and soft furnishings, and a range of books, toys, games and play resources for children of all ages to enjoy.
A significant community effort made the Bright Spaces possible, with fundraising, volunteering and donations from local Bright Horizons nurseries and staff, and the Hertfordshire Community Foundation which provided a £2,500 grant.
Happy Days Nurseries has opened its latest setting, Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School, in Yeovil, Somerset.
Happy Days acquired the setting, previously known as Yew Tree Nursery, earlier this year. The official opening ceremony included a ribbon-cutting led by the mayor of Yeovil, Councillor Andy Kendall. It included tours of the
refurbished nursery for new and potential parents, and some activities led by the Happy Days team.
Nursery manager Kylie Mitchell said: “The beautifully refurbished interior space is fantastic, and we can’t wait to continue nurturing young minds in this exceptional environment.”
The Early Years Alliance has launched EYA Central, a one-stop-shop for Alliance resources and training.
EYA Central (available at central. eyalliance.org.uk) replaces both the Alliance Shop and the online training and networking events portal and provides a comprehensive selection of learning and development opportunities and resources to support continuing professional development across the sector.
The new digital hub will give providers easy access to the Alliance’s online
training courses including virtual classrooms, Expert insight delivered, as well as the organisation’s Spotlight Collections which offers bite-sized CPD presentations on a range of topics. Providers can also access digital publications and publications records, including the Alliance’s Daily Register and Outings Record and Accident Record.
In addition, Alliance members can access a range of new resources and tools including new training and CPD
“The beautifully refurbished interior space is fantastic, and we can’t wait to continue nurturing young minds in this exceptional environment.”
opportunities and free access to EYA Learn, the Alliance’s new suite of accredited online learning modules, as well as a comprehensive range of digital mini-guides – plus new functionalities to support the simple management and oversight of employee’s individual learning requirements.
An independent report commissioned by the County Councils Network and Local Government Association calls on the government to address systemic challenges within the SEND system.
The report states that “The SEND system is broken” and that “the growing reality is that a combination of unexpected need and unintended perverse incentives in the system exacerbated by this demand – alongside a general squeeze on public resources – have left parents, schools, health and councils all increasingly dissatisfied and often frustrated, as well as resulting in poorer outcomes for children.”■
Michelle Demirtas, head of pedagogical research and development, emotional wellbeing at Bright Horizons explores the critical role of focusing on wellbeing within your curriculum to foster confidence, emotional development and long-term success
Can you describe your overall approach to embedding wellbeing in your curriculum?
This is done through our ‘Nurture Approach’, which is research-based and exclusive to Bright Horizons. It provides a unique way of being with, teaching, and caring for young children.
Our Nurture Approach, which is our bespoke educational framework, places wellbeing at the centre of everything we do. It provides the conditions for children
“Our expert early childhood team delivers the nurture model training, which is an extended professional development programme.”
to thrive by recognising that emotional wellbeing underpins learning and development. Furthermore, opportunities to learn and develop contribute to confidence, self-esteem, critical thinking and emotional growth.
How do you ensure that each child’s unique needs are identified and addressed within your curriculum?
The Bright Beginnings curriculum gives our practitioners a framework to plan developmentally appropriate experiences that promote holistic learning; it’s not separated into ‘boxes’ or subjects, instead learning experiences are connected and help children acquire a wide range of essential skills and competencies for their future.
How do you assess and understand the unique needs of each child in your care?
Our practitioners work with families to support children through each stage
of their learning journey. If a child is developing differently to their peers, they are provided with the individual support they need to make progress. This way we provide a truly child-centred approach to inclusion.
Can you provide examples of activities you have implemented that specifically aim to enhance children’s wellbeing?
Our Bright Beginnings curriculum includes opportunities and experiences such as ‘mindfulness’, ‘relaxation’, ‘outdoor play’ and ‘forest school’, which alongside the nurturing care and support offered through our day-to-day practice, help children to develop a sense of personal wellbeing. They will engage with nature, pursue their own interests and experience periods of calm reflection under the guidance of their key person.
We continue to review our physical environments, developing truly ‘home from home’ experiences. These include:
• Snuggle sofas in our baby rooms and generally more homely spaces for our youngest babies.
• The introduction of a ‘family dining’ concept to support mealtimes.
• Ongoing research into the movements of toddlers and two-year-old children, in collaboration with Dr Sandra Duncan. This is helping us to ensure our play spaces for children continue to provide the best possible experience.
What training do team members receive to support children’s wellbeing effectively?
Our expert early childhood team delivers the nurture model training, which is an extended professional development programme. It’s available for all our practitioners to support them with their understanding of our Nurture Approach.
The programme also has a range of resources and learning modules to support with the delivery of our bespoke curriculum.
All our nurseries also have specialist SEND practitioners who receive tailored SENDCo training to support children with special educational needs and disabilities. This 18-hour classroom-based learning programme is delivered over a five-month period. Modules are competency based, ensuring the knowledge and skills to support all children with additional needs. The communication champion in each nursery follows a six-month, classroombased programme, which includes Makaton.
How do you ensure that your staff can recognise and respond to the individual emotional and developmental needs of children, especially with SEND and additional needs?
Our key people develop a strong relationship with the children and their families providing individualised, responsive, care and support through each stage of their journey. In addition, each
setting has a trained SENDCo. Our teams utilise a specially created SEND toolkit that provides advice and strategies to meet children’s individual needs.
The SENDCo is the designated point of contact for parents and staff who need additional information for individual children according to their unique learning needs. They provide professional development in the nursery through regular meetings, securing early identification of children who might need extra help and support. Our wellbeing and early help specialist is available to provide additional support to parents, practitioners and children who need it. There is a dedicated SEND intranet channel and regular networking events to provide further support for practitioners. An early childhood specialist and the subject matter expert for SEND maintains regular contact and provides expert guidance.
In addition to supporting children with special educational needs, we also have a programme to support children who speak English as an additional language, through our specialist communication champions,
who receive specific training to ensure exemplary practice in this area of teaching and learning.
How do you measure the effectiveness of your wellbeing initiatives?
We carry out independent research and collaborate with academic institutions to measure and evaluate the impact of our wellbeing initiatives. We also use ThriveOnline to identify the progress of children in social and emotional development.
Can you share any success stories or outcomes that highlight the effect of your curriculum has had?
In 2021, we conducted research into the impact of our Bright Beginnings curriculum. Findings from this demonstrated that practitioners’ understanding of the holistic nature of children’s learning and development was significantly improved when they used the Bright Beginnings curriculum, which moved away from traditional ‘subject areas’ of learning, to a more skills-based
approach to children’s learning.
Strong evidence is also coming through in Ofsted inspection reports about the positive impact of our Nurture Approach in our nurseries. For example, an inspection at Raynes Park Day Nursery on 24 July rated Good includes: “Staff have recently attended Nurture training and have learnt about children’s brain development and how to look at things from a child’s point of
view. This has had a huge impact on their confidence and raised the quality of teaching and outcomes for children.”
From Chineham Day Nursery, inspected 24 May, rated Outstanding: “Staff place a great emphasis on promoting children’s self-confidence and emotional wellbeing. Older children begin to understand and recognise feelings and emotions. This is because staff support them to learn how to regulate these emotions through a Nurture programme that is in place throughout the nursery.”
How do you ensure that your wellbeing initiatives are inclusive to the diverse backgrounds of the children? Activities, resources, books and toys reflect all members of our society and present positive role models and non-stereotyped images.
What are your future goals to progress further with wellbeing in your curriculum?
The simple answer is: more research. We were the first large provider in the UK to develop our own curriculum in 2020 and this was underpinned by extensive research and developed in response to changes to the EYFS at the time. The research findings on the impact of the curriculum informed our development of our Nurture Approach.■
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analyst
Nothing is more important to a nursery than its people. All nursery managers knows that without their staff, their setting is no more than a lifeless box. Parents know it too. While, of course, surroundings are important, knowing that their child is in the hands of the best, most committed, most amazing people is what enables them to trust you with the most important person in their lives. In business terms, your staff are an asset, and one that you
“In business terms, your staff are an asset, and one that you need to protect. This means it’s important to bear your people in mind when you consider whether you are taking out the right insurance policy..”
need to protect. This means it’s important to bear your people in mind when you consider whether you are taking out the right insurance policy.
This begins with your Employer’s Liability Insurance (ELI), which has been a legal requirement for almost all employers since 1969. The reason for this is that all employers have a duty of care to their employees to ensure that they are able to meet their liabilities towards them. Put another way, in the event something happens to an employee for which the employer is responsible, they deserve the certainty that they will receive proper compensation. The law takes this very seriously, and employers found without proper ELI can face hefty fines of up to £2,500 for every day they were without appropriate insurance. This means, however big or small your business, if you have staff, it’s critical to avoid gaps in your cover.
There are other ways your insurance may help you to look after your staff. Not every injury that can happen to staff will be covered by ELI. In the case of a true accident, where there was no negligence, there is no liability, but that might not be
much comfort to a member of staff who got hurt. Specialist insurance policies such as Morton Michel’s can include personal accident cover too. This enables payments to be made to staff where they are injured. In some cases it can even cover incidents that take place outside working hours. As always, you should carefully check the terms of your policy to understand precisely what is covered.
Of course, prevention is better than cure and many accidents can be avoided through thoughtful and thorough training. As an insurance broker, it made sense for us to invest in giving all of our customers free licences to online staff training from Flick Learning. Not only does this save our customers money that they can invest elsewhere, but training improves people’s confidence, reducing the stress and pressure they feel at work. This in turn reduces the risk of workplace problems even further, as people who feel comfortable and happy are less likely to make mistakes.
In a similar vein, beyond insurance itself, you may want to consider what other benefits you can make available to
“Insurance,
ultimately, is about protecting your business and managing your risk, and that means much more than just the bricks and mortar or the numbers on a spreadsheet.”
your staff. One example is an employee benefits package. These can be seen as a further investment in your staff, giving them access to discounts at retailers and service providers, enabling them to stretch their salary further. There are several of these on the market, including PIB Employee Benefits, which Morton Michel makes available free to our nursery customers. Encouraging your staff to get into the habit of using them may not only improve their wellbeing, but also make them more likely to stick
with you in the long term. Insurance, ultimately, is about protecting your business and managing your risk, and that means much more than just the bricks and mortar or the numbers on a spreadsheet. I know from talking to our customers, and others out in the sector, just how proud nursery managers are of their amazing teams. Every nursery is reliant on its people, and factoring that into every business decision, including insurance, can only make your setting stronger. ■
Early years education is constantly evolving, and the technical products and support must keep the pace up. NMT speaks to Alex Patterson, director at Active8, on how the company’s approach merges industry expertise with an understanding of the challenges faced by providers
Introduction
I’m Alex Patterson, and I am a customerfacing director and shareholder at Active8. Previously, I worked for a familyrun corporate firm, but after several years I felt they lost sight of the customer service element. I decided to pursue my own venture and, along with five other shareholders set this business up.
What is central to Active8’s success as a partner for early years settings?
Customer service is paramount in the success of Active8. It serves as the primary touchpoint between our team and our clients, developing trust, loyalty and increasing our integrity across the sector.
We want our solutions to mitigate some of the key challenges facing providers today. Our team is dedicated to delivering clear and transparent contracts, through ethical selling and excellent customer service.
What do you want the nursery sector to know about what you can offer them?
We are here to help. This sector is full of fantastic early years businesses that are continually going above and beyond to deliver high-quality childcare. We understand many nursery groups and settings do not have in-house IT or tech experts which is often left to the owners to liaise and manage with suppliers/ contracts and keep abreast of technology.
Our aim is to provide consultancy, along with services, to make the running of
“Customer service is paramount in the success of Active8. It serves as the primary touchpoint between our team and our clients, developing trust, loyalty and increasing our integrity across the sector.”
the settings as seamless as possible when dealing with technology.
How do your services mitigate some of the operational challenges nurseries face?
We can offer one point of contact and one invoice for IT, telephony, internet and managed print which reduces administration costs and alleviates time managing contracts and business relationships, allowing the nursery
settings to concentrate on what’s important – early years education and childcare.
Can you share more information on the business advice you can offer that will ensure a nursery’s safety and security?
Our customer-facing staff are DBS checked and have worked in the education sector for over 25 years. We know how important the sector is, and the security needed to make sure the business is fully protected. Nursery directors and managers have an increasingly heavier workload with the recruitment and funding challenges. However, our services can take a bit of that load off. We are approved on government frameworks for education settings and our technology offers cybersecurity products, content filtering, encrypted hard drive protection solutions and data protection/safeguarding. It’s crucial to take precautions early on. Cybersecurity is continually evolving, and while the solutions are getting more advanced, the hackers are getting more
sophisticated too.
Some of our key services include:
• Telephone contracts which group all settings together.
• Managed IT support and licences.
• Managed print services.
• Internet and Wi-Fi solutions.
What do you enjoy most about working with the early years sector?
We love working in this sector, it’s extremely resilient and collaborative. The best part for our team is when we are going through the process of providing solutions that alleviate workload and have the ability to educate company owners on the latest technology that helps their settings operate more efficiently.
Finally, what are your goals for 2024?
We would like to expand our customer base within the early years sector and we would like to continue to be seen as a thought leader and ethical provider of services.■
It’s a well-known fact that the childcare market in the UK has been, and still is, a green-light sector, for not only for banks looking to fund acquisitions and refinancing, but also for investors wanting to enter the sector via a platform opportunity to buy and build, and for existing operators looking at new opportunities and to consolidate. While the sector undoubtedly has its challenges, these are outweighed by the ability to enter the market and grow due to the fragmentation across the UK. Below are some thoughts about what to look out for and consider if you’re contemplating investing in the UK day nursery market.
People outside the sector are not always aware of some of the cost pressures that nursery operators face on a daily basis. A nursery’s workforce is one of its main expenditures, so finding the right people to nurture, and retaining them, is a fine art that everyone is trying to crack, Getting staffing rations wrong and being ‘overstaffed’ can hugely affect the profits of your nursery and then being ‘understaffed’ has a regulatory
“Getting staffing rations wrong and being ‘overstaffed’ can hugely affect the profits of your nursery and then being ‘understaffed’ has a regulatory implication with Ofsted and can cause issues with your reputation.”
implication with Ofsted and can cause issues with your reputation.
Most settings have a wage bill of between 50% to 70% of their income from day one.
We would expect a well-trading nursery to be making a profit of 25%plus of its turnover. These figures can fluctuate, and nurseries in more affluent locations can be at the lower end of the wages scale but can create higher profits.
The sector, as a whole, is resilient and seems to cope with all that is thrown at it – the Covid pandemic and being without childcare services for some time, greatly enhanced people’s perception of how important they are.
Funding has long been a hot topic, especially in the lead-up to the general election, and could be seen as a reason why now is a good time to invest in the childcare sector.
Last year the government announced changes to funding for children as young as nine months old which has proven to be an enhanced position to previous
offers on funding. Historically, there has always been funding available for parents of children of two-year-olds and even more for children who are three and above. The final implementation for this new funding is coming into effect this month.
Many investors and buyers have seen this as a good reason why they should think about buying and growing. While funding may never be enough for
“This all points to a current position where demand and competitive tension between buyers looking to secure their next opportunity has never been so high.”
operators trying to deliver high-quality childcare, if what is currently on the table continues to be delivered by the Labour government then this has got to be seen as a positive sign for everyone involved.
When speaking with operators, we continue to hear that demand for places is still outgrowing the number of places available, that baby rooms are full, and that parents are coming from further afield as they are unable to find childcare closer to home.
Taking all of this into account, the demand for childcare shows no sign of abating.
The opportunity
To summarise, the childcare market is firmly established in the UK. Due to its fragmentation, there are plenty of opportunities of all sizes to be considered.
This begins with first-time buyers looking to move into the sector on a smaller scale and wanting to gain experience and grow organically. Small group operators who have between two and five settings already understand how to make economies of scale work to their advantage by sharing people and resources. Then there are regional and national group operators who recognise that there is life outside London and the Southeast and are taking advantage of the fantastic opportunities to explore in and around other major cities.
This all points to a current position where demand and competitive tension between buyers looking to secure their next opportunity has never been so hig h.■
From ‘day one rights’ to worker status, Labour’s proposals on new employment rights could have major implications for your nursery business. Daniel Gorry, a partner in employment law at Lindsays, explains
Before winning the election, Labour committed to deliver the “biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation”. The King’s Speech setting out Labour’s plans for government confirmed that Labour will legislate to introduce a new deal for working people to ban exploitative practices and enhance employment rights. It’s clear the proposals on its wish list will have significant implications for nursery owners and managers. But even at this stage, there are practical steps you can take to prepare for change and manage risk.
Be ready for ‘day one rights’ The first big shake-up proposed in Labour’s ‘New Deal for Working People’ was a pledge to introduce ‘day one rights’. Under current law, many employment rights – such as parental leave, sick pay and the right to bring an unfair dismissal claim – do not kick in until staff have completed certain periods of service. Labour wants these basic rights to apply from the very first day of employment, meaning you would have to follow and document fair dismissal processes for even
“Getting ahead on good habits around systems and recordkeeping will help nurseries manage risk and stay clear of a compliance cliff-edge.”
the shortest-service staff. Simply telling someone that “It’s not working out” will likely be insufficient.
Labour’s proposals envisage that employers can still use ‘probationary periods with fair and transparent rules and processes’, and these will become a crucial tool in navigating these changes. We recommend ensuring that every new employee has a contract with a probationary period – ideally, a six-month period with the option to extend.
Other measures you can already take include:
• Apply more care in your hiring processes to reduce the likelihood of ‘wrong’ hires.
• Consider how your employment policies could be shortened for employees in a probationary period.
• Step up on record-keeping for shortservice staff on performance, absences, disciplinary procedures, improvement opportunities etc, and provide appropriate training for managers.
Another area where you’ll need to keep on top of your record-keeping is a proposed change to sick pay entitlement. At the moment, your employees (and some workers) qualify for statutory sick pay from the fourth day of absence; under Labour’s proposals, they could be eligible from the very first day – even if they’ve just stayed at home for a duvet day. This will certainly involve more paperwork for you.
While we know that some nurseries are already on top of absence management, others will likely need a more rigorous system of record-keeping, return to work meetings and monitoring.
Review contracts and rotas
We’re also expecting an end to ‘one-sided flexibility’, to use Labour’s phrase. The party has committed to ban ‘exploitative’ zero hours contracts and ensure everyone has the right to a contract that reflects the number of hours they regularly work. Employers may also be required to give all staff reasonable notice of any change in shifts or working time, with compensation proportionate to the notice given for shifts cancelled or curtailed.
To prepare for this, you could review how you organise shifts, rotas and cancellations so that you have a clear overview of the types of contracts you use and how working hours are organised. All of this will create more work for you at a time when you are already busy, but it will put you in the best place to adapt to and implement any new practices that may be required around the planning and communication of working hours. It could benefit staff engagement too.
Also on Labour’s employment rights radar is a review of worker and employee status – which could result in nurseries having more obligations to more staff. Given the current complexities of distinguishing between workers and employees and the self-employed, it’s understandable that Labour proposes a simpler two-tier system of workers on the one hand and selfemployed people on the other. However, this could lead to staff who are currently categorised as ‘workers’ becoming entitled to the higher employment protections currently afforded to those considered to be ‘employees’.
But again, there is preparation you can do. For example, if you have a long roster of bank staff, many of whom rarely do shifts for you, it could be worthwhile streamlining your list. This could limit your vulnerability to changes in worker status, and the paperwork and expense that could accompany that.
What else to watch out for Several other changes may also come down the line, impacting the way you run your business:
• Changes to minimum wage: Labour wants the minimum wage to take into account the cost of living – in other words, it is likely to rise. There’s also
a proposal to remove the age bands for minimum wage, so that all ‘adult workers’ receive the full rate of –currently – £11.44, not just those aged 21 or over.
• Stronger ‘worker voice’: In effect, this will likely mean your staff getting greater encouragement and opportunities to join trade unions. Under the pre-election proposals, you would need to tell staff regularly about their right to join a union and reflect this in your induction practices.
• Employment tribunals: The time limit for employees to take a claim to an employment tribunal may increase from the current three months for most claims, to six months. This, combined with the changes above to protection against unfair dismissal, zero-hour contracts and worker status, could significantly expand the pool of your employees able to bring a claim.
It’s a long list of proposed changes and you may already be hearing alarm bells about how you will comply with them, find time for all the record-keeping, introduce new systems, communicate them to staff, and make sure that managers across your different nurseries apply them consistently. So, what can you do?
• First, getting ahead on good habits around systems and record-keeping will help you manage risk and stay clear of a compliance cliff-edge.
• Second, the changes won’t happen overnight, as there’ll be extensive consultation and legislative processes to work through before any of these proposals become law.
• And third, there’s help available. At Lindsays, we know that few small businesses, including nurseries, have the time or legal expertise to digest new employment law and then put the correct measures in place. That’s why we operate our own fixed-fee employment law service, called Prism. This puts bespoke, up-to-date policies, guidance and 24/7 advice at your fingertips, and includes regular updates and solutions for navigating Labour’s employment rights changes.
If you’d like to know more, we’d be delighted to tell you. ■
Daniel Gorry, partner in employment law at Lindsays 0141 302 8373
DanielGorry@lindsays.co.uk
lindsays.co.uk/services/for-business/prism
Tom Kennedy, a director at Kennedy Woods Architecture, outlines how he worked with German nursery group Kinderzimmer as it started to scale across the UK
As part of its childcare plan, Labour has pledged to create 100,000 additional childcare places and more than 3,000 new nurseries. Pair this with 15 free hours of childcare per week, and things seem to be heading in the right direction.
According to the Department for Education, 40,000 additional staff are needed to fulfil this pledge by next September, with experts warning that funding without an effective recruitment drive will be a band-aid solution.
Nurseries across the UK find themselves confronting a frustrating paradox – they lack the staff to capitalise on the growing market demand, driven in part by financial support from the government.
In the face of these challenges, a strategy focused on growth could seem counterintuitive, but since 2016 Kennedy Woods Architecture, has worked with some of the best nursery groups in the industry, helping them to launch new sites fast and scale smoothly.
We designed 25 schools for N Family Club and, more recently, worked with German nursery group, Kinderzimmer, as it started to scale across the UK.
Kinderzimmer UK chief executive Vishav Roma explains the challenge: “Several issues have been brewing in the sector over the past few years, with
“Nurseries across the UK find themselves confronting a frustrating paradox – they lack the staff to capitalise on the growing market demand, driven in part by financial support from the government.”
talent being a major concern. The talent shortage can be attributed to two main factors. First, the Covid-19 pandemic put such a strain on nurseries, especially smaller or independent ones, that it became challenging to offer competitive pay and benefits, turning what was already more of a vocation than a career into an even less appealing option. As a result, some professionals re-evaluated their choices and left the sector.
“Second, the number of people pursuing early childhood education degrees has declined, with more professionals leaving the field and fewer new entrants.”
Roma realised he needed to offer more to attract great talent. With a bold vision of opening 50 schools in five years, Kinderzimmer offers its employees the chance to develop their careers as the company grows.
Roma says: “What makes us unique and one of the most exciting businesses in the sector is our rapid growth. It’s led to significant advances in people development, ongoing professional development, and the creation of early years jobs that are rare in this industry.”
With the principles of its employee culture clear, the Kinderzimmer team
focused with equal rigour on the interior design and functionality of its spaces.
The company contacted Kennedy Woods Architecture to explore what parts of Kinderzimmer’s original brand DNA would resonate with the UK market, what should be changed or adapted, and how the process could be designed to allow it to swiftly scale across London.
“I don’t think the role of design can be overstated in what we’ve accomplished, Roma explains. “It’s absolutely critical to our growth, to everything we do, to our operations, and to our strategy. Our approach was to create nurseries that fit with everything we do. The meticulous attention we pay to every detail, whether in new or old buildings, reflects our dedication to creating a joyful experience and one that is bespoke to our curriculum.”
The design process
Initial workshops involved the entire senior team at the Kennedy Woods studio. Physical models of existing schools were poured over, looking for potential improvements that could come with a fresh slate. Soon, brand guidelines were established, and the growth plan was set in motion.
With the design direction and strategy set, Kinderzimmer launched its first seven sites, with another three in the pipeline for the end of this year.
Kinderzimmer’s preference for ‘landmark’ buildings has meant that while set interior design standards provide brand and operational continuity and a consistent user experience, the Kennedy Woods team had the added challenge of carefully adapting these in a way that also celebrates what’s special about each building.
Working closely as a client-architect team has meant lessons learned from each new site have been carried forward into the next. Data on employee wellbeing, parent satisfaction, and child happiness have driven a continual process of iterative improvement and refinement.
Roma states: “Design is constant; you continuously evolve, iterate, and make nuanced changes. When you reach a certain point, it’s about those incremental percentage wins at each site.
“By the end of the year, you realise that this year’s improvements are much
better than last year’s. The data from operations and feedback from members help us improve outcomes. This iterative, collaborative process of capturing data and applying it to our designs never really ends. It continues to evolve, hopefully creating better spaces over time.”
With seven schools opened within a year, Roma and the Kinderzimmer team have much to celebrate. However, they remain mindful of their broader
goal ahead and continue to reflect on improving their approach.
“Our most significant lessons are expected to emerge over the next two years,” Roma explains. “The initial phase of our collaboration has been centred on rapid growth and establishment. By the end of this period, we will have created approximately 1,000 new childcare places.
“As our occupancy increases, we’ll start learning more lessons.”
Working with Kinderzimmer has been a fast-paced and exciting experience. With the sector seeing so much activity, we’ve now set up a service specially tailored to help education brands grow. It’s called Journey to Thirty, and focuses on three key areas:
• Getting buy-in from potential partners and investors with an inspiring and clearly communicated multi-site strategy document.
• Developing designs for every user touchpoint to create a distinctive, trustworthy nursery brand. This can include graphic identity, wayfinding and product development.
• Helping clients move fast on potential sites, ensuring decisions are locked in early so every new nursery feels part of the family. ■
Karen Derbyshire, operations director for early years at training provider Realise, looks at how external training resource can play a crucial role in assisting a nursery’s recruitment and retention strategies
The challenges of recruitment and retention in the early years sector can make the role of a nursery manager feel – at times – a very lonely place.
Whether it’s wondering where the next new practitioner recruit is coming from, or fretting over the departure of an experienced room leader the nursery can’t contemplate doing without, there are endless headaches caused by staffing concerns.
And that’s even before the expansion of the new funded childcare provision, which is due to have its next two extensions in September and then in 2025.
However, this isn’t an issue that a manager should face alone and – as the old saying goes – a problem shared is a problem halved.
Look no further than a training provider for assistance. A provider which is interested in developing a true partnership should not be simply restricted to focusing on a particular training programme. There is a wider role to play.
The provider should be an integral
“The provider should be an integral part of your structure and willing to go the extra mile to help ensure you are recruiting the very best talent –and playing a part in keeping hold of them for many years to come.”
part of your structure and willing to go the extra mile to help ensure you are recruiting the very best talent – and playing a part in keeping hold of them for many years to come.
There are numerous benefits to leaning on your training provider for assistance when it comes to recruiting new staff.
First, trainers at many providers are likely to have very strong experience in recruiting for the early years sector. Every member of our early years team at Realise has worked in nurseries themselves in the past, so know what skills and behaviours are required to ensure an individual is suited to the unique challenges of working in a nursery, day in, day out.
We also have an ethos of doing a deep dive into the specific requirements of each learner and nursery setting before recommending a training route – we call it ‘right learner, right programme’ but it’s very similar to ‘right person, right job’.
As part of that process, a training provider should ensure that the individual is suited to a culture of a nursery and assisting with preparation of an interview, including CV writing. This should ensure the precious time of nursery managers isn’t wasted on interviews with candidates who have little or no chance of being successful with their application.
A training provider is also likely to have access to far greater and more impactful resources to attract potential candidates.
Relationships with job centres and other local referral groups will already be strong with the provider, while it will also utilise online platforms used by potential recruits such as GetMyFirstJob.
A training provider’s social media following is also likely to be larger than that of a nursery setting, providing far
Derbyshire
“A training provider’s social media following is also likely to be larger than that of a nursery setting, providing far greater reach for any vacancies.”
greater reach for any vacancies.
While a training provider can become a successful and integral part of any recruitment strategy for a nursery, there will also be a requirement for a nursery manager to act with an open mind. For example, it’s unreasonable to expect young applicants to have the knowledge, skills and experience of a seasoned practitioner. Expecting them to be able to conduct a lengthy conversation about whistleblowing or safeguarding on their first day is not feasible.
However, so long as those individuals showcase the right approach, attitude and behaviours, they could become an
integral part of your team for many years to come. Be flexible with your recruitment to reap the rewards.
Once you’ve recruited the right team members, the challenge then turns to keeping them.
Providing career development opportunities is a vital aspect of this retention strategy, whether that be through tried and trusted methods such as apprenticeships or new opportunities such as skills bootcamps or other short courses.
“Once again, just as with recruitment, a close relationship with a training provider can be crucial to ensuring a successful retention programme.”
It’s also important not to assume that each individual will want to take
the same career progression. Not everyone will see a Level 3 early years educator qualification as their end game and exposure to different areas of the business may be sought, such as recruitment, HR or marketing. A training provider should be well placed to suggest various funded routes in the different directions to enhance an individual’s career progression.
Once again, just as with recruitment, a close relationship with a training provider can be crucial to ensuring a successful retention programme.■
NMT Owners Club Midlands
NMT Owners Club Midlands
NMT Owners Club South
NMT Owners Club South
25 January 2024 | The Belfry, Birmingham
NMT Owners Club Midlands
25 January 2024 | The Belfry, Birmingham
25 January 2024 | The Belfry, Birmingham
NMT Owners Club North
NMT Owners Club North
19 March 2024 | Oulton Hall, Leeds
NMT Owners Club North
19 March 2024 | Oulton Hall, Leeds
19 March 2024 | Oulton Hall, Leeds
NMT Owners Club South West
NMT Owners Club South West
15 May 2024 | Celtic Manor, Newport
NMT Owners Club South West
15 May 2024 | Celtic Manor, Newport
EducationInvestor Awards
EducationInvestor Awards
15 May 2024 | Celtic Manor, Newport EducationInvestor Awards
13 June 2024 | Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London
13 June 2024 | Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London
13 June 2024 | Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London
Nursery Managers Show
Nursery Managers Show
27–28 June 2024 | NEC, Birmingham
Nursery Managers Show
27–28 June 2024 | NEC, Birmingham
27–28 June 2024 | NEC, Birmingham
12 September 2024 | Marriot, Lingfield
NMT Owners Club South
12 September 2024 | Marriot, Lingfield
12 September 2024 | Marriot, Lingfield
NMT Owners Club Scotland
NMT Owners Club Scotland
10 October 2024 | Hilton, Glasgow
NMT Owners Club Scotland
10 October 2024 | Hilton, Glasgow
10 October 2024 | Hilton, Glasgow
30 October 2024 | Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, Edinburgh
Education Summit
Education Summit
Education Summit
18 October 2024 | Business Design Centre, London
18 October 2024 | Business Design Centre, London
18 October 2024 | Business Design Centre, London
Nursery Managers Show 29–30 November 2024 | London
Nursery Managers Show 29–30 November 2024 | London
Nursery Managers Show 29–30 November 2024 | London
National NMT Nursery Awards
National NMT Nursery Awards
30 November 2024 | London
National NMT Nursery Awards
30 November 2024 | London
30 November 2024 | London
Beyond the daily operations of ensuring a safe, nurturing environment for children, Birdi & Co are a first-hand witness to the legal struggles that nursery owners navigate every day.
In this article, I explore the key legal pitfalls that nursery owners face and provide guidance on how to avoid them. I also delve into the emerging role of AI in nursery management and the compliance challenges it brings, along with insights into what the recent Labour Party success could mean for the early years sector.
At the end, I will share the secret sauce to keeping your nursery in safe waters.
One of the most significant legal oversights in many nurseries is the lack of comprehensive employment contracts and staff handbooks. These documents are not just bureaucratic necessities - they form the foundation of clear employeremployee relationships.
There are many ‘off-the-shelf’ solutions available, but these are far from comprehensive in our experience, and should be tailored to your setting or group of settings.
A well-drafted employment contract clearly defines roles, responsibilities and expectations, which can significantly reduce the risk of disputes and potential
“There are many ‘off-theshelf’ solutions available, but these are far from comprehensive in our experience, and should be tailored to your setting or group of settings.”
litigation. Handbooks set out workplace policies, ensuring that staff are aware of procedures for everything from grievance handling to health and safety.
Without these documents, nursery owners are exposed to misunderstandings, inconsistent policy and vulnerability to legal claims. Given the fast-evolving nature of employment law, it’s crucial to regularly review and update these documents to reflect current laws and organisational changes.
Current issues that I see owners grapple with are things like the use of artificial intelligence (more on this later), social media policies and health and safety and safeguarding.
The early years sector is filled with creatively named nurseries, which increases the risk of unintentional trademark infringements. Trademarking your nursery’s name and logo is not just about establishing a unique identity - it’s about protecting your brand and avoiding potential legal disputes.
Imagine investing in your nursery’s branding, only to find out that another business claims you’ve infringed on their trademark. This scenario could force you into a costly rebranding process.
Before committing to a name, it’s essential to conduct thorough research and get the legal green light. This step not only protects your business but also ensures that your nursery retains its maximum value, particularly if you plan to sell in the future.
Property issues can quickly become a legal minefield. Common problems include inaccuracies in title documentation
registered at HM Land Registry, unregistered leases and unpaid stamp duty land tax (SDLT). These issues can affect the use and value of your nursery premises, and they can halt a sale or refinance if not addressed.
For example, discovering that your lease hasn’t been registered just as you’re preparing to sell your nursery can lead to delays and reduced offers (or part of the purchase price being retained for a defined period).
My advice? Don’t skimp on legal expenses when it comes to securing your premises. Ensure that everything is in order by working with a specialist. The premises are a key asset to your nursery business, and any issues can significantly impact its value.
The phrase “you don’t know what you don’t know” springs to mind here, and I cannot tell you the number of times we come across legal problems in this area.
The Digital Shift - Embracing AI in Early Years
Technology is rapidly transforming all
“The decision to sell your nursery is a significant one, often marking the culmination of years of hard work. However, many nursery owners miss out on maximising their nursery’s value due to insufficient preparation.”
sectors, and childcare and education is no exception. AI-driven nursery management software is already starting to play a part in how nurseries operate, offering streamlined solutions for administrative tasks and improving operational efficiency. For example, Famly’s Sidekick writing assistant fixes grammar, spelling and tone in observations, assessments, newsfeeds and messages.
However, AI also introduces complex legal challenges, particularly around data protection, intellectual property (IP) and employment law. For example, any AI tools used in your nursery must comply with GDPR and data protection regulations, especially when handling sensitive personal data. GDPR sets strict guidelines on how personal data should be collected, stored and processed, and failure to comply can result in significant fines.
There are also IP considerations - who owns the data processed by AI, and how can it be used? Where is it stored? Nursery owners need to carefully review the terms of service and licensing agreements of any AI software to ensure they retain control over their data.
AI’s impact on employment law also cannot be ignored. As AI tools become more integrated into nursery operations,
questions about job security for staff and how AI-driven decisions could affect employment practices will arise. Not only that, but just because you may not use AI applications doesn’t mean you won’t need an AI usage policy to govern your staff members. You may find that your staff are using AI applications without realising so I highly recommend that policies are implemented as a priority.
It’s essential to navigate these issues carefully, balancing the benefits of AI with the need to protect your employees’ and children’s rights, integrity of your operations and reputation with parents.
The decision to sell your nursery is a significant one, often marking the culmination of years of hard work. However, many nursery owners miss out on maximising their nursery’s value due to insufficient preparation.
Preparing your nursery for sale isn’t just about the financials, it’s about addressing every facet of your business, including its legal and operational aspects.
A pre-sale legal health check with an M&A specialist, like Birdi & Co, can give you the confidence to negotiate from a position of strength with potential buyers. By addressing potential legal issues upfront, you can streamline the sale process and maximise the value of your business.
With the recent success of the Labour Party, the future of the early years sector in the UK could be poised for significant change. The party has outlined ambitious plans to enhance funding for early years education, improve staff wages and ensure that nurseries remain accessible and highquality.
While these changes could bring opportunities for expansion, they could also increase regulatory scrutiny and require adjustments to financial planning and staffing strategies. Staying informed about these political developments is crucial for nursery owners who want to navigate these changes effectively.
The Best Way to Stay Ahead?
Partner with specialist legal advisors. At Birdi & Co, we’re here to help you navigate these challenges and ensure that your nursery’s story remains a positive one. Investing in expert legal advice isn’t just an expense, it’s the smartest investment you can make for your nursery’s future.
About Kush Birdi
Kush Birdi is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Birdi & Co Solicitors. His team offers specialist legal representation for nursery owners who wish to build nursery groups or transition smoothly into exit.
As a father, the early years sector resonates deeply with Kush, aligning with the firm’s core belief in bringing enthusiasm and a personal touch to everything they do.
Feel free to contact him if you would like to discuss legal support for your nursery: Kush Birdi Birdi & Co Solicitors (w): www.birdilaw.com (t): 07745 525 837 (e): kush@birdilaw.com
Or connect with Birdi & Co on LinkedIn: @BirdiandCoSolicitors @KushBirdi
The UK desperately needs more nurseries to accommodate an ever-growing demand especially with the imminent expansion of funded childcare, explains Alex Raher, architect and co-founder of Delve Architects
It was a welcome announcement in June, that the new Labour government has pledged to deliver 3,000 new nurseries for the UK by transforming unused primary school classroom spaces.
In order to deliver these numbers in the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way, we should be looking to retrofit existing commercial buildings, rather than just focusing on empty classrooms.
There is a great potential to create beautiful, unique nurseries in every community, utilising existing commercial spaces that are currently vacant or underused.
Each building in the UK is allocated a ‘Planning Use Class’ and nurseries fall under Use Class E, which also includes many other commercial services, such as retail units, pubs, industrial areas and offices. In 2020, updates to the law around Permitted Development rights, means that any business service that operates within use Class E, can be changed to another type of business within the space without needing to apply for planning permission.
This is particularly useful for nursery operators, as the dynamic nature of a
“There is a great potential to create beautiful, unique nurseries in every community, utilising existing commercial spaces that are currently vacant or underused.”
nursery setting can allow for educational spaces in unique, quirky or overlooked commercial Class E spaces.
A Victorian pub with high ceilings, storage space and existing services for heating, cooling and cooking can be a perfect set up for a new nursery.
A former industrial warehouse can be stripped back to its bones, and retrofitted with a sustainable interior fit out to create a multifunctional nursery space. Split levels and mezzanines can make clever use of all available space in, for example, a former retail space with double height ceilings. If needs be, dropped ceilings can be introduced to hide services, play with scale and create a softer, homely feel, with joinery, climbing areas, and tactile (rubber floors) spaces for active play.
Some key considerations when looking at commercial sites that could be repurposed:
• The ‘shell building’ needs to be able to install (or have already) basic services (mechanical and electrical services, ventilation, cooking space and lavatories).
• Think about the ceiling heights. The best spaces we have worked on have good existing ceiling height. It creates a more welcoming space and also can be used to hide services if needs be.
• Consider planning requirements, especially if the building is listed or in a conservation area. Some changes may not be straightforward, or acceptable from a heritage perspective.
• The interior fit-out doesn’t have to be overly expensive. A simple, child-led and tactile approach works best, using natural, sustainable materials and a subtle approach to colour and acoustics
to create nurturing, not loud, spaces.
• External space – while not all nurseries have access to direct external space, it is always possible to consider light, greenery and natural materials in the design, potentially creating courtyards or maximising light through existing windows/external facade.
Any design approach should have the goal of creating spaces that nurture, embrace and capture the bright imaginations of young people. Whether it’s urban, suburban or rural areas, we can use our skills with planning, design and feasibility studies to utliise those builds for an acquisition or development.
Delve started working in this sector after retrofitting a former doctors surgery into a thriving nursery in West London, and have since developed our passion for using design to help new nurseries open or expand their businesses. We also have first-hand experience of finding childcare space with our own families, which gives us empathy and a deeper understanding of the industry. The driving force at the
“When looking at empty commercial spaces, why not consider them for early years educational provision? Empty retail units could be re-provisioned as they have a simple entrance/exit arrangement that allows for careful management and safeguarding.”
heart of a nursery is the teachers – the incredible people who are responsible for our children’s early education – and we strongly believe the new government need carefully to consider supporting small businesses and educators in their new ambitious expansion targets.
A recently completed project is the transformation of a former industrial warehouse, The Learning Tree, in East London, with a light, spacious and sustainably driven fit-out to create a 120-child nursery. The building is a success, not just with its local community but also earning a coveted award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in May this year.
Examples from other practices show how a simple design approach and creative thinking can transform existing buildings, or repurpose existing nursery sites. Ilys Booker Centre in West London was repurposed this year by Perkins&Will, which provides a much-needed new nursery that was previously in the basement of Grenfell Tower prior to the 2017 fire. Focusing on light and nature, the designers have managed to create a dynamic space in a tight urban environment, which provides much better connection to the outdoors. It is an example of a simple approach to a nursery setting shaped by focusing outwards, using natural materials, and through extensive consultation with the local community. Nature frames the outside views and little touches of art and colour connect the inside and outside.
Studio Egret West took the existing shell of the Park Hill development in Sheffield, to deliver a clever, compact nursery along a long rectangular footprint, installing playful joinery and exposing the concrete structure as part of the conservation approach. Alma-nac converted a grand Victorian house in Herne Hill, Southeast London, into a bustling new nursery, retaining the ‘residential’ feel of the building but filling it with fun spaces for young minds to explore. Nicholas Kirk introduced a neutral colour palette and plywood joinery to transform a former Victorian warehouse into a nursery, through low-intervention interior work in a small, but well-functioning urban site.
When looking at empty commercial spaces, why not consider them for early years educational provision? Empty retail units could be re-provisioned as they have a simple entrance/ exit arrangement that allows for careful management and safeguarding. Natural light is a key factor so points to consider would be the ability for dual-aspect or double-height spaces, with roof lights to bring light down.
We should consider a nationwide retrofit strategy, to transform under-used and poorly performing commercial, residential or retail spaces into nurseries. The demand is there; we need a call to action as an industry to shake things up and move this forward. If a developer can zero-rate VAT on a building, by demolishing rather than retaining the existing fabric, why can we not consider zero-rate VAT for nursery retrofit?
Retrofit works for educational spaces and is our best approach in delivering nurseries that communities need, across the UK.■
Ella Halliday, founder and managing director of Childcare HR, a specialised HR consultancy for early years businesses across the UK, discusses employee rights and offers hints and tips on how best to raise any issues with employers
As an employee in an early year’s setting, it’s often difficult to know exactly what you are entitled to as an employee and how best to raise any concerns you have with your employer.
So, you’ve landed your dream job and the wait is on now to start. There’s probably lots of information that your new employer is asking for to get your DBS sorted and get you started as soon as possible, but what should your new employer be giving you?
A contract of employment is a legally binding contract between the employer and employee which outlines what you are legally entitled to. As a minimum, your contract of employment needs to cover:
• Name and address of employer and employee.
• Job title.
• Rate of pay and date of pay.
• Hours of work and details of any rest periods.
• Holiday entitlement.
• Probationary period.
“Ever started a job and have no idea what it is you’re supposed to be doing, or get a nasty surprise when your employer suggests you aren’t doing everything you’re supposed to?”
• How long the contract will last.
• Any mandatory training you are required to undertake and who will pay for this.
• Any contractual benefits, if any, such as sick pay and pension arrangements.
• Legal deductions to pay, such as overpayments, training agreements etc.
• Details of the disciplinary and grievance procedures.
• Any other contractual arrangements, such as maternity or paternity enhancements.
Your contract needs to be given to you as soon as possible and no later than two months after your start date.
Ever started a job and have no idea what it is you’re supposed to be doing, or get a nasty surprise when your employer suggests you aren’t doing everything you’re supposed to?
A job description, or at the very least a list of required duties, is a legal requirement. The benefit of a job description works both ways. Not only does it help you understand what’s expected, it will also help your employer if there are any concerns about your performance, giving you a guide to work through to be as successful as possible in your role.
Your setting may have multiple mandatory policies for things such as safeguarding and whistleblowing, but here are the policies you must legally have from an employment perspective:
• Disciplinary policy.
• Grievance policy.
• Employee privacy notice.
• Health and safety policy. Each of these policies set out the way that your employer will handle
and process such matters and what is expected of you under each one.
You may find them in an employee handbook, which may be given to you on your first day, or available somewhere central for you to review. Other employers will have them set out separately in individual documents. Both are fine, but you should always be told where you can access them.
All employees must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, dependent upon your age or qualification status. As of April 2024, these rates are:
• £11.44 an hour for workers aged 21 and over (National Living Wage).
• £8.60 an hour for workers aged 18-20.
• £6.40 an hour for workers under 18 who are above compulsory school age.
• £6.40 an hour for apprentices under 19 or those 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship.
“Unless you’re being dismissed for gross misconduct, you are also entitled to paid notice. How much will be dependent on your contract of employment or how long you’ve been employed..”
All employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks annual leave per annum (including bank holidays). For a full-time worker, working five days a week, that’s 28 days per annuum; this is then pro-rated for part-time staff.
If you a have term time-only or irregular hours contract, you are still entitled to an annual leave allowance and your employer has a few ways to pay this to you. Check your employment contract or ask for the information if you’re unsure of how you are being paid this allowance.
If you’re in doubt about whether you are being paid your annual leave, be sure to check out the Gov.uk website to find out more or use its helpful annual leave calculator.
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, employees must not work more than 48 hours a week, which is averaged
over 17 weeks. An employee can opt out of the Working Time Regulations, but this must be voluntary, and the employer cannot force you to do it.
In addition, the following rules apply:
• You must allow a minimum of 11 hours between each shift.
• Any hours over six per day are entitled to a minimum of 20-minute rest break. Different rules apply if you are under 18. Please visit ACAS or Gov.uk for further information.
If you are in a position where you have been, or may be, dismissed from your employer, you have legal rights to ensure that your employer is acting fairly. Regardless of how long you have been employed with the business, your employer must follow a specific process.
Unless you’re being dismissed for gross misconduct, you are also entitled to paid notice. How much will be dependent on your contract of employment or how long you’ve been employed.
If you are invited to a formal meeting to discuss your employment, you will also be entitled to bring a colleague or a trade union representative along with you for support. Anyone can join a trade union.
If you are concerned about the way you are being treated by your employer, give ACAS a call on its free helpline for advice.
“You cannot give a bad reference” is something I hear all the time. This isn’t
quite correct. A reference must be factual and not contain false information or anything that can’t be evidenced. If you were dismissed for gross misconduct or high sickness levels for example, then your old employer can share this information.
How to speak to your employer
If you have read this article and feel you haven’t got the legal minimum in place with your employer, it’s best to have an informal conversation with them first to see if they can get the information to you. The priority is to keep the relationship strong between you and your manager.
Ask for a private conversation and explain what you feel you are missing in a non-judgemental and open way. My advice is to then follow up your informal conversation with an email or letter, which can be used as a paper trail or evidence later if required.
If you still do not receive a response, or the situation is not rectified, then seek further advice from your trade union or from ACAS. There is lots of advice and support out there for you. ■
Children’s development at 22 months old has been shown to be a predictor of academic outcomes at the age of 26. With babies now being funded from September, we can support that development, explains Oliiki app founder Clare Stead
Are we confident that our staff fully understand the needs of our babies, and can our staff confidently support those babies’ development? Are we setting ourselves up for success or should we be taking steps to assist parents in supporting their child in the first nine months of life, so we can ensure all children in our care reach their full developmental potential by 22 months old and can go on thereafter to thrive?
The time from conception to age two is the time babies’ brains are literally building themselves. Each tiny activity, interaction and engagement is a chance for a baby to build vital neural connections and develop their skills and test their knowledge.
With that in mind, the baby room is one of the most important spaces in our settings. But too often they are staffed with junior staff and are rooms that are grounded in functional activity rather than brain building adventures. One of the issues stems from staff lacking a deep understanding of child development and how play supports that development. Addressing this challenge can be incredibly costly and often prohibitive due to staffing issues. And lessons learned in training are often not integrated into activities upon returning to the setting.
“Each tiny activity, interaction and engagement is a chance for a baby to build vital neural connections and develop their skills and test their knowledge.”
But what if we turned things on their head? What if we sought to make our baby rooms the best places to be in our setting? And what if that ambition started with the support we provide for parents from the first look around our setting? And what if our training was based in-house and was focused on each tiny activity that was offered? Not only would this be cost-effective, it could start immediately and have significant impact. How would that change our practice and our provision?
With the increased interest in places for our babies, parents are looking around settings earlier, often while they are still pregnant.
Have conversations with the parents as early as possible to build a strong connection and help the parents feel more supported in your environment. If you get it right, it’s an excellent marketing tool, differentiating your nursery from others in your area. Giving parents, particularly first-time parents, the means to understand the impact that they have on their child’s development and the tools with which to implement this successfully is powerful.
Showing them how to engage and interact with their baby right from the start and showing them not just what to do but why they are doing it helps them gain confidence in their newfound role as a parent. Helping parents meaningfully engage with play helps them ultimately understand play for development.
And this helps us too. If babies have been born into an engaging, interactive environment, when they arrive at our
“Transformation in the baby room begins with the adults who are involved in it. The more that staff and parents understand play for child development, the more our babies will be able to develop and thrive.”
settings, they will be more prepared to engage in the exciting, brain-building
activities that we provide for them. This means we will be able to add more value to their development and help them become truly school-ready over time.
But we also need staff who understand how to use play to support development and how to make each tiny moment a brain-building moment. With this in place, it means that the time spent in the baby room becomes an adventure in playful learning. Doing this and supporting parents in this way is easy to do, one activity at a time, with tools like the Oliiki app.
Transformation in the baby room begins with the adults who are involved in it. The more that staff and parents understand play for child development, the more our babies will be able to
develop and thrive.
Here are some things to do today to start the transformation in your setting:
• Focus on connection – make it a cornerstone of your curriculum.
• Slow down – new brains need time to connect, hear what is being said, see what is being shown, compute the information and then respond. Give time.
• Don’t plan for areas in the baby room, plan for development of the child.
• Share the developmental learning with the parents at the end of the day and aim to encourage them to continue it at home.
• Upskill your staff – it’s the quality of the interactions that drives the outcomes for our babies. ■
With recruitment and retention of great team members still a hot topic in the industry, Family First’s Head of Talent Jamie Gordon explains why the group are doubling down on the offering for their people.
Earlier this year, Ofsted released an article explaining how they felt early years settings could maintain quality in the face of workforce challenges, highlighting how issues around recruitment and retention issues are evident during inspections, what providers are doing to mitigate negative impacts and the importance of good leadership during times of high turnover.
Family First are by no means immune to these challenges but have taken significant steps in 2024 to take on the learnings outlined by Ofsted, invest in their people and therefore retain and attract the highest quality teams possible to provide great outcomes for children.
This has included significant investment in their own People Team to ensure that there is sufficient strength and depth in human resources to support managers in their settings on a day-to-day basis.
They are also piloting the Family First
“By investing in our people and offering opportunities for them to grow personally and professionally, we can make ourselves a more attractive proposition.”
Flex Team – a more robust and reliable bank staff operation – and are planning to introduce a new induction programme to ensure that new starters are fully prepared for their first day on the floor with the children.
Head of Talent Jamie Gordon said: “We want inductions to be much more structured to not just ensure consistency of delivery, but quality of learning and enablement which will set people up to succeed.
“There’s no doubt that the challenges in recruitment and retention are still evident.
“But by investing in our people and
offering opportunities for them to grow personally and professionally, we can make ourselves a more attractive proposition.
“The quality of Early Years education we can deliver to our children, and the level of our parent partnerships is reliant upon having consistent, reliable and engaged teams.
“We are determined to make it a genuinely fun, rewarding and learningrich environment.
“Learning and development is never a waste of time or effort. When you can help
“This is a genuine, peoplecentric industry, and with a better resourced field team we feel we can become more proactive and lessen the amount of issues which arise unexpectedly.”
nurture someone, whether that is a child or an adult, you add value to their lives.”
Other developments for Family First include a new, revamped leadership course which is due to be launched soon.
It has been designed in three tiers, so it is appropriate for whoever is undertaking it, whatever the position they hold and their level of experience. Every single nursery manager will undertake the training, as well as more senior field and support office managers as well as those identified as potential future leaders.
Jamie added: “We are excited and confident that this will positively impact every element of our business and each individual.
“Their teams, the children and the families ultimately benefit and that’s why it is so important to invest in the future of each person.
“It will drive quality and loyalty, and we believe it will increase retention.
“If you show that there is a pathway towards leadership opportunities, the next generation of people can see that it is achievable, rewarding and presents the chance of a fulfilling career with great earning potential.”
Family First has also introduced a new role of Nursery Development Manager with more than twelve due to be appointed across the group.
Perfect for experienced nursery managers, the postholders will be responsible for working with teams at individual nurseries and Early Years Specialists to set strategic directions and ensure there is continuous improvement. They will also be responsible for ensuring high-quality care and education for children is always on offer.
Jamie said: “We see this as a staging point for a nursery manager to get experience in field management – almost bridging the gap between manager and Area Manager or Early Years Specialist.
“We want these people to be subject matter experts, working on inductions and really driving good practice across the nurseries they are assigned to.
“It will add an immense amount of value in terms of visibility and subject matter expertise.
“It is a logical next step for some nursery managers.
“Some, of course, will be happy to stay in their one nursery and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that whatsoever.
“For those who want to develop further, the step between single site and multisite management is arguably the biggest challenge someone is likely to face as it requires a total evolution of the working and management styles they have learned to date.
“The new role enables smaller spans of control and more impact on a clustered geographic area supporting the quality of Early Years provision.
“This is a genuine, people-centric industry, and with a better resourced field team we feel we can become more proactive and lessen the amount of issues which arise unexpectedly.”
Jamie said having the right people in place was paramount to the future success of Family First.
“At the end of the day, if you get your people right, you get your business right,” he said. ■
For more information about Family First and their latest vacancies, visit https://familyfirstnurseries.co.uk
Whether it’s sharing ideas, supporting their teams or getting involved in the local community, nursery managers across the country are going that extra mile. We round up some of the things you’ve been getting up to
Everyone’s a winner
Gina Lewis, regional support manager and nursery manager based at Kiddi Caru Rushden in Northamptonshire, set her team a competition to develop areas that would continuously benefit the children at nursery. The team really responded to the challenge, to the extent that it was impossible to choose a winner.
The baby room team created an outdoor free-flow garden, making it easier for the youngest children to enjoy fresh air, while the one- to two-year-old team redesigned their home corner after recognising developmental gaps in their cohort around imaginative play and turn taking. “The age range of the room is roughly 18 months to two-and-a-half years and therefore can sometime pose some challenges with wanting to turn take,” said Lewis. “The team members looked at an area the children enjoyed and developed it to allow more resources so more children could play together and a skilled practitioner would support the use of turn taking.”
Meanwhile, the two- to three-year-old team transformed their mark-making station to foster independence, and the pre-school team introduced a ‘skills shelf’ to support fine motor skills, concentration
and perseverance, even sourcing a ping pong table.
“The mark-making area was transformed to allow the children to become more independent, have a wider variety of choice and to focus on the process rather than the end result,” explained Lewis. “We have washable board for the children to paint on, and a group sticking station where the children can add to a board, allowing them to appreciate other people’s work and work together to achieve a desired outcome.”
Bright Little Stars Nursery Group raised £8,697 for charity Barnardo’s through its summer Big Toddle event. The safarithemed walks saw children and staff from all six nurseries dressed as jungle creatures, taking walks through their local communities and having fun while making a significant impact. Bright Little Stars Nursery Group pledged to match donations made by parents and carers, family, friends and staff.
Nursery manager Hollie Geddis (holding the cheque) hosted a ceremony at the company’s Stratford nursery, presenting the money raised to a Barnardo’s representative.
“It was a real pleasure being able to participate in such a good cause, raising money for Barnardo’s,” said Geddis.
“The looks on the children’s faces as they participated in the events with their parents was a real highlight. It was lovely to see our parents, staff and the children working together towards a common goal, fostering a sense of unity and support throughout the nursery. The children were not only excited to be a part of something fun but also learned the value of helping others.”
Childbase nurseries have been raising money for the British Heart Foundation by ‘cycling’.to Paris from their settings to mark the Olympic Games. Parents and staff from Hampstead Gate Day Nursery in Milton Keynes, Lavenders Day Nursery in Bedford, and Knowle Green Day Nursery in Staines mounted stationary bikes and put in the hours to cycle a combined 1,137 miles.
Lavenders’ deputy manager Oli Baucutt (pictured) said: “We were hugely proud to see so many people in our nursery community rally together for this incredible charity and we are very grateful for everyone’s participation
and generosity. This event not only was a brilliant way to celebrate the Olympics and the importance of staying active and taking care of our hearts, but a fantastic example for the children too.”
The three settings raised a combined total of £1,375 through cycling sponsorship and other initiatives. Knowle Green held a raffle, cake sale and bottle tombola as well as age-appropriate sponsored events for the children such as bike races and a mini marathon. Knowle Green manager Chanelle Weaver said: “Our little athletes had the best time taking part in our Sports Week and it was lovely to see their enthusiasm and teamworking skills as they immersed themselves in the activities.”
Five nursery managers and deputies are among a group of nine women at nursery group Kids Planet who have joined social enterprise Girls Out Loud’s Big Sister mentoring programme (pictured with women from other organisations taking part in the scheme). Girls Out Loud is on a mission to raise the aspirations of teenage girls in the UK and beyond, and the programme is aimed at supporting girls at school aged 13 and 14, who “sit in the middle of the cohort” , not failing but not meeting their full potential. These girls are in danger of becoming invisible
and often struggle to find their place.
The Big Sister programme believes that these disadvantaged “middle girls” are future leaders, managers and entrepreneurs. Mentors aim to steer them away from hiding in the corner or looking for validation in all the wrong places, and help them to be bold, brave and believe in themselves.
Big Sister mentors, who receive training to take part in the programme, have reported a positive impact on their own skills and professional development as well, from rapport and relationship building to problem-solving and adaptability, active listening and creative thinking.
Mentors attend a one-hour mentoring session with their Little Sister once a month, three two-hour workshops, and a launch and graduation event. Managers who have signed up for the programme include Alexandra Cullen, nursery manager at Kids Planet Litherland; Laura Howard, manager of Kids Planet Ainsdale; Amina Ahmed, manager of Kids Planet Salford Quays; Kimberley Brophy, manager of Kids Planet Salford; and Adala Thabet, deputy manager at Kids Planet Fazakerley.
Clare Roberts, Kids Planet’s founder and chief executive, is an ambassador for Girls Out Loud. She said: “Having teenagers I can see how difficult it can be for girls at school to stand out, and recognise and embrace their full potential. I fully support the work that Girls Out Loud do, helping young girls to find their voice, find their passion, and have all the support that they need and deserve.”
I’ll be back
Complete Childcare’s Saltway nursery in Bodicote, Oxfordshire, is very familiar to its new manager – because she went there as a child. Pav Bilkhu joins the Saltway team after previously managing
Smart Tots nursery in Banbury, also owned by Complete Childcare. “I’m really excited to be back at Saltway,” she said. “Using what I’ve learnt from over a decade of dedicated study and experience in childcare, my initial focus will be to oversee and support the growth of our staff so that we can deliver the best possible experience for all our children to ensure their development.”
Bilkhu joins the nursery as it expands its facilities, opening a new area on the first floor which aims to provide more space and an enhanced learning environment for the children. “The first floor now looks fantastic,” said Banbury. “I was very impressed when I saw the finished renovation and we’ve already received glowing reviews from our parents.”
Complete Childcare managing director Alec Hodson said, “We’re delighted to see Pav moving back to manage the nursery she attended as a child – what a full circle moment.”■
We know managers are doing fantastic things all around the country, If you have an achievement or a new initiative you’d like to share, contact: charlotte.goddard@ nexusgroup.co.uk
From pack-away pre-schools to large private nursery groups, the role of nursery manager can vary widely. Charlotte Goddard finds out the benefits and challenges offered by different settings
Nurseries in the UK might be privately owned, employee-owned, run by a charity or community group, the council, or a school. There are pre-schools that share village halls with other organisations, state-funded nursery schools, nurseries that are part of a large international chain, nursery classes within a school and single family-owned settings. Some are located in affluent areas and some in areas of deprivation.
Nursery managers can find that their role varies depending on the type of setting and its location. “Nurseries vary massively from setting to setting,” says Dean Lloyd, early years specialist at recruitment consultancy Bookmark. “Bigger brands have more resources for staffing, while smaller ones have greater pressure on staff. Candidates need to take all of this into consideration when applying for management roles. A candidate offered £40k may turn it down in favour of a £35k role if it entails many more responsibilities, for example recruiting.”
Some may feel more comfortable working for a setting in a large chain where they benefit from support from a central office and more opportunities for career progression. Others may prefer the family feel of a single setting, where they could have more autonomy over policies, procedures and curriculum.
A charity or community-run nursery can be a draw for managers who wants to feel they are working entirely for the benefit of the children, and benefit from strong community links. However, some might find it more challenging to work with a committee of parents or trustees than with a single owner.
Managers of school-based settings, which the government has said it wants to see more of, can benefit from sharing resources with the school and a clearer salary structure, but may also have to
deal with a leadership team that has little expertise in early years and find themselves expected to share behaviour management systems and routines that are not appropriate for early years children.
“In smaller settings the manager can be responsible for everything, including recruitment, training, HR, budgeting, business admin and keeping abreast of legal and regulatory directives,” says Lloyd. “In larger nurseries and multilocation settings managers will have a team to support them in the running of the nursery and also help and advice from head office”.
Salaries will vary depending on geographic location and on the type of setting, he says, ranging from £25,000 up to £45,000 for larger settings or more experienced candidates. “London and home counties-based staff earn more, and larger multi-location settings tend to pay higher salaries,” he explains. “Local authorities across the country have different early years funding levels, which is again down to location, and this is based upon average wage values in that region, showing how everything is interlinked.”
While the skills required for nursery managers are similar across the board –business management skills, leadership skills and also softer skills such as customer care and emotional intelligence – there may be some variations. “In larger settings the focus will be based on managing and building teams,” explains Lloyd. “In smaller settings the scope of the role may be broader and more handson and will require running the business but also potentially stepping in to help care for the children when there is a requirement.”
The nursery manager in small independents and day nurseries may be more involved in marketing the setting than those in larger chains. “In
smaller settings the nursery manager needs to be involved in the community, communicating its offering to parents and promoting the setting in order to generate interest and enrolments. The bigger chain settings tend to fill their places without this, or this outreach may be fulfilled by a central head office function.”
School-based nursery – Tracey Brown, manager, Newlands Spring Nursery, Chelmsford Newlands Spring Nursery is based at Newlands Spring Primary School in Chelmsford, Essex. Staff are employed by the school, and manager Tracey Brown reports to the head teacher. Brown retrained as an early years practitioner when her children reached primary school age, funding her own Level 3 qualification in childcare. She started work at a small village pre-school and became deputy and then manager within the year.
While Brown loved the role, she found that it came with challenges. “I felt very isolated, and the responsibility was far greater as parents on the committee [which ran the pre-school] had little or no experience of early years or running a business,” she says. “There were sustainability issues, and recruitment was difficult when in competition with bigger nurseries.”
The benefits of her current role in a school-based setting include more access to free training, shared resources and “always having someone to ask if I have any doubts or questions on any aspect of running the nursery.” There are also “better salary scales and opportunity to progress”.
The nursery is expected to follow the school ethos, curriculum and routines, which can be positive but can also clash with Ofsted expectations for early years, says Brown. On the other hand, most of the children move into the primary school, so the nursery is not managing transitions into lots of different schools.
Brown says it would be easier to say what her job doesn’t involve than what it does, listing recruitment, supervision of staff, supporting staff wellbeing, working with parents, working directly with children, budgeting, invoicing, debt collection, grant applications, dealing with government funding, issues around special educational needs, resourcing, health and safety issues, safeguarding, small maintenance jobs, working with outside agencies, sourcing staff training, admin and correspondence, dealing with new starters, contact with feeder schools, “and anything else no one has time for!”
Brown has carried out a wide range of training as part of her continuous professional development including designated safeguarding lead training, special educational needs, behaviour management, staff wellbeing, staff management, first aid, food hygiene and safer recruitment.
Nursery in a large group – James Lincoln, nursery manager, Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool in Abington Grove, Grandir UK
James Lincoln came into the early years profession after around 16 years working in retail, where he managed a department store. He “fell into” childcare after picking up his son from nursery. With the encouragement of the manager, who was keen to recruit a male practitioner, he started working in the baby room while completing his Level 3 apprenticeship. “I was made baby room leader the day I passed my Level 3,” he says.
career progression. “If I had wanted to be manager, I would have to wait 15 or 20 years for the current manager to retire,” he says. He contacted the Kiddi Caru chain of nurseries to enquire about vacancies and was appointed leader of the two-yearolds room at Abington Park Nursery, later becoming deputy manager and then manager at sister setting Abington Grove. “I feel like my career shows that age is not a barrier, as I started when I was 33, and neither is being male,” he says.
There are further opportunities to move up in the group beyond nursery manager, and Grandir has leadership programmes in place to support career progression. Working in a large group also gives more opportunities to share ideas between settings, access support and training, and learn from other managers, says Lincoln. “I am not the most confident person and had a bit of impostor syndrome, so to know I have the support of my senior team is great,” he says. “If you are not in a group, you only learn from the people in your setting, and if they are set in their ways the nursery can feel like it is stuck in the past.”
Lincoln’s role includes business elements, such as marketing, invoicing, debt management, as well as people management, staff support, overseeing the setting’s curriculum, and health and safety, but he can draw on support from the central office. “We just had a refurb and I asked the central office to make me a flier that I can take around to spread the word, put in baby groups and so on.”
Some managers in larger groups feel constrained by the need to follow a group-wide approach, but Lincoln says this is not the case at Grandir. “We have policies and procedures that are the same throughout the company, so we have consistency, but in terms of our environment and approach we can do what we want,” he says.
setting – Stephanie Branner, manager, Your Nursery, Manchester
leader. “At 17, I was the youngest room leader my first setting had ever appointed,” she says.
She took on the role of deputy manager and then manager at another setting, before moving to Your Nursery as deputy manager, but on a higher salary than her previous position, taking over as manager when the existing manager left. To continue her professional development, Branner undertook a foundation degree, followed up with a bachelor’s degree in early education in 2014.
As his first nursery was a single site setting, Lincoln began to think about
Stephanie Branner gained a Level 3 qualification in childcare in college and went straight into working in a nursery, where she was quickly promoted to room
Your Nursery was sold to a new owner after her first year as manager, and Branner’s role changed slightly, as she had previously run the business side. She still has input into this side of things, particularly when it comes to recruitment and marketing.
Branner works closely with the owner. “She will always take my advice on board,” she says. “It is a very personal approach –she is always available on the phone, pops in almost every day, and often brings us food!”
Branner believes one of the key parts of her role is supporting staff wellbeing and professional development. “I try to speak to every member of staff every day,” she says. “I have the flexibility to work with different members of staff, observing and doing activities with them, and this helps me plan the next steps for them.”
Branner was offered a job at a large chain nursery but decided against it. “I know it is not the case with all big chains, but some of them are ‘this is our curriculum’ in every nursery,” she says. “I feel I have more freedom here.” Another benefit is the ability to forge strong connections with the community, she says.
Working in a single setting can be isolating, but Your Nursery is part of a local professional forum which allows Branner to share ideas and advice with other professionals. She also has access to the NoodleNow training system, which allows her to access training on a wide range of issues.
Community pack-away pre-school, Alison Barry, manager, Centre PreSchool, Colchester
Alison Barry began volunteering at Centre Pre-School while her son attended, and started working there parttime when he left. She has now worked at the setting for 15 years and has been manager for around six years.
Barry completed her Level 3 qualification by attending college for one day a week while working at the preschool, and began a Level 5 qualification in education and childcare a year after becoming manager, to support her with the demands of the role.
The setting is a charitable incorporated organisation, a new legal structure
introduced for non-profit organisations and charities. As such, the pre-school is overseen by a board of trustees, comprising parents and community members. The board looks after recruitment and the business side of the setting, although Barry also has input.
Barry oversees safeguarding in the setting. She supports her six staff with observations and supervisions, runs taster sessions for parents, assigns children to key workers and puts together staffing rosters. Barry also has her own key children that she works with directly. “I usually take the older ones, or those with special educational needs as I have SEN training,” she says.
The preschool is term-time only,
although Barry spends some time doing paperwork during the holidays. Preschool staff are paid pro rata for the days they work during termtime, according to a salary scale based on qualifications and roles.
Like many pre-schools, the setting doesn’t own its building and must pack away resources at the end of every day .“It is tough but we have got it down to a fine art,” says Barry. “It does limit us in some ways, for example if we have water play, we have to have it outside so as not to damage the flooring.”
Barry feels the pre-school’s charitable status helps build strong relationships with parents. “They know we are not here to make money,” she says.■
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In our series showcasing the sector’s nursery managers, we find out about Lachme Kaur, nursery manager at Little Limehouse Pre-school in East London
What was your route to becoming a manager?
I have been working in early years settings and schools for 29 years. At school I had a different plan, but when I was put in a nursery for work experience, everyone who crossed my path said to me “this is your vocation”. I joined an apprenticeship programme and did my Level 2 with a fantastic mentor who promoted, encouraged and motivated me. I went on to complete my Level 3 through distance learning, a foundation degree and a degree with Middlesex University. I have been a manager for about 15 years at different settings.
What’s the best thing about Little Limehouse Pre-school?
Little Limehouse is a charity-run setting with a lot of links to the community. A lot of settings are quite rigid with a prescribed way of working, but here I have the freedom to try lots of different things. Making a difference, using my experience and knowledge, is the best part of my job.
I am a leadership person not a management person, I want people to want to go where I am taking them rather than just leading them. I also love working with my children, their stories are so funny. A lot of families say they have brought their second or third child here because I am here, which makes me feel really lovely.
What is the best training you’ve been on?
Last term we had 22 children with additional needs, about eight of whom had Education, Health and Care Plans. I recently completed Best Practice Network’s early years SENCO programme which was so informative –it was very well organised and structured. I learned a lot that I can put in my
practice on a day-to-day basis, and that I can see the results of immediately.
What’s the most challenging part of being a nursery manager?
In the last 20 years there has been a decline in the quality of training available. Practitioners come in with qualifications, but they don’t have the practical experience that marries up with that. There is a lack of focus on children’s personal social and emotional development, and a lack of understanding that a child is not going to be writing and drawing if they are not emotionally stable. I find that challenging and difficult to manage.
Which three people would you invite to a dinner party?
Mirza Ghalib, the most read and quoted Urdu poet from the Mughal era, to understand the depth of his beautiful language.
Dr Maria Montessori, because I would like to find out whether she would have moved with the times. I think the Montessori approach has many wonderful aspects, like the resources that encourage independence, but there are ways the approach is sometimes interpreted that don’t sit right with me.
The last one is Nazir Afsal, the former chief crown prosecutor for Northwest England. He has prosecuted high-profile cases to do with child abuse, violence against women, and grooming. He has a relentless drive to protect and do good for people.
What do you do to look after yourself when things get stressful? I attended cognitive behaviour therapy, when I was having a tricky time with one of my settings, and it looks at understanding different types of stress and what you can do. My go-to is music;
I have different music for different moods and situations. I might watch a funny film, or write a letter to my friend. I engage in crafts; I surround myself with my favourite people.
What is the one thing you would change about the early years sector?
Recognition of the role of nursery managers, and all early years staff. I do a lot of staff appreciation here, but a lot of the work we do is not valued as a profession.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Know your rights. People are sometimes scared of being seen to be trouble makers, but you are allowed to stand up for yourself. Be kind to yourself, work smart instead of working hard all the time, and see mistakes as learning opportunities.■
The Nursery Managers Show returned to Birmingham this summer for another buzzing and interactive event for managers and senior leaders. Here is an overview of some of the sessions at the event
Operational excellence – led by Gary Croxon, business manager and Tracey Hobbs, early years development manager from the Early Years Alliance.
Operational excellence in early education means focusing on optimising processes and systems to create a highquality learning environment for young children. The Early Years Alliance team focused on how key business strategies can support a setting or group and lead to long-term success. Croxon began by asking the audience if they “considered their setting a business, or themselves a business person?”
Although it may be a little timeconsuming, Hobbs stressed the importance of completed and communicated mission statement, and said: “Having a mission statement helps
the entire team move forward through obstacles. It should be the vision that defines your goal and identifies your USPs.”
The Early Years Alliance has a range of resources available including financial management advice and business toolkits. The business toolkit includes advice on:
• Marketing and sales.
• Communication and networking.
• Problem solving and decision-making.
• Leadership and management.
• Risk assessment.
Focus on the onboarding process –led by Lucy Lewin, founder and owner of Profitable Nursery Academy and Little Angels.
Lewin spoke about the long-term benefits of having a more hands-on
onboarding process, and how challenges remain around recruitment and retention, while maintaining a sustainable workforce is becoming more difficult.
Lewin said: “The onboarding process should not pause once the employee accepts the position. There could be a month before the person actually starts the job, so it’s a really good time to do effective check-ins with that new member and make them feel welcome before they walk through the door.”
Lewin went on to explain that it’s the little things that make a difference as well. In addition to undertaking the checks legally required, like DBS and reference checks, when the job has been confirmed, send out a welcome email and pack of advice, also highlighting what there is to look forward to.
A new employee coming in relaxed and prepared will make the last part of the onboarding process much smoother. Make sure you start introductions before they join and, if possible, consider having a breakfast meeting with the new employee on his or her first day. And for the next three months, make sure your new employee has a work buddy, or someone trusted to speak to and learn from.
Keeping children safe in your setting – led by Nicole Williamson, chief executive of safeguarding training organisation ECP.
Williamson said safeguarding should be top of the agenda for all nursery managers and offered wide-ranging practical advice on how to create a safeguarding culture with children at the centre.
“We need to ensure staff are confident, competent and have professional curiosity,” she said. “You must maintain a culture of ‘it could happen here’ –there could be a child at risk of neglect, abuse, exploitation, or there may even be a concern about a professional in your workforce.”
Professional curiosity, or “being respectfully nosy” ensures that staff are
meeting their legal duty of care by actively listening, observing, and not assuming someone else will notice a concern. “No child has ever died because too much information was shared about them,” she said. “70% of children who lost their lives due to abuse and neglect last year were not known to social care or the police. There’s no concern too small.”
Williamson urged managers to ensure their setting has an open culture that allows practitioners to share concerns, and that parents feel able to share information without judgement. Everyone in the setting should know who the designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) are, she said. “I like it when I go into a setting and I get given a lanyard that has the smiley faces of all the DSLs, and I walk along the corridor and I see their faces on a poster, so think about all of your touch points,” she said.
Safeguarding policy and practice is constantly being updated – for example, 27% of three-year-olds now have a mobile phone, which brings its own safeguarding challenges – so training and continuing professional development is key, Williamson explained. This could include sharing blogs, quizzes and podcasts with the team to embed learning
on a day-to-day basis, as well as statutory safeguarding training covering a setting’s child protection policy, code of conduct and whistleblowing procedure.
Support your future leaders with apprenticeships – led by Gemma Matthews, operations director for professional services, Paragon Training.
It’s never too early to start thinking about future leaders in your setting, Matthews told managers. “When you bring your apprentices in, you need to think about future leaders,” she said. “In five years’ time, they could be you.”
Matthews introduced delegates to a leadership model which puts leaders into four categories depending on their empathy and assertiveness. “My first experience was with a manager who had bullying tactics, and they were very much in the first quadrant, which is those with low empathy and high assertiveness,” she said. “Those are the sorts of leaders that result in people leaving, because they don’t feel valued.”
Those in the second quadrant, with low empathy and low assertiveness can be just as dangerous, she said. “They have no direction, give you no idea of what you are doing, and you are fumbling in the dark
– that can be just as dangerous as being micromanaged.”
Many managers fit into the third quadrant, with high empathy and low assertiveness. “That is normally a manager who has progressed through an organisation and tends to know everyone, so it’s hard to move yourself a little bit up so you are above your colleagues,” explained Matthews. “We want to ensure our leaders and manager end up in the fourth quadrant, with high empathy and high assertiveness, because we want them to give autonomy to their team, ask questions, guide them, and give them the tools they need that allow them to flourish and be the person they deserve to be.”
Matthews explained how operational and business-focused apprenticeships, such as team leading, operational development management, and business administration, can help develop
leadership skills. “Business administrators develop key skills and behaviours to support their own progress to management responsibilities,” she said.
Developing an early childhood sustainability curriculum – led by Ann Stubbs, head of pedagogical research and development, curriculum lead, Bright Horizons, and Ellis Corcoran, deputy manager, Bright Horizons Didcot.
Stubbs and Corcoran explained to delegates how their nursery group went about introducing and embedding a curriculum that aims to instill a sense of environmental responsibility in the youngest children, offering practical tips managers could take back to their own setting.
Around 4,400 children in Bright Horizons nurseries attend eco-committees,
and the group’s settings have introduced or maintained 349 plants, including 13 trees which were obtained through the Woodland Trust’s free trees scheme.
Corcoran explained how children in her nursery get involved with sorting and recycling and scrape leftover food from their plates into the food waste bins. The setting has also introduced a community battery recycling hub and a total of 442 children have taken part in litter picks. Children have also taken to protecting wildlife. “We created 99 natural habitats including recycled bug houses, using crates and wooden pallets,” said Stubbs.
“Some nurseries made natural bird feeders and created hedgehog houses and inserted hedgehog doors in fences, so that they could access the nursery garden and get a drink.
“Simple changes can make a big impact,” concluded Stubbs.
Supporting babies in your setting – led by Bhumika Patel, nursery manager, LEYF; Clare Stead, founder of Oliiki; Elly Richfield, education and development manager at Kinderzimmer; Kelly Shiels, early years consultant lead, MBK Group; and Charlotte Goddard, features editor of NMT.
As the government-funded childcare entitlement rolls out this month to children aged from nine months, many nursery managers are thinking about meeting increased demand by expanding their baby provision. However, there’s something of a knowledge gap in the sector as a whole when it comes to developing high-quality provision for babies.
Getting it right in the early years is vital. “The early years of a baby’s life lay the foundation for their future,” said Richfield. “A well-designed nursery fosters growth, learning and security, setting the stage for a lifetime of success. Equipping every team member with knowledge in neuroscience and child development ensures we provide the best care and support, nurturing each child’s potential from the very start.”
Stead agreed that upskilling baby room staff with a knowledge of child development was key. “When we upskill our staff with a strong understanding of child development and we encourage them to put this knowledge into practice, the simplest of tasks become brain building,” she said. “Simple is never simple for babies, it’s brain building.”
It’s not only staff who benefit from an understanding of child development, added Stead. “When we empower parents with an understanding of child development and learning through play we literally help them become baby brain builders which in turn makes our job so much easier because we gain children with stronger foundations in learning and parents who understand what we are trying to do with play,” she said.■
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Self-regulation is about children’s developing ability to regulate their emotions, thoughts, feelings and behaviour in ways that are healthy and promote growth. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) introduced Early Learning Goals (ELGs) around selfregulation in 2021.
In her book The Neuroscience of the Developing Child: Self-regulation for Wellbeing and a Sustainable Future, Dr Mine Conkbayir argues these goals are “some way off the mark”. “Those who have written the ELGs have grossly misinterpreted SR (self-regulation) and as a result have misinformed an entire workforce, with children ultimately paying the price,” she writes.
For Conkbayir, the ELGs fall short in part because they don’t mention co-regulation, a vital stepping stone to developing self-regulation. Coregulation involves supporting children’s development through warm and responsive interactions with adults who can help children to recognise their emotions and support them to use techniques which help them move from a distressed state to a calm state.
Earlier this year the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) launched a downloadable summary of evidencebased approaches for supporting
“The policy sets out Portico’s aims, which include understanding early brain development, and helping children to identify, name and understand their feelings and emotions.”
children’s development in this area. The EEF’s Early Years Toolkit, which includes videos showing different approaches in practice, does look at co-regulation. “Adults help to develop children’s awareness and understanding of their thoughts, emotions, and actions to underpin their ability to regulate them,” it says.
Some settings, such as Portico Day Nurseries, are introducing specific policies and practices to underpin their approach. A positive approach to staff wellbeing is also key, as practitioners need to be in a place where they can regulate their own thoughts and feelings before helping children to do so.
Sarah Fillingham, area manager at Portico, decided to take part in training around children’s brain development and self-regulation after she saw that staff were struggling with managing children’s emotional needs. “There were a lot more children with additional needs, and staff were struggling with how to support them,” she says.
Fillingham obtained a NCFE CACHE Level 2 Award in an Introduction to Neuroscience in Early Years, a qualification that was developed by Conkbayir, and became a “neuroscience champion”.
“The training was the most useful I have ever been on and the most effective for changing our policy and practice,” she says. “At the time we were still using ‘time out’, moving children [showing challenging behaviour] away from the situation, with a bit of ‘you sit here and think about what you have done’, then bringing them back. This wasn’t having any effect – it wasn’t helping children, they were getting more stressed by us doing that, and staff were stressed because it wasn’t working.”
Portico replaced its “promoting positive behaviour” policy with a “self-regulation
policy”. This sets out situations which children may find stressful, such as parents leaving after drop-off, and explains how children may react and why. “The types of reactions we may see in a child in response to stress are behaviours such as crying, screaming, kicking, biting, spitting or experiencing a ‘tantrum’.”
The policy sets out Portico’s aims, which include understanding early brain development, and helping children to identify, name and understand their feelings and emotions. It goes on to list strategies practitioners use in the settings, such as: ‘name it to tame it’ – labelling the emotions and talking about feelings and emotion; ensuring staff wellbeing is high; and reviewing environments to ensure that there are quiet spaces for children away from the hustle and bustle of the room.
Fillingham carried out training sessions during which she introduced practitioners to the ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’ brain. This concept, first developed by neuroscientist Dr Dan Siegel, involves thinking of the brain as a two-story house, with ‘upstairs’ responsible for high-level thinking and decision-making, while the downstairs controls basic functions and automatic reactions. As the ‘downstairs’ part of the brain develops first, young children may not have the skills to draw on to stay calm in stressful situations. Stress can also temporarily block their ability to access the ‘upstairs’ brain.
“When the children are old enough to start to understand, some of our staff teams have introduced this concept to their pre-school children too,” says Fillingham. “It has also really helped a
lot of our parents understand their own reactions to stress as well as those of their children.”
The nurseries have introduced ‘selfregulation stations’, with resources to help children find coping strategies to use when they are stressed, upset, over-stimulated or scared. Resources include bubble mixture and windmills which encourage children to breathe in and out slowly, sensory toys, mirrors and beanbags. There are also purple bears, known as Lavenderbuddy. “Lavenderbuddy has a gorgeous fresh lavender pouch,” says Fillingham. “He
lives in our self-regulation spaces and the children really love to have a cuddle with him, he really helps them to balance their nervous system as he can be used at story time, for social story telling or one to one.” Lavenderbuddy is not just for the children – all of Portico’s staff received one at a company staff wellbeing meeting.
Practitioners help children to understand and name their feelings throughout the day. “If a child is fighting over trains, we can intervene and say you look angry – your face is red, does your tummy feel funny?” says Fillingham. The next time the child feels this way, they will be more able to identify the emotion and eventually be able to draw on the techniques that have helped them self-regulate in the past. Staff will go with children to the self-regulation spaces, model the resources and find something
that might help them. “We might use windmills to get their breathing back on track, we might have a yoga session,” says Fillingham.
Training practitioners in self-regulation strategies is not always easy, as some find it difficult to accept a new way of thinking. “Staff sometimes think this goes against the grain of what we have always done,” says Fillingham. “Some feel it is giving children attention for doing something they shouldn’t be doing. But our aim is to get the upstairs and downstairs brain working together, and we can’t do that when the child is upset.” Learning more about neurodevelopment has helped practitioners accept the new way of working. “Staff were getting so frustrated [with managing children’s emotional needs] before,” says Fillingham. “Now it is a lot better.” ■
Hampshire and Dorset-based kindergarten group Kids Love Nature has acquired Wickham Montessori School near Fareham in Hampshire, which caters for 46 children aged from six months to five years.
Wickham Montessori was established in 2014 by Liz Freemantle, who later went into business with her then manager, Ashley Pitt.
Kids Love Nature operates four other nurseries.
Business property advisor Christie & Co facilitated the sale.
Wickham Montessori School was sold for an undisclosed price.
Ivy House Nurseries has acquired Caterpillars Childcare in Farnham, Surrey, which provides care for up to 43 children aged from babies to five years.
The business operates from a single-storey detached property with a purpose-built outdoor play area equipped with safety surface flooring.
The setting was recently brought to market to allow the shareholders to focus on other opportunities.
Ivy House Nurseries opened its first branch in Weybridge in 2021. The acquisition is purchase is the group’s third setting.
Olivia Rowling, director at Ivy House Nurseries, said: “We are very excited to have acquired Caterpillars
Childcare and feel it is a really positive step towards growing a larger group of nurseries that focus on the curiosity approach and boutique environment.”
Business property advisor Christie & Co facilitated the sale.
Sophie Willcox, director, childcare and education at Christie & Co, commented: “This is one of several nurseries we have completed on in Surrey recently, highlighting the demand for both leasehold or freehold opportunities that are good quality and with strong staff teams in situ.”
Caterpillars Childcare was sold for an undisclosed price.
Nursery group Bright Kids has purchased Quinton Cygnets, a day nursery in Lower Quinton, Stratfordupon-Avon in Warwickshire.
The nursery has the capacity for up to 40 children aged from newborn to 11 years.
The setting was owned by Cygnets Education and Childcare Trust for 13 years and was sold as part of a strategic decision to downscale the charity’s nursery operation.
Bright Kids now owns eight nursery setting and is renaming its latest addition as Bright Kids Lower Quinton.
Christie Finance provided the funding for the purchase and business property advisor Christie & Co facilitated the sale.
Tricia Wellings, managing director at Bright Kids, said: “We were particularly interested in Quinton Cygnets because of its great rural location and being close to our other Warwickshire nurseries. The size and dynamic of the nursery also fit well with our expansion plans. We can see great potential for further development of
the Lower Quinton nursery and have already started putting new ideas in place.”
Linda Findon, chair of trust at Cygnets Education and Childcare Trust, said: “We bought what was the old doctor’s surgery in the village, immediately opposite the local school in 2010, having identified a community need for the services we have provided elsewhere for over 40 years. The building was converted specifically to operate as a nursery setting and underwent much refurbishment at the same time. Continuing to operate the site as part of a charity has been difficult over the last few years and we felt it could be run more effectively by another type of organisation that would secure its long-term future.”
Jassi Sunner, associate director, childcare and education at Christie & Co, commented: “Situated on the outskirts of Stratford-upon-Avon, the nursery was always going to attract a range of interest from local operators and first-time buyers.”
Ashley Clements, finance consultant at Christie Finance, added: “The childcare sector continues to be a green light sector for a lot of lenders. Challenges can be
seen when applying for funding as an operator with numerous settings with lenders having adjusted their policies and appetite in the last few years. Lenders still have a desire for experience and a proven track record in this sector, and funding is still available for first-time buyers under the right circumstances.”
Quinton Cygnets was sold for an undisclosed price.
Hopscotch Children’s Nurseries has purchased Chappell Croft Day Nursery in Worthing, East Sussex.
Chappell Croft is a family-owned day nursery that opened its doors in 2000 catering to up to 50 children.
Vendors Vivien and Derek Furlong are selling in order to retire from the sector, according to a statement.
Hopscotch Children’s Nurseries now operates seven settings across East Sussex. The company is led by managing director Philip Ford.
Business property advisor Christie & Co facilitated the sale.
Nursery group Kids Planet has purchased High Bank Nursery in Stapleton, Darlington, County Durham, which has capacity for up to 110 children aged from newborn to four years old.
The purpose-built setting has spacious rooms, with outdoor space including a large play area, mini-farm, garden and forest school. It was extended with a purpose-built preschool unit in 2021.
The business was founded by Lesley and Angus Thompson in 2003 who are selling in order to retire.
Kids Planet now owns 167 settings across the UK.
The Thompsons commented: “Kids Planet is an ideal buyer for the nursery that we have spent the last 20 years growing. We will miss the staff and children at the setting, however, we know that they are in good hands.”
Clare Roberts, chief executive at Kids Planet, said: “A warm welcome to the team at High Bank, a unique, family-feel setting that aligns with our Kids Planet approach. The nursery will strengthen our presence in County Durham, and I look forward to supporting and welcoming the team and families as they join our group.”
Business property advisor Christie & Co facilitated the sale. Law firm Savage Silk advised on the transaction.
The leasehold on a former nursery site in Angus, located within a David Lloyd leisure club, which provided childcare services for club members and the public, has been purchased by Francesca Paesano and Caroline McDiarmid.
The setting, which opens seven days a week, has capacity for up to 58 children.
Business property advisor Christie & Co facilitated the sale.
Martin Daw, senior director at Christie & Co, said: “The nursery was highly valued by the staff and club members at David Lloyd Leisure Club, as well as families within the local area.
“I believe that the nursery will flourish under [Paesano and McDiarmid’s] ownership and could even lead to more exciting opportunities for them. I wish them both the best of luck in their future endeavours.”
The lease was sold for an undisclosed price.
Kids Planet Day Nurseries has purchased Butterflies Day Nursery in Mangotsfield, Bristol.
The nursery operates from the former Shortwood Lodge golf club and has capacity for 118 children aged between three months to five years.
Butterflies Day Nursery has significant outdoor space offering outdoor learning opportunities. The nursery was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection.
Kids Planet Day Nurseries has made several acquisitions as it builds its geographical presence in Southwest England.
Childcare and education business broker Redwoods Dowling Kerr facilitated the sale.
Redwoods Dowling Kerr’s childcare broker Karrina Lee said: “It was a pleasure to work with our clients to help them secure a sale. They had a number of interested parties, but felt that Kids Planet Day Nurseries were the right buyer for them. We are positive that the setting will make a great addition to Kids Planet Day Nurseries. We would like to wish the vendors all the best in the future.”
An independent operator has purchased Green Hedges Day Nursery, a children’s day nursery operating from a large Victorian property in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Operating since since 2000, the nursery accommodates up to 51 children between the ages of three months and five years. The children also receive outdoor learning as the setting offers a log cabin, a mud kitchen and resident guinea pigs.
Green Hedges is well-equipped with a range of excellent quality toys and educational resources within a bright and cheerful environment. The nursery was rated Good by Ofsted at its latest inspection.
Childcare and education business broker Redwoods Dowling Kerr facilitated the sale.
Redwoods Dowling Kerr’s sales negotiator Karrina Lee, said: “I am delighted to have achieved a successful sale for our clients and wish them a well-deserved retirement. I would also like to wish the buyer all the best with their latest acquisition.”
Kindred Nurseries has acquired Little Crickets Day Nursery, located in the surroundings of the Tring Cricket Ground in Hertfordshire, which provides for children aged from six months to five years.
Since 2010 the nursery has operated from a stand-alone building with a well-equipped outdoor play area.
Kindred Nurseries operates 42 nurseries across London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, and Wiltshire for children aged from three months to five years.
Childcare and education business broker Redwoods Dowling Kerr facilitated the sale.
Redwoods Dowling Kerr’s specialist childcare broker Stephanie Quinn said: “I am very happy for the vendor and buyer on this sale. Congratulations.”
First-time buyer Ash Sher has purchased Little Lambs Day Nursery, a group of two day nurseries and a pre-school with a combined registration of more than 120 places across three sites in Nottinghamshire.
Little Lambs has operated since 2016 catering to children aged from newborn through to 11 years,
After 10 years in the sector, Sher intends to maintain the nursery’s current use and potentially expand in the future.
Childcare and education business broker Redwoods Dowling Kerr facilitated the sale.
Sher said: “I’m looking to acquire four more settings within 18 months, which will all hopefully be sourced through RDK.”
Redwoods Dowling Kerr’s sales negotiator Stephanie Quinn commented: “Congratulations to both Ash and the sellers. I wish them all the best in their new ventures.”
ICP Educare has acquired Shotley Bridge Nursery School located in Consett, County Durham.
Established in 1991, the nursery can accommodate 95 children and is housed in a Grade II listed stone-built property. The vendors are Anne Young and Laura Bowery. ICP Educare is an early years platform backed by the specialist education sector investor Innervation Capital Partners.
Childcare and education business broker Redwoods Dowling Kerr facilitated the sale.
Redwoods Dowling Kerr’s childcare broker Karrina Lee said: “I am pleased to have assisted on this latest transaction with ICP Educare and of course, delighted for our clients. We are confident that Shotley Bridge Nursery School will be a great addition to the ICP Educare team. We are certain they will continue to build on the success for many more years to come.”
An independent operator has acquired Tiny Treasures Day Nursery, a family-run nursery based in Brentwood, Essex.
The setting offers full day care and seasonal care and is registered for 64 children aged from three months to five years.
After running the nursery for 19 years, the owners decided to sell to spend more time with their family.
The nursery offers a range of funding options and accepts tax relief schemes, making it a more accessible choice for a variety of families.
Childcare and education business broker Redwoods Dowling Kerr facilitated the sale.
Redwoods Dowling Kerr’s senior sales negotiator, Karrina Lee said: “It has been a pleasure working with all parties on this transaction. I am pleased that the owners can now enjoy more family time after years of hard work and dedication. I would like to wish the purchaser all the best and we are confident the business will continue to grow for many more years to come.”
To find out more details about the businesses available for sale, and sold, through Redwoods Dowling Kerr please
CHRISTIE & CO
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info@coulter-consulting.co.uk
5280071 - Central Scotland
Freeholds & Leaseholds, Offers Invited
• Group of three nurseries plus one outdoor nursery
• Fully management run
• EBITDA Y/E 2023: c. £315,000
T: 07754 559 529
4280869 - Lancashire
Freehold, £1,050,000
• Capacity for c. 100
• Fully managed with experienced team
• EBITDA Y/E 2024: c. £160,000
T: 07736 616 687
5880163 - Warwickshire
Freehold, £600,000
• Income over £250,000
• Capacity for 57
• Scope to increase capacity
T: 07526 175 857
4280795 - Tyne & Wear
Leasehold, £400,000
• Capacity for 81
• Busy school location
• Adjusted net profit: £95.000
T: 07791 979 343
Freehold, £2,000,000
4280492 - York
Freehold, £550,000
Leasehold, £300,000
• Established for 30+ years
• Ofsted rated Good
• EBITDA: c. £144,000 T: 07526 175 857
4280830 - Northern Ireland
Leasehold, £1,000,000
• Annual rent of £80,000
• Unrivalled reputation & diverse facilities
• EBITDA Y/E 2024: c. 260,000 T: 07736 616 687
• Combined capacity for 150
• Group of two
• Adjusted net profit: £260,000
T: 07791 979 343
5880164 - Warwickshire
3480021 - South Wales
Freehold, £3,500,000
• Substantial setting with five acres
• Fully managed
• Scope for further growth T: 07701 315 061
