Nursery World - Training Today: How to create and keep your leaders

Find out how two nursery groups are using mentors and innovative learning approaches to help develop individuals in their teams. By Hannah Crown

At Little Barn Owls, training is supported by mentors

Little Barn Owls has developed an innovative approach to developing its leaders.

With the expansion of the free entitlement likely to require a huge increase in staff, and recruitment already in crisis, the ability of settings to retain and develop their teams is more important than ever. We talk to two nursery groups which have invested in personalised training.

Charlotte Bateman, operations director, Little Barn Owls

Little Barn Owls, a five-strong nursery group in Sussex, has launched ‘interactive playbooks’ to overcome the difficulty of getting staff out of ratio, as training can be provided on-site.

The playbooks are printed ringbinders that break down core training into 12 units. Topics include creating a safe and stimulating environment, health and wellbeing, the role of the key person, understanding the EYFS and the curriculum. Each unit comprises a summary of key messages and theories which then relate to tasks. There are also QR codes throughout, which link to short video clips expanding on the topics. These videos are usually watched on phones or tablets during team meetings, or sometimes in quieter moments during the day.

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