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.
FOCUS ON STAFF PROGRESSION
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.
What do the playbooks consist of?
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.
Who are they for?
We have two playbooks: one tailored for educators and one for leaders. The educators’ playbook focuses on building foundational practice knowledge – like the EYFS and our curriculum, safeguarding, and emotional intelligence and regulation. The leaders’ version goes deeper into topics like coaching teams, developing practice culture, and reflective supervision.
The core principles are shared, but the leader version equips staff with tools to lead and mentor others.
How do you assess staff knowledge?
Each unit also includes a mix of prompts for reflective discussion, practical tasks, and real-time application in the setting. There is some very light written work–mainly journaling or noting examples – but the emphasis is on live discussion/video diaries, application and observation rather than formal written assessments. There are three to four tasks per unit, most of which are to be evidenced through video, and cover everything from setting up enabling environments and risk-assessing them to documenting engagement, supporting children's emotional intelligence and regulation, and enquiry-based learning.
Who leads this training?
Training is supported by our in-house mentors, who dedicate time each month to work one-on-one or in small groups with trainees. Every member of the team is assigned a dedicated mentor who they meet at least once a month. We have mentors dedicated to certain positions and qualifications.
How is progress assessed over time?
Each educator keeps an online learning journal where they upload their videos and reflective journals linked to the playbook units. Mentors check in monthly to review progress, guide next steps and workshop the tasks in practice with the educators/leaders. Mentors also send video feedback to their group whenever they upload a task. Every six months, we hold structured reviews, including a star rating system. This feeds into appraisals and regular supervision.
How does this help you to meet your initial goal of building an outstanding staff team?
As well as the team gaining knowledge and extending their practice, one of our key aims was to grow confidence and help all educators and leaders articulate their knowledge. The playbooks break down complex ideas into manageable parts, allowing staff to reflect deeply and share insights in their own words. It encourages curiosity, dialogue and ownership of learning, which builds a stronger, more empowered team.
The playbook model sits alongside a strong commitment to external training. We continue to invest in valuable experiences such as Reggio Emilia study visits, CPD workshops, and sessions with specialist speakers, which help broaden our team's perspectives and inspire deeper professional curiosity. We also offer CPD opportunities, delivered by many of our team, reinforcing and celebrating our educators’ growing expertise within LBO itself.
What improvements does this offer over the original system?
Previously, training was largely delivered off-site or as standalone sessions. While valuable, this often meant there was a disconnect between what was learned and what was embedded in practice. The playbooks solve that by bringing training directly into the setting, encouraging constant reflection and real-time application.
It also gives leaders a clear, up-to-date picture of who has engaged with what, making it easier to spot gaps or patterns and plan support accordingly. The playbooks are already proving to be developing our own in-house expertise, which will only benefit our growing teams.
What are your plans for the future?
We're looking to develop this further by building a bespoke training app to host all learning content, track progress more seamlessly, and provide bite-sized learning on demand. There are also plans to offer this model to other settings in the future.
USING EVALUATION AND AUDIT
Kiri Hall, nursery manager at Fennies Ealing
Kiri, who started her career in childcare as a 17-year-old apprentice, is one of 20 managers who has begun the nine-month Inspiring Leaders Training Programme. The 20-strong nursery group introduced the training in recognition of the fact that managers come to the role with varying levels of experience, and to ensure they have strong foundational knowledge and help them develop leadership skills.
The course contains 17 modules covering leadership, management and core knowledge, and was developed by internal trainers, external consultants and passionate Fennies managers.
How has the training been useful?
I have a Level 4 management and leadership qualification, but the training I've received at Fennies has been far more impactful.
It's changed the way I approach interviews with new team members. I now take the time to be much more thorough with reviewing applications and ensuring the management team is fully aware of the entire process. It has encouraged me to ask whether the team truly understands the purpose of our policies and how we can better utilise them.
How are you using team meetings to improve team knowledge?
Monthly team meetings have been restructured and standardised, with a set curriculum. Fennies has a culture of sharing best practice across its teams
Topics covered in team meetings mirror those recently attended by managers in their leadership development programmes. Our team is given two ‘toolkits’ per meeting – professional development topics aligned with the leadership modules, and one on a safeguarding-related topic to reinforce compliance and best practices – and come in the form of video clips and refreshers.
How do you/does the company use audit tools to monitor staff progress?
Staff are issued with individual electronic learning journals where they document what they have learned and implemented.
Formal quality audits are also conducted on a regular basis by regional managers. These audits use the learning journals and other documents to assess consistency in implementation of the curriculum across all age groups, relevance of planning for each child, level of stretch and challenge, and team understanding and confidence in articulating the three ‘i's of teaching practice: intent, implementation and impact.
During the quality audit, I do a presentation to our regional manager, where we review our KPIs and highlight how we've applied the training to our daily practice and embedded it into our action plans.
Do you share best practice with other managers within Fennies?
This is a crucial part of our culture. Training is a safe space where we can all learn from each other. Everyone feels comfortable speaking up, and there's never any fear of being embarrassed. If I ever need support, I know I can pick up the phone and reach out to any other manager within Fennies. The network of managers is incredibly supportive, and I can count on getting help in all areas of our work.
This collaborative environment is also strengthened through our internal training platform, Fennies Academy. It empowers our team by offering tailored development, specialist-led learning and clear pathways for career progression. It creates a strong community where we can share insights, improve together and continually elevate our standards of early years education.
