Nursery World Awards 2021 - Online and Social Media

You can download the digital Awards book here

Kids Planet’s brand new, mobile optimised website is designed for ease of use, and includes everything a parent needs to know about Kids Planet.

The website features a new and easy to navigate nursery finder tool, high quality images and professionally recorded videos, whilst the refreshed colour scheme and fonts ensure an enhanced customer experience. Clickable links to sign up for a prospectus and make an online application ensure information can be quickly found by often time-poor parents.

Each of the group’s settings has its own page giving details about the nursery, as well as latest news and events. Separate website headers provide information about nutrition, SEND support, daily routines, philosophy and vision, and outdoor play.

The company also uses social media to share news, monthly blogs and topical early years initiatives on platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. On Facebook and Instagram, the group hosts competitions, shares nursery updates, and offers advice and resource ideas.

As demographics change, the group plans to invest in TikTok and Snapchat as a way of reaching a younger audience.

A brand-new bimonthly podcast is promoted across social media platforms, with episodes on topics including male mental health, SEND advice, and baby sleep.

As part of an ongoing commitment to improving children’s eating habits, the group is currently recording videos with the head chef to be used across social media in preparation for its recipe book launch in early 2022.

A separate website for the group’s Training Academy has also been recently created, with straightforward navigation between the two and identical branding.

The website shares information on the government’s Kickstart scheme, and apprenticeship online applications have increased by 64 per cent in the first year of the new website. Both Kids Planet and Kids Planet Training Academy websites have also helped increase the number of applications from men, thanks to blogs, news, #MenMonday social posts and a podcast episode.

During the pandemic, Kids Planet adapted provision to include online learning activities, and shared videos filmed by practitioners of baby massage and craft activities as well as recipe ideas and sample routines for parents working from home.

Since the website launched in September 2020, traffic has almost doubled in some months compared to the previous year, from 6,235 in April 2020 to 12,314 in April 2021.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Bright Minds Daycare, Birmingham

Bright Minds Daycare’s homepage features a visually appealing, vibrant and heartfelt video of all four settings to showcase its ‘home-from-home’ environments.

The website features a designated landing page for each location, which details what makes that site unique alongside professional photographs and contact details.

A ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page helps parents gather information about Bright Minds before requesting a tour of a nursery.

The learning section of the website features the Bright Minds ‘Star Framework’, a holistic model for early years care, learning and development which incorporates each of the primary childcare approaches (including Montessori and Reggio Emilia) to create a unique, balanced model grounded in the EYFS. This simple visual diagram allows website users to understand the Bright Minds approach quickly and easily, before delving into the copy in more detail below.

During lockdown, a series of virtual coffee mornings gave parents a chance to share their experiences of being at home with a child under five. Due to the success of the calls, the group has continued to host one call a month.

FINALISTS

Marcham Little Angels, Abingdon

Pebbles Childcare, Worthing

Small Steps Big Changes

CRITERION

Open to early years providers (nurseries, schools, pre-schools and childminders) and services whose website and use of social media is informative, accessible and innovative.