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How To Grow Your Nursery Team into Leaders: Collaboration Over Hierarchy
Episode 1316th October 2025 • Atelier Talks • Decibelle Creative
00:00:00 01:04:32

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If somebody wants to step into leadership, they need to have opportunities to lead, and they need to know we’ll be there to catch them if they wobble.”

Clare Crowther, Director

This episode explores why collaboration, not hierarchy, builds sustainable teams in Early Years settings. Continuing on from where we left off in episode 12, we’re going even deeper into Early Years leadership, moving beyond titles and job roles and exploring what it really means to grow leadership from the ground up. From coaching your Early Years team day-to-day to developing new leaders in post, we’re sharing what works, what’s challenging, and how we support our staff to thrive.

We talk openly about succession planning, the emotional side of saying goodbye to talented team members, and how we create a culture where leadership is distributed, and everyone feels empowered to make a difference, no matter their role.

This is a must listen episode for anyone leading a setting, growing a team, or stepping into leadership themselves.

In this episode:

  • How we develop future leaders through real responsibility and supported risk-taking
  • Why succession planning starts with coaching, mentoring and high expectations
  • What “stretching the elastic” means when developing staff
  • The importance of distributive leadership and mini leadership roles across the team
  • How we structure roles like planning champions, environment leads and room reps
  • How to hold challenging conversations with professionalism and care
  • How we build leadership into our supervisions, CPD, appraisals and team culture
  • What “tribing” means at Atelier, and how it supports team belonging, loyalty and retention
  • Real stories of apprentices who’ve grown into Atelier leaders

Find out more:

Website and newsletter: ateliernursery.co.uk

Instagram: @ateliernurseryltd

Consultancy enquiries: Contact us via our website

Together, we’ll unlock the potential for incredible growth and learning.

Atelier Talks is a Decibelle Creative original podcast

Produced by Decibelle Creative – decibellecreative.com / @decibelle_creative

Keywords: early years leadership, growing leaders in EYFS, early years succession planning, coaching nursery teams, CPD in early years, early years supervisions, nursery staff development, stretch the elastic, Reggio-inspired leadership, planning champions EYFS, key person culture, staff retention nursery, emotionally intelligent leadership, building team culture, Johari window early years, confronto, trust in early years teams



Transcripts

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>> Clare: Welcome to Atelier Talks, the Early Years

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Collective.

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>> Clare: This is the podcast brought to you.

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>> Clare: By the Atelier Nursery team, exploring the art and

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science of early years education. We're here to

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share knowledge and insights from our unique

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research led approach.

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>> Clare: So if you're passionate about early years.

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>> Clare: Education, you're in the right place. Let's find

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out what's in store for you on today's episode.

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>> Laura: Foreign.

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>> Clare: Welcome to Atelier Talks, where today I'm joined

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by the lovely Laura Beth and Lauren. Hello.

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>> Laura: Hello.

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>> Clare: In our last episode, we were talking a lot about

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leadership. So Laura was nominated for the Nursery

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World Manager of the Year award. So we know on

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this occasion you weren't successful in terms of

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your name being wet out on the night, but we just

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wanted to share that in our eyes, you are all

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ways, our Manager of the Year. We think you're

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fabulous. We know that your families think you're

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fabulous. and so just a huge, huge well done from

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us on being shortlisted on such a huge award and

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congratulations from everybody at Atelier on all

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of the winners and the other people that were

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shortlisted on the 9th. So what we were looking at

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then was lots of opportunity for us as leaders and

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managers within our role, to shape the philosophy

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of our settings, the vision of our settings. We

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talked a lot about being unwave in our practise,

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being unapologetically optimistic, but also those

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attributes as leaders and managers that we have to

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adopt every day to ensure that our teams

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understand our vision, they understand our

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expectations of how that vision is implemented,

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but also how we can adapt our practises to fulfil

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the needs of our staff team. So what we wanted to

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do today, was really explore that a little bit

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more on a practical level and a practical role. So

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Atelier, come on. We all spend all day, every day

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on the floor. So we're not a leadership team that

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sits in an office. We're not a leadership team

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that focuses on anything to do with the finances

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or anything to do with the legalities of running a

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business. So we're really, really privileged that

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we have a whole administration team and we have, a

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finance team and then we dip in and dip out to

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support some of the operational aspects of that.

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So whether that's the health and safety elements

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or whether that's the HR 11, but actually none of

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us have sole responsibility for any of what I call

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the kind of legalities of running the nursery. So

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that makes us really privileged because it enables

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us to be present and, to be visible with our teams

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every Single day. So, Beth, you love. I think for

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me, you've always said it, one of your favourite

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roles was managing your team. So what is it about

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being on the floor with the staff, with the

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children, with the families that is so magical at

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atelier?

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>> Beth: I think just seeing. Being able to witness and be

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part of other people's journeys, I think it's a

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really lovely position to be in. When you look at

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a member of staff or a child or a family as a

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whole, and you. You get their starting points and

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then you get their end point and you can just see

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the change, the progression, the development, the

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character of them, how.

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>> Clare: They can be there.

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>> Beth: it's really. It's a really lovely, magical thing.

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And I think we can sometimes get in these tiny,

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tiny little apprentices and then, when they are

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finally, like, three years down the line and you

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get to see them really thrive in what they're

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doing and love their job. It's. Yeah, it's just a

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really magical part of the process, really.

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>> Clare: I love it too. I love it when you see the impact

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and you can see the change and the difference that

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you make to those staff and how actually, whether

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it's how you're managing a supervision or how

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you're managing a feedback, whether actually

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you're just remembering that it's, I don't know, a

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sad. The anniversary of a sad time for that person

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or that actually something's going on for them at

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home and you just check in, or just that simple

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touch and a nudge and a love that makes them feel

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safe. And I think it's around. It's really

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growing, isn't it? It's growing that team,

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bringing that team together, holding that team and

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really seeing the difference they can then make to

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our community and to our children and our

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families. What about you guys? What do you think,

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Lauren? Lauren?

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>> Laura: One of the funniest things I think, when I took

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over the role as manager was we had this

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conversation how when you become manager, your

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staff team almost become your key children. And

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you do have that same sort of sense of protection,

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love, excitement, pride that you do when you had

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your group of key children. But now it's just a

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group of adults, but you still celebrate their

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successes, you still support them when they're

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sad, you are there to guide them, to help them

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develop and learn. And it was a real, sort of

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turning point when I realised that actually I was

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just now responsible for a slightly older group of

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people than children. But I think Beth's right

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that it's all about, you know, seeing their

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journey. And you talk about the impact. It does

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make me feel really, really proud when I see a

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member of the team achieve something that maybe

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they've been working towards or have a really

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difficult conversation with a parent that before,

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they might have really found tricky. And it's

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really lovely to celebrate in those successes with

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them and to celebrate their. Their journeys and

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also, like you say, to be there if they need that

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hug in the morning or they need a cup of tea and

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just knowing them inside out. So, you know, if

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they. They need something a little bit more that

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day. But, yeah, I love. I love my little group of

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key, key stars.

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>> Clare: I just think it's fabulous. I think the way in

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which you can spend, what, 40 hours a week with

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people and everybody's a bit quirky, aren't they?

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Atelier, you know, we don't. We don't tend to

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appoint staff that are all very similar. and so,

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you know, you can have. It was a brilliant

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conversation in the staff room this week. and, you

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know, there was a conversation about, it had been

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Lucy's birthday and so she'd been to the garden

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centre and she purchased some plants with her mum.

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And then honey was kind of sat on the sofa. She's

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going, what. What are you going to have for tea

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tonight? And then Erin's kind of coming in with

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the conversations that are happening within her

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home around, you know, the creativity and, her

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learning throughout the theatre work that she was

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doing. And everybody just has these little ins

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where they bring and they share and they develop

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and they, you know, we were talking long and hard

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about it because as a team, they're really

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accepting, they're really accepting of each other.

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And so sometimes within those staff room lunches,

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you know, you'll end up with a marmalade recipe or

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knowing that somebody's learning to salsa dance or

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a book recommendation. but you'll never, ever,

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ever have the same thing from the same person. And

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I think it's one of the things that I really

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treasure about Atelier is that acceptance of each

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other and the difference and the uniqueness that

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every staff member has, just as we do our

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children, and that they're able to be themselves

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100% with us.

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>> Laura: Yeah. And we do. We have a very diverse team here

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in Chippenham. We've got some, staff who are just

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beginning their journey with us or have just

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completed their apprenticeship. And then we have

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people who have been here for years or have worked

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in. In childcare for years, but Actually, the

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respect that they all hold each other and the

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trust and the love that's between them is just

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lovely to witness. I think that's what. What makes

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us so special is that our team is made up of so

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many different people who have got so many

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different experiences. They've got different

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skills, they've got different ways of thinking

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that then enables us to be such a diverse and I

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think, confident in what we do, because people

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have different ideas, different ways of looking at

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things that maybe I wouldn't have thought of or,

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you know, Beth might not have thought of. When

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suddenly Sara, our artist, is saying, well, we

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could do this, this and this. And it makes you

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really proud, I think, to have that diversity and

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that depth of thought and people to challenge you.

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>> Clare: It does come back to that saying, doesn't it, that

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we talked about in the last episode about, you

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know, surrounding yourselves with people who do

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think differently and actually knowing that when

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you are thinking differently, that it is safe to

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raise that and to. And to kind of challenge. and

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it's one of those things that I really learned as

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a leader was about conflict. And, you know, when

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you're thinking about leadership and you're

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thinking about management, you're always thinking

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about conflict resolution and how to kind of,

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What's the word I'm looking for? Kind of dissolve

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any of that conflict or kind of to get in first.

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And that's a huge part of our role. Of course it

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is. But actually, what I really like about our

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team is that they do have conflict, and it's a

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professional conflict. And when they will have a

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difference, they will raise that.

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>> Laura: Huh?

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>> Clare: And they won't kind of stop to consider it being

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wrong, but they'll stop to consider how to

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deliver. And I had a really lovely conversation in

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an appraisal last week, and it was, a member of

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staff, and I'd said something, and she went, I

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think I need to disagree with you. I see it like

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this. And it was a really lovely way that

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actually, no matter who our staff team members are

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or what role or responsibility they hold, that

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they can actually stop and challenge anybody's

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thinking. And I think that's where we need to use

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that term, conflict in a completely different way.

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And so those confrontos where we're kind of

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confronting each other's thinking is really,

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really important for us. particularly at this

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point in the year when we're determining those new

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commitments, we're settling those new children and

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families, we're establishing new room team

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members. And, so we know there's always a little

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bit of forming and storming and norming and

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performing, as Tuckman would say, and how we kind

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of bring each of those staff members alongside us

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and alongside the values and the visions of the

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nursery. But on a practical note, so much of that

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has to happen by leading from the floor, doesn't

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it? From the ground. So actually we're really

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visible and, we're sharing what our expectations

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are on a day to day basis by demonstrating it and,

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by role modelling it and by not being too proud to

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do it. You know, whether it's actually, you know,

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a tidy up time. I'm washing the paint pots and I

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hate having to do it those clay boards because you

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can never get the clay out your nails for the rest

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of the day, but actually making sure that no

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matter what our expectation of others is, that

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we're prepared to also put ourselves into that

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same position.

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>> Beth: And I think you do a really good job. Like the

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second anybody walks through the door, that way of

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working, that accepting of others is always

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present. Like people know the expectation. and I

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think that that's the only way that our team feel

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confident to do that is because they've been

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allowed to ask questions or to get a deeper

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understanding of why we do things and how we do

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things. And I think that relationship that we hold

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with the team means that, yeah, again they can

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question and, and delve deeper, get to know us a

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bit more and get to get to know how we work a bit

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more.

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>> Clare: I think so much of that is what we call the hows

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and the whys, isn't it? So we've spent a long

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time, Lauren, really trying to explore those hows

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and whys with the team. Because we don't want

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things just at a surface level, do we? We want our

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staff to really understand what our thinking is.

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And it's so, it's so interesting, isn't it,

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because whenever a new member of staff kind of

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joins the team, you can see their eyes and they're

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a little bit rabbit in the headlights and they're

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a little bit kind of trying to make sense of it

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all and talk to them about that fine line between

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chaos and cosmos. and I was having a conversation

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with a member of staff who was new to us, in

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August and so started settling some of their

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children in September. And I just said to them, I

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promise you, you've just got to trust me, there

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will be a switch when it actually feels right

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again. And it's that bit about when the rhythms

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start to come in together. Because when, you know,

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when you're settling what we had In Bath now, 30

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new children start this term, and three new key

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workers joining, or key people joining sor. those

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children this term as well. So there was some

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rhythm and some routine that really needed to

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settle. And I just kind of looked at him and I

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said, I promise that switch will come. And I did a

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supervision again yesterday. And he kind of went,

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you were right. Just in a week, this is what's

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happened and this is the progress my children have

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made. And now, you know, this particular child

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comes in and they're really happy to arrive and

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they ran into me today. And I think it's that bit,

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isn't it, where, you know, we've all been around

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the block a few times now, so we know what

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September's look like, we know what the hotspots

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in each of those terms will be, but it's taking

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our team with us and holding them at, certain

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points and certain times where we know it's going

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to be more challenging, but also giving them the

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freedom to make some of the mistakes. You know,

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sometimes I can look at a room move and I go,

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that'll never work. But I have to almost let that

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team try it and experience it for them to learn

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for themselves about the movement of children or

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the fluidity of a space and so that they can

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actually know and go forward in their own

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learning, in their own right.

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>> Lauren: Yeah, I, sometimes I even forget and I need

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reminding from somebody that, oh, do you remember

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this child? Remember how they got over this? And

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then I think to myself, no, no, it does work.

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>> Laura: This does work.

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>> Lauren: Like, just keep, stay on the same track because

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you do doubt yourself and every child is different

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and unique and sometimes you do need to tweak

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things to meet their needs. But ultimately

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everything that we do is rooted. I just remind

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myself it's all rooted in research, it's all

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rooted in best practise and it will work out in

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the end. And like you say, it might be a slightly

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different route, it might be a longer route, you

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might have to have two home visits rather than

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one. But, that child will ultimately settle if we

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keep on this, like, consistent, informed, best

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practise way of working. But yeah, I think what's

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nice is that we have parents that have had two,

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three, four children with us, so sometimes it can

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be the parent coming in and reassuring the

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educator who's new to atelier. This approach does

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work. Like, let's just keep going. This happened

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with my first one. And I know that the key person

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just kept going with these settling sessions and

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we got them in the end. So sometimes it can be a

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parent that's been with us for a while, supporting

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a new educator. Sometimes it can be like, I

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remember there's conversations I've had with, I'm

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thinking, for example, like, Lucy guiding Eve

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originally, it's okay, Eve, just stick with this.

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>> Laura: It will work.

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>> Lauren: So we've all got different pools of experience

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that we can pull upon to reassure each other that

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it will work out okay in the end. but, yeah,

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ultimately it.

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>> Laura: It was what we were talking about.

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>> Lauren: In the last episode about not just, throwing the

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baby out with the bathwater and, Yeah, to stick

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into our guns.

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>> Clare: It's lovely, though, isn't it? Because when you're

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thinking about, you know, our leadership role and

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when you, you know, you just talked there about

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Lucy and Eve. So Eve has now been with us three

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years. She's just become part of the leadership

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team in her own right. and she's worked incredibly

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hard to get where she is. and when she joined us,

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she joined us as a really apprehensive Covid

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trainee. and she. Actually, that must be more than

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three years now. Gosh, she must be nearly five.

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sorry, Ev. but within that process, you know, she

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came in as this really anxious Covid trainee and

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Lucy took her under a wing and showed her how to

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use the whiteboard to plan for her nappies, to

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plan for her bottle feeding, to make sure she knew

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what her rhythm and her routine was of her

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children, to make sure that that all fitted within

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her lunch breaks, but also that consideration for

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the rest of the room. And actually, what did the

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rest of those children, who might not be when her

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key family needed. And what was absolutely

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brilliant was she had worked under Lucy and

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alongside Lucy and Katherine, and then when she'd

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grown and she was ready to kind of spread her

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wings, and we popped her into the discovery room

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and she came home and she went, mum, she said,

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they don't even use their whiteboard. And there

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was just this whole kind of bit about how she had

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learned under Lucy and Katherine and their kind of

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leadership styles and their leadership strategies,

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and then had moved into a different space with

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different staff who had different ways of working.

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And now she's like this established leader in her

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own right. And what's brilliant is now in the

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discovery room, on the whiteboard this September

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are all of Callum's children and all of Daisy's

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children and all of Emily's children, so that

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they've all got that bigger kind of picture. And I

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think it's one of the things I really love and

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celebrate at Tilier is it doesn't matter if you

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use it on your whiteboard, it doesn't matter if

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you've got it in your notebooks, it doesn't matter

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if you've got your nappy baskets lined up, 1, 2,

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3, or actually if you move your nappies to the

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bathroom. But we try to encourage all of the staff

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to find their own ways of working as long as they

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come together to that end point. And it's kind of.

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Sometimes I can walk through the nursery and I'll

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hear a member of staff and they'll almost repeat

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one of my phrases and I have to kind of like turn

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to see them, to see who it is, because I can hear

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myself coming out of them in their words to a

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different member of staff. And I think for me it's

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brilliant because it really does show that that

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unwavering commitment, that absolute, central

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belief, central knowledge of how young children

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learn best and our roles in maintaining that high

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quality learning environment, never cutting the

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corners, you know, always ensuring that what we

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say we're going to do, we do and we do it to the

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best of our ability kind of comes through and

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comes out into them. I love this time of year when

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there's so much change and so much, development

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kind of really happening. So how do we do it then?

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How do we grow our team to almost. I don't want to

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say it but like, they're almost like our mini

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leaders, aren't they? They're kind of establishing

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their own rhythms within their own sense of

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responsibilities. And you can see them kind of

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really wanting to establish themselves within the

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nurseries.

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>> Laura: I think it definitely comes down to trust, to

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empowering. I'm gonna, I'm gonna talk about Mia.

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She won't mind me talking about her. But when Mia

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started with us, she was an apprentice and during

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her appren, we thought she was never going to get

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to the end of it. And we were like, come on Mia,

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you can do this. and I knew, and I know now that

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if, when I'm leading her and I'm managing her, I

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need to be, different how I would be with someone

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like Meg, who actually was Meg. I need to be black

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and white. She needs to know exactly how it is.

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But with Mia, I know that she needs me to be a bit

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more light hearted. She needs me to, challenge her

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really confidently. But Also, to praise her and to

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give her lots of love. So actually when she does

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something really well or I'm proud of her, just

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saying to her, mia, I loved what you did there. I

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thought that was beautiful. You can see her

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really, like, her shoulders rise. She gets really

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sort of like, yeah, I've done it. I've made

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someone proud. And I think that then gives her

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that sense of empowerment. She feels that she's

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doing the right thing. She then feels able to then

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share that with others and start to then kind of

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disseminate that down to other staff who might not

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have been here for as long. So I think you kind of

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have to, like, let them go a little bit and trust

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them that they are going to start to spread their

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wings. They might have a little. Few hiccups along

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the way, but if you give them the, the kind of

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empowerment, you celebrate them, you challenge

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them when you need to, I think they then start to

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become leaders, like you say, in their own right.

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And then when you say to them, oh, you've got

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someone new coming into your room, do you think

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you can just show them how we do this? They're

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like, yeah, okay, I can do that. And they start to

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take on that little bit of responsibility. And

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then eventually they get to the point where they

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are like a mini you. And they are starting to say

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things you would say, or they're behaving or they

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say, let me say to and me. Me, Laura, I've done

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this because when I was thinking, I think that's

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what you would do. And to hear stuff like that

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just makes me feel so proud of her that she's got

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such a sense of initiative and responsibility and

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knows kind of how, how we would all think and work

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together. So I think you have to let them go a

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little bit, but rein them in when they need it.

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But give them that, that, space to fly and to not

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feel like, threatened or, or anything by them kind

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of stepping up. I think it's about celebrating

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that and not being afraid of your new leaders that

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are coming through.

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>> Clare: I don't think you should be afraid, Laura, because

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on your day off last week, I walked in and Mia was

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sat at your desk. She picked up your phone span

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round in her chair and she went, don't you know,

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Clare, I'm going to be a manager one day. she's as

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cheeky as they come and as mischievous as they

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come. But I think it's also those leaders, you

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know, me. And, I think she's a brilliant example

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or as somebody that we've grown, you know, she

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wasn't an easy apprentice by any means. I know she

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won't mind me saying that I spent a lot of

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Saturday mornings on the phone to her making sure

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she was doing her homework. but I think it's also

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that bit about those leaders that, ah, are quietly

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growing in the background. And I'm thinking about,

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you know, we've got one really beautiful member of

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staff, Casey, who's in our team and she came to us

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as a level two student and she, we retained her

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because she had such a quality with her children

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and she has a gentle spirit and she has a gentle

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approach to scoop the children up that she's

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working alongside to notice the really tiny detail

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of what's going on for that child to really

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analyse the behaviour but without her even knowing

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she's doing it. So she will, she will offer love

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in abundance and challenge at, the appropriate

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measure. But she's just so gentle in how she does

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it. But, you know, we also know that, with all of

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our staff, there's a line where we then need to

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support and grow and develop the next step. And so

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actually, you know, when you're thinking about how

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we can grow, you know, the MIA's or the cases or

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the Eads or the Lucy's, you know, actually what

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we're looking for is actually what are their

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attributes but also knowing what those blind spots

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are for them. So what is the next step? That

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perhaps. I love that. Johari's window. the theory

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of Johari's window. So, you know, what's really

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known to ourselves and to others? What's known by

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ourselves but hidden to others. What is known by

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others but hidden to ourself. And then what are

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our full blind spots? Actually, when you think

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about all of those staff as leaders, we're really

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aware, aren't we, of perhaps what they're not

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aware of just yet. And actually, sometimes we need

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to peel back some of those layers and we need to

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peel back some of those behaviours and we need to

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really look at how we can best support them to

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grow, develop in their practise and the provision

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that they're offering. And I think sometimes those

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conversations can be tricky because we do love

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them and I think it's. I don't know if we're

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allowed to say that in a tribunal. I don't know,

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we probably get hauled over the cult. But when

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you're growing staff for, you know, some of our

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staff have been with us. 7, 8, 9, 10, years

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actually, you know, you're invested in them and so

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some of that is a real deep love, a real deep care

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for them. But I think it's also how you balance

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those roles as a professional to also have those

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difficult and those challenging conversations to

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say, oh, actually you know, I did notice this

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today and I was, I was concerned to see that. Or

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you know, I'm sure we've had that conversation

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before about ensuring that consistency and how do

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we ensure that those conversations happen so that

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they're fair, so that they're timely and so that

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they're purposeful to enable that person to grow.

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Because I'm a real believer in us as leaders,

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knowing our staff team so we can hold those high

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expectations for each of them, them but also

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leading alongside them. So there isn't that kind

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of carrot and whip, but actually holding them

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accountable to our expectations for themselves.

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>> Clare: I guess sometimes those difficult conversations

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have to happen. Have we got any kind of ideas or

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top tips to share or ways in which we manage

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holding those difficult conversations?

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>> Laura: I think it has to be like we talked about that,

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that, that conflict resolution, I think it has to

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be as conflict free as possible. So whilst you

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need to have that difficult conversation, whilst

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there might be a practise issue you're bringing up

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or you need to have a conversation about something

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that's gone wrong, I think it's about hearing

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them, hearing their voice, putting it into

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context. So actually have they made a mistake or

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has something happened that maybe they didn't

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actually know how to do it the right way in the

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first place? They'd never done that before. They

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needed a bit of support to do that, but then also

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really kind of giving them then the strategies and

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the solutions to how we mitigate it in future. So

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you're not just kind of saying, no, you did that

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wrong, don't do that again, it's okay, let's talk

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about it. What happened? How did you feel in that

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situation? Okay, this is not how we would usually

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do it. We're going to do it this way from now on

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and this is how we can take those steps to do

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that. Or this is the training we can put you on,

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or this is how we can support you to feel able to

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do that. So I think it's not just about rushing in

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kind of headfirst because sometimes you can,

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sometimes if something's happened or you're kind

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of stressed or you know, you're feeling a bit

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overwhelmed with the situation, you can just kind

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of go in and say no, that shouldn't have happened.

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Don't do that again. But actually, you just need

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to take a step back, look at the whole situation,

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put it in context, and then approach it, through,

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you know, gently. But also I think as a leadership

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team, I'm very good at that. If something's

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happened and I'm not sure how to manage it, or I

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might call Beth or Clare and say, actually this

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has happened. How should I go about this? And I

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learn so much from you all still, all the time.

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And there are times when I talk to Clare and she

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said, actually I probably would have done m that

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like this. And I go, right, okay, noted. And then

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next time I will approach a situation completely

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differently. Because actually, Claire's done this

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so many times that she knows the best way to do

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it. And I think it's about not being afraid to

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admit sometimes that you're wrong or to take

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criticism on board or to take that constructive

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feedback. Because ultimately that's what helps us

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grow as leaders and helps us to then lead others,

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and offer them suggestions and solutions we might

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not have thought of before.

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>> Clare: I think you're right. I think so much of it is

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around that mentoring and coaching and even that

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mentoring and coaching ourselves, isn't it?

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Because we're really fortunate to be able to, to

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have each other. and I remember when I was kind of

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managing when we had just one site and it was just

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Beth and I and we were managing together, ah, as

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manager and deputy. And so you're kind of, you're

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really connected because you're working so closely

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together, but also you are limited in the

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perception of others. And so actually by having

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somebody else's perception on things, it really

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helps you to stop and reflect on how you have

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approached the situation or is there an

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alternative way in which you can do it? And I

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think part of that open, transparent leadership

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whereby we are all in it together, but we don't

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all have to agree on how we get to that end point

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is really, really important because we're leading

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a team who are diverse. And so we need to have

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diverse perception of how we can then that. To get

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to that end point. And I don't think we should

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ever, you know, be ashamed as leaders to say that

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we don't have all of the answers. And we know we

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do need to actually take some time to reflect or

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take some time to research or take some time to

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read or actually pick up the phone to somebody

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else that might just be able to shed a different

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piece of light onto it. To say, okay, have you

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thought about it this way? and I think that's

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really, really important. And I think that's

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something that as a leadership team, we're really

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good at doing for our team team as well. And so

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actually when they come together for their team

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times or they come together for their, educators

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confrontes or their planning times, and they're

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looking at what they're seeing for their children

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and for their rooms, we're also teasing out the

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behaviours and the attributes that each of them

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hold individually within their room teams. Say,

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for. Sometimes that might be. I don't know, I'm

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just thinking about the studio team in Bath. You

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know, you've got, got, Harriet, who's incredibly

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creative, and a really able and determined

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educator and offers the most beautiful and

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fantastic opportunities to the children within

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that space. And then you've got Katherine, who's a

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really solid and level leader and she'll be

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jugging and spinning the plates of what's

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happening for the children. And whether that's the

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lunch breaks or the times, that somebody's coming

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to visit and somebody needs to have to be relieved

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to do a settling session. and then you've got the

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glorious Veloforte, who is a real steadier. Ah.

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And she just will love and nurture. Ah. And she

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leads from behind. She's one of those staff that

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just pushes things through and will make sure that

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it happens. And the dynamic and the diversity

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within that team is something really, really

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special. And I think when we're looking at how we

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establish our room teams and we're looking at the

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qualities and attributes in the staff that we're

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looking to appoint, that's one of the reasons I

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love the fact that they are all so different,

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because when you put them together, what they

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achieve is truly, truly fabulous. And I think, you

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know, when I look at our leadership team, I feel

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so, so privileged and I absolutely, honestly mean

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this, to have each and every single one of you

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standing alongside me. Because when we're looking

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at running our nurseries, we have had in the last,

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what decade, the biggest significant changes in

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the early years landscape. And I think it's

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really, really tough to keep going sometimes when,

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you know, we've got the recruitment issues, we've

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got the funding issues, we've got, everything that

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has been happening in terms of the number of

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political changes that we've had in terms of

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education ministers, but actually what we've

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always held onto is the need to provide the

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highest quality of care and education. And so

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Whether that's debating how we deliver our

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additional service charge information to parents,

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or whether it's, working out how many staff we can

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actually justify and send into Reggio in an autumn

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trip when we know we're going to be doing

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inspection, or how it's, you know, how we

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acknowledge that going and spending two days at

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River Cottage to learn about the provenance of

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food is really, really important because we want

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our children to have the best culinary experiences

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at nursery. and I think it's. How do we bring all

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of that together and still hold each other when

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the political landscape is ever changing and we

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never really know what's around the corner? So

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when we're thinking about, you know, the

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attributes and the skills that we're having, we

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know as leaders and managers, we have, some formal

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responsibilities. We know that under the early

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years foundation stage, we need to complete

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supervisions. We know we also need to complete

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that, appraiser schedule, the induction process.

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We also know that they're important not just

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because the EYFS tells us to do them, but actually

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they establish a really strong team culture and

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understanding of the values and the processes of

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the ways in which the setting work. But how do you

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balance that, those kind of formal approaches to

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our leadership with those informal leadership

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moments every day in the nursery?

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>> Laura: When it comes to supervisions, I think it really

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comes down to that being that time off the floor,

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away from everybody else, where we can be really

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honest, really open, have some challenging

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conversations, discuss children, but also discuss,

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practise, discuss, growth, continued professional

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development, and then I think on the floor,

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because we've already got that established bond

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that the staff member and I, and we both know what

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they're working towards, what their goals are,

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what I've sort of set them as their targets, you

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can be a little bit more informal in terms of have

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you done that yet? Or how are you feeling? Or when

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we spoke last week, we discussed this. Have you

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given it a go or have you tried to be a little bit

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more, vocally in your room m. Planning times, they

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then kind. You can kind of just like give them a

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little bit of a nudge in the right direction. and

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I think because we do have that, that segregated

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time where everybody really respects it, everybody

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knows that their supervision is a really important

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time for them. Everybody respects that allows

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everyone to have that time. And I think you then

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feel able to have those more difficult

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conversations off the floor, which then lead to

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some, some nicer conversations on the floor where

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you can Then follow it up or ask them how they're

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getting on with certain things you might have

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asked them to do. but I think is when it just

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boils back down to that trust, that respect, and

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everybody, everybody helping everybody else as

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well and being able to be collaborative in that

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team, I.

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>> Clare: Think that collaboration is really important. So

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when we're thinking about that vision that as

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leaders we set for the nursery and we set our

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commitments for each other and for the team and

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for the children that we want to do for the next

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year, we're also thinking, aren't we, about how we

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get everybody on the same page. And I know that

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was we what. One of kind of the things that Lauren

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talked about in the last episode was making sure

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we were on the same page. So for us at Atelier, we

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have, a huge amount of our budget is spent on

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professional development. So Beth, you're. One of

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the responsibilities you hold is for coordinating

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the professional development of the nurseries. Can

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you talk us through how that works in terms of the

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whole staff training days? Because I think that

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collaboration is so important to make sure that

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everybody is aware of what we're trying to

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achieve, but also having the same degree of

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training and support coming in behind them.

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>> Beth: yeah, I think for those professional days we start

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off by really looking at our team and working out

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their skill sets, their level of knowledge, their

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background, and then actually putting them into

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teams so that they can work together

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collaboratively. So that you've got, For example,

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our seniors are working together because actually

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they've been at Atelier for a longer time. They've

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got, really strong background understanding of

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what we're achieving, what we want for our

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children. compared to some of the new members of

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staff that have maybe only been with us a couple

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of months. So actually we're able to really cater

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to each individual needs by doing that. we really

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look to, be able to deliver different training

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opportunities that reach out to different learning

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styles. So actually for our professional

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development days we will invite a speaker in. So

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we're really, really fortunate that we're in the

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process of talking to Jules Page to come on in and

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do a talk around professional love and the

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importance of babies and toddlers within our early

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years settings. and so actually by, by introducing

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a new person and talk about their understanding

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and their background within that to then be able

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to link it to our Atelier ethos and values and

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what we want for our children. but it becoming

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collaborative. So it's not about Jules Page coming

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in and telling us this is what you need to do. But

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actually it's about her findings and her research

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and being able to then support that into our own

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process, practise as well and just continue to

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build on best practise and what we offer. and then

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right down to smaller things. So things like, we

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might, encourage a member of the team to listen to

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a podcast and send back reflections, because

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that's how they learn. Or we might go, okay, draw

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me something that I'm trying to think of the other

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things that have come back into us.

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>> Clare: So it was that podcast talk, wasn't it? It was so,

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so important. so we set the team a task of

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listening to two podcasts and then we gave them

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the options of, reflecting back in four different

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ways, of what the impact of that podcast was on

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their practise. And the creative responses that we

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had back were absolutely fantastic. And I think it

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is, isn't. It is really taking time to get to know

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those staff. So whether actually it was a poem

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that was written, whether it was a montage of

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image or whether it was, I was thinking about

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Callum and his. The railway line of the atelier

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terrain, and sometimes some of the, the lumps and

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the bumps and the bits that we have to go over

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while you're settling and you're within that

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induction period was really, really beautiful to

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say. So for us as leaders and managers, we know

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and we really value. Thank you, Beth. That CPD

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opportunity that we have. So for us it's, there's

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lots of different layers and isn't there, as you

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were saying, there's that opportunity to do

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something that's specific for the individual right

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the way through to those whole staff team days.

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But we also have that recognition that alongside

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cpd, we need to have those enrichment

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opportunities. So we have a Head of Happiness. so

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Katherine, in Bath and Casey and Amy in Chippenham

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take forward our Head of Happiness. And they're

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really looking at and responsible for that level

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of well being that of staff. So we know that we

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don't want to be tokenistic in terms of, you know,

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it just being a, ah, box of donuts on the table

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once a month, but actually really looking at what

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does that look like from staff wellbeing. and I

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think building on all of the discussions we've had

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about staff supervision and staff cpd, I think

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that enrichment and level of well being is really,

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really important and we know is really heavily

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threaded throughout the leadership, and management

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aspect of, of the inspection framework. So when M.

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We're thinking about our enrichment, or let's go

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with enrichment first, what impact do you see for

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your staff team in that way when you're thinking

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about some of the enrichment opportunities that

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you have offered within your team?

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>> Laura: I think it goes beyond just being a workplace,

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doesn't it? A job. It goes into that space where

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you feel cared for, you feel valued, you feel

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respected and it also just gives you that sense,

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sense of, a bit more satisfaction. I think you

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feel, really part of a really lovely community.

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And even with the little things we do, if it's

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just, you know, sometimes our heads of happiness

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might arrange for everyone to have a bunch of

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flowers or there might be, some. If it's winter,

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there might be some nice, hot chocolates to drink

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and it's just little things like that. Or you can

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pop upstairs on your lunch break and actually you

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just feel someone's thought about me or someone's

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actually, you know, given us this opportunity to

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have a nice little treat. And it just boosts your,

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Your, well being, I think. And it also comes back

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to that everybody works. We know that early years

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staff work so hard and our teams work so hard day

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in, day out to make it right for our children and

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for our families. And I think it's also important

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that we make it right for them and that they feel

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that they are being looked after, that those,

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sometimes those really hard days are, are worth

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the effort that they put in, and to show them that

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we, we appreciate them, we love them and we care

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for them. So I think it just gives them that sense

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of, of more job satisfaction and being valued.

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>> Clare: I think it's, it's so important, is it? And it is

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those. It's the layering, isn't it? So whether

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it's the Head of Happiness sorting out, I don't

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know, the soup kitchens or the hot chocolate bits.

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But it's all saying more than that, isn't it? As a

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leadership team, we can't just see that level of

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wellbeing as an add on. It has to be embedded in

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the culture that we offer. And so when we're

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thinking about enrichment at, a deeper level, you

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know, whether that was, you know, the willow

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weaving courses that we sent our resident artists

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on or whether actually it was sending staff to

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London to go to the theatre, because actually we

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really wanted to incorporate the theatre into part

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of our gallery schools. And actually that was an

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experience that they themselves hadn't

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experienced. So it was really Important for their

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own, kind of cultural capital, for want of a

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better term, to really experience that. But

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there's also that level of enrichment that comes

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together as a team, doesn't it? So we recently

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took all of our team to the Newton Somerset, and

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it is the most beautiful setting, but it, for us,

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it was around, taking time for the staff team to

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pause together. and so they were able to explore

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the. They were able to explore the theatre, they

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were able to explore the exhibits that were

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present there. And all we asked them to do was

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come back with five photographs that kind of

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documented their day. And when you actually look

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back at all of the images that were supplied, it

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was really beautiful to see the moments they'd

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taken to sit within, the wicker nests and just

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watch the rain, or the moments they had taken to

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walk through the squash, kind of archways, and to

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identify and to bring those ideas back into the

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allotments, or whether it was the ways in which

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they actually just sat and chatted, in the

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botanical garden. And it was, for me, it was

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really, really telling about how important it is

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to take time to be and to take time to pause the

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staff, because the nurseries are so busy, and they

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are busy from the moment children arrive at 8 o'

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clock until the moment they leave at 6 o'.

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>> Beth: Clock.

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>> Clare: And so unless, as leaders, we plan time for our

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statutory responsibilities, so for our

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supervisions, for our appraisals, for our peer

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observations. But it's also, how do we plan time

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as leaders for our teams to come together where

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there isn't an agenda? So, yes, we love the fact

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that Jules is coming to work with us in January,

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yet we love the fact that we have those whole

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staff training days where we see inspiration and

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empowerment come to life, but we also need to plan

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opportunities for our staff to have enrichment,

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and to just be as well, I think is really, really

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important. So within that, we think about what our

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staff team bring back. So we know that at every

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part in every term, there's always that ebb and

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the flow. we know as new babies are starting, as

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children move on to school, that ebb and flow can

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change. And so for us, it's also about that

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motivation. So, as leaders, how do we, how we

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doing that? How are we keeping our team motivated

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during those busy and those difficult times?

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>> Beth: I think we always talk about that unapologetically

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optimistic. And I think for me, I always use that

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to go forward. And I don't think, and I don't mean

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using that in a way that you're dismissive of when

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it is a tough time. Because I think that's really

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important to show to your team. I know September's

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really hard. We know it is. That's not going to

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ever change.

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>> Clare: I think that whole winter tough because it's when

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you're always getting poorly children that then

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need that one to one you're getting poorly staff,

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that you've got higher staff absence. Yes and no.

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I think that whole winter term is.

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>> Beth: Tricky and I think that I think the team knowing

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that, you recognise that and you recognise they're

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working hard and they're putting 110% effort in

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right now. Because actually the, yeah, the

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timings, the settling in sessions, all of those

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things are just new. so I think, yeah, being

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honest in those, those times as well as being

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optimistic, I always find being kind of just

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listening and being solution based is really

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important. So actually helping to find solutions,

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helping them to see and envision a different way

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of doing things is really important. and I think,

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yeah, being there to celebrate the wins. Like when

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you walk into a room and they've set it up

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Beautifully after having 10 conversations and the

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naming swings forwards and because we know as

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leaders we do repeat ourselves over and over and

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over and over again. But when they get it, that's

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the bit where you go, go.

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>> Laura: Yes.

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>> Beth: Amazing. This looks fantastic. Talk to me about

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your intent. Talk to me about the impact it had at

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the end of the day and when they can truly

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vocalise back to you what they've done and how

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they've done it. I just think celebrating in that

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moment is really important as well.

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>> Clare: And it's one that is, it's that next level, isn't

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it? When their thinking really changes and that

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metacognition comes into play and they're really

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thinking about their own thinking and their own

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learning, learning and reflecting on the

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difference that they have had and then you can

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kind of see that next step up for them. So when

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we're thinking, you know, for our teams that

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succession planning and how we kind of, you know,

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we want to grow and develop our team and for me as

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a leader, ah, I'm always really, really conscious

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that you invest hugely in people within this role.

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and we're always looking at the time that we spend

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on with them with the, the training, with the

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support, with the coaching. So it's not just, you

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know, yes, some of it's a financial investment,

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but so much of it is around a time and a physical

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investment. Between each other in that

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relationship. And then we kind of, we almost grow

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them to the point where it's either time for them

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to fly and they fly and they turn in, you know,

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they turn to a different role or they'll go on and

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do a further higher level qualification. So for

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men of our staff, that's that they'll go on to

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either lead within another setting because we have

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very limited opportunity in terms of the hierarchy

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of a process that there's only one manager role or

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there's only three deputy roles, or we'll lose

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them into teaching and they'll go on and they'll

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continue it in their teaching. so for me it's

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about, it's a really double edged sword, isn't it?

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Because you watch them and you know you've grown

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them and you know you've upskilled them and you

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know you've given them all they need and then all

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of a sudden you have to be really proud of them

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because they're they're leaving. And it's really,

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it's a really horrible feeling, isn't it? Because

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you know deep down it's the right thing. But it's

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how you kind of, how you then start back again and

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how there's that continual process within the

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staff team. So you, you know, you're looking to

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create roles or you're looking to develop or

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enhance, opportunities so that you can keep those

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really, really good stuff and the ones that you

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know are going to be with you and should be with

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you forever. But there's also those ones where

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you, you kind of know it's their time and you kind

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of know actually it is okay to let this one fly.

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I've done all I can do as a leader. I've let you

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know, I've let them experience all of those

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opportunities and now it's the right time for them

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to move on and, and try different parties. But it

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is, it's a really tricky one. But Laura, how do

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you, how do you feel about your team? Because you

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were talking about your team in the last episode

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as your kind of key family m grow into those kind

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of new roles. How do you support your staff to

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kind of, I guess, identify and nurture those

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future leaders?

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>> Laura: I think it's really like you say, it's really

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tricky because on one hand you want them to fly

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and you want them to be as amazing as they can be,

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but you also want to kind of clip their wings a

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bit and hold them back so you've Got them forever.

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But you have to, I think, put that to the side and

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just, just be able to let them fly and to give

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them as much as you can. Feed them with all of

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that, support. The coaching, the mentoring, the

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knowledge, the opportunities, the enrichment. So

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actually they do become the very best version of

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themselves. And I've got a few staff, on the team

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who actually, I know are going to be with us

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probably forever because they love what they do,

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they're really invested in who we are, they have

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really lovely working relationships and actually

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for them they feel really settled and happy where

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they are in their career. And for them it's just

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about deepening their knowledge, and continuing

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for them to do what they enjoy. But I know for

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others like Mia, she's already waiting until I've

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retired so she could take my chair and sit in my,

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sit in my seat and be the manager. But actually

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that's lovely because I know we've got some years

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where I can coach her, I can mentor her, she can

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have those experiences that when the time comes

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for her to take that next step up, she's got

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everything she needs, needs in her toolkit to be

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able to do that. and then there's other staff who,

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you know, might be having families or, are

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actually looking at different opportunities. And

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again, you just, you give them love and you grow

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them to the point where they then maybe move on or

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take it, take some time out. But you just, yeah,

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you just have to let them, let them do it. Even

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though sometimes it feels really painful and it

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can be really sad when you say goodbye. But you

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hold that, that deep down knowledge that you did

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the best you could by them and you gave them

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everything you could. And they're going to take

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that into wherever they go next. And you know, as

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a children, always at the centre, if that's going

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to help them to look and look after and nurture,

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more children. And I think that's, that's the

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biggest thing we can hope for, isn't it?

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>> Clare: Yeah, I think so. And I think it's, you know,

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going back to that bit about how we create some of

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those roles for those up and coming leaders and

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looking at those opportunities that they have for

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leadership in their own right. So when m. We're

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thinking about those leaders and I think you're

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absolutely, absolutely right, Law is, you know, as

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leaders, what is it that we're doing to promote

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and support their professional growth? So we've

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talked about the CPD opportunities, we've talked

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about the enrichment opportunities. But, Lauren,

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do you want to talk through for our listeners how

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we create some of those roles for leadership

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within that team? So perhaps thinking about the

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room champions and the planning champion roles

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that we kind of create so people can have a sense

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of participation and a sense of collaboration

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within the leadership and the decision makings

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that are happening within the navigation nursery.

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>> Lauren: Yes. So I think it's important to think that

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although some of us within the leadership team, I

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think we're made up of individuals that, are kind

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of looking at a certain career progression, but

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not everybody is looking to follow in our

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footsteps in exactly the same way. and I think

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it's about giving educators a taste of something a

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little bit different so they can try, try before

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they buy, try it out, see if it fits for them and

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then if it doesn't, you can kind of have that step

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back. So, for example, Clare, you were talking

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about environment champions. Those, educators are

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responsible for the learning environment within

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their space. So ultimately it's a collaborative,

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collaborative effort, but they are ultimately

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responsible for making sure that their environment

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is the best.

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>> Laura: That it can be.

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>> Lauren: That involves auditing, cleaning, maintaining

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their environment, maybe making suggestions for

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new things that they can order for their space.

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And it gives them a bit of a taste for what it

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might look like to have a responsibility for an

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environment. And ultimately somebody that takes on

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that role, tries it out and really loves it, might

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move on in the future, to have a role a bit like

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mine. So quality, practise, lead and looking at

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education and environment. But I think it's very

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interesting to see when we think about our, staff

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development, we look at it exactly the same way as

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we do child development. We stretch the elastic,

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we give them the opportunity, we scaffold them.

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Sometimes that elastic can be quite short and very

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thick. So we might give them, a role, for example,

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making sure the risk assessment's done every

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morning and making sure all that paperwork work is

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brought up to give them a taste of that

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environment, champion responsibility, somebody

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else like we were talking about Mia, she'll

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probably have a, maybe a longer stretch of elastic

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and she'll be giving a little bit more

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responsibility. But it has to be, it can't be one

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size fits all. It needs to be lots of different

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opportunities, see where the staff take it, and

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then work from there.

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>> Clare: I know we've got some staff who've stretched their

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elastic very fully now, and I just end up with

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huge hope orders arriving, environments are

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changed and new provocations are put into place.

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And actually, it's really in. It's just really

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delightful, I think, actually, to see how when

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staff are allowed to fly and they're given the

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freedom to fly, that actually they will really

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stretch their wings and they will take those

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opportunities and they'll actually create their

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own opportunities. They don't wait for us to say,

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this is something that we're looking for, or,

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would anybody like to participate in this? They're

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kind of knocking on the door and saying, oh,

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actually, I've just seamless courses coming up,

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or, by the way, can I go to Denmark? Because I'd

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really like to know about this, and really know

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that it's okay. And they're quite feisty, aren't

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they, in terms of what they're really looking to

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be doing? So we've also got, alongside those

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environment champions, our planning champions. So

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our planning champions take forward responsibility

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for coordinating the learning environments and

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making sure that the learning opportunities are

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documented and are shared and are visible to

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families and parents. But they also might extend

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as far as the connect days that we do, where the

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nursery is set up and parents are invited to come

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in to see that learning visibly in place, or even

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the exhibitions that happen within the nursery

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each year. So I think for us, it's about really

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holding our position, isn't it, as leaders and

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forming our tribe. So when we talk about tribe,

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Beth, talk us through, what do we really mean?

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What is that sense of belonging that we're trying

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to instil within our staff team and how do we

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nurture that?

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>> Beth: well, I think that's exactly what we mean by

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tribing. It's that every single person belongs.

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Actually, there is a place, there is love, there

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is respect, there is care for every single person

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that walks into the nursery. and actually by

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forming a tribe, getting everybody on the same

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page, everybody working towards the same

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commitments, it's actually what we want to

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achieve, actually happens. Actually, everybody

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becomes unwavering to what they're doing and why

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they're doing it, with the support of the

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leadership team around them, continuing to just

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offer guidance, offer support, nurture, those

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commitments and those beliefs of how we want to be

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and where we want to take it over the next year.

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>> Clare: So when you're talking about offering that

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guidance, Beth, you're talking about, the support

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that the leadership team can put around the staff

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team to ensure that they're able to fulfil their

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expectations. And I think that's a bit, isn't it,

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when we sit together at the beginning of the

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academic year and then we revisit that in January.

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So we know that first term our primary commitments

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are around ensuring our children are settled and

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our families feel welcome and connected, connected

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to the nursery. So if that's that we make a

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commitment that every child is home visited or we

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make a commitment that within six to eight weeks

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every parent will have had a one to one meeting.

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We make that commitment that we will have a

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connect a say that the learning that's going to be

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taking place across that term is really visible to

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the parents. What else do we do? Lauren and Laura,

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if you can help us on this one, for our listeners

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is how else do we really make those commitments

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really clear to the staff? What is it that we're

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committing to the staff team and what is it that

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we, we're asking them to commit back to us?

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>> Laura: So one of the ways that we would share the

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commitments with the staff team is we would have

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or we are going to have actually next week our

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staff meetings. So we have m monthly staff

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meetings and we'll sit with the team and we'll

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actually pull out kind of what they want. So

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they're involved in the commitment forming,

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they're able to share things that they want to

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commit to over the coming year, the things that

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they think are important to commit to. looking at

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it through the eyes of the children and the

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parents and the families and also the staff, what

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is important to them. And I think once you, you've

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created a set of commitments that are have

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listened to their voices, include their ideas,

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then you've got a set of commitments that work for

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everybody and everybody feels that they are fair,

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they are collaborative and when you are working

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towards a collaborative and fair vision, I don't

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think anyone then is not on board with that

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because everybody feels that they've got some

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equity and some part involved in that. So I think

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it's really, really important that they are

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involved in that process of forming those because

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then it's a belief that's held by everybody rather

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than it just being sort of a top down delivered

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expectation that oh, we believe this is the

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leadership team so therefore you're going to have

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to commit to this. Actually if we hear their

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voices and oftentimes they'll be able and aware

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enough to actually share a lot of what we already

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believe as the leadership team needs to be the

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commitments. But because they themselves have

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shared that then it doesn't become such a top down

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expert, it's more of a shared collaborative

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vision. That everybody feels part of.

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>> Clare: And sometimes those commitments can be really

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small, can't they? You know, I remember that I was

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really determined one year that I just wanted the

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commitments to be that every single book was on

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the bookshelf facing the right way, you know,

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because actually we read from left to right. Tax

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reads from top to bottom say the books were always

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the right way or that the pencils were all

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sharpened and the paper was all cut into the right

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sizes and shapes so that we had that richness of

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receivers and mark makers. and sometimes they can

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be huge. So whether, you know, we made the

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decision when we were forming the budget for this

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year that we'd actually have two separate

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independent study tools to register. So we've got

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a group going in November as well as a group going

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in the spring, as well as a group going to Denmark

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in May. And so it's actually, you know, sometimes

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they can be huge commitments and sometimes they

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can be the tiniest of commitments. But by having

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everybody understanding what it is that we're

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wanting to achieve for that year, they really buy

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into it. Do you think it gives the team them a

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greater sense of not just their ownership, but

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just. Do you think it gives them a greater sense

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of loyalty and retention?

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>> Beth: I really think so. I think the more the whole team

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are involved in conversations around what's

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happening, why it's happening, who, who is going

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on those enrichment things and why, I think they

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become proud for those people as well. And I think

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that's then set sense of. I want to achieve that

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for myself too. And I've. And maybe I've only been

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at atelier for six months and maybe that's my plan

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in six months time or something like that. But

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actually being part of that process and, and also

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knowing what's available to them, knowing that

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kind of most things are not off limits and going,

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you can just ask to go to Denmark and if we can do

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it, we'll try. because yeah, and other places I

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don't expect, expect you are able to have those

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opportunities.

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>> Clare: It's really interesting, isn't it, when you have

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staff teams who join us from other settings and

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they're like, oh my gosh, this never would have

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happened. And I remember doing a staff meeting

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with Jessica and Emily on their first weeks and

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they were just kind of like, we've never been to a

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staff meeting where it isn't just like everybody

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just sits and gets told off. And I was like why?

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What, how does that work? And she was like no,

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we've acted you know, we've never had this. and I

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think it is really different than when you have

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the staff that we kind of grow, who, who assume

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that's the same wherever they are. and it's really

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lovely, actually, when they then go and visit

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other settings and go, do you know what? They

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don't actually, they don't actually listen or they

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don't actually do this or they don't actually do

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that, and actually really seeing their

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understanding of what we're trying to achieve and,

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the part they play within it and the difference

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they then make when we're thinking about the

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impact of that. So we've talked today about the

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Early Years Foundation Stage, our statutory

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requirements as leaders and managers. Whether

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that's through our supervisions, whether that's

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through our staff enrichment, whether that's

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through the roles that we create and support and

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develop, the coaching we offer, the CPD

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opportunities that we offer. The landscape is

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forever changing, isn't it, in early years at the

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moment? So if you were, giving advice to somebody

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who, who was just stepping into their first

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leadership role in early years, what advice would

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you offer them? Laura?

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>> Laura: I think every day you have to be optimistic. You

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have to be unapologetically optimistic. You have

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to be that serene swan floating on the surface,

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even if underneath, you know that there's a lot

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going on that might need a little bit of, you

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know, juggling around. Because actually, what you

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portray and how you act really feeds into your

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staff team. And we talk about speed of the leader,

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speed of the team. We talk about, making sure

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that, you know, whatever's going on for you, your

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staff, feed off of your vibes and your energy. So

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if I'm, if I've got a sad face or I'm feeling

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stressed as they walk into the nursery in the

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morning, that's going to, then set them for the

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day. But if I'm there with a smile, I'm welcoming

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them, I'm asking them how they are. That then I

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think, gives them the, the opportunity to think,

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right, she's got control of this situation. She

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knows what's going on, the day is going to be

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fine. So I think you just have to be optimistic,

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solution focused and, and just be, be smiley, be,

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be joyful. Because actually what we do is, is

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joyful. And I think you just have to look for

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those small bits of joy all the time rather than

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focus on the things that might be a little bit, a

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little bit tricky, a little.

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>> Clare: Bit of M. Malaglutzy in there. Lauren. Nothing

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without joy.

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>> Laura: Absolutely.

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>> Clare: Rin, for you, what would your advice be for

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someone stepping into that first role of

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leadership?

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>> Lauren: My advice would be be authentic and make decisions

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that sit within your belief system and, the belief

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system of the setting that you're working in. and

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I think if you always revert back to the why

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you're doing things to inform the how you do it,

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you can't go wrong.

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>> Clare: Lovely, thank you. And finally, Danbas. How do we

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see leadership in early years evolving? We know

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that landscape has been changing over the last

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decade considerably, but over the next few years,

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what is it we think leaders need to be ready for?

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>> Beth: I think we need to really focus on resilience. I

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think we know that early years is a tough place,

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so if we can look after the leaders so that they

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can look after the team, then that I think is

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really, really important. I think motivation will

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be a really, really strong one. I think you have

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to motivate your team. You have to have that motiv

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motivation, that drive, that want to be in early

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years. I think we all have that passion. So keep

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it, keep it going. Yeah.

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>> Clare: Ah, I think it's that bit about holding each other

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up as well, isn't it? For so many years we've had

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a Private and Independence act, or private,

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voluntary and independent sector, I should say,

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who have been the absolute backbone for child

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care, within the uk. And what we're seeing is a

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political agenda and a political change whereby we

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are seeing more and more of our children and more

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and more of our pets parents, kind of offered a

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approach that perhaps might not be what it seems

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to be. and I think it's going to be really, really

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important as we see the school nurseries open and

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establish and we see the direction that the

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funding takes, to really hold onto our values and

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hold on to our principles and to hold each other

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up. Because actually the early years sector has

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come through a huge amount of change and there is

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no reason, reason why we cannot collectively hold

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on to our principles and remain focused and remain

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steady, to be able to offer the highest quality of

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care and education. And I think actually what we

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need to do is stand together and stand together to

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ensure that we remain strong. Because actually the

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early years sector, is incredibly valuable and to

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our children, to our families, we need to remain

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visible and we need to remain powerful and we need

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to remain present. So that would be my, sense for

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today, is actually to hold on to those values, to

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hold on to everything that you have worked for,

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and remain the strong and powerful leaders that

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you are. So thank you for joining us today. We

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look forward to hearing about your leadership. If

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there's anything that we can do to support you

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within your settings, please don't hesitate to get

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in touch via the consultancy and we look forward

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to meeting you again in the next episode.

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>> Clare: Thank you for joining us for Atelier Talks. If you

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enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe,

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share and leave us a review. It really helps us to

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reach more educators, parents and early years

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professionals just like you you. For more insights

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into our unique research led approach or to find

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out more about our services at both the nursery.

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>> Clare: Or the consultancy and how we can.

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>> Clare: Help you in your early years practise, visit our

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website or follow us on social media. M All the

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details you need to find us are in the show notes.

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In the meantime, it's goodbye from us. Thank you

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for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next

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time for another episode of Atelier Talk. Thanks

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for listening.

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