“Put your big girl pants on. Be brave. Love your team. Support them. Enjoy your new families and build your community.”

– Laura, Nursery Manager

What dowe mean by ‘Simple September’ at Atelier? In this episode we’re discussing one of the busiest (and most important) times of the Early Years calendar: September. Whether you're welcoming new babies, supporting toddlers through transition, or helping your older children take the next step, this episode is a full walkthrough of how we at Atelier prepare our team, environment and systems for a smooth and emotionally intelligent start to the academic year.

From operations and environment to staff wellbeing and communication, we’re sharing what Simple September really means in practice, and how slowing down, staying consistent and leading with empathy is the way to go when welcoming a new cohort of children and families into your nursery.

In this episode:

• What “Simple September” means and how it supports children, staff and families alike
• How we maintain consistency in environment, rhythm and routines (and why)
• Managing key person attachments, transitions and new children with care
• How we support new leaders and deputies during their first September
• What we intentionally don’t do in September (and why that matters)
• Family communication tips
• The power of Reflect & Connect sessions and ‘10-minute talks’
• Real examples of small changes that improve flow, reduce stress and build connection

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: nursery start of term, September in EYFS, key person approach, Early Years transitions, simple September nursery, new cohort planning, mixed-age nursery, predictable environment, attachment in early years, managing change, early years leadership, Reflect and Connect, family communication nursery, Reggio-inspired settling

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

Collective.

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

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

science of early years education.

We're here to share knowledge and insights from our unique

research led approach. So if you're passionate about

early years education, you're in the right place.

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

>> Clare: Hello and, welcome back to Atelier Talks, the Early Years

Collective. Today, as we enter into September, we're

going to think about the new mixes, the new

beginnings, the fresh faces and the real sense

of possibility that the new academic year can bring.

So today I've got the amazing Laura,

Lauren and Lucy joining me to talk about

the change and the disruption that can happen

for us. We always call it a fine line between chaos

and cosmos. And we're looking forward to exploring

what we do at Atelier, which is what we call Simple

September, in helping to keep life

simple. So, Lauren, as we hit September,

how's it feeling for you?

>> Lauren: Well, I love September. I think it's just. I

have term time, like nail, like it

goes run through my blood. I've got an internal calendar. I.

I love buying new stationery, sort of

diaries, reprinting

lovely plans for the year. I think I

prefer September to January.

>> Clare: Really? Yes.

>> Lauren: I don't know why.

>> Clare: Oh, my gosh, there has. Okay, we need to revisit that when the

whole ethos of Simple September was presented to you

then, because that must have been a complete and utter flipping finger.

>> Lauren: A little bit. A little bit, yeah.

And it's not about,

like you say, like, wiping the silk clean and

starting again, but I love, I just, I really do

love babies as well. So I love it when there's a bit of an influx of

babies. Yeah, it is. I love September.

>> Clare: So, Laura, as one of our nursery managers, you've got the

biggest job of the world, I think, at the moment.

So you're juggling all of those amazing,

competent, curious, able learners off to school,

feeling incredibly proud of themselves, jumping, juggling

family picnics and everything else that goes alongside that

celebration at the same time as

welcoming all of our new children and families,

in which we talked long and hard about in our previous episode,

in terms of that transition into nursery.

So what I really wanted us to do was share some of your skill

sets around keeping

September simple and keeping it

smooth and keeping it calm so that with

all of those new settling babies that Lauren loves to coach,

we know comes that fine line between chaos and

cosmos is Everybody's starting to bed down on their

rhythms, they're starting to bed down on their routines.

So you've got this big influx in our nursery because

September's our largest turnover of cohort,

as I think it would be in the majority of full daycare

settings. But you've also got those children that have been

rivalling, haven't you? Those kind of three year olds have been watching

for the top spot for a whole year and, and making

sense of the four year olds that have moved

on to school and gone on to nursing and who are now fluffing their feathers and

taking control and how we get it right for them. At

the same time, you've got all these two year olds who are watching

absolutely everything and then you've got all these

brand new babies and rising ones that are just coming

in the door. So for me, it's the

biggest job in the world. September to January

is like ripple effect for the rest of the year. I

think it really sets us up. So how is, how are you

feeling about it? Lauren's really excited. She's got some new prints. So what

about you?

>> Laura: Well, Lauren did buy me some new Sharpies as well, so I'm glad that

she's, ah, helping out to my

stationery collection. but no, I think September is always one

of those times of year when you kind of look ahead with a little bit of dread and

a little bit of, oh, my goodness, how's it going to go? But actually when you

get to it, because we try and keep everything as simple as

we can and we move into September recognising that we

have gone through such a huge transition period,

the last thing we want to be doing is changing everything

or making everything different. Because actually our children that we're already

here need to know that the routine and rhythm stays the same.

Our children that are settling in need the routine and rhythm to stay the same.

And most importantly, our staff need the routine and rhythm to stay the same.

So what we don't want to be doing is like your favourite phrases.

We're not throwing the baby out with a bathwater. We don't want to suddenly

change the way we're going to do this or this or this. We want it to be

as calm as we can and then we can slowly

start to make changes or bring things in if we need to.

and I think it's also about just

being with the children in that, in that those first few months because like

you say, you've got your, your threes who are starting

in their preschool year who are already sort of eyeing up

the, the bigger chairs at the lunch table or thinking, well I'm going to be

the one handing out the cup soon. And you can start to see them and

their sense of self and their confidence is really

growing. So you've then got the 2 year olds who

are starting to feel a bit more that they can take their

step up, their next step up in the kind of the. I suppose it's like a

hierarchy, isn't it? They see themselves in this little group of, as they

get older, they progress.

>> Clare: It's so siblingly. I think at this time of year the key

families really, really show the connection

to sibling behaviours and how, when there's that

change, how they're almost in this, they're almost in the

wings waiting for their time and their turn.

And it always reminds me of when my sister left home to go to

university and I was desperate to have her bedroom.

Because you can almost see no matter how old you are or no

matter what stage of life it is, there's that bit

where there's somebody ready to jump

into your footsteps because they've been watching you. And I think that's

where our two and three year olds have been in this last year, isn't it? Is they've been

watching the next phases that are coming to them.

>> Laura: So I think it's just about being with your children and really

ensuring that the children that you've already got and the children that are remaining with

you are still, their learning still being extended, they're still

being challenged. The provocations and the learning is still really

geared towards their interest whilst you're also then looking at

your, your new cohort that have come in and your, your youngest

and what do they need in that moment? Do they need, do we need to have

more staff deployed in the nest? Because actually we've now got 12 babies

instead of two babies. So do we need to have more staff

deployed in that space so that we can then ensure that they're nurtured and

nested and they've got that safe space to retreat to. and

also just making sure that the learning environment stays

the same too? Because what we don't want to do is

throw the children already here or the children have been here for their

settling in sessions and suddenly, you know, we don't have

themes or topics or boards that change or

resources don't move around because again our environment, as

we reflected in a previous episode, is really

our Third teacher. And has to be reliable for the children.

So not a lot changes. I think in September we

try and keep it as calm and as settled as we can,

for those new children and for our existing children and the staff,

I think, as well.

>> Clare: See, when we kind of, talk about that absolute stuff,

simple September, what do we really

mean by that approach? Like, how would we explain? Because

we know, don't we? We've been here, we've, we've lived

so many Septembers now together as a team, we can

know each other's thinking about what September should and

will look like before we even get there. but this year, Laurie,

you've got two new deputies who are joining you for their first

September in Bath. We've got Rosie, it's going to be her

first, September managing. So, you know, we know

that. So we've already started to put the comfort blankets in.

But what, you know, how do we just, how do we describe what

we really mean by simple September, do you think, to those new

staff and to our listeners, what do we mean by it?

>> Lauren: I was thinking, I think it's an opportunity for us

to be like, up, and together and

have everything up and ready and up together. So with all of

the peg labels, we always make sure that all of those

things are always up to date and refreshed and they

might even just be a tweak. So the child's still got the same peg,

but they've got a new picture to go on their peg so

that it shows that actually they have

grown and aged and it reflects them

a little bit.

>> Clare: So, Lucy, tell us again, what do we really

mean by that kind of term, Simple September?

>> Lucy: I think it's just spending time on

the floor with your children, getting to know them,

get to know the new ones. And like Laura said earlier,

thinking about the children that are already there as well, I

think times that we're off the floor kind of take a step

back. So time that we would have upstairs doing our

planning, I think we really look at that

and look at, ah, does that need to happen

or is it more beneficial if we're on the floor with

our children, spending that time

with them, helping them to settle in and also

supporting the staff as well. Some staff members might not

have been with us for a September before,

so our other staff that work alongside them

will be there to help support them and guide them

through the September. So I think it's just thinking

about how it is for our children and how it is

for our staff and how we keep it, yeah,

smooth, clear and calm for

everybody.

>> Clare: I think it's so much, isn't it? So much time gets

invested into those August settles to then

that early September transition with those new children

really starting with you. And we'll be really honest,

we miss our big children when they go to school so much, don't we? Not

just because of their personalities and, and the attributes

and the conversations and all of the learning that takes

place, but also you've just got a really sensible pair of

hands. You've got somebody who can go to the kitchen and grab you,

you know, that forgotten serving spoon off your lunch trolley.

You've got somebody who can actually pass the tissues

to you so you can help a baby whilst you're actually looking after

somebody else's need. and I think it's how we get that

balance of just thinking, you know, without. How do we

make it as simple as it can be so that it

still holds the same opportunities for our older

children, so that it still invites and engages

those new and younger children, but, actually remains

calm. And I think that's the bit, isn't it? Just

remembering to be sometimes, as you said,

remembering the importance of just being on the

floor and as we call it, we call the nursery floor the

floor, but being with those children and

just allowing them to settle and to

settle properly without other things going on, on around

them. So Lucy, you talked there about things we

intentionally choose not to do in September.

In terms of team times and planning sessions.

Is there m anything else that kind of jumps out to you that's

really important that we kind of just put on to pause at that time of

the year?

>> Laura: Yes, definitely. So we would always ensure that all of our staff

had had a supervision towards the end of August. So

actually during September, all of our staff can be on the floor

with their new children. They can settle their new children. They're building

those relationships really strong, strengthening those attachments,

and then all of our appraisals will happen towards the end of September.

But again, as we've spoken about before, it's done at the

time and pace that's right for the nursery and the children. So actually

if a staff member has a baby that's still

settling, we would make sure that that child, was

supported and nurtured before we then took the staff off the floor.

So I think like Lucy said, it's just being there, being on the floor,

being with our children, and supporting our key people to

build those attachments with their new, their new children.

>> Clare: Absolutely. So really it's about taking that time to

slow down, to avoid doing too much

too soon in those real early weeks of term.

So I'm thinking, for me, it's also, it's things like, some of the

visits, you know, really being careful and mindful about the children that are

invited to go out onto those visits so that the newer

children are actually established within the walls of the building

that they're just starting to feel safe with. We wouldn't ask

them to then stretch that too hard and too fast

by taking part in new opportunities. We don't ever

start anything particularly dynamic in September, do we?

I know we've got some really lovely projects that we really want to get off the ground

this year. but actually they're on the back burner until

October, November time, because we know that the

staff will need that time from us, so they will need

our attention so that actually then they can give the children their

attention in turn. so in terms of the environment,

so when we're thinking about the environment for September readiness,

we've already thought about making sure that those

provocations continue for those three year olds. But, but

Lauren, what about some of the practicalities? I'm thinking pegs

and sleep bag names and all of that kind of thing. So what does

September look like there in terms of, you know, your

amazing organisation skills?

>> Lauren: I really like the fact that we have these points

throughout the year where we can walk through

the nurseries and know that everything is

at that point, it is completely up to date. So

when we've got new starters joining, they will have

their, their new sleep bag label printed out

and we kind of try and do those things in

at one point. So we have a list of things that each

child will need to have. So they need their sleep bag,

they need their label on there, they'll need their

peg label, they need to have everything

on their peg that they need for going outside in wet weather and hot weather.

So, when you walk through the nursery, you can see that every child

has a space, they have a bit of belonging. So they are,

starting with us new in September, but they have their little space and they

have their favourite things there.

So each child, when they start with us, we do quite a lot of information

gathering starting right from the home visit

and that is all formalised and popped into their

individual folder. Any of key messages that

come through from there are all we make sure that they all

go through to the relevant documentation. So whether it's the

menus or the chef's list is

all up to date, following through from the home visit and

each child will have their family account

set up online. And I think that's a really lovely thing for

the staff to be able to feed into, but also for

the, for the families to feel, welcomed and

ready. They love to set up their family accounts and

start to put pictures on there and start that rapport between

the key person and

themselves.

>> Clare: I think the family accounts, I know lots of different settings

will use lots of different kind of, apps and

providers in terms of how they share information with families.

But for us, I completely agree, having that family account set up

really, really early on, you know, even while those settling

sessions are taking place, enables that family to feel a

real part of the nursery from the beginning. But

you can also see the key person kind of, like those backwards and forwards

messages about, oh, you know, they've had a brilliant settling session

today, or, you know, oh, we've managed our first,

I don't know, our first time in the garden and we've had an

amazing time m exploring and breaking down those days for

them. Right from the beginning is so important, isn't it?

>> Laura: And I think it is all about.

>> Lauren: First impressions and we, we strive

to be organised and

have good communication with our parents. So it's like that from

day one. We wouldn't, we wouldn't like it to be

sloppy and September and like everything

kind of all the paperwork being here, there and everywhere we want it to be,

we've got seamless, everything's printed and.

>> Clare: Ready and I think, you know, we talked in our previous

episode, didn't we, about so much of that triangle of trust

and I think when you're actually leaving your child for the first time

in September, when there's also so many other, you know, what

have we got in your setting going on this year? Have you got

25 new starters?

>> Laura: 20, 20, yeah. 25, 26. Yeah. We've got a lot

this year.

>> Clare: and so when you have that number of new starters all coming in the

door, you know, if everybody's not quite sure where their bag is hanging,

if everybody's not quite sure, you know, where their coat has gone by the

end of day, because actually we're going to have a beautiful autumn. I can just feel

it. you know, they need to know and have that sense of

belonging, but also, you know, that new to nursery sheet that kind of almost

gives them a crib sheet of who's going to be on the door, what

to expect, what you need to bring with you, don't, you know,

don't forget to bring your sun cream as well as your raincoat because

actually September can, can throw everything at us.

But I think it is just that operational

organisation, but it's also that respect

between families and ourselves, isn't it? You know, if

we're truly saying that we value your child

and we value you, then they need a sense of belonging

to come into. And actually it's when, you know, their

peg needs to be in place so the parents know that they're dropping them

off and that their key person's gonna know where they're back and where their things

are gonna be, but also where they're gonna then go to collect it at

the end of the day. And I think so much of that environment,

preparation is so subtle. I'll never forget,

Lucy, when you, were in the snug with

Vicky and you started nappy baskets 1, 2 and

3. And the only reason it wasn't this like, mass

chain line of children being changed, it was purely to

stop staff needing to leave the room to find the nappies from

their bags, whose pegs happened to be in the hallway. Because

every single transition that was made as an adult left

the room, disturbed the children and so actually,

and distracted their learning. So actually by

simply unpacking their bags the moment they arrived and having a

nappy basket that was labelled Nappy 1, Nappy 2, Nappy 3, Nappy before

meant that people didn't need to keep going in and out and backwards and

forwards and it just. Some of those really simple changes

to practise just made life so much easier for you and your

children. Have you got any other top tips for the staff or

for the parents? Laura? As they start September, I

think you.

>> Laura: Have to just, take some deep breaths and

just sit and play and be. I

think there's always the fear, I

suppose, or the worry that September is going to be a little bit

unsettled or you're going to have lots of new children, lots of new

families, you know, who won't have done this before, who won't

have been part of, ah, our nursery. And actually you

can feel their anxiety sometimes in the morning when parents are dropping off, you

can feel it sometimes with the children as they're saying goodbye. But

I think as long as you're sat, you're with your children,

and as a senior team as well, it's really important that you are

on the floor with your children, with your staff, to support some

of those tricky drop offs or to support Some of those children

who are still finding their feet. I think it's really

about just being present, being in the moment, not worrying about what's

going to happen later or, or who's going to do this. Then

it's just being and sitting and, and

playing and having those. That eye contact, those

really lovely peekaboo moments, or the sitting and

building a tower together, and really working on those

attachments.

>> Clare: I think it's. I think it's a really valid point, though, isn't it? It's one

of the reasons whereby we always have, you know, we

get September ready in July, so it's when all of the

policies and procedures are rewritten, it's when all of

the risk assessments are reflected and reviewed and

redone. It's when we take time to really

go through any of the statutory requirements that are required by the

DfE. It's when we look at the safeguarding

audits and we check through absolutely everything and we

file an archive and it just enables us

then, as a whole leadership team, doesn't it, to actually

follow through and what we're asking with our staff.

So actually, by making ourselves free during

that period of time, you know, we could be doing

101 other things. But actually, what's the most important thing at

that time? And is it about sitting alongside a key

person where a baby might have struggled to go to sleep? Is

it about sitting and role modelling lunchtimes

with a brand new key person that might

never have had a key family before? And, we're really

absolutely adamant that we want all of our children to self serve.

So actually, by sitting alongside them and role modelling that and

demonstrating that, as a leadership team, we know that that

practise will then continue through for that member of staff.

so I think, although September is all about being

simple, it's a huge amount, isn't it? It's typically atelier,

actually. It's all of the stuff that goes on in the background

to make it absolutely right for the staff and for the children at

that time. So when we're thinking about sitting

alongside those children or. I loved what you're saying about, you know, as a

leader, you know, taking time to have that peekaboo moment,

taking time to actually build on that trust and relationship with our

children, how else are we making sure that feels right for

our team? Because for our team to feel

prepared and confident during that period is

the most important, isn't it? Because if our staff

don't feel that calmness, then that, you know,

those opportunities for Intense relationships, new settling

children can quite quickly become overwhelming. So how,

you know, how do you manage that for your team? Just thinking about

Rosie entering her first September. How, how does it

feel, this one for you being September number three?

>> Laura: Oh, gosh, yeah, it will be September number three. the biggest one

is just having those really strong, open relationships with

your, regular supervision. So all of our staff will be

having a. Supervision throughout August and just really

hearing them, listening to their, concerns, the things

they're excited about and also just talking to them

about September. Are they worried about, their children leaving for school? How

are they feeling emotionally about that? How excited are they to be

welcoming another child in? and actually

really unpicking kind of what. I

hate the phrase, but I don't know, like what, what floats their boat actually,

for that staff member, if they are struggling in September,

what do I know I can do or say or offer

that's going to give them, that sense of, oh, it's okay, or

actually, I'm doing a good job. and it is, and it is. When

you're on the floor, you can constantly see those staff that you're thinking,

right, they've been upstairs for 20 minutes now, their baby's still not gone to

sleep. Let me go upstairs, think of some solutions that

we can do together. So actually that staff's, level

of well being remains as good as it can be for the rest of their

children and the rest of the staff team. So I think it's about

being calm, as a leader as well, being

able to manage those situations calmly.

and, knowing your team

inside out and knowing what their

cues. I suppose we've always said that being a manager is

a bit like being a key person to a group of adults. It's reading their

cues as well. So actually if they come in in the morning and they

haven't said hello in the way they usually do, or, you know,

they haven't, they're a little bit different to normal, actually.

Knowing, then that's a cue for me to say, are you okay? Do you need

a cup of tea? and then being able to

support them in that way. So I think it's very

much like having your own key family and knowing their cues, knowing,

knowing what their needs are.

>> Clare: I think it is around that communication, isn't it? It's that checking in. I

love that sense of arrival. You know, you're not okay, do you need to have a cup

of tea? So actually their emotions are heard

and validated before they've even Seen a child.

And I think, you know, when we know how, challenging

September can be in terms of the development of

so many new relationships and new emotions that go

alongside that, you know, there are absolute

moments of joy where we

can see a child come in and experience

immersing themselves in paint for the first time. Or

we can see, you know, a child that will learn to put

their coat on, you know, because all of a sudden they're one of those

older children that can do it by themselves. right the way through

to actually some of those bits that can be a little bit hard

and how we support the staff team to recognise that. And we

always describe it as a seesaw, don't we? You know, I think our role

is the leaders. The leadership team, sorry, is really

about making sure that seesaw stays balanced.

And actually we know that if sometimes

you've got children who perhaps haven't settled as you wanted,

or if, you know, families had a return to work really, really

difficult, or, you know, you get hit really quickly in

September with, I don't know, a bat of chickenpox that then

throws everybody's, you know, settle

process, that actually our job is to look at

that seesaw and go, how quickly can we rebalance it?

So is that a cup of tea? Is, ah, that, you know, that sense of

arrival, being present for them? We talk about our jazz hands,

don't we? Always making sure that actually we're that

unapologetically optimistic, but we also have

a real dose of realism in that, you know, there isn't one of

us in the leadership team that hasn't ever run a baby room

during that September period. There isn't one of us that won't have,

you know, being outside in the garden from 8 until 6 because actually the people

in the baby room can't get out there because actually they're settling

down to that new rhythm and that new process, but just

holding on to the whys. Why are we doing

it? Why are we keeping it simple? How are we making

sure that those children have the best of times in what

is a really busy period of transition? You know,

25 new children settling into the nursery

of 70, you know, that's, that's a huge

percentage that won't yet have got used to being

atelier. And then you add to that, that is free

flow, mixed ages and everybody can self serve and go

outside whenever they want to. You know, you can understand where

that phrase, you know, the fine line between chaos and cosiness

came from. But we're super proud of how our children and

our staff team moved through from September.

So when we're thinking about communication. We were having a really good chat this

morning, Lauren, weren't we, about you know, some of those key messages and

how else to get them across? Because we're also aware that

being really honest and apologies to any of our families who are

listening, but September is really exhausting. And so

it's how we ask even more of our staff

within that ah, period of time, isn't it, as to how we kind of get

those shared messages through. So one of the things we were talking

about this morning was just those quick 10 minute talks that we

do with Reflect and connect sessions and how

just really as leaders and managers just picking up on those

key subjects that we know just might need

affirming or just re embedding

or sometimes just being highlighted to the

staff team as a little nudge, you know, don't forget, this is,

this is how we do it. Do you want to talk through for our listeners,

Lauren, what those kind of 10 minute talks kind of

look like and feel like? Because for some of our consultancy members

that's, you know, they've been a really, really good, valuable tool that they've

chosen to access via consultancy as well.

>> Lauren: Yeah, and I think it's really worthwhile mentioning that

during September our educators

can feel quite overwhelmed. Naturally that's not a time where

we would say, right, you have to go through

this huge folder of policies and procedures

and read everyone from corner to corner

or we would like things to be

drip feed messages. So our 10 minute

talks are something that's always

a small message that we know we could

portray within a really short video. So the 10

minute talk could be something about having a positive handover. So

we might want to talk about what is the handover for with

our parents in the morning and in the evening, what do we aim to get

out of that handover? And a top tip to make your

handover really shine today. So we want short

bursts, short positive messages, that

an educator can listen to and then put it into practise

straight away. So that's the idea of the time of the talk.

>> Clare: And they're brilliant, aren't they? Because they enable the team to just

have that opportunity to be really reflective in their practise.

So if as leaders we notice something, it doesn't even have to have

gone wrong, does it? But you just notice something that can

just be tweaked just that little bit and then

just. And likewise the things that are Working really, really well,

but you can just adjust it. Ah, so if something's working really

well for one team, then that can be a real celebration

that's shared, that everybody else then, you know,

the very subtle underlying message is we really like it

done this way and so then it can kind of be brought up.

but, you know, even things as simple as self service

at lunchtime to, you know, really, really important at

the moment, you know, we've got all of those new, very young babies coming

into our care. So reminding our staff team about,

safer sleeping, we are really reaffirming the

importance of the sleep tracks, reaffirming the importance

of choking hazards because all of a sudden you've got much

younger babies into your environment. so what does that look

like in a setup? What does that look like at lunchtime? What does

that look like for the chef who's serving those foods? you know, we've got

lots of discussion at the moment about safer eating, safer

sleeping, and how we can get that absolutely right. So those

10 minute talks are brilliant for that in terms of

reflective practise. So what about our

families then, Laura? So, our families in

September are desperate to know, aren't they,

that their children are all okay, they're settled, they're having

a lovely time. So we do lots of communication with the staff in terms of

keeping it simple. So what does communication with

families look like in September?

>> Laura: So one of the, ways we communicate with our families is

through our app that we use called Family. so especially with

our children that are just settling in or have just settled in, or it's their first

day or their first week, the key person will always

be, sharing with parrots lots of observations about,

look, they've just had their first lunch or they've just slept

for half an hour in their coracle for the first

time. and we would also be using, the

newsfeed. So we share, weekly posts about,

what's been happening in our studio, what's been happening in our piazza, or

what pink hair Claire's been doing in the garden. So there's always,

an array of pictures and descriptions of what's been happening

across the nursery for our children. But also

we really see our handovers as such a vital tool

in that communication, with parents.

So we will always be making sure that the key person is

available to see the child in the morning and also there at the end of

the to do the handover. So, in the morning it's

really important to find out how they've slept, have they eaten

breakfast? are they sad because daddy's gone to work in the van

today and actually they wanted to come to nursery in the van. so

really taking on all of that information in the morning. So we know how

to nurture and love and support that child throughout the day

and at the end of the day, sharing with the parents how

they've eaten, how they've slept, what they've enjoyed,

the wow moments, the magic of the day, what they've

engaged in, what provocations they've enjoyed and the

development we've seen. So I think

there's that, that face to face communication which is always really important,

but also that online communication which I

suppose backs up as well what, what the key person is sharing at

those handovers as well. the images, the

little videos maybe of them climbing other stairs of the slide for

the first time. and really I think it really

empowers the parents and makes them feel,

I suppose they trust, they trust that their child is happy and safe because I

think it's very well someone go, they've had a great day, they've been really happ.

Actually if you can't see a photo of your child smiling or you can't see them

climbing up the stairs of the slide, how do you really trust that? So

I think it's really important you've got those two

sort of tiers of communication face to face and

the visual and online.

>> Clare: And I liked what you said there Laura as well about that absolute honesty.

You know, sometimes it will be that perhaps the child has

taken a little bit longer to settle and then those parents will

need that reassurance to know that

they then are okay after that period. But

also in terms of really knowing

what's happening. Because when you're having that just

that kind of 15 minute of drop off and pick up at the

beginning and the end of every day, which for the majority of our

families, in both of our settings they're working parents.

So actually they're using a service because they're needing to go to work.

So that 15 minutes in the morning is quite rushed. There's somewhere else

they've got to be, but they're also tending to go to

work at the same time as everybody else in the building. So all of a sudden

you've got all of those families arriving and looking for that

connection with their key person at the same time. And then at the

end of the day even although they you know, where they're heading

on from us is home. But, you know, they've got a head

full of all of the stuff that's happened to them as a, you know, as an employee

or as a manager or whatever their job is throughout the day. And

so how do they then get that balance back? So I think

by sharing throughout the whole of the day really enables them

to capture not, just their child's journey, but to know that, actually

that fine line between chaos and cosmos of handovers of

70 children isn't how the nursery feels and looks

all day, every day. Because actually, when you immediately put

70 parents inside the building dropping off,

that's 70 more people than you've got for the other nine and a

half hours of the day. So it's immediately gonna feel busier, it's

immediately gonna feel noisy, or it's immediately gonna feel like a

space you might not want to be in, for nine and a half hours. So actually,

it's really important they do get to see the magic of what

happens when they're not there. but it's also those children who've

been with us from the previous year, wasn't it, you know, for some of

those staff who might have new starters and new

settlers, you know, they're trusting the rest of their

team to capture their children's learning and to

engage with their children. So, you know, they've done the

brilliant job as being a key person of building up that

confidence, that independence, that determination, resilience

of that child. And that child stretched their elastic

all the way through the whole nursery. So to see,

I don't know, Katherine, Luke, who's one of our senior early years practitioners,

capture that child's learning in the studio

is so gorgeous because actually, you know, you might be in a

rocking chair feeding a baby a bottle, and you can't get

down there to see it. You can't get down there to capture it.

And so from the staff's perspective, they really come together as

a team. But from a parent's perspective, to be able

to see your child have that confidence and still

stretch their elastic, even when perhaps your

immediate attention is being focused onto a new baby,

is, I think, so reassuring for everybody,

because just like it does at home, when we have a

new baby arrive in our household, all of the

priorities shift. September brings a priority shift

in the nursery, and it's how we juggle that and manage that for all

of our children and for all of our families

whilst holding their immediate need

at, the centre of our priorities. But knowing

that we've got, what, 120 children

enrol at any one time, say we've got 120 families

to consider on each site, how do we get it right for

all of them? And I think for those staff who

perhaps might not have high numbers of new starters,

or for those staff who might actually have a really established key

family so they don't have any new children coming into them

this September, to take that time to really

watch out and narrate the learning of the other

children is really, really special and really magical in terms

of sharing that.

So whilst we say we keep it simple, we

also do share some of our biggest events in

September because we also know it's that time of

year when our children who are moving on to school

or our preschoolers who are really strong and determined

and coming into their own, also want to

shout about theirselves. So we also have our

exhibitions, we also have our festivals and

we kind of look at each other, don't we? Because every year we pull

together the annual calendar and we look at our commitments

and we look at our, the, you know, all of the

aspects that as a team, we're committing to for our families and

for our staff. And there's so much to get in the year.

We're never quite sure how simple to keep simple

September, but at the same time, celebrate

September and everything that goes alongside it. So,

Lauren, tell us a little bit, because we know we're going to do a

whole episode on our, exhibitions, but tell us a

little bit about what our exhibition

is about in terms of valuing our children and our

families.

>> Lauren: Our exhibitions are an opportunity for us to

celebrate and for us to look back

and see how far we've come

and not. I think that's what I love about September,

is the fact that the children in your key

family are testament to all of the hard work that you've put

in in the years before. And in the same way, the

exhibition is the final product, where

we share all of the documentation that we've gathered throughout

the year, all of the different projects that we've been looking into across both

sites. And it's an opportunity. I love the

fact that our children that are school leavers

from that academic year are invited to the exhibition

to show off and celebrate what

they've done. But then all of our new families are invited

too, so the new families can see what, what is

in store for them. So, yes, the

exhibitions are, a time where we can

look at all of the learning that's happened and then think

ahead about where it's going to go next.

>> Clare: Yeah, it's a really intentional approach, isn't it, about that

connection between, you know, our children that are leaving and

our children that are joining and how does that actually

feel for all of those families? And actually, if we

did it before September, we wouldn't have the benefit of all

the new families joining us. But we also need

to remember and recognise and celebrate the learning

that has taken place for all of these children who are moving on.

So September, if we're honest, is never simple. Which is why we

try and tell, our team it is by calling it Simple

September and taking out all of the stuff that

doesn't need to happen. Preparing well in

advance to make sure that everything is in place so

that the cogs can turn smoothly from an operational

perspective. But I think it's about keeping

things predictable, isn't it? Making sure that our environment set

up are beautiful, but

actually predictable. So we know that the clay will be out,

but we might not actually go absolute full hog

to having the potter's wheel at the same time as the clay slip,

at the same time as the immersive clay experience, but

knowing that actually the opportunities and experiences the children

will have from that will be just as, just as rich.

Making sure that our communication is really consistent, making

sure our expectations of ourselves and each other are

realistic. Because September is a tiring part of the term,

but also kind of really set that tone

because actually, that's when we set our commitments, is when we set

our tone with our parents, those new families that are joining us,

is when we set our tone for the staff in terms of our

expectations and really thinking about

how we prioritise and build on all of

the work that's happened in August from our settling sessions

to ensure that those children have a time. And I think

that's, for me, the most important thing about Simple September is it

gives us time to embed relationships,

to embed opportunities for the children

that had been with us in the prior year who might have got caught in

the hype and the excitement of the school leavers parties and the high number of

cakes and the, I don't know, George Ezra discos that have to happen

to fit all of those children's needs. But also just

to remember that it will be okay and that

the start of term can be incredibly tough, whether you're in a

school setting, a preschool setting, a child mind setting on a full

daycare setting. But just keep it simple,

keep it smooth, keep it calm and all will be

well. So with that in mind, Laura, what would be your

top tip for our listeners who are just about

to start their term, and their full academic year ahead of them?

>> Laura: Put your big girl pants on, be brave. I

think from a manager's perspective and a leader's

perspective, just love your team, look out for them,

really, support them during that August time. Really do those

supervisions, really hear their views and their voices, and

just look out for them. But also just enjoy it, Enjoy your new

children, get to know your new families. see it as an

opportunity of, you know, building your community, building your,

you know, your future preschoolers. You know, they're there, they're ready to

take those, those steps up. So, yeah, I think

enjoy it, but be brave and just,

yeah, love your team.

>> Lauren: Lauren, for you, I've written down,

set the tone, start as you mean to go on

and build firm foundations.

>> Clare: Nice. Three really, really key

messages from today. Thank you.

>> Lucy: And Lise, I'd say communication,

have that communication with your team

and also with your families as well.

>> Clare: So some hugely important top tips for everybody as we

move forward to September. So from us, deep

breath, keep it calm, remember, all will be

well and we look forward to seeing how September

is settling for you in our next episode when we're

focusing a little bit more about those babies who will have just joined

us. Thank you for joining us today. We hope you have a lovely week.

Take care.

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

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>> Clare: Thanks for listening.