earlyyears.teachwire.net
09
nursery business
Whether you’re a hands-on owner or a setting manager, you’re in a role
in which you can make a real difference, says
James Hempsall...
W
hen I deliver
early years
leadership
training, one of
the first things
I ask my learners about is how
they became leaders. One of the
most common answers is “By
accident!” closely followed by “No
one else would do it!” And it’s true
– there are thousands of us in the
sector who really had no concrete
intention of working in early
years, let alone leading a team
or an organisation. Of course,
there are also those for whom
owning and leading a nursery
is the culmination of a long-held
ambition too – but funnily enough,
regardless of our initial motivation,
we all tend to agree that it’s lots of
rewarding fun, combined with no
shortage of challenges and plenty
of learning along the way.
It’s been over 25 years since
I started, and when asked to
consider what leading in the early
years sector has to recommend it,
I reflected on where it all began. It
was an exhilarating time for me –
the early 90s, full of all the thrills
of my early employment experiences,
and the real sense that early years could
change the world; and it really does have
an impact – this is a sector that should
gain more recognition for all the good
work it does with children and families.
We’ve moved a long way since the
90s, but it’s still exciting work now. No
matter whether you’re busy planning to
open your first nursery, or reluctantly
thinking about taking on a management
role, this is a profession in which you can
make a difference to children and their
families. By sensitively using our skills
and knowledge, words and gestures,
and learning experiences and activities,
we can help children and their parents
know they are cared for, important and
have great potential.
As leaders our role is something
we do in partnership with families. We
can model learning, and the promotion
of best practice, equality and diversity.
We can show positive ways to support
children with behaviour, and parents
with their parenting role, and challenge
disadvantage and poverty through our
provision of high-quality early learning
and childcare.
We are one of the first services to
meet families outside of health. That puts
us in the unique position of being able to
identify needs early, and play our part in
offering support or interventions
that make a difference. Speaking
personally, it’s that working
collaboratively with partners at
all levels that I’ve particularly
enjoyed. It was such a battle in
my early days when people didn’t
know what early learning or
childcare was. I literally had doors
closed in my face. And now we
are expected to fully participate,
which is brilliant but not without
its own challenges. And I think
there are still battles to be had.
A key feature of leading
in early years is that this is a
‘people business’. You will work
with lots of inspiring children,
amazing parents and families,
and committed volunteers, staff
and partners. Working in a team
is a wonderful thing; it can be the
best and most challenging aspect
of the job at the same time. And
when you have the privilege of
leading a team, nothing can be
more thrilling. It’s a real test of
all your skills of matching the
right action to the right moment,
helping people grow and develop,
whilst achieving the complex and
ever-changing balancing act of quality
and business sustainability.
Leading in the early years will
make you feel relevant and worthwhile.
Every day you will see the difference
you are making to parents, children
and colleagues. You will have all sorts
of options for how your career could
take shape, in a role that gains more
and more recognition every year. Who
knows what direction it will take next for
you and all of us?
A former playworker
and children’s centre
manager, James
Hempsall OBE is
today director of
Hempsall’s training, research and
consultancy. Visit
hempsalls.com
or follow
@jhempsall
“YOU’LL LOVE
LEADING A NURSERY”
Leading
in the
early
years will make
you feel relevant
and worthwhile.
