August can be a nerve-wracking month. School-leavers are heading off and September often brings the lowest number of children on roll.
Now is the time to remind followers how to find out if they are entitled to any funding for their childcare spaces: www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs. Many families won’t be aware that they can access this, and some may decide to take a place sooner than planned when they find out that they are entitled to funding.
Continue to use the peak summer months to showcase your outdoor area with lots of photographs on your social media of what you have to offer outside, including exploring in your local area (see last month’s column).
These last 18 months have meant that settling-in days have been tricky to complete. You can allay any fears and familiarise new starters by using lots of pictures as well as videos of what the nursery is like internally. Don’t forget to include important details such as where they will hang their coat and where they will eat lunch.
August is also a great opportunity for ‘meet the team’ posts. Putting a face to a name, and perhaps a fun fact or comment, means staff members will be more familiar when children start.
It’s also worth remembering that marketing your setting all year round will mean you shouldn’t have quite as extreme peaks and troughs.
Nicola Read is owner of social media management company Babbl, www.babbl.co.uk
