New technology can be daunting, especially the rate at which it is progressing. And as a childcare provider, there is always the need to stay ahead of the curve and ensure you are meeting parents’ and carers’ expectations.
Management software has been around for a while now and continues to become more competitive in terms of price, the features it provides, and ease of use.
Expansion in the pre-school software market is being driven by both the early years sector and parents wishing to maintain a connection with their children throughout the day. Being keptup to date with activities taking place is now a key expectation.
The need for reassurance has been exacerbated by Covid, and parents are now more geared up to connecting remotely.
Sarah Steel, CEO of The Old Station Nursery group, feels the increase in software communication is also a reflection of the way we live now. ‘I think social media has played a part here, rather than just Covid – parents certainly expect better ways of sharing information about their child,’ she says.
‘Parents now use Instagram and TikTok and expect nurseries to keep up with this.’
She adds, ‘It is a major decisionto either buy new software or to upgrade, so I think any decisionis about more than just upfront cost – staff training, disruption and Wi-Fi strength all play a big part, with managers particularly looking at data protection capabilities and ease of use for staff and parents when choosing a software system.’
From left: Rachel Lee; Matt Arnerich; Fran Marchant; Juliet Mickelburgh; Heidi Wright; John Pickup; and Syrena Tarone
CUSTOMERS’ EXPERIENCES
‘Instant communication, and no boxes of paperwork stored for years on end.’
Rachel Lee is nursery managerat Explorers Day Nursery at Elm Park in Hornchurch, and uses the Famly Early Childhood Platform.
‘We use the Famly app to communicate with our parents throughout the day,’ she says. ‘This can be directly via private messaging or indirectly through activity posts and by logging meals and nappies.
‘We have found parents expect instant communication through the app, and do have to stress occasionally that the children come first and that sometimes we don’t update in real time – they may find they are getting observations later on in the day when they have been approved.’
Rachel points out it is important to try before you buy. A number of the packages available offer you a trial period and will talk you through all the features and how to use them. Sometimes certain features can come at an extra cost, so it is worth looking at what features will tailor to your setting’s needs and which areas you need support in. Ask yourself what are your most time-consuming tasks, and build from there.
She says, ‘When I first joined management, my head was spinning with questions such as, how do I do invoices, what if I get it wrong, or miss something out? However, having the app as a guide helps put these worries at bay. As a sector we have folders and paperwork for everything, and having information online has helped me with organisation – it is sustainable/environmentally friendly and there are not boxes and boxes of archived information stored for years on end.’
Matt Arnerich, director of Brand & Comms at Famly, adds, ‘Famly is fundamentally a collaborative platform – managers already have so much on their hands that whatever we can do to make it easier for families – to support them – the better.
‘Staff shouldn’t spend their days gathering endless bits and pieces of information that parents already have at their fingertips. So, the question settings should ask themselves is: do they want a data-entry platform where they have to plug all of the information in themselves, or do they want to work together with families to capture all of the vital information they need at a moment’s notice? That, together with a familiar, simple approach is key.
‘My favourite version of Famly is a blank tablet, Famly off, lying on its side on the table, and an educator back working with their children.’
‘My software allows me more time to play with children.’
Fran Marchant runs Poplar Farm Childminding, a large home-based early years childcare setting in Grantham, Lincolnshire. She uses Tapestry management software to help her run her business.
‘My software system has allowed me to move forward to meet the pace of the ever-changing childcare industry, to ensure the needs of my setting are met in an organised and stress-free way,’ she says. ‘Childcare can be a rollercoaster ride, and Tapestry allows me to run the core of my entire business from their online journal – invoices, registers, observations – all in one place and accessible via your phone. If only it could make us a cup of coffee too!
‘Every setting should look for software that allows them to get back to spending time with the children as quickly as possible. We need less remembering passwords to Google docs, shared drives and billing systems, and more attention on playing and observing the children in the room.
‘Post-Covid, most settings have chosen to keep handovers at the entrance and exits rather than permitting parents back in, so it is their responsibility to find alternative ways to communicate the progress and developments of their children – apps like Tapestry being a good place to start.
‘Management software definitely helps me work proactively with parents. I use observations as my main means of reporting on children’s growth and I also use its monitoring and reports features – although these can be done in a quick text with a photo or in a Word document, I find parents appreciate a professional structure more, as they can see the investment in quality of the service I provide by accessing all this information on one app.’
Juliet Mickelburgh, education advisor and content editor at Tapestry, the online learning journal, adds, ‘Working in partnership with families is central to the EYFS and remains part of the statutory framework. Sharing learning that happens at home and in the setting through a range of media, as well as using a consistent report format for a more structured look at a child’s development, provides educators with important information about each child that truly values parents’ input. The relationship between parents and educators is also supported by a management system that helps a setting run smoothly. Having a flexible tool offering families and staff access to everything in one place keeps everyone informed and means more time can be spent teaching and learning with children.’
‘We take care of our admin tasks quickly and easily and get back to play and activities on the farm.’
Heidi Wright is nursery manager at Brook Farm Children’s Nursery in Kelbrook, Lancashire, a nursery based on a working farm. Heidi has found iConnect software a great way to interact with parents quickly and easily while on the go.
‘Keeping paper records was just too time-consuming for us – we would rather focus more of our attention on our children,’ she says. ‘We can now take care of our admin tasks quickly and easily and get back to play and activities on the farm – there’s always so much to do!
‘One of the best features of iConnect is the daily feedback function. Parents can receive real-time, instant updates – better than using handwritten forms. We can also ping messages to parents and carers immediately, entering into real dialogue, and families and key workers can see observations as soon as they are recorded, meaning the lines of two-way conversation are always open.
‘iConnect software has definitely given us lots of valuable time back. Staff find the system simple to operate and appreciate the time saved when tackling their to-do lists.
‘Any business thinking of investing in an integrated system should look at the benefits. With iConnect, it’s all intertwined. You put in your information once and it’s all there.’
John Pickup, head of commercial at Connect Childcare, adds, ‘Our online learning journey software, iConnect, can be adopted by practitioners in a variety of ways. Whether that be carrying out assessments, writing up child progress reports or logging instant observations, iConnect is a customisable tool that allows nurseries to communicate with parents at the click of a button.
‘iConnect allows early years practitioners to send daily updates to parents, keeping them up to date on feeds, naps, meals and nappy changes. Observations can also be logged as soon as they happen, enabling practitioners to share positives about a child’s learning, behaviour and experiences through direct messaging.’
‘It’s easy to show parents the learning opportunities on offer day-to-day.’
Syrena Tarone is lead childminder/director at home-based setting Left and Right Childcare in Highams Park, London. She uses the Kinderly Together software system.
‘Using Kinderly Together has reduced our admin time, while improving our communication with parents,’ she says. ‘The development of the weekly food menus and “what have we done today” planner section has enriched the daily handovers but reduced the duplication of entering common information, giving us more time to focus on creating those important learning opportunities for children.
‘The observations are easy to organise and provide parents with a clear understanding of their child’s progress with clearly identified next steps. Parents can give feedback and respond, and upload opportunities for us to include in our observations.
‘Kinderly Together supports us in providing parents with high-quality information, allowing a better understanding of learning opportunities their children have in their time with us while achieving the best outcomes for their child.’
Philippa Glass, communications and operations director, adds, ‘Kinderly Together was initially developed so parents could play a bigger part in their child’s development, and early years practitioners could spend less time completing developmental and compliance paperwork, by creating easy-to-use digital tools, enabling them more time with the children.
‘We created digital resources that facilitate parent engagement through real-time communication between the setting and home and by providing weekly topic-based activities that link to the early years frameworks. This gives parents greater confidence, improves the home learning environment and encourages learning through play.
‘Ultimately, Kinderly Together gives childcare practitioners resources and tools at their fingertips so they can spend more time with the children, and parents are more engaged with their learning, providing the foundations for a greater start and better outcomes for children.’
A few key things to consider when deciding on a software provider
Don’t think all systems are more or less the same, as there is a lot of variation between them. Draw up a list of what you are specifically looking for, the areas where you are looking for the most help, and check these against the products on offer.
Ask other early years professionals for their thoughts on the systems they use and may have used in the past. Also, join Facebook groups and other social media platforms to see what other early years providers are saying about their systems – try to ascertain what parents think about them too. Do they find it easy to use? Does it work across all devices? Will it be suitable for your billing requirements? Also, and very important, what do others think of its customer support? Is it easy to get through to someone and is support on-demand?
Check the terms of purchase. For example, will you be tied into a fixed contract, or will you have to pay a penalty charge if you want to leave?
Make sure you get a full demonstration of the product before making any final decisions – have a list of questions ready so you don’t forget anything important, such as, are training resources available, and are there any hidden costs, such as set-up fees?
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Famly – https://www.famly.co/nursery-management-software
- Tapestry – https://tapestry.info/index.html
- Connect Childcare – https://connectchildcare.com
- Blossom – https://blossomeducational.com
- Nursery Story – https://nurserystory.co.uk
- Lineleader – https://lineleader.com
- Kinderly – https://kinderly.co.uk
