Bringing families and Early Years settings together

Despite being based in Copenhagen, we love to go and visit our customers in their settings, wherever they are in the world. Fortunately, the flight to London is short!

In May 2025, we travelled to visit Nazish Usman, the Principal of Hopes and Dreams Montessori Nurseries, to see how she and her team are using Famly. Naz shared with us what Famly means to her and her educators, including a beautiful story that made us all tear up. 

Let’s get into it…

Who are Hopes and Dreams Montessori Nurseries?

Part of Dukes Education Group, Hopes and Dreams Montessori Nurseries are two settings in central London, founded in 1997. They are Montessori accredited and adopt a true Montessori approach, right from their youngest babies.

“Hopes and Dreams is a place where children come in with high hopes, and dream of achieving big. It's about the learners coming in and becoming the leaders of tomorrow. It's about nurturing the young mind and keeping the children at the heart of everything we do. I think that makes it a very special and magical place.”Nazish Usman, Principal at Hopes and Dreams Montessori Nurseries

Famly boosts educator confidence

Naz’ team is global and many of her educators have English as an additional language. Famly allows educators to write observations in their own language and translate them, in-app, to English. The team can then use Sidekick to make their writing more professional, or to check their spelling and grammar.

“How amazing is that? They feel more confident in writing. Before, I had some of the staff members coming and saying, ‘I don’t want to write the observation’ or ‘I'm not good at writing’. It was a knockdown. It had an impact on their confidence. Family has boosted that. They're not afraid. Now they're coming to me actually asking me, ‘Can I do an observation?’ Because Famly has given them that flexibility, that space to be them and to be proud of who they are.”
Nazish Usman, Principal at Hopes and Dreams Montessori Nurseries

Famly improves work-life balance for educators

On implementing Famly, Naz began to notice a transformation in her educators. They were less stressed, less pushed for time, and leaving the nurseries happy at the end of the day.

“They are feeling like they have got enough time to do everything that they want to do within that time frame. This has been an amazing transformation. I have truly witnessed that and I take pride in seeing my staff and workforce developing with Famly.”

Nazish Usman, Principal at Hopes and Dreams Montessori Nurseries

Famly unites the setting and a child’s wider Famly

Famly has provided Hopes and Dreams families a vital connection for extended family members, particularly in challenging times. It has served as an emotional lifeline, allowing grandparents to stay connected with their grandchildren's daily lives and development.

“We received a handwritten letter from a grandmother from Australia explaining how much joy it brings to her life, especially during the times when she was feeling lonely. She said her lifeline was looking at those observations and looking at those videos and pictures every day… that kept her going. That gave her the meaning to live. And that has stayed with me forever. And I think for me, this has been the story that I tell everyone, and that's why I love Famly a lot.”

Nazish Usman, Principal at Hopes and Dreams Montessori Nurseries

Who are Famly?

Famly is an Early Childhood Platform. More than nursery management software, Famly is the place for Early Years educators and families to collaborate, share the workload, and nurture children together.

“Famly has been the most amazing thing Hopes and Dreams has done in the past three years. I don't see it as an investment in monetary terms, but I feel us using Famly is more about our “why?”. What’s the meaning behind it, why did we come to Famly? It’s about the children, it’s about the parents, it’s about the staff members.”

Nazish Usman, Principal at Hopes and Dreams Montessori Nurseries