Communication and community for Early Years settings

Being a Danish company, Famly are no strangers to doing things "the Nordic way". So, what better reason could we have to visit our neighbours to the North-West, Finland?

Well, not exactly Finland itself, but Finland Way Schools' nursery, Nordic Star.

‍Nordic Star Nursery, part of Finland Way, is actually based in Islington, London. “We have franchises all around the world,” explains Amandine Mäkelä, Non-Executive Director of Nordic Star Nurseries, and Finland Way School's Operational Excellence Expert, “We’re actually present in all the continents except Antarctica. The penguins have not signed up yet!”

Well, penguins or not, we met with Amandine to find out more about how Nordic Star are using Famly…

​​Who are Nordic Star?

Amandine tells us that Nordic Star Nurseries has implemented a Nordic-style educational approach, where every child is encouraged to express themselves. The team focus on play-based and participative learning through exploration, with plenty of time outdoors. The children are encouraged to explore concepts via "phenomenon" rather than traditional subjects.

“I think what makes our team special is that we are quite multicultural. We're coming from different backgrounds, and we are coming from different countries. All of this gelling together brings such so much richness. I think also what makes it special is that we all love working with children -  we want the best quality for the children in our care. It's also special, as a parent, to trust somebody to take care of your child during the day. So we take this very seriously.”

Amandine Mäkelä, Non-Executive Director, Nordic Star Nurseries, and Finland Way School's Operational Excellence Expert.

How does Famly help Nordic Star reassure parents and carers?

For Amandine and the Nordic Star team, supporting the children in the setting means being there for the parents too. Amandine loves that parents feel reassured that they can reach the team at any time, with just a quick message in the app.

The team don’t have to leave the room to answer the phone, and the parents get the immediate response and information they need.

"We have a lot of multicultural families and they don't have a support network in London,” says Amandine, “So for a lot of these families, we are the first point of really ‘letting go’ of their child. Building this relationship is really important. I really, really try to be always available."

How does Famly support transparency and trust?

Amandine and the team also recognise how Famly supports accountability for communication by showing ‘read receipts’ to both participants of a message. 

“I like the flow of communication - that's really quick,” says Amandine, “But I also like that you can see when they've read the message - it gives peace of mind. And on their side, for transparency, if they send me a message, they can see that I've read it. I can't hide and say ‘I haven't got your message’. I like this double transparency, on both sides.”

How does Famly’s online community, Village, help connect you to other settings?

Amandine is a big fan of Village, where Famly users can connect, ask questions, and pick up tips for using the Early Childhood Platform.

“One feature I really like on Famly, that I just discovered recently, is the Village,” says Amandine, “My mind was blown by the webinars, by the support, by all the questions. And also this sense of community -  not being by yourself in your little unit and that's it, but seeing the wider world of Famly!”

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.

“Within the EYFS, we are told that we can't take the practitioners away from the children too much. So having this facility at your fingertips, to be able to log in lunches, to be able to log when we change a diaper or that they've been sleeping every 10 minutes for the sleep check… that makes it so much easier for the staff.”

Amandine Mäkelä, Non-Executive Director in Nordic Star Nurseries, and Finland Way School's Operational Excellence Expert