Sarah Ellis is the Nursery Manager of Bristol Children’s Playhouse, a charity led small setting in Eastville, Bristol. Sarah has worked as an Early Years Manager for 14 years, the last seven of which have been at the Playhouse.
Why Setting Culture Matters, Particularly Now by Sarah Ellis (Part 1)
This blog forms part of a two-part series exploring setting culture in early years. Part 1 focuses on what setting culture means and why it is particularly important in the current early years context, drawing on research and sector experience. Part 2, Strengthening Setting Culture in Practice: Insights from The Playhouse, outlines how Playhouse has begun to reflect on and strengthen its culture in practice.
What does culture mean?
When we walk into a nursery for the first time, we will instinctively gain a sense of what it is like. Through spending more time there, we can grow an understanding of how the environment feels for children, families and staff. This is the culture of the setting, and even a glimpse of daily life should provide a reliable picture of it. The culture of a setting can be described as ‘the way we do things around here’ – that is understood by everyone and subscribed to by everyone in the setting’s community (Bennett 2017). This highlights how everyone in a setting’s community needs to understand and subscribe to the same culture. It is what nurseries are built on; however, changes through time can shift the focus, so culture is something that needs to be returned to.
A lot of early years settings have experienced significant challenges in the recent past; funding levels have threatened financial sustainability, and the recruitment crisis within the sector has led, for many, to precariousness and inconsistency. Such factors can threaten the stability of settings and can undermine the cultural foundations on which they were built. This illuminates how strong and supportive cultures are increasingly essential in our current context.
Why is culture important?
The Social Mobility Commission (2020) identified that culture and climate are among the five most significant factors influencing staff stability in early years settings. Participants in their research highlighted a positive team culture as a major motivator for long-term commitment. A clearly expressed vision and a strong, consistent culture foster the sense of safety, belonging, and professional growth that sustains staff wellbeing and retention.
In strategies to support and build school attendance, the EEF highlights the importance of culture for children, describing how culture leads to a sense of belonging that contributes to attendance. Together, these points show how culture is pervasive in all experiences, for those delivering the provision and the children to whom it is delivered.
Considering your context
Developing and maintaining a strong, positive, and effective culture is essential to achieving the best outcomes for children. The Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE, 2024) establishes statutory standards and guiding principles. These are the basis for all good practice, but looking at the culture of your particular setting means looking beyond generic good practice at what is unique about your setting and defining the needs of the communities that you serve.
In the ELEYS study, it highlights the significance of looking at soci-economic and cultural contexts of settings; explaining that in more deprived areas, staff need to think deeply about what their goals and ambitions are (Siraj-Blatchford and Manni 2006). This helps us to understand that vision, values and culture cannot be tackled using a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Looking at ward data is useful for this purpose, giving insight into the area where your setting exists and the challenges your families face; this helps guide thoughts and conversations on appropriate culture, visions, and values.
Going on home visits and having open, respectful conversations with families is a practical way to understand children’s lives and contexts. Contextual reflection, which includes lived experiences, ensures that our vision is not only achievable and relevant but also aspirational.
Conclusion
By reflecting on the concept of culture, I have identified how important it is for staff, families, and children. In my nursery, we have started to look closely at what it means for our setting, historically, at present and going forward. In my next blog post, I will describe how we have started our journey.
References
Bennett, T. (2017). Creating a culture: How school leaders can optimise behaviour. Department for Education.
Department for Education. (2024). Early years foundation stage statutory framework for group and school-based providers. DfE.
Education Endowment Foundation Supporting school attendance
Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Manni, L. (2006). Effective leadership in the early years sector (ELEYS) study. University of London, Institute of Education.
Social Mobility Commission. (2020). The stability of the early years workforce in England. HM Government.
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