More than childcare: what really happens behind the scenes to help children thrive
By Mission10 Admin | 15 Sep 2026 7 min read
At pick-up time, parents usually see the end result: a happy but tired child, a paint-covered jumper, perhaps a photograph or a story about something they made, played or discovered that day.
What’s much harder to see is everything happening behind the scenes, and all the work that goes into developing our children during the time they spend in childcare. All the training, planning and reassurance. The careful observations. The activities planned around a child’s latest interest. The conversations between practitioners. The small opportunities deliberately created to help a child become more confident and independent.
To find out more about what goes on behind-the-scenes, we’ve spoken with two of our fantastic directory partners: Lisa Murray, Director and Nursery Manager at Banbury Cross Nursery, and Belle Rose, Manager at Kidsize Playgroup and Out of School Club.
They share what really goes into creating a place where children feel safe, understood and able to thrive.
It starts with helping children feel safe
Before children can confidently explore, learn or build relationships, they need to feel safe and secure in their surroundings.
At Banbury Cross, the ambition is to create somewhere that feels like a second home, not simply through the physical environment, but through the relationships children and families build with the team.
“We want children to feel that Banbury Cross is their second home,” Lisa explains. “Somewhere they are happy to come into, where they know the people around them, feel safe and secure and, most importantly, feel loved and genuinely cared for.”
The nursery’s longstanding team plays an important part in creating that feeling. Its management team has been together since Banbury Cross began, giving children familiar faces and allowing practitioners to get to know the small things that make each child who they are.
That experience and continuity were recently recognised nationally, with Banbury Cross named NDNA Nursery of the Year Scotland 2026.
At Kidsize, creating a sense of belonging is just as important.
Belle wants every child to know that there are adults around them who genuinely care, listen and understand their individual needs. Across its Playgroup and Out of School Clubs, the team adapts the support it provides to suit each child’s age, personality and stage of development.
“Most importantly, I want every child to leave Kidsize feeling happy, proud of what they have achieved and excited to come back.”
A great deal of thought goes into creating the experiences children enjoy each day.
At Kidsize, practitioners observe children and get to know not only their interests and needs but their personalities too. They then use those insights to plan activities, prepare resources and create an environment that feels safe and engaging.
The team also completes continuous professional development every month. Staff can identify areas they would like to learn more about, alongside training undertaken by the whole team.
“A lot of this work happens quietly in the background,” Belle explains, “but it is important because it helps us provide the best possible care and make sure every child feels valued and happy at Kidsize.”
Banbury Cross takes a similarly individual approach. Behind the scenes, its team observes children, reflects on their development, discusses their needs and considers how the environment or activities could support them.
But the team isn’t simply applying its knowledge of early years education. Its practitioners know the children themselves - their personalities, families, interests and what makes them tick.
That means noticing when something doesn’t seem quite right and understanding whether a child needs a familiar activity, some extra reassurance, a particular practitioner nearby or simply time to watch before joining in.
Play can look simple from the outside, but children are often developing several different skills without even realising it.
At Kidsize, role play is a great example. While children pretend to run a café or shop, or take on familiar roles such as mums and dads, they are using their imagination and developing communication skills. They are also learning to share ideas, take turns, work together and solve small problems independently.
At Banbury Cross, messy play creates similar opportunities.
A child might be happily scooping, pouring and mixing, but at the same time they could be developing their physical coordination, talking about what they are doing, exploring quantities and cause and effect, and learning to play alongside others.
The focus isn’t only on the finished creation. Practitioners pay attention to what children are thinking and discovering along the way, then use their interests and ideas to extend the experience naturally.
As Lisa puts it: “Sometimes the best learning is when children don’t even realise they are learning.”
Building independence in everyday moments
Confidence and independence aren’t only developed through big milestones. Often, they grow through the ordinary things children are encouraged to try each day.
At Banbury Cross, this could mean putting on their own coat, choosing an activity, helping to tidy up, pouring a drink or working out how to solve a problem.
Practitioners give children time to have a go before immediately stepping in to help. The aim is for children to develop the feeling that: “I can do it.”
The approach evolves as children grow. With babies, the focus is on attachment, consistency and responding to individual routines. Toddlers are given more choices and opportunities to explore, while preschool children become increasingly involved in their own learning, decision-making and even assessing risk.
Kidsize supports children from Playgroup through to its school-aged Out of School Clubs, adapting its approach as their needs change.
Younger children are supported to feel confident away from their caregivers and to form friendships naturally through play. They are also encouraged to make their own decisions and can take responsibility for simple activities such as completing their own “check-in”.
Across both Playgroup and Out of School Club, children help prepare snacks by chopping, peeling and serving food, before clearing their own plates and dishes. Older children are given more choice and may create games, lead activities for their peers or help look after a shared space.
These may feel like small moments, but each one helps children see themselves as capable and trusted.
Starting childcare, or moving into a different room or club, can be a significant transition for children and their parents. And neither of the organisations we chatted to believe children should be rushed through it.
Kidsize works closely with families when children join its Playgroup, Out of School Club or Holiday Club. The team learns about each child’s interests, likes and preferences, then uses that knowledge to help make the new environment feel more familiar.
Banbury Cross offers extended settling-in periods, allowing children to build a relationship with their key person at their own pace. Once a child has started, its Stay & Play sessions give parents an opportunity to spend time in the nursery, experience part of their child’s day and see the relationships they have developed with the team.
Parents also receive daily updates, can speak to the team through its open-door policy and are invited to termly meetings to discuss their child’s development and wellbeing in more detail.
Both settings emphasise that parents know their child best. Understanding what happens at home, what comforts a child and what matters to the family helps practitioners provide more individual support.
Choosing a childcare provider
When choosing childcare, it can be tempting to focus on facilities, opening hours or the activities offered. Those things matter, but so do the relationships and thinking behind them.
How does the team get to know an individual child? What happens when they find settling in difficult? How are their interests reflected in their day? How will the setting communicate with their family?
As Kidsize and Banbury Cross show, helping children thrive involves much more than filling their time. It means creating an environment where they feel safe enough to explore, supported enough to try and valued enough to be completely themselves.
Find out more about both settings in The Wee Hive Directory: