Education and training are key to tiney’s mission.

Offering affordable, high quality early education and amazing careers for childminders needs the entire community to buy in. It’s a vision that supports growth, for both our childminders and for the children we serve.

At the forefront of this change is Kim Esnard, Head of Education and Training. A visionary leader with decades of experience in early years education, Kim embodies a deep sense of purpose. Her story is one of resilience, passion and an unwavering belief that every child needs a champion.

Let us dive into Kim’s journey to tiney and what fuels her commitment to shaping the future of childminding.

Did you start your career in early years education?

Not at all! I previously had careers in both sales and corporate HR. After having my children, I stepped back and asked myself, “What career could bring purpose, flexibility and balance into my life?” It was childminding that offered everything I needed: a fulfilling career allowing me to impact young lives, while balancing my family and financial goals. From the outset I knew it was a new vocation, not just a job – one with real power to make a difference. This is why I’m so passionate about supporting others making a similar leap. I’ve walked this path myself, so I understand how rewarding and empowering running your own home based childcare service can be.

Tell us about starting out as a childminder.

I grabbed as many opportunities to learn as I could… although they weren’t as easily available as they are now at tiney. I immediately wanted to know the story behind the learning and development I saw in the children, and I found myself repeatedly asking, “Why?” It was a natural fit to start building up my knowledge of child development, and I completed lots of courses on the topic. I quickly learned that once you start on this journey, you realise there’s always so much more to learn. I’m still learning now, of course. But then quickly, my corporate background kicked in and I started asking, “Why?” in relation to experiences across my new profession. Why is managing all this paperwork so overwhelming, and how can I make it more efficient? Why do people struggle to attract new families, and how can we market our services more effectively? Why do inspections feel so stressful, and what can I do to feel more confident next time?

So, you got off to a flying start?

It’d be great to say, “Yes!” In truth, I found it really hard to start with, and I definitely earned my stripes. Fortunately, my mindset was good, which kept me going – I was fully in, completely determined, and knew I was doing the right thing. I can remember preparing for my first inspection. I recall thinking I was ready, but it’d be fair to say I ‘crawled through.’ When I was given a ‘Satisfactory’ rating, I was really disappointed… and even more tired. Looking back at this experience now, I’d describe it as quite lonely as I didn’t have a strong network. For new childminders, it shows the value of a childminding community like tiney offering guidance, support and training. This first experience was a catalyst for me. From here, I made a conscious choice to excel (I can be quite single-minded if you didn’t know!), making sure I connected with more of the support available at the time. I pushed on, achieving a ‘Good’ the next time, before being rated as ‘Outstanding’ on several occasions. This experience showed me just how crucial support, training and community are. It’s exactly why I love what we’ve built at tiney today. No one should have to feel alone playing such an important role in the early years of a child’s development.

What happened from there?

My confidence grew and so did my ambition. I began leading a team, hiring staff, and running my own thriving business. But I noticed a trend at that time. Childminders were not given the same status as nursery practitioners, and I became determined to challenge perceptions and elevate the profession.

I grabbed opportunities to train, consult, and work across nurseries, preschools and had opportunities to work with Ofsted. I wanted to make a bigger impact, breaking down barriers for others in the profession.

How did you come across tiney and what was your first experience?

In 2014, childminding agencies sparked a lot of fear and misunderstanding. People worried about losing their independence around their gradings. I’ll admit, I was sceptical too. That changed when Laura Henry-Allain (MBE) introduced me to tiney in 2019. She saw our values aligned and encouraged me to take a closer look. The moment I experienced tiney’s culture, I went from sceptic to advocate; the tiney mission to raise the profile of childminders resonated deeply with me. The values here are strong but expressed with humility, kindness and purpose. I loved the push to make sure the professionalism and skill across the sector was recognised – I knew this was where I could make a real difference. As a training consultant, I had seen lots of people experiencing burnout in early years, with great professionals feeling isolated and overwhelmed. I could see the education support for the community, but also the focus on empowering individuals in their business. As I look back to my first inspection, it would have been very different with this type of support behind me.

And tell us about your work now?

After a successful time supporting tiney as a training consultant, I was delighted to join the staff team. As Head of Education and Training, I lead our professional development programme, helping childminders grow in confidence, knowledge and skills. It’s an incredible privilege and joy. My team is responsible for the professional development programme for our amazing childminding community, and we run a full programme throughout the year. Recently, we hosted an inspirational keynote from Jaz Ampaw-Farr, and then a EYFS Framework update session. I love how these two events show the full range of input we give – personal, professional and everything in between, including a wide variety of community events specifically for the children. I also remain active in the wider sector. I work with Ofsted registered settings, including childminders and nurseries, to offer training, keynotes and peer support that I hope continues to strengthen the profession. For tiney, it’s important to be active within the wider education sector – one of the ways we do this is by opening up some of our training sessions to all parents and practitioners free of charge.

What is your vision for early years education?

How long have we got? I firmly believe early years educators change lives. I am also a foster mum, and I often wonder what better early years education might have done for some of the young people I support. I came from a broken home but had enough positive early experiences to give me a belief in myself, meaning I wanted to achieve bigger things. Our role as early educators is to prepare children for life. We need to equip them with the skills, knowledge, vocabulary, understanding and confidence to thrive. I believe curiosity fuels aspiration, and it starts in those early years. At tiney, we don’t just support childminders, we empower them to shape lives, while building thriving, rewarding careers

Any final words for those in the tiney community, or those looking in?

To every childminder out there: you are everyday heroes. Never forget that the work you do changes lives! It’s a privilege to walk this journey with you, to lead and to serve this incredible community. If you’re thinking of joining us at tiney, know you’re stepping into a career with purpose, support and endless opportunities to grow. Thank you for everything you do. Together, we are transforming early years education.