Nursery World - Interview - Brett Wigdortz, founder of Tiney

After 15 years of leading the education charity Teach First, Brett Wigdortz set up early years education company Tiney in 2019. Tiney’s mission is ‘to empower a generation of micro-entrepreneurs to deliver amazing care from their own homes’. Since the lockdown, Tiney has received a surge in applications, many from people reconsidering their careers.

Brett Wigdortz: 'It’s a different time in a different economic environment and people are looking for what to do in a post-Covid world'

TINEY IS REGISTERED AS A CHILDMINDING AGENCY WITH OFSTED. IN THE PAST, CHILDMINDER AGENCIES HAVEN’T REALLY TAKEN OFF – WHAT ARE YOU OFFERING THAT’S DIFFERENT?

It’s a tech-first approach – the whole point is to make everyone’s life easier and more connected. We’ve been able to rapidly adapt our training process in response to coronavirus, and can now train the most motivated candidates in under three months – for free.

Our philosophy is around guided play and the EYFS.

The word ‘childminder’ is a bit old-fashioned and a bit passive. We’re looking to create small nursery schools in our homes.

A lot of people don’t realise how professional childminders are – they are not babysitters! A lot of childminders have also said it can feel a bit lonely, so we give them lots of opportunities to feel part of a wider community.

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