When Being Back Somewhere Familiar Still Feels Different

There’s something comforting about returning to a team you already know.

The people feel familiar.

The routines feel familiar.

There’s less of that awkward “new person” feeling, and in some ways it can feel like slipping back into something you already understand.

And honestly, it was lovely to be back with people I’d worked with before.

But I quickly realised something else too.

It wasn’t the same.

When you’ve spent years being the person making decisions, leading teams, solving problems, supporting staff and carrying the overall responsibility for a setting, it can be quite an adjustment to step back into a role where you’re no longer the manager.

That isn’t about thinking one role is more important than another.

It’s more about recognising what you’ve become used to.

I was used to looking at the bigger picture.

I was used to thinking about safeguarding, SEND, staffing, parent relationships, training, compliance, quality improvement and all the little things that keep a setting moving.

I was used to being the person people came to.

So going back into a familiar environment was lovely, but it also made me realise how much I missed that wider responsibility.

Then an opportunity came up.

Not something I had necessarily planned for, but something that felt like a really natural next step for me.

A role that would allow me to use the experience I’ve built over the years in a different way.

Instead of supporting one setting, the opportunity would allow me to think more broadly about practice, quality, inclusion and improvement.

That really appealed to me.

I’ve spent a long time working directly in nurseries, and I genuinely love early years.

I love the people in it.

I love supporting teams.

I love problem-solving.

I love those conversations where someone starts off feeling stuck and leaves feeling like they have a plan.

And I’ve always been particularly interested in the “why” behind practice.

Why do we do things this way?

Is it actually working?

Could we make it better?

Are we making things easier for children and staff, or just creating more paperwork?

Are our systems actually supporting good practice?

So when this opportunity appeared, it felt like one of those moments where you have to decide whether to stay comfortable or take a chance on something new.

I took the chance.

I’m excited, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous too.

I don’t start until tomorrow, so right now it still feels a bit surreal. I know there’ll be a lot to learn and a lot of new things to get my head around, but the opportunity feels like a really natural next step for me.

I’ll still be working within early years, still thinking about safeguarding, SEND, quality, leadership and improvement just from a different angle.

And strangely, going back to something familiar was probably exactly what I needed to realise I was ready for something different.

Sometimes the next step doesn’t come from hating where you are.

Sometimes it comes from recognising that you’re ready to use your experience in a new way.

So for now, I’m just looking forward to Monday, seeing what this next chapter brings, and hopefully learning a lot along the way.