For Early Years Practitioners

Your space.
Your voice.
Your staff room.

No employers. No judgment. Just people who get it.

The Lounge is the UK's first dedicated online community built exclusively for Early Years Practitioners — nursery staff, childminders, pre-school workers and room leaders. A private, moderated space where you can speak honestly, find your rights explained in plain English, and connect with practitioners who understand exactly what your days look like.

Join as Founding Member ☕ See What's Inside
⭐ Founding Member Offer
£7 / month

First 100 members only.
Price locked for life. Cancel any time.

  • 9 dedicated practitioner spaces
  • Use a nickname — full anonymity option
  • Employment rights in plain English
  • Wellbeing resources and tools
  • Peer support from fellow EYPs
  • New resources added weekly
Pull Up a Chair →

theloungeuk.circle.so

🔒 Private & Moderated
👤 Anonymity Option Available
🇬🇧 UK's First EYP Community Platform
✅ No Employer Access
💳 Cancel Any Time

We Hear You

Do you ever feel like
you give everything
and receive so little back?

You hold one of the most important roles in society — shaping the earliest years of a child's life. Yet early years practitioners are among the least supported, least recognised, and most overworked professionals in the UK. The Lounge exists to change that. Not the whole sector overnight. But your experience of it, starting today.

Paid less than street cleaners for a job that shapes children's entire lives.

Early Years Practitioner, London

The responsibility is enormous and the pay is disgusting. Nobody talks about it.

Nursery Nurse, Manchester

I needed somewhere honest. Somewhere my manager wasn't watching. Somewhere just for me.

Room Leader, Birmingham

What's Inside

Nine spaces built
entirely for you

Not for Ofsted. Not for your manager. For you.

🫧
The Staff Room

Your safe place to talk honestly. Use your real name or a nickname — no employers can see. The conversation you've been waiting to have.

🌐
The Safety Net

Your rights in plain English. Sick pay, income protection, what your employer must and cannot do. What they don't always tell you.

📚
The Resource Shelf

Articles, guides and research written for practitioners — not managers, not Ofsted. Real, useful, practitioner-first content.

🪔
The Wellbeing Corner

Because you cannot pour from an empty cup. Mental health resources, self-care tools, and space to breathe.

✏️
The Toolkit

Practical classroom and setting resources. Tools that save you time so you can spend it where it matters — with the children.

🫅
Your Rights

Employment law explained without the jargon. Know where you stand before you need to stand anywhere.

📌
The Notice Board

Sector news, policy updates and things you need to know — curated and explained so you don't have to chase it.

👩‍💼
The Manager's Table

For room leaders and managers. Separate from the staff spaces — because managers need their own place too.

🛍️
The Lounge Shop

Affiliate products and partner offers chosen specifically for EYPs — things that actually make your working life better.

Join Now — £7/month ☕

This Is For You If...

You work in early years and you deserve better.

  • 👶
    Nursery Practitioners & Nursery Nurses Level 2, Level 3 or unqualified — all are welcome. No hierarchy here.
  • 🏠
    Childminders You work alone. This is your community of people who understand.
  • 📖
    Pre-school & Reception Staff The bridge between early years and school. Often overlooked. Never here.
  • 👩‍💼
    Room Leaders & Senior Practitioners Carrying responsibility without always carrying recognition. This is your space too.

"The UK is about to have more children in childcare than ever before. And the people caring for them are leaving the profession in record numbers."

61% of early years providers reported staff leaving in the past six months.

The Lounge was built because this sector cannot afford to lose any more of the people who make it work. Because you matter just as much as the children you care for.

Getting Started

Join in three simple steps

1
☕
Join as a Founding Member

Click the Join button and sign up for £7/month. First 100 members only — your price is locked for life. Takes less than two minutes.

2
👤
Set Up Your Profile

Use your real name or choose a nickname. Your anonymity is protected. No employer can see your profile or your posts.

3
🌿
Pull Up a Chair

Explore your nine spaces. Start a conversation. Read an article. Find your rights. You belong here — and you'll know it the moment you arrive.

Membership

Simple, honest pricing.

No hidden fees. No long contracts. No surprises.

⭐ Founding Member — Limited
Founding Member
£7
per month · price locked for life
  • All 9 community spaces
  • Full anonymity option (nickname)
  • Employment rights resources
  • Wellbeing tools and articles
  • Weekly new content
  • First 100 members only
  • Cancel any time
Join as Founding Member →
Regular Member
£9.99
per month
  • All 9 community spaces
  • Full anonymity option
  • Employment rights resources
  • Wellbeing tools and articles
  • Weekly new content
  • Cancel any time
Join as Regular Member →

Questions

Everything you need to know

No. The Lounge is a private, moderated community. Your employer cannot access it. You also have the option to use a nickname instead of your real name — your anonymity is protected by design.
The first 100 members who join at £7/month will keep that price for as long as they remain members — even when we raise the price to £9.99. It's our way of thanking the people who believed in The Lounge from the beginning.
Yes. No contracts, no notice period, no difficult phone calls. You can cancel your membership at any time from your account settings.
The Lounge was founded by Ruvini Dias Bandaranayake — an Early Years Practitioner with over 20 years' experience across three countries. This platform was built by someone who has lived this career. It is not a corporate product. It is a community built from the inside.
No. Facebook groups are public, visible to employers, and built for everyone. The Lounge is a dedicated, private platform built exclusively for Early Years Practitioners — with curated content, structured spaces, anonymity protection, and professional resources that a Facebook group simply cannot offer.
Absolutely. Childminders are often the most isolated practitioners in the sector. The Lounge was built for every Early Years Practitioner — whether you work in a large nursery, a pre-school, or alone as a childminder.
Ruvini Dias Bandaranayake — Founder of The Lounge

From the Founder

Ruvini Dias Bandaranayake

Founder, The Lounge Platform Ltd · Early Years Practitioner, 20+ years

I have worked in early years for over twenty years across three countries. I know what it feels like to go home exhausted after a day of giving everything — and still open a laptop to finish observations. I know what it feels like to love this work and feel invisible in it at the same time.

The Lounge exists because I needed it to exist. Because I looked for a space that was just for us — that understood the weight of this work, the complexity of our days, and the value of what we do — and I couldn't find one.

So I built it. For you. For all of us.

Ready?

Come and pull up a chair.

The Lounge is open. Founding Member spots are limited to the first 100 practitioners. Join today and your £7/month price is yours for life.

Join The Lounge — £7/month ☕

Because you matter just as much as the children you care for. 🌿