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In case you didn't know... we do things a little differently and offer a wide range of services aimed at making any School Head or Nursery Owner smile. Our blog might give you a flavour of what we do, how we understand the Education sector well, and the ideas we come up with frequently to develop a range of services perfect for our Clients...
Or you might just find something to make you smile :)
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As heard on Radio Woking!
Well, 2024 got off to a fun start this week as Smiles At School founder Danny Higgins appeared on the Voice of Business radio show on Radio Woking, hosted by the epic Nell Op de Beeck! And what a show it was! A full (unplanned) two hours of chatting School Photography, getting the best from your School photographer, how to run a growing business whilst raising two children, and the good and bad of Disney movie tunes! No stone was left unturned... |
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Christmas Fundraising - Start Now!
Yes, we know. It feels just a teensy tiny bit early to be mentioning the C word. But believe it or not Christmas will be on us before we know it, so it’s time to get your best planning hats on. There’s a lot to do around the festive season as a school, and fundraising plays a big role in pretty much all of it. So the more ideas you can come up with now, the simpler it will be to put them all in place as the winter months start creeping up on us. You might even discover some (very) earlybird discounts available if you start ordering your fundraising products early! |
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Bring Your School Display Boards To Life This Year
How many people walk through your school hallways every single day? Even when you take out the students and staff, most schools will receive a huge number of visitors every week. From contractors to parents and suppliers, all of these people will be forming an impression of your school as they walk the hallways. Our question is, what are you doing to make sure that impression is a good one? |
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Kitting Out Your Nursery For Summer
We all know that kids thrive when they’re allowed to play outside. And let’s face it, with the English weather being what it is, there isn’t much chance to do it! So if you want to let them get all that amazing sensory input running around in the grass, playing in water trays and having egg and spoon races, then you need to make sure they’re safe at the same time. When it comes to keeping children safe in the sun, a lot of nurseries will ask parents to supply bits and bobs. But a clever Nursery will take the opportunity to ensure all children are totally protected, and promote the brand at the same time. It helps busy parents who can (do!) forget things, and offer support for those who need help in having the right items. |
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Celebrating The End Of An Era With Year 6 Leavers
It might seem a bit far off yet, but the end of the school year will be here before you know it. And that means it’s time to start thinking about your Year Six leavers. Year Six children building towards the final phase of their primary education will experience a whole range of emotions when they move from one chapter of their life to another. It’s a big step, going from the school you’ve known for 7 years into a new chapter, and they’ll probably have developed some affection for the old place. So you want to send them on their way in the best way possible, right? But picking the perfect leavers presents for year 6 can be tricky. Do you go for useful, or sentimental? Serious, or whacky? Or maybe somewhere in the middle? Whatever you choose, there are some great staples you should consider... |
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Little Students Growing Up – Leavers Gifts For Preschool.
Every August nurseries and preschools across the country wave goodbye to another group of 4 and 5-year-olds, sending them up to primary school. It’s a bittersweet time. You’re proud of them for all they’ve achieved, but at the same time, you know you’ll miss their smiling faces. So you want to celebrate their time with you and make sure the send-off you’re giving them is one they’ll remember for years to come. And for that, you need some awesome gift ideas!
In case you’re struggling, here are a few of our favourites... |
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Yearbooks - Building Future Memories.
Would you believe us if we said that in the last few years, the number of schools producing yearbooks for their students has shot These bound mementoes might seem like something small, but for students, they represent a tangible reminder of their school days, school friends and even their teachers. And yet when we chat with school administrators they’re always asking us if yearbooks are really worth it, and what kind of things they should put in them.
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'Best Mum Ever' - Showing Mum you Care.
Every year when mother’s day rolls around, everyone is looking for something sweet, unique and memorable to honour the mothers in their lives and show them how much they are loved. For nurseries, this is a double whammy because you need to think of something new to do with the children to teach them about mother’s day, as well as something cute to send them home with for mum. And sure, there are shop-bought cards and posies you could hand out, but if your students really want to WOW their mums this mother’s day and create core memories for mums and their kids, then here are a few ideas for you to bounce around. |
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Is It Time To Update Your School Marketing Photos?
It's that time of year again when schools and nurseries are starting to plan their marketing and advertising for the upcoming year. We know you’re very busy with so much to do, but we wanted to throw one more thing into the mix. Photos. When was the last time your marketing photos were taken, and do they still accurately reflect your school? If not, it might be time for an update.
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Were Your Christmas Photos ‘Ho Ho Ho’ or ‘Oh No No’?
It's that most wonderful time of year again! And when schools and nurseries across the land are recovering from the annual Autumn photo day. How did yours go? Did Rudolph get his nose right in the shot? Did the Grinch manage to steal all the smiles? Or did you manage to get through the festive photos relatively unscathed, and with some great images for parents and for the school too?
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5 Unique Festive Fundraising Ideas For Your School or Nursery
New reports say that schools in England are facing a funding crisis, as costs continue to soar and the cost of living crisis tightening everyone’s purse strings. So like it or not, PTAs need to get creative if they’re going to make up the shortfall and provide extra funds for their schools. |
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Easing Nerves For First Year Photos
It’s September again, and you know what that means? Thousands of little people are not so little anymore! Whether it’s the 5 and 6-year-olds going to school for the very first time, or little-ones joining nursery or pre-school, there are a lot of proud parents and an awful lot of Starting a new school, pre-school or nursery is always exciting, but for the kids it can also be incredibly daunting, and maybe even a little scary. So you might find that when it’s time to line up for those official school photos, some children get a bit nervous. So nervous in fact that some may refuse to have their photo taken! But never fear, you don’t need to worry about explaining why little Timmy doesn’t have a school photo for his first year to his parents. Read on for some tricks to ease their nerves on Photo Day... |
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Christmas Starts NOW!
You read that right, we said the C word! Yes, we know it’s only September, but Christmas is firmly in our sights now as we barrel into Autumn. For anyone working in the education sector, as soon as that first week in September is over (and a large drink is had), your focus will be on organising Christmas events, and more importantly, Christmas fundraising. Now, you might have some tried and tested ideas that you’ve done for years and work really well. And that’s great! But if you don’t, or you just fancy changing things up a bit this year, we have a few suggestions for Christmas fundraising ideas that could make your school or nursery the talk of the town. |
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Our Promise to You
Smiles at School is all about bringing smiles to the faces of children, their families and schools across the whole country. We love what we do, and we aim to delight you with fantastic photography, quality products and fast delivery. That’s why you can be confident you’ve chosen the right company for your photography, marketing and fundraising, and will be left with a beaming smile! We're so confident we can bring the joy back to your School Photo Day, we back up our services with our "No Smile Left Behind" Guarantee!
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New Year, New Photographer?
Oh gosh, it is September already? We know, it comes around so quickly! Have you and your school team thought about your school photography? Maybe your photographer has retired, closed down due to Covid-19, or is simply too busy to fit in your school this year? Or maybe you’ve been using the same company for years, and while their work is OK, it doesn’t blow you away? If any of those sound familiar, then why not start the new school year by working with a new photographer too?
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What Are Smiles Made Of?Happiness! And in our case, dad jokes. At Smiles at School, we’re all about spreading joy and catching it on camera. We bring smiles to schools, nurseries and preschools with amazing photos days. But did you know that Smiles at School also offers a range of amazing solutions for your educational setting, depending on who you are and what you need from us? We’ve split it down into 3 areas, which helps us make sure we leave every child chuckling, every headteacher happy and every manager breathing a sigh of relief - No smile left behind! |