Start Your Own Early Learning Programme
Turn your passion for children into a meaningful income while helping young children build the foundations for lifelong success.
WHAT IS A SMARTSTARTER?
SmartStarters, also known as franchisees, are the people who make SmartStart’s ambition of giving every child the power to succeed a reality.
A SmartStarter is an ECD practitioner who is licensed to use the SmartStart curriculum and daily programme at their own early learning centre. They give children in their communities access to early learning, while running a business and generating and income for themselves and their family.
SmartStarters are trained by SmartStart, supported by a network of coaches throughout their ECD centre’s journey and are part of the SmartStart network. SmartStarters are also connected to a club of other ECD practitioners in their area so they can learn from each other, support each other and grow your centres together.
Every child deserves a safe, nurturing space to learn, grow, and someone to guide them, stretch their learning and believe in them. That someone could be you! If you want to start your own ECD centre, we will support you to use the spaces that you already have in your home and in your community to open your centre.
SmartStart provides Early Learning Franchisees with:
Apply to Become a SmartStarter
Business Skills Training
Learn how to run a sustainable ECD centre that makes an income.
Curriculum & Learning Tools
Give children quality early learning using SmartStart’s proven curriculum and daily programme.
Play Kits & Resources
Access to resources to kickstart your ECD centre and tools to keep it running.
Child Development Tracking
Access tools and guidance to monitor children’s progress and create reports for parents.
Coaching Support
Receive ongoing guidance from experienced coaches, FundaChat and SmartStart call centre.
SmartStart Clubs
Join a supportive club of ECD practitioners in your area.
Bana Pele Registration Support
Receive step by step guidance to register your ECD centre with the department of basic education.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
If you:
Then becoming a SmartStarter could be right for you.
SMARTSTARTER JOURNEY
If you apply to become a SmartStarter, here’s what your journey will look like:
Matching Day
Applicants complete criminal checks and identity verification and psychometric test to make sure they are the right fit to work with children. Candidates who are successfully matched to our skills requirements are invited to Start-up Training.
Start Up Training
Start-up Training is a 5 day training on: the SmartStart carriculum, daily programme, how track children’s development and how to run a safe and income generating ECD centre. Successful applicants they will receive a Starter Licence, to officially making you a SmartStarter.
Consolidation Meeting
After start-up, SmartStarters attend a Consolidation Meeting where you will be asigned to a coach in your area. Your coach will help you sign your SmartStart contract, consolidate all of the required supporting documents and help you capture your first 3 child registration forms. This is also where you will elect a Club Leader for your club.
SmartSpacing
Your coach will visit your site within 2-4 weeks after your consolidation meeting to inspects the ECD centre venue against SmartSpace checklist. If criteria for a safe ECD centre is met, you will be issued a SmartSpace Certificate.
Bana Pele Bronze Registration
SmartStarters prepare their documents (purple file) and complete Bronze registration on the Department of Education’s e-Cares website.
Club Meetings and Events
SmartStarters attend montly club meeting and participate in club challenges where they can win prizes. SmartStarters attend an annual clubs gathering event hosted by SmartStart.
Programme quality assurance
3-6 months after SmartSpacing, PQA visit is completed by the Club Coach, to assess SmartStarter’s ECD centre’s teaching and learning quality
Ongoing Training
SmartStarters attend Child Progress Training, Business Skills Training and Silver/Gold registration Training every few months.
Ongoing Coaching
Coaches run Coaching Circles with clubs quarterly to check in, run silver and gold registration clinics and provide additional support.
Annual Re-accreditation
1 Year of your SmartStarter Journey Complete
Coaches visit SmartStarters annually to evaluate each Franchisee’s programme quality and venue
