Rocket Talks: The Cost of Caring, with Kate Moxley

An INSET session with Kate Moxley opened a conversation at Rocket about the emotional demands of working in early childhood education. Alongside the familiar discussions about wellbeing came more personal reflections on pressure, exhaustion and the responsibilities involved in caring for others. The response prompted an invitation for Kate, founder of Wellness for All and Early Years Wellbeing Week, to return for a Rocket Talk, extending the conversation beyond the staff team to families, leaders and practitioners.

Speaking with Winsy Flores, Kate explored the early signs of stress and burnout, practical approaches to wellbeing and the role leaders play in creating workplaces where concerns can be discussed openly. The conversation made specialist knowledge accessible to a wider community and gave attention to a part of educational quality that is sometimes overlooked: the wellbeing of the adults who create the conditions in which children learn and grow. For Rocket, it was also a valuable extension of its professional culture, recognising that secure relationships, thoughtful leadership and care for educators matter to the everyday experience of children.