Every parent wants to find a nursery with staff who are friendly, enthusiastic and nurturing with a real commitment to childcare. Our Nursery Manager Cathy, and her amazing team are all those things. It is clear from the children’s enthusiastic arrival in the morning that they have positive relationships with their carers. Find a bit more about them here.
How did you get into childcare? Through my children. I was helping out at their preschool and really enjoyed being with the children. I loved the realisation that the little people are the future of our society, and they are going out there being armed with the skills that we can give them.
What makes Learning Curve special? The team – everyone brings something unique. We are like a family! And the outdoor space is phenomenal.
What do you bring to the nursery? I love music, and I like to bring music into the nursery – painting to music and other activities. I love an experiment and simple science and watching the awe and wonder that comes from them. No matter how many times you do it, the amazement is the same!
What’s your favourite children’s book? Alice in Wonderland! Beware of the Bears is my favourite to read to the children.
Tell us something fun about you? I love a practical joke, and really observing when a child develops a sense of humour around 3 and 4 years old.
What’s your favourite thing about working in the Early Years? Just them! Every child has something special about them. Watching them go from Bees and flourishing until they go to Badgers and then off to school. And the stuff they come out with!
How did you get into childcare? I helped out in my son’s preschool and when he went to school and started working towards my Level 2 qualification. I continued from there and here I am today!
What makes Learning Curve special? The environment is special. I’ve never been to any other setting that offers the kind of outside environment. It is such a happy place to work!
What do you bring to Learning Curve? I love anything creative! I’ve worked in the Early Years for over 20 years and have lots of experience working with SEN children, including one of my own sons. I am qualified to Level 6 as an Early Years practitioner and also have a Level 3 qualification in Special Needs.
What’s your favourite children’s book? All the Julia Donaldson books! I love the repetitiveness and how they rhyme!
Can you tell us something fun about you? I love my silly dancing and will often burst into song as soon as someone says a word!
What makes Learning Curve special? It has a family, welcoming, doors-always-open feel about it and there’s loads of outside space so we get to explore the outdoors!
What do you bring to Learning Curve? I think it helps to be a little bit silly, and crazy to bring out the fun for the children. I’m creative and I encourage the children to be creative too.
What is your favourite book? Any Julia Donaldson book!
What is your favourite thing about working with the children? Everything they give back to you! When you see the children grow and realise how much you’ve done to develop each child.
What makes Learning Curve special? The educational opportunities available to staff so they can learn and develop themselves within the role. The team are really friendly and the rooms are big and spacious.
What do you bring to Learning Curve? I’d like to think I’m a chatty, friendly, warm-hearted person, and empathetic.
What is your favourite children’s book? Elmer, and The Gruffalo. I also like the song Row Row the Boat because the babies respond to the the rowing action quickly.
Tell us something fun about you I enjoy fishing, and ice skating, long walks in the sun – and I previously used to be a beautician
What do you enjoy most about working with children? I like seeing them grow – watching them learn to talk, walk, talk, saying their first words, and seeing their progression and confidence grow! It’s lovely to see how far along they come in such a short amount of time and to know you’ve had a part in that!
What makes Learning Curve special? The outdoor space! We’re out in all weathers, so the children have the freedom to create their own play and learning with the natural resources.
What do you bring to Learning Curve? I like making things from nothing – den building with the tarpaulins, junk modelling, gingerbread at Christmas, a rocket in Space, everything like that!
What’s your favourite children’s book? I love reading all the Julia Donaldson books to the children. Once we read a book, the children want to read it over and over again. We also enjoy doing CD stories after lunch for some calm time.
Tell us something fun about you! (Asks children) Apparently, I’m great at playing!
What’s your favourite thing about working with the children? The random things they come out with – the children just put a smile on your face!
What makes Learning Curve special? The support in the team is great and the atmosphere is happy, energic, happy-go-lucky. I’ve never seen a place with so much varied garden space.
What do you bring to the nursery? Reading and creating ideas on the spot!
What’s your favourite children’s book? Anything that encourages engagement from the children, and allows you to dramatise stories and bring them to life. Having all the children joining in with ‘You can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man’, or being the Big Bad Wolf in the Three Little Pigs: ‘I’ll huff and I’ll puff…’
Tell us something fun about you! I’ve just got a new apricot cockapoo puppy called Kion!
What’s your favourite thing about working with the children? The amazing things they say!
What do you like best about Learning Curve Day Nursery? All the outside space available to the children and how they grow their own fruit and vegetables.
What do you bring to the Nursery? I love reading to the children.
What is your favourite children’s book? I particularly like the Topsy and Tim stories.
Tell us something fun about you I love to have a sing song and a dance.
What makes Learning Curve special? We have a great and flexible team. No matter what, we come together and work together for the children.
What do you bring to Learning Curve? I’m musical, so I love singing with the children and learning new songs. I enjoy getting parents involved and supporting parents by showing them the reason why we’re doing what we’re doing with the children and showcasing what the children are learning.
What’s your favourite children’s book? The Tiger Who Came to Tea is my absolute favourite. Getting that joy of reading starts with how you read to children. I’ll make a story sack with props representing characters and things in from the book and then perform the story.
Tell us something fun about you! I’m a bit crazy! I don’t mind what people think of me, as long as the children are enjoying themselves and having fun, I’ll do anything, so they have a great time!
What’s your favourite thing about working in the Early Years? Seeing the children develop during their time with us, from exploring phonics and writing, to hanging up washing on the line. At Learning Curve the children learn independence so they’re ready for what life holds next!
What makes Learning Curve special? How we strive to develop each child’s independence and encourage child-led learning.
What do you bring to Learning Curve? I like the problem-solving aspect of the job – when something isn’t going to plan I enjoy turning it around on the spot and doing something different.
What’s your favourite children’s book? Tabby McTat, The Gruffalo – anything by Julia Donaldson!
Tell us something fun about you! I am a horse rider!
What’s your favourite thing about working around children every day? Seeing the world through their eyes, and how it influences what you do and the way you look at things.