The Hawthorns Nursery

I have over 30 years of experience in Early Years education and childcare, with 24 years of this managing nurseries in the local area. I am incredibly excited to be responsible for shaping the delivery of Early Years education and childcare at The Hawthorns Nursery and can’t wait to combine my wealth of experience with use of the School’s facilities and specialist teaching staff.

My journey in childcare began working for Greenwich Social Services, caring for vulnerable children in inner-city areas. Following the Romanian Revolution in 1989, I drove across Europe to live and work in an orphanage in a village in the north of Romania. Living within this community was a life-changing experience, which shaped the person I am today. It has led me to thrive on meeting new people and families and enjoy forming strong relationships with them to understand their background and culture and what is important to them as a family, before weaving this into the care and development of their child.

Early Years education and childcare at The Hawthorns School is built around child-led discovery, exploration and fun, supported and extended by loving and responsive Nursery staff. I thoroughly enjoy spending time throughout the week with each child in my care, getting to know them, setting up interesting areas for them to explore and facilitating their learning through quality interactions. I also enjoy using my experience to support my team, developing their skills in a way that facilitates individual care and development for each child.

I am mum to three young adults and am so proud of who they are, their achievements and ambition. I look forward to meeting you and your family and cherishing your child with you, as they grow and develop as individuals and in character.

Having realised my passion for working with children as a swimming teacher in Cape Town, South Africa, the move to working in the Early Years Foundation Stage in the UK seemed only natural. My career, first as a member of nursery staff, and more lately in leadership roles has given me a firm understanding of the approaches that are most effective to nurture and develop the children in my care. I understand the importance of process and structure, but also believe that children are individuals and require their respective balance of structure, love and care.

Outside work, I love animals and nature. I enjoy playing netball, competing in triathlons and running and have participated in numerous events from 5km to ultra-marathon distance runs.

As a mother to a two-year-old, I wholeheartedly understand the importance of strong relationships between nursery staff and families and always strive to develop an open and trusting relationship with parents.

With the incredible facilities and experienced colleagues at The Hawthorns, I look forward to giving the children in my care the best foundation that allows them to grow to their full potential, without compromising fun and enjoyment.