Maxy Farm Day Nursery in Cottam

Qualifications: L3 Childcare

Career overview: I have been part of the Ashbridge family for 18 years, starting working at Lindle Lane in a variety of positions before becoming manager of The Fledglings.  I was the first manager at Ashbridge on Ribble and managed the nursery for 3 years before moving on to Maxy Farm in August 2017.

Professional interests: I am passionate about children’s happiness and development in the Early Years with my biggest influence to date being a trip to visit nurseries in Sweden and Finland.  This trip, funded by Ashbridge, helped me to recognise the ethos of Scandinavian learning and has led to us implementing it at Maxy Farm.

Personal interests: I am very fortunate that my children were able to be part of the Ashbridge family through nursery and school. In my spare time I enjoy watching my three children play sport and walking our dog with my husband Martin.

Qualifications: BTEC Level 3 in Early Years, TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)Career overview: I started working at Ashbridge as a Nursery Practitioner in 2011. I have progressed through the company since then, experiencing roles such as Room Leader, Deputy Manager, 2-3s Manager and my current role as Nursery Manager at Maxy Farm.Professional interests: Having experienced a life changing educational trip to Sweden and Finland in 2017, I’m incredibly passionate about outdoor play, outdoor sleeping, heuristic play and the way in which children develop their PSE skills.Personal interests: I have always been a keen traveller, from living in Australia and Abu Dhabi and doing volunteer work in Cambodia, to visiting incredible countries such as Thailand, Singapore and The Maldives. I also love to cook and go to the gym.

Qualifications: BA Children and Young People’s ServicesCareer overview: I have been with Ashbridge since 2014 years and have worked at all sites.  After starting my career at Lindle Lane I transferred to Fledglings as a Room Leader and then Team Leader.  Whilst preparing for the opening of Maxy Farm I worked at all three nursery sites in a variety of roles.Professional interests: My passion lies in the care and development of 0-2 year olds. I believe strongly that children need to be nurtured and focus on the importance of their attachment with their key person.Personal interests: I am country girl at heart and love the great outdoors.  I spend much of my spare time walking and horse riding.

Qualifications: Level 3 NVQCareer overview: I have worked for Ashbridge since February 2015, originally starting my career at Ashbridge on Ribble where I worked my way from practitioner to room leader. I then transferred over to Maxy Farm upon my return from maternity leave and am now working as a team leader.Professional interests: I have an interest in all areas of children development but particularly enjoy supporting children in their communication and language development as watching the different ways children communicate is magical to me, going from non verbal cues as a young baby to being able to hold a conversation as a preschooler, it's amazing how much children develop in this area in such a short period of time.Personal Interests: I am very family orientated so most of my time is spend with my husband and daughter, going on family walks and days out.

Qualifications: L3 NVQ

Career overview: I have worked for Ashbridge since June 2016, starting at The Fledglings as a practitioner and trainee SENCO. Throughout my time with Ashbridge I have progressed to Room Leader and then to my current role as Team Leader.

Professional interests: I have an interest in all areas of children’s development, however my current focus is encouraging outdoor learning.  I try and encourage creativity throughout all learning aspects.

Personal interests: I recently married my husband in the beautiful Lake Garda.  I have a true passion for travelling and discovering new things.  My hobbies include skiing, mountain biking, hiking and fine art; painting, line drawing and abstract.

Hannah is currently enjoying maternity leave. Her profile will be added to the website on her return to work.

Qualifications: PGCE (General Primary)Career development: I joined the Ashbridge team in 2003 with a dual role of Nursery Practitioner and Trainee Teaching Assistant. After studying for my PGCE I returned to Ashbridge as a teacher in the school, before a career break to take care of my son. Following the career break I returned to Ashbridge in 2017 working in pre school.Professional interests: I am a firm believer that learning through play, particularly in the Early Years, is key to maintaining each and every child’s individuality. Learning through play builds confidence and therefore provides each young thriving individual with a solid base from which to flourish.Personal interests: During my spare time I like to draw and paint and I also enjoy photography. Occasionally I like to attend the theatre and concerts, from musicals to ballet to music concerts. Health and fitness are also very important to me and I love to spend time with my family and socialise with friends.

Qualifications: BSc PGCECareer overview: I joined Ashbridge at Maxy Farm in October 2018 after teaching in Primary Schools for over 7 years. I started as a practitioner, then progressed to a Room Leader and then began working as an EY teacher in September 2019.Professional interests: I am passionate about learning through play and love to see the children in my class increase in confidence, develop social skills, and learn essential early skills in Maths and Literacy, whilst 'just playing!' I aim to provide the children with exciting, engaging activities that motivate them to attempt and master new skills, as well as fostering a love of learning. The outdoor ethos at Maxy Farm is what attracted me in the first place and I enjoy finding new ways to take learning outside. I believe strongly in the importance of nurturing the children's happiness and well-being and feel that personal, social and emotional skills are as essential for their future as academic progress.Personal interests: In my own time, I enjoy listening to an playing music on the piano and flute.  I also enjoy walking and swimming.  I love spending time with my family; my husband and two children, Joshua and Jeremy, who both attend Maxy Farm.