Hello, I’m Lorna, Nursery Manager. I have worked in childcare for 13 years, in different positions and roles, and have been a Nursery Manager for 9 years. In 2021, I had the most invaluable education and experience, having my own little bundle of joy – Michael. As well as being actively involved in childcare,  I also mentor and support the team, which has vital impact the children’s learning. I have a passion for outdoor learning and creating an environment that incorporates a variety of approaches such as Curiosity approach, Reggio Emilia, Froebel, Forest School & Steiner. 

It’s hard to choose a favourite book, but I love The Gruffalo, especially listening to the children recite the book and seeing how excited they get before the Gruffalo appears. Reading is pivotal to children’s it allows them to be calm and relaxed, creating new knowledge to enlighten their minds and provides children with important skills for later life.

I have been in childcare and education for 14 years, including in Reception class, so I understand the importance of bridging the gap between Pre-School and Reception. I have also travelled and taught in India. 

At Cricklade Manor Nursery, the team work together to provide a high-quality childcare and early learning experience for all the children they care for. Working with children is highly rewarding – you can see the significant impact you can have on a child’s development and wellbeing. Helping them build self-confidence and self-esteem at this early age is one of the most important foundations for every child. 

I enjoy reading different types of books to children, and my favourite story changes depending on the children’s interests. Lately, we have been enjoying When a Dragon Goes to School”by Carl Hart and Rosalind Beardshaw. This book is about a dragon’s first day in reception class and all the exciting things he experiences. It is perfect at this time of year, helping them gain confidence in discussing the next stage in their education. 

I have always loved working with children, coming from a big family and doing work experience in a nursery while at school sparked my passion for working with children and helping them reach their full potential. I’m currently completing my Early Years Practitioner foundation degree, and am exploring the importance of the child’s voice in their environment and free play, to help them express their own interests. I love the garden area that we have here and the opportunity we get to explore the outdoor environment. I love that we can get messy in forest school, looking for bugs and digging in the mud pit.

My favourite book is ‘Shark In the Park’ my Nick Sharratt. I love this story because the children can join in with the repeated refrains, looking for the shark. I also love ‘Zog’ by Julia Donaldson. This is such a lovely book where we can talk about caring for one another. 

I have been working in Early Years and child development since 2018, here at Cricklade Manor Nursery for the past five years, while working towards my BA in Early Childhood Studies. I love the outdoor Early Years garden areas, which offer plenty of experiences and opportunities for engagement for the children, especially in the Forest School and in PE.

My favourite story is ‘The Disgusting Sandwich’ by Gareth Edwards. It is very popular with the children, triggering lots of discussion topics to boost their communication and language skills and leading to activities that support their personal, social and emotional development.

I qualified as a teacher 35 years ago, in Primary Education with PE as specialism and have worked in Primary education up until the last 5 years. Then I stepped back and started working in the nursery with 2–4-year-olds and have loved it!

I love watching the children grow and develop through the different milestones; every day seeing the smile on their faces as they achieve something new. I have experience with Special Educational Needs as I have two children with Autism. I understand from a parent’s perspective how challenge yet rewarding looking SEN children can be. 

I love the older books such as Owl Babies and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, as I used to read these with my children. 

I started in childcare when my own two boys were settled in secondary school after living abroad for 5 years. I have since been in Early years for about 15 years and have worked with all ages from babies to preschoolers. I love working with the team at Cricklade Manor Nursery as we are all dedicated to the health, well-being and education of the children in our care.  It is a pleasure to watch them to grow and flourish before leaving us to the next big step in their educational path, school. I particularly enjoy helping the children in their creative artwork. 

I particularly enjoy the rhyming books such as any of the Julia Donaldson books, in particular Tiddler!  I also love sharing my love of these books with my own granddaughter. 

I have cared for children aged from 3 months to 4 years, and am currently working on my Level 3 childcare qualification.

No two days are ever the same here. We have a wide range of great resources like our beautiful walled garden and forest school. We love going on adventures round the school to explore these. I love getting super creative with messy play tuff trays, creating fun, and stimulating activities based of the children’s interested. I love encouraging and supporting children to get involved and exploring their senses through play. 

My favourite book to read to the children is We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, as the children enjoy getting involved and will join in with you. The children like to take this into the garden and role play the story.  

I started as a childminder in 2006 working in my home, during that time caring for about 120 children and was rated Outstanding by Ofsted. I love that no two days are the same here, the whole team at Cricklade is like a family and the children are all so energetic, enthusiastic and keen to learn. I have an extensive breadth of experience across all aspects of Early Years and Special Educational Needs, plus I consider myself to have a very creative approach to getting the children to be engaged in their learning. 

My absolute favourite book is We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. It’s such an engaging story that brings the children’s imagination alive, especially when combined with a trip to forest school. 

After working as a Childminding Assistant for 5 years, and then as a Senior Residential Support Worker for just over 2 years, I joined Cricklade Manor Nursery in 2023. It is wonderful to see the children grow and develop their skills and relationships with their peers. I would say I am a creative person and I enjoy watching the children learning new life skills and being curious and creative whether that’s baking or exploring different materials. 

I have a few favourite books that I like to read with the children especially anything by Julia Donaldson or Nick Sharatt, like ‘There’s a shark in the park’