Our team

The catalyst for Grace’s came when we were looking for a day nursery for our eldest daughter and saw exactly what was in the local area and therefore felt that there was an opportunity to create the sort of environment that we would like as parents. It has been fantastic to start something from scratch and to watch it grow into the business that it has become. Covid has obviously brought plenty of challenges, however, I genuinely look forward to the future, as we continue to challenge what we do, improve the service that we provide to all of our families and to further grow the business.

I am married to Jo and we have 3 daughters and therefore I am completely outnumbered! I also co-run the garden centre with my cousin Andrew and Jo, Andrew, Michelle and I started Grace’s Day Nursery back in January 2011. No two days are ever the same when running two such varied businesses but that is part of the enjoyment and I feel very fortunate to be in a business where we represent the 5^th generation to be involved.

In my spare time I obviously enjoy spending time with the family, watching rugby (certainly no longer playing!), keeping fit and going on long family dog walks and yes, all 3 girls have me wrapped around their little fingers!

I have worked with children for over 20 years but initially in a very different environment as a doctor! When James and I had our first daughter the opportunity arose to start our own nursery with Andrew and Michelle and together we embarked on the most incredible journey of setting up Grace’s. The last few years have zoomed by and have involved a very steep learning curve but have also been enormous fun.

I continue to work as a paediatrician in London as well as working at Grace’s and of course looking after our own children. What I love most about working with children, no matter which environment I am in, is that children continually amaze, amuse and generally enchant me! I truly count myself lucky to work with fantastic people at Grace’s – not only the team but the parents and most importantly the children – no two days are ever the same!

In my spare time I love to bake exceptionally unhealthy food and then attempt to keep fit by running and going to the gym!

When we started Grace’s we decided to name the business after our Grandma for two reasons, firstly she was a real believer in education and standards and secondly, family was the most important thing to her. We have developed Grace’s with her values always in mind and at the core of everything we do. As the Nursery bears her name, we hope and believe that she would be proud of what we strive to do and she would have loved to see all the children thriving and learning in her old home.

My other job is running the Garden Centre with James, we feel incredibly lucky to be able to work in two great industries with two fantastic teams behind us. In between the business’ I spend my spare time with my wife and my son and I am incredibly proud to see Leo thriving in Grace’s Nursery House, it is great to be able to see the Nursery from the other side!

I have been working in nurseries for 20 years and in a leadership role for the past 17 years. My husband is a secondary school teacher and together we have three sons, so there is a shared interest in children and definitely a lot of talk and debate about childcare and education in our house…often with us disagreeing!

I came to Grace’s to assist James, Jo and Andrew in the set up in 2010 and love the fact that it has such a family feel for both the team and families. I am fortunate to work somewhere where every day is different and alongside excellent colleagues who all share the passion I have for making such a difference to the lives of young children and their families. I think we have created a culture where our team are valued and supported to grow and develop and this is key in order for us not to become complacent as Practitioners.

I have been working in childcare since 1998, which has mainly been in day nurseries as well as a Nanny to a local family.

I always knew I wanted to work with children from the day I left school and I began my career as a practitioner allowing me to develop my knowledge along the way. This then enabled me to progress into Management making me the Nursery Manager I am today. I am extremely passionate about making a difference to the families and children coming to our nursery and watching them develop into strong, confident individuals we encourage them to be.

My days are varied, rewarding and there is never a dull moment at Little Grace’s. I believe Grace’s is a nursery in which both the children and team are encouraged to reach their full potential.

I have always known from a very young age that working with children was where I belong and 25 years later I am still as passionate and enthusiastic about children as I was when I walked into my first nursery placement when I was 16 years old. Growing up, my mum worked in schools, afterschool clubs and I was around children every day and loved it.

I left school at 16 and took myself off to college to study my NNEB and loved every minute of it! Unfortunately my mum fell ill and passed away my second year into this so I did not complete the whole course and soon after I became a mum to my beautiful daughter so my life became very busy. A few years passed and I knew I wanted to continue with my childcare journey so I did my NVQ Level 3.

I  started my career at a private nursery in 2006 and worked my way up to gain more experience. I stayed there for 14 years, watching so many children learn and grow before going off to school, each time feeling so proud that I have been a part of their journey that equipped them with the tools they needed to be independent little people.

My vision, ethos and beliefs fit in so well with Graces and I can see across all sites how passionate and valued the team are and how happy and confident the children are. I cannot wait for my new journey to continue with this beautiful place and people.

My childcare experience began at 17 years old. I started by working a few hours a week in the same nursery as my Mum; my love for the job then grew and I quickly joined the team as a full time member. I gained my Level 2 and Level 3 qualification in Children and Young People’s Workforce whilst working. In 2013 I joined the Grace’s family and have loved every moment since.

I have been fortunate enough to progress from a practitioner to a deputy manager during my time. I love working with a team who are like a family; we are just as fortunate as the children, to have the setting that we have available, from visiting our forest school to seeing the reindeer at Christmas time. To be a part of such an important milestone in a family’s life is so rewarding; seeing the children grow and building trust with the parents and carers is by far the best part of my job. I love how Grace’s go above and beyond to make the difficult transition of leaving your child as easy as it can possibly be.

I am the proud mother of twin boys and have been working at Grace’s since it opened. Prior to working here, I worked in a pre-school. I began working in child-care when my children went to school. I spent a good deal of time settling them into pre-school and realised that I enjoyed my time there and seemed to get on well with the children. I was offered a position there when my children went to school and then took the relevant qualifications.

I began at Grace’s as an assistant practitioner and worked my way up to my current position of Deputy Manager. I am very proud to work at Grace’s as it has a warm, friendly atmosphere in which the team work together to ensure the children feel welcomed, valued and treated as individuals. It is very obvious that the team genuinely enjoy working with the children. It is also a wonderful environment to work in and we are spoilt in that our surroundings are always looking beautiful.

I have been working at Grace’s since it opened in 2011 and progressed from Practitioner to Deputy Manager. I love nothing more than a good musical and can often be heard singing the songs to my favourite musical ‘Joseph!’

As a child, I spent many happy holidays camping where we mainly spent time outside and taking long hikes. I was also a brownie and girl guide and so when the opportunity came up for me to train to become a qualified Forest School Leader for Grace’s, I jumped at the chance!

I think it is fantastic having a plastic-free, natural environment where the children can explore nature. I am always amazed at how imaginative and creative children can be with what they have around them. I think we are incredibly lucky to have a Forest School of our own at Grace’s.

There is never a dull day in the nursery and always something or someone to make you smile. It is really special to me that I work with such a fantastic team who all share the same ethos.