The winners of the 2015 NMT Childcare Listing of
Five Most Inspirational People are:

Stuart Bamford

Head Teacher/ Founder, Chelsea Pre-Prep & Nursery

Judges Comments:
Chelsea Pre-Prep & Nursery received an Outstanding in its last Ofsted inspection and it is clear that Stuart makes every parent and child feel the most important in the school. Stuart is always thinking outside the box and has a highly personalised approach and will always involve parents in their child’s care and education. Stuart founded the SW London Nursery Consortium and is currently involved in charity projects to build schools in deprived areas of Vietnam.

It would be a real challenge to find another headteacher as skilled in assessing a young child’s innate strengths, character and personal fears. Stuart Bamford has proven over and over a skilled and sensitive approach to each child’s needs and is able to integrate each child within a dynamic curriculum comprised of early development, physical awareness and the fostering of self-possession.

Stuart works tirelessly in supporting and inspiring his staff through professional development, career progression, external global teaching experiences and crucially creating a positive working environment and always leading from the front by example. He is truly an inspiring leader!

One of the main inspiring achievements is how Stuart has now started to build both a kindergarten and primary school in Vietnam through hard work and fundraising activities of himself and his school. He has developed opportunities for his teachers to visit and work with these new schools and his students to develop their social awareness.

Stuart founded the SW London Nursery Consortium which was his idea for some of the top London nursery schools in SW London to join together to re-focus nursery education into what is best for that individual child and family, share ideas and support parents in their decision process.

Stuart also works alongside professionals to help children with SEN, by qualifying every staff member as well as providing opportunities for student placements and is a mentor for teachers and managers at other schools for support.

Jennifer Blain

Founder and Principal, Denning Montessori School

Judges Comments:
Jennifer has spent a lifetime in the sector and is a big believer that every child is very unique. She inspires children, parents and her team and is always open to new ideas. Jenny’s ethos is quality over quantity. Her school is small and for many years it was just her and one other teacher, giving their all to the children. Jennifer was a finalist for ‘Teacher of the Year’ in the Sue Ryder Women of Achievement Awards in 2011. She wants the very best for each child, giving 100% to the children, inspiring her staff and always looking for ways to be better.

From the earliest age, Jenny knew that she always wanted to work with children, she left home aged 16, completed a two years residential nursery nurse, course, became a nanny first, then a Montessori Teacher and Montessori Head Teacher, and then the owner and principal of her own Montessori School, which she has run for the last 23 years. The impact Jenny has had on children and families is profound and long lasting. Very young children who are now grown up with their own children and their parents still remember Jenny fondly.

Barbara Isaacs, Academic Director for the Montessori Centre International and the Senior Accreditation officer for the Montessori Accreditation & Evaluation Board, on visiting Denning Montessori School said “The school should be renamed “Paradise Montessori”, because it is paradise in early year’s education, Montessori as Montessori is meant to be.

She cares deeply about the quality of experience that she provides to the children. She is incredibly, modest and selfless, she has a real “servant mindset”, she cares deeply about each child and treats them as a totally unique individual and it shows. She also works in very close partnership with parents. She is continually challenging herself and her staff to be better and is always open to new ideas, forever, learning, developing and growing. She has inspired past pupils to become Montessori Teachers, she has supported many people in their training.

Sue Jones

Nursery Group Owner, Evolution Childcare

Judges Comments:
Sue is a huge believer in engaging with parents and campaigns for parent involvement. She is a determined character who believes there should be no divide between sectors and the best outcomes come when we share good practise together. She has her own e-learning platform for all staff and offers in-house training with over 100 courses offered to all employees. Sue has so much enthusiasm and a real get up and go attitude.

Sue has a phrase ‘Teamwork makes the Dream work’ and this is her working ethos that shines in all that she does. Sue works incredibly hard and constantly raises the bar with her ‘plan, do, review’ approach to personal, company and team progression.

Sue is a pioneering person for the Sector and campaigns hard for the sustainability of the sector and regularly engages MP’s discussing policy changes which make significant differences to us as providers plus the families and children we care for.

Sue has built a UK nursery group of 12 settings and also a growing international group with 7 nurseries in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia opening in 2016. Sue was selected by Etihad Airways as the chosen provider to operate their first workplace nursery in Etihad Plaza, Abu Dhabi and are now rolling this across 10 other head office sites.

Sue has applied and is a candidate to offer the Government funded parent app and website and is funding this personally to really deliver parents with an app that delivers a fair and unbiased summary of what is available to them in the area.

Sue is a worthy candidate for inspirational person in the sector and after a visit by Sam Gyimah the Education minister he advised all nursery providers and Local Authorities to go and visit her settings to see the outstanding environments and commitment to staff training and development that Sue offers.

Catriona Nason

Managing Director, Daycare Doctor

Judges Comments:
Catriona contributes towards many initiatives within the sector and uses her unique creativity to offer a solution-driven approach. She used her own funds to set up the Ofsted Big Conversation (OBC) website and has been an active member of this group on a national level, liaising with the sector press and Ofsted. Catriona is dynamic and motivational and has an incredible generosity of spirit to the sector and is passionate about improving the quality of provision.

For Catriona, life is a creative adventure, full of exciting possibilities. She is keenly perceptive of others, with a fast-thinking, forward-looking view of people and of the world. Catriona’s compassion for others manifests itself in the warm support and acknowledgement she so readily gives. Catriona is quick to discern how individuals and groups work, identifying their strengths and their areas of development. She is both supportive and compelling in helping them take the practical steps they need to achieve their goals.

She is the current chair of NEYTCO and has invested a lot of time and energy to establish NEYTCO as the only community interest company for Early Years trainers and consultants.
Catriona’s talents are also used as the CEO of a group of voluntary nurseries – Gateway. She was headhunted into this role due to her expertise and talents and was quickly able to develop relationships and promote quality within all of the settings. Within a government setting she is a dynamic member of the All-Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood, speaking up on behalf of children to make sure that they do indeed get a healthy start to life.

Catriona has always made time to reinvest her experience and energy back into the community through a wide range of voluntary and charitable groups. She has and will continue to make a massive difference within the sector.

Kate Peach

Managing Director/Nursery Owner, Each Peach Childcare

Judges Comments:
Kate is not afraid to speak out and stands up for what she believes and sticks to her care principle of quality. She is a giving person, very passionate and gives herself for others. Kate is a big believer in quality over quantity and she inspires through training and by being a role model. Through her experience and knowledge she is able to read a situation quickly and develop a strategy to best manage it. Kate is dynamic and inspiring, she’s worked in every role from nursery nurse to MD and owns her own nursery which is leading in its field. She has a sound knowledge of the sector, to which she adds a large splash of verve and passion, which makes her a real ambassador.

When Kate talks others listen and she will inspire a room of people drawing them in to feel her vision. Kate’s keen to learn and evolve and will support others to reach the ultimate goal in quality childcare. She works and develops to not only improve her direct business but to learn and develop within the wider industry. She supports what is right within the sector and works hard to exceed what is expected. Kate has great knowledge of current affairs and will work tirelessly to promote and ensure majority opinion is heard. Kate puts herself forward to support influential roles within the sector so that she can bring this back to the local settings. Kate is a highly recognised and respected amongst her peers.

Kate works with others so that they recognise their own areas for development and celebrates their areas of strength, this creates great respect amongst the people she works with. Because Kate is working to exceed requirements this puts her one step ahead and others follow her lead and use and respect her support. Kate is involved in many larger industry projects and gatherings/meetings. She puts herself forward to support others or lead seminars and training and will be at the forefront in campaigning in and developing current industry affairs. Kate Plays a massive part within the OFSTED big conversation and meets with the regional OFSTED representatives on behalf of all her local settings. She also chairs her local NDNA network meeting.

Kate is inspirational in the Childcare industry because of her passion and integrity. She has high standards which in-turn increase the opportunities and experiences of children in her care. Kate can relate to and empathise with parents and families and staying consistent in her beliefs they gain a consistent and quality service. By influencing and training staff formally and by example she is a strong leader. Getting to know them individually she can inspire them to join her vision to exceed what is expected or needed.

The 2015 NMT Nursery Top 20 dinner was be held at the fantastic top floor restaurant at the Barclays HQ in Canary Wharf in the City of London on the 21st May 2015.