Initiatives
Community Support
Winner: Rosebuds Preschool at Loughborough Community Centre
Highly Commended: Fit N Fun Kids
Finalists:
Marcham Little Angels
Marcham Little Angels
Eco-Friendly Early Years Award
Winner: Enya's Childcare
Highly Commended: Tops Day Nurseries and Young Friends Nature Nursery
Finalists:
Honey Pot Nursery Group
Honey Pot Nursery Group
Health and Wellbeing Award
Sponsored by Fennies Nurseries
Winner: The LEYF Early Years Chef Academy - London Early Years Foundation
Finalists:
Keep Your Cool Toolbox - Mine Conkbayir Consultancy
Woodlands Wellbeing Charter - Woodlands Day Nursery
Keep Your Cool Toolbox - Mine Conkbayir Consultancy
Woodlands Wellbeing Charter - Woodlands Day Nursery
Enabling Environments Award
Winners: Houghton Community Nursery School and Meadow Lane Children’s Nursery
Highly Commended: Enquiry Based Provision at Little Barn Owls Farm and Forest School
Finalists:
Forest School at Tynemouth Nursery Group
Imaginative Spaces at N Family Club
Into the Outdoors, responding to COVID at Barnkids
Forest School at Tynemouth Nursery Group
Imaginative Spaces at N Family Club
Into the Outdoors, responding to COVID at Barnkids
Nursery Food Award
Winner: Elmscot Broussa Day Nursery
Finalist:
Amberley Hall Day Nursery
Amberley Hall Day Nursery
Inclusive Practice Award
Sponsored by nasen
Winner: Warberries Care Home Intergenerational Childminders
Highly Commended: The Interactive Music-Making (IMM) Training Course and Network and SEND to Learn Nursery
Finalists:
International Gingerbread Travels - Child's Play Nursery
Mark's Gate Nursery Food Bank & Community Outreach - London Early Years Foundation
International Gingerbread Travels - Child's Play Nursery
Mark's Gate Nursery Food Bank & Community Outreach - London Early Years Foundation
Online and Social Media Award
Winner: Better Start Bradford
Highly Commended: Muddy Boots Nurseries and Shada Lambert
Team Development Award
Winner: Learning & Development at The London Early Years Foundation
Finalists:
Continuous professional development with our support at The Elms Day Nursery - University of Birmingham
Talent Management at Treehouse Nursery School
Continuous professional development with our support at The Elms Day Nursery - University of Birmingham
Talent Management at Treehouse Nursery School
Working with Babies and Toddlers
Winner: The Baby and Toddler Pod at Snapdragons Nursery
Highly Commended: Supporting the Under 2’s at The Old Forge Day Nursery
Working with Parents Award
Winner: FAB (Families Are Best) - Harrington Nursery School
Highly Commended: Tots Talking - I CAN Children's Communication Charity
Finalists:
Hand in Hand Parent/Carer Network - SEND to Learn
Talking Together - BHT Early Education and Training, funded by Better Start Bradford
Hand in Hand Parent/Carer Network - SEND to Learn
Talking Together - BHT Early Education and Training, funded by Better Start Bradford
Equipment
Professional Books
Winner: Best Practice Guidance by The Education People, The Education People
Highly Commended:
Exercising Muscles and Minds, Second Edition, by Marjorie Ouvry and Amanda Furtado, Jessica Kingsley Publisher
Learning without Fear, by Julia Stead and Ruchi Sabharwal, Crown House Publishing
Finalists:A Sense of Place: Mindful practice outdoors, by Annie Davy, Bloomsbury Education
It's OK to Cry, by Molly Potter, illustrated by Sarah Jennings, Bloomsbury Education
Individuals
Childminder of the Year
Sponsored by childcare.co.uk
Winner: Vicki Chenery
Highly Commended: Catherine Fay
Finalists:
Julie Dixon
Michaela Ellis
Julie Dixon
Michaela Ellis
Newcomer of the Year
Winner: Kayla Jones, Daisy Chain Nursery
Finalist:
Bethany Hayter, Gateways School
Bethany Hayter, Gateways School
Nursery Manager of the Year
Sponsored by Christie & Co
Winner: Karen Potter, Wind in the Willows Nursery
Highly Commended: Kath Dickinson, SEND to Learn
Finalists:
Danielle Riley, Woodlands Day Nursery
Deana Hunt, Brock House Day Nursery
Eleanor Hutton, Explorosity Education
Melanie Shepherd, Muddy Boots Nursery
Sophia Covill, Meadow Lane Children’s Nursery
Danielle Riley, Woodlands Day Nursery
Deana Hunt, Brock House Day Nursery
Eleanor Hutton, Explorosity Education
Melanie Shepherd, Muddy Boots Nursery
Sophia Covill, Meadow Lane Children’s Nursery
Nursery Operations / Regional Manager
Winner: Martha Bott, Little Giggles Private Day Nursery and Pre-School
Highly Commended: Jayne Mallett, Nina’s Nurseries
Finalist:
Clare Porter, Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries
Clare Porter, Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries
Nanny of the Year
Sponsored by BAPN and Nannytax
Winner: Cristina Sajtos
Highly Commended: Keziah Warne
Finalists:
Bernadette Rodbourn
Holly Chaberka
Jackie Robertson
Stefanie Coleman
Bernadette Rodbourn
Holly Chaberka
Jackie Robertson
Stefanie Coleman
Nursery Practitioner of the Year
Winner: Robert Sherrington, Spring by Action for Children - Bensham
Highly Commended: Amy Chappell, Evergreen Early Years and Jessica Angell, Kindred Nurseries - Odstock
Finalists:
Amy Delooze, The Quays Day Nursery
Petra Gulyassy, Fennies Nurseries - Woking
Amy Delooze, The Quays Day Nursery
Petra Gulyassy, Fennies Nurseries - Woking
Outstanding Contribution
Winner: Nicola Fleury, Director - KidzRus Nursery
Finalists:
Jamie Louise Fitton, Owner and Director - Little Giggles Private Day Nursery and Pre-School
Mary Rose, Deputy Manager - Seahorse Nursery School
Jamie Louise Fitton, Owner and Director - Little Giggles Private Day Nursery and Pre-School
Mary Rose, Deputy Manager - Seahorse Nursery School
Trainer of the Year
Sponsored by Nursery Story
Winner: Vicki Dawson
Highly Commended: Edwina Revel and Georgia Leech
Finalists:
Ben Kingston-Hughes
Ben Kingston-Hughes
Organisations
Early Years in School Award
Winner: Newbridge School
Finalists:
Gateways School
Kingsgate Primary School
Gateways School
Kingsgate Primary School
Childminding Business of the Year
Sponsored by childcare.co.uk
Winner: Kayla's House
Highly Commended: Julie & Jo's Childcare
Finalists:
Catherine Fay - Childminder
Vicki Chenery - Childminder
Catherine Fay - Childminder
Vicki Chenery - Childminder
Nursery Group of the Year
Sponsored by Realise
Winner: Little Barn Owls Farm and Forest School
Highly Commended: London Early Years Foundation (LEYF)
Finalists:
Child’s Play Private Nursery
Fennies Nurseries
N Family Club
The Village Nursery Group
Child’s Play Private Nursery
Fennies Nurseries
N Family Club
The Village Nursery Group
Pre-School of the Year
Winner: Puddleduck Preschool
Highly Commended: Clophill Preschool and Enya's Childcare
Finalists:
Fit N Fun Kids
Leeds Montessori School & Day Nursery
Fit N Fun Kids
Leeds Montessori School & Day Nursery
Nursery of the Year
Sponsored by childcare.co.uk
Winner: Honey Pot Day Nursery - Garston
Highly Commended: Young Friends Nature Nursery and Meadow Lane Children's Nursery
Finalists:
The Blue Door Nursery
Leeds Montessori School & Day Nursery
The Blue Door Nursery
Leeds Montessori School & Day Nursery
Lifetime Achievement Award
Neil Leitch
Early Years Alliance
Neil was in semi-retirement from a successful career in finance, when in 2000, he was asked to volunteer his skills in business to what was then the Pre-school Learning Alliance.
Finding its ethos and dedication to the lives of young children chimed deeply with his values, within three years Neil had become its director of communications. In 2008, he was appointed chief executive and since then has
been a strident leader of the largest early years membership organisation in the country, overseeing its rebrand to the Early Years Alliance in 2019 – a reflection of its ambition to give a united voice to all involved in educating and caring for young children.
Neil has fronted numerous sector campaigns, on fair funding, mental health and notably, ‘Rewind on Ratios’, which successfully protected adult-to-child ratios in settings. He has provided evidence to multiple government inquiries and played a pivotal role in developing the two-year-old free childcare entitlement offer. He continues to be a powerful voice for the sector as it calls on government for support in facing the coronavirus crisis.
Finding its ethos and dedication to the lives of young children chimed deeply with his values, within three years Neil had become its director of communications. In 2008, he was appointed chief executive and since then has
been a strident leader of the largest early years membership organisation in the country, overseeing its rebrand to the Early Years Alliance in 2019 – a reflection of its ambition to give a united voice to all involved in educating and caring for young children.
Neil has fronted numerous sector campaigns, on fair funding, mental health and notably, ‘Rewind on Ratios’, which successfully protected adult-to-child ratios in settings. He has provided evidence to multiple government inquiries and played a pivotal role in developing the two-year-old free childcare entitlement offer. He continues to be a powerful voice for the sector as it calls on government for support in facing the coronavirus crisis.
