Almond House Nursery’s Team

We know it’s important for you to know who will be taking care of your child. Our professionally trained childcare practitioners are Almond House’s greatest asset and we like to shout their praises from the rooftops. We take pride in further investing in their qualifications and careers and the children reap the benefits of this.

Karen Hazelden

Nursery Proprietor

Qualified Nurse and Midwife

My motto - the most precious gift you can give a child is your time!

Brit Hazelden

Nursery Management Team

BA (Hons) in Early Years and Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)

My motto - A day digging for worms and making mud pies with children is a day well spent!

Megan Bell

Nursery Manager

BTEC Level 3 Early Years Educator

My Motto - Teaching young children isn't about simply imparting knowledge; it's in everything you do with them, every single day.

Mary Moran

Deputy Manager & Baby Room Leader

Working towards Level 6 Childcare and Education

Top tip - Children who engage with their local community have a more positive self-image than those who don't!

April Whitworth

Pre-school room leader

BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies, EYTS

Fun Fact - There are over 50 ways to make play-dough!

Emily Howgate

Tweenie Room Leader

Level 3 Childcare and Education

Top tip - All you need for hours of fun with children is a den made of a clothes horse and some old blankets!

Emma Ellis

Childcare Practitioner

Working towards Level 2 Childcare and Education

Top tip - Show your child it's fun to be silly by dressing up with them and joining in with their imaginative play.

Martin Bray

Nursery Chef

Top tip - Home cooked, wholesome food is the best fuel for healthy development.

Ian Skirrow

Maintenance manager

Ian has developed numerous nursery projects with 25 years experience under his tool belt.

Olga Poluian

Childcare Practitioner

Level 3 Early Years Educator

Fun fact - Being immersed in nature makes children (and grown-ups!) feel calm.

Ellie Fox

Childcare Practitioner

Working towards Level 3 Childcare and Education

Top tip - Blowing bubbles is great for soothing and entertaining babies and toddlers.

Crystal Hartley

Childcare Apprentice

Working towards Level 3 Childcare and Education

Top tip -Introduce new words and concepts regularly. For example, when they point to a dog, say "That's a big, brown dog”

Tanuja Mistry

Childcare Practitioner

Level 3 Early Years Educator

My motto: Always find a reason to laugh.

Maryam Khatoon

Nursery Assistant

My motto: Eat healthy, sleep well, breathe deeply, enjoy life.

Georgia Gerrard

Nursery Assistant

Working towards Level 3 Childcare and Education

My motto - If I come home with paint in my hair and muddy knees it's been a great day!

Abi Davies

Childcare Practitioner

Level 2 Early Years Educator

Top tip - A large cardboard box can be anything from a space rocket to a puppet theatre, the possibilities for play are endless!

Jemma Williams

Childcare Apprentice

Working towards Level 3 Childcare and Education

Play your child's favourite songs and dance around the living room—great for burning off energy!

Kasey Fox

Childcare Practitioner

Working towards Level 3 Early Years Educator

My motto: Eat healthy, sleep well, breathe deeply, enjoy life.

Fatima Bashir

Childcare Practitioner

Play your child's favourite songs and dance around the living room—great for burning off energy!

Phoebe Winnington

Childcare Practitioner

Working towards Level 3 Early Years Educator

Your encouragement today builds your child's courage for tomorrow.

Kathryn Ellis

Housekeeper

Create a natural cleaning paste by mixing baking soda and lemon juice. This mixture works wonders for removing stains, grime and odours from various surfaces.

“My little boy has learnt so many new skills. He loves to tell me what he has been up to. I also feel the staff have catered to his interests – mainly Diggers, which he has loved! There is always something new and interesting happening. It’s really important to me that I feel he is getting something extra from what I can give him by going to Nursery and I definitely feel he is.”

Sally, mother of Finn

“Our little girl started at Almond House just over a year ago and they are amazing. They were fab getting her settled in and she has just developed so much in the last year. The photos and updates on Tapestry keep us up to date with how she’s getting on. She’s made so many friends there and loves going. The team are great, very approachable and clearly love what they do.”

Sarah, mother of Lucia

“My Granddaughter has been attending Almond House for almost two years now and she really enjoys her time there and has progressed well developmentally. The food is excellent and my Granddaughter has enjoyed a wide variety of foods that she may not have opportunities to taste elsewhere. She also enjoys the regular cooking activities and especially enjoyed taking tea home for her and daddy a few weeks ago.”

Sandra, grandmother of Ava

“We are really happy we found Almond House. The staff were brilliant with our eldest, who was very shy and didn’t like leaving us. They followed her personal interests and devised activities based around musicals for her and this really helped her to settle in. She made lots of progress in the time she was at Almond House especially with recognising letters and numbers. Amelia definitely benefitted from the individual attention provided by the staff.”

Marie, mother of Amelia

“Almond House is a fun and caring learning environment for my son. The staff are amazing and friendly and do whatever they can to make Oscar feel safe and happy when he is there. Since my two year old started at the Nursery I have seen a significant improvement in his confidence and development. I cannot recommend Almond House enough, a fantastic Nursery!”

Lauren, mother of Oscar

“Almond House is an absolutely fabulous nursery and my son Oliver has really settled well there. This is due entirely to the staff, who are all fantastic, caring and approachable which means it is a pleasure to drop Oliver off there. They really do take the time to help children settle in which is so reassuring as a parent, and they always greet them with a smile!”

Sarah, mother of Oliver

Almond House Nursery’s Team

Karen Hazelden

Brit Hazelden

Megan Bell

Mary Moran

April Whitworth

Emily Howgate

Emma Ellis

Martin Bray

Ian Skirrow

Olga Poluian

Ellie Fox

Crystal Hartley

Tanuja Mistry

Maryam Khatoon

Georgia Gerrard

Abi Davies

Jemma Williams

Kasey Fox

Fatima Bashir

Phoebe Winnington

Kathryn Ellis

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