MEET THE TEAM
ALEXANDRA STEWART - OWNER & DIRECTOR LLB (Hons) Law, PGCE (Secondary Education)
My journey into Early Years is far from traditional. After graduating from Law School in 2007, I felt drawn towards making a positive change through education. I was fortunate to have some inspirational educators in my life, including my own Grandmother, so it was no surprise that in my early 20s I retrained and qualified as a teacher. I soon realised that the world young people face today is full of social and emotional pressures. These presented real barriers for our learners. Amid this turmoil, I saw the real value of pastoral care and the importance of meeting children's emotional needs to support their academic success.
I developed a professional interest in teaching happiness and well-being alongside working as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator in a Grammar School. I was later appointed the Director of Learning at a Special Needs School. I developed a growth mindset ethos within the school community and encouraged an appreciation for the process of learning above the outcomes of education. It was at this time I began to question broader education policy and the impact of a results driven system on a child’s mental health. My passion has always been to put the child at the heart of their learning and development and I didn’t feel that current educational practice allowed this to happen. I soon realised that if I wanted to make a real impact, I would need to develop my own unique approach to education starting at the very beginning, in Early Years.
When I established Dimples Day Care, I knew I wanted to establish an ethos that encouraged independence and, above all, a resilience in children that would equip them to deal with the world we live in today. The World Economic Forum forecast that the next generation will require a new set of skills: creativity, imagination, sustainable ethics, and an appreciation of one another. If our children are to make a positive contribution in the world as adults, I see it as our role to develop these skills when they are children. That is why, at Dimples Day Care, we have no toys. Our settings are equipped with loose parts, natural materials and authentic objects. The children are thinking, creating, using their imagination, sharing ideas and exploring a new, calm environment full of awe and wonder. This approach to learning is called the Curiosity Approach. A quirky, wholesome, wonderful way of play that satisfies small, enquiring minds.
The Practitioners are our greatest asset at Dimples Day Care. Their level of dedication, enthusiasm, professionalism and care is incredible. The children truly benefit from their creativity, passion and love. Our small settings and favourable ratios mean our Practitioners work very closely with our families and get to know the children exceptionally well. At Dimples Day Care, the child takes the lead with their learning and play. The Practitioners plan their provocations to play around each individual child in their care, extending play and learning at every step of the way. As a result, we see happy, challenged, imaginative, resilient and independent children who are ready for anything!
MEET THE TEAM
CHARLOTTE STEWART - Manager - NNEB (Cache Diploma) Childcare and Education
Dimples Day Care at Dunton Green
20 years experience
Level 3 Diploma in childcare and education
Over the past 20 years of experience I have had in Early Years, Primary Education and Special Educational Needs I have learnt that it’s far more than the academia, it’s about having trust in our young children/people who we care for.
We aim to provide open-ended learning through play, having fun, feeling safe and allowing our children to be children. It’s not about confirming to what our children should be doing by a certain age, it’s about allowing children to grow at their own pace, exploring the things they love best and excelling independently.
This is the reason why I chose Dimples Day Care. I knew I could lead and embed the ethos, encouraging our children and staff to become determined, resilient, independent thinkers who engage well and are motivated to learn.
As a manager, I am responsible for ensuring my team provide a safe, enriching, home from home environment ready for our families to learn and have fun. I facilitate in the moment planning, giving each child the natural desire to learn and explore, airing their fascination through being curious. I encourage my Team to extending the children's learning through open-ended questioning and applying the intent to other opportunities within the environment and ensuring the very best impact on their development. My Team use the EYFS to effectively record and review their learning, creating personalised next steps for each and every child.
Whilst overseeing our high standards I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to remain heavily involved with the children’s learning. I love nothing more than reading a story, getting messy, teaching life skills such as cooking, cleaning, washing and setting up exciting and fun provocations.
As a mum of two young boys I have great empathy with our families when it comes to starting their journey through Early Education and I thrive on making our families feel welcome and loved from the moment they walk through our doors. I’m proud to say that I ensure a nurturing and caring environment full of love and laughter where our children are safe, relaxed, happy and engaged.
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EMILY NAZER - Manager - BA (Hons) Teaching and Learning & Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education
Dimples Day Care at Woodlands Farm
6 years experience
BA (Hons) in Teaching and Learning
My job role at Dimples Day Care at Woodlands Farm is to manage the setting day to day. I have been at the setting from the day it opened and have loved watching it grow. The Team and children at Dimples are able to truly create the home from home feel as we grow and explore together like a family. The bond and positive relationships between the children and staff allows us to expand their interests and curiosity on a personal level and focus on the children’s development.
I joined Dimples Day Care 3 years ago because I truly believe the smaller scale of childcare is the best way for children to flourish and build confidence. My love for the curiosity approach and outdoor learning was found through completing my Level 6 BA Honours Degree in teaching and learning. I have 6 years experience in working with children and Dimples is by far the most welcoming and inviting environment I have ever worked in. I bring my love for the outdoors and nature into my job to inspire children to explore through the natural world and create confident and independent individuals.
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GEMMA JACOB - Lead Practitioner and Deputy Manager - Level 3 (Cache Diploma) Childcare and Education
Dimples Day Care at Dunton Green
8 years experience
Level 3 Diploma in childcare and education
When I applied for a job with Dimples Day Care, I knew it was the best decision I would make. When I stepped foot into the setting all of the staff and children where all so friendly. It’s very different to where I have worked in the past. Since being with Dimples Day Care, the Curiosity Approach has come into place which the children love and so do I. I find the children benefit with this as their imagination grows with using loose parts and real resources. I also find their learning and development flourishes with this approach.
A day for the children in my care is full of fun where the children will enjoy messy play, outdoor activities especially when it’s a lovely day we will spend lots of times outdoors in the woods and the fields to explore their outside environment and have lots of laughs.
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CARRIANNE FISHER - Lead Practitioner - Cache Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education
Dimples Day Care at Woodlands Farm
10 years experience
Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education
I joined Dimples Day Care because of their outstanding quality of care, beautifully set up provocations to learning and the friendliness from the staff and children.. Dimples Day Care is most definitely one of a kind with a home from home feel, making everyone who walks through the front doors feel welcome and part of the family that Alexandra has so beautifully nurtured. I knew then that I wanted to be a part of Dimples Day Care, to share my love for The Curiosity Approach and to help support the children as they grow, learn and become independent through play and exploration.
A day in Baby Room is never quite the same as the one before but each day brings with it something new, exciting, plenty of chances for adventures, lots of smiles and lots of giggles! We love to express ourselves through play, song and dance, sensory exploration, messy activities using different media and materials and the amazing woodland that surrounds us is perfect to get natural resources from. It also provides ample opportunities for curious and imaginative minds to explore, discover, learn and build relationships between them, others and the great outdoors. Everything we use is already within our environment, natural, wooden, unique or authentic and we're fully equipped with lots of loose parts which help the children to think, create, share ideas and to find different ways of doing things. Not only does this way of learning promote independence, it also demonstrates very clearly how each child is different and unique in their own way. I firmly believe that as practitioners we should take every opportunity to expand on each child's personal interests, helping them to grow, flourish and develop. We prepare them for life's challenges and for what they can do, change and become.
The atmosphere within Dimples Day Care is infectious and the Team are fantastic at creating a positive, happy, supportive and friendly environment to help raise and care for your little ones. Not a day goes by when there isn't a child or staff member smiling, laughing and having fun all whilst maintaining a professional yet close relationship with the children, other practitioners and parents/guardians. I am elated to be a part of the team. Dimples Day Care really is full of wonders, magic and curiosity!
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TRACY HUGHAN - Lead Practitioner - NVQ in Children's Care, Learning and Development
Dimples Day Care at Dunton Green
19 Years experience
Level 3 NVQ Children's Care, Learning and Development
I have working with children the last 19 years. I have level 3 qualifications in childcare and I have my Team leadership in level 2 as well. I've had experience working as a room leader in all ages of children from babies through to pre school.
I have always wanted to work with children, it's so rewarding to be involved in helping children's development and watching them grow, I love being apart of that. I believe that the Curiosity Approach is a brilliant way for children to learn and develop and that's what makes Dimples Day Care a great place to work. The children have so much fun and its lovely to see this.
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EMMA DONOVAN - Practitioner - BA (Hons) Teaching and Learning & Level 3 Diploma in Childcare
Dimples Day Care at Woodlands Farm
BA (Hons) Education.
Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education
5 years experience
From the minute I walked through the door, Dimples Day Care felt completely different to any other setting I had worked in before. The children and adults were laughing, I felt at home. I can only imagine that the children feel exactly the same.
A day in Dimples Day Care is full of love, laughter and adventure. The adoption of the Curiosity Approach has helped me as a practitioner to develop my pedagogy as the use of natural resources has forced us and the children to expand on our creative initiatives and to embrace and respect nature and the resources around us.
I believe Dimples Day Care highlights the importance of ‘learning through play’ as this is the core of all experiences and embedded within everything we do. The experience and personality each staff member brings ensures that every activity is enjoyable and personalised to each child’s needs, this guarantees that children experience the highest quality of care.
Within Dimples Day Care, I believe it is my responsibility and priority is to support the next generation in becoming confident, respectful individuals, who will challenge the world with their ideas.
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MADELEINE MACDONALD - Practitioner - BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
Dimples Day Care at Dunton Green
13 years experience
BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
I joined Dimples Day Care for many reasons. I had been intrigued about the Curiosity Approach for sometime and when an opportunity to work here came about I knew I needed to apply. Upon coming to the setting it was everything I feel a setting should be; cosy, inviting and full of wonder. Having loved being a Nanny for nearly ten years, Dimples Day Care provides me with the best of both environments, a happy group setting type structure but on a smaller scale allowing all the children to shine.
A typical day for children in my care is always full of love, fun and support. I am a big believer in following children’s interests and allowing them to use their imagination. I offer support and guidance in a way that teaches them. I love messy play and being outdoors!
Children that attend Dimples Day Care do not just benefit from the excellent facilities and learning opportunities provided for them, they also benefit from being cared for by staff who truly believe they have the best job in the world. Staff that are always looking for ways to extend on the children’s interests and support them as they grow.
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IMOGEN THORP-EVERITT- Practitioner - BTEC National Dip in Children's Play, Learning and Development
Dimples Day Care at Dunton Green
5 years experience
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Diploma in children’s learning and development (Early Years Educator)
I joined Dimples Day Care because I loved the home from home feel to it but also saw how much calmer it felt than other settings. It looked like a lovely place to work and being a parent myself a lovely place for children to learn and grow. I noticed that there wasn’t as much pressure and that learning and development happened more naturally.
A typical day for children in my care involves invitations to play based on their interests and a day full of love, care and encouragement. I love music and movement and messy play. Children who attend Dimples Day Care benefit from staff that really care and enjoy their job, along with a setting that constantly sparks curiosity and imagination.
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ISABEL AVERY - Practitioner
Dimples Day Care at Dunton Green and Dimples Day Care at Woodlands Farm
1 years experience
I joined Dimples Day Care due to the warm, exciting and inviting feeling it had from the first time I walked in, to every day following. Not only felt by me but also a feeling you can see in the children.
Being in an environment where not every day is the same makes every day more exciting I love not knowing what the day will entail and what we will end up exploring with the children. A day at Dimples Day Care is a new chance for learning, laughing and exploring. The children are in an environment which is constantly being adapted to their current interests, whether this is day to day change or hour to hour change, we adapt and change to make sure we are always building on their strengths and growing their knowledge - even if this means being covered in mud outdoors!
The Dimples Day Care environment is a small, cosy, caring environment where every staff member is focused on ensuring the best for every child. An environment where we enjoy the responsibility of enriching every child's skills, whether academic or not, helping them build the skills to question new things and always striving to learn and achieve.
MEET THE TEAM
SOPHIE BELLINGER- BROWN - Practitioner
Dimples Day Care at Woodlands Farm
1 years experience
I joined Dimples Day Care because I loved the Curiosity Approach, it opens up so many opportunities of fascinating learning. The way children learn and play is very different to any other childcare setting. When I was shown around on my first day, I went in to the sand room. I loved the thought of the children being creative with a whole room just for sand!
A typical day at Dimples Day Care is all about exploring and the messy play. We play outside as often as we can in rain or shine. We like to explore nature and our surroundings with the children, they love to learn about the environment.
The children are cared for so well and are given so much 1:1 time which is lovely. I am currently studying for my Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Childcare and Education and I am excited to develop my learning further and continue to grow as a Practitioner.