Sophia Hayward
The Listening Ear
Manager, Level 7 Practitioner
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Sophia is our Manager Extraordinaire. She’s always there with a listening ear for our children and their parents and carers alike. She is incredibly supportive of all Welford Pre-school staff, allowing them to try any new activities they might have discovered along the way. She also lives and breathes a hands-on, can-do attitude, inspiring the children and demonstrating anything is possible.
Margo Hall
The Smiley One
Level 3 Practitioner
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Margo is our warm, welcoming, smiley face at Breakfast and After-school Club. While she may be incredibly organised and efficient in making sure everything has its place, she sometimes forgets to tell everyone else! Margo is attentive and caring, and will gladly take the time to listen to the children, helping them have the best possible start and end to the day.
Ellie Scullion
The Sign Language Whizz
Level 3 Practitioner, Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo)
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Brimming with ideas every day, Ellie wears many different hats at Welford Pre-school: she is our 2-year-old specialist, in-house photographer and sign language expert. But under all those hats, Ellie is patient and kind, helping the children to flourish with her thoughtful and creative activities. She is very fond of bright, colourful leggings, and one after-school-club child even declared Ellie is the staff member they’d want to be their mum. High praise indeed!
Jude Shearing
Chef Extraordinaire
Practitioner
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Famed for her delicious meals at After-school Club, Jude also encourages all the children to do their best and supports each individual child as if they were her own. Always thinking on her feet, she quickly comes up with new activities that follow the children’s interests and that they are proud to take home.
Emma Illingworth
The Arty One
Deputy Manager, Practitioner
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Emma lives and breathes all things art and crafts! The children love creating new pieces of artwork with her and proudly display them on our walls. Emma also loves to get down on the floor with all our children and can get lost in an activity for hours. Her knees haven't let her down yet!
Alex Haigh
The Book Worm
Practitioner
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Alex has the magic touch when it comes to soothing a child who is having a bit of a wobble. She will gladly scoop them up and snuggle with them on the sofa, sharing book after book after book. Alex loves to get stuck in and share new ideas for bringing the best out in our children.
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Kate Jeffery
The After-school Club Mum
Practitioner
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When asked in her interview why she wanted to join the After-school Club team, Kate’s answer came from the heart: “When I was a young girl, I was lucky enough to have my mum waiting for me when I got home from school and she always wanted to know all about my day. I want to be that person for the children who can’t go home straight away at the end of the school day.”
And Kate’s as good as her word. She listens intently to the children at After-school Club, asking about their days and taking a genuine interest in what they have to say. The children love having her around, and it’s clear she loves being around them, too.
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