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Celebrating service at Hampstead Gate Day Nursery

There was cause for celebration at Hampstead Gate Day Nursery in Milton Keynes as the childcare team honoured their beloved colleague, Olivia Cherry, as she marked her milestone five-year anniversary at Childbase Partnership.

Having started with the company in 2018 as a Kitchen Assistant at Woodlands Day Nursery in Byerly Place, talented Olivia has since made the transition to the day nursery on Eelbrook Avenue, where she shines as Nursery Chef, running her very own kitchen and only last month, receiving yet another 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating from Milton Keynes Council.

During her time at Childbase Partnership, Olivia has showcased her passion for providing children with balanced and nutritious meals, educating them to make healthy and informed choices for the future, as well as highlighting the ways in which food can bring people together through exciting activities such as baking for cultural events and celebrations.

Raising money for worthy causes has also been integral to Olivia’s time at Childbase, taking part in team fundraisers including dress up days, charity auctions and food bank drives, which have helped contribute to the £3 million and counting raised by Childbase Partnership for charities including ‘Mind’ and ‘Bliss’ over the past 30 years.

Olivia also serves as the nursery’s Partnership Councillor, representing the interests of her colleagues and putting forward ideas to drive change at the employee-owned company.

Hampstead Gate Deputy Manager, Katie Hughes explained;

“Olivia is incredible and we feel so lucky to have her at Hampstead Gate. We can’t thank her enough for all she does for us, including keeping us fed with the most amazing meals and creating such rich learning opportunities for the children when it comes to nutrition. We have had a fantastic time celebrating her and all her wonderful achievements this week.”

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‘Culture Day’ for new Childbase partners

Nothing says ‘You belong’ like lunch with the Chairman as 40 new recruits to Childbase Partnership discovered during ‘Culture Day’ at Head Office – the highlight of the newly launched four-part induction process at the company.

As Angela Brown, Chair of the Partnership Council – the 45 member ‘face’ of employee ownership at Childbase Partnership – explained, the realigned induction process goes much further than simply ‘how to do the job’, with an emphasis on individual belonging and thriving.

“Culture Day is about demonstrating that support for the individual extends further than each workplace and that employee voice and feedback is paramount in achieving the very best outcomes for the children in our care and for each other. It is also about myth-busting and putting faces to names of the people who support us,” she said.

In addition to Head Office support teams circulating during the chef prepared lunch, members of the senior team – Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Operations Director – joined the new recruits to talk about their experience and encourage feedback.

The meal and sweet treats followed a morning focusing on, for example, company values – the five principles defining company identity and motivating everyone in common goals. The Values are the result of lengthy consultation and deliberation in each of the 45 settings in the company and not top-down decision-making.

Culture day – one a month at Head Office – is the culmination of a stream-lined, four-part process of induction that offers greater flexibility to appeal to individual learning styles and needs, with delivery by video, Zoom/team meetings, on-site and lastly at Head Office.

Pictured: Angela Brown, Partnership Council Chair, with Chef Emanuel and new partners.

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Celebrating 20 years’ service at Windermere Day Nursery

There was cause for celebration at Windermere Day Nursery in Kettering as colleagues honoured beloved Nursery Practitioner, Martine Fear, as she marked her milestone 20-year anniversary at the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ setting.

Having started at the Kettering General Hospital Site in 2003, Martine has helped to positively shape the lives of hundreds of children in her care throughout her career, working predominantly in the baby room and supporting them as they reach their early milestones.

Raising money for worthy causes has also been integral to Martine’s time at Windermere, taking part in team fundraisers including dress up days, charity auctions and food bank drives, which have helped contribute to the £3 million and counting raised by Childbase Partnership for charities including ‘Mind’ and ‘Bliss’ over the past 30 years.

To mark the special occasion, adoring colleagues organised celebrations complete with balloons, cake, banners, bubbly, flowers and photo displays from the past two decades, with applause from the staff team and congratulations from nursery families and children.

Windermere Day Nursery Practitioner, Martine Fear explained;

“I feel incredibly spoilt by the team and can’t believe how quickly the last 20 years have gone. It has been wonderful to witness so many children grow up and begin their journeys with us, I have made friends for life and have so many cherished memories from my time here. I am delighted to be celebrating this anniversary and am looking forward to the future.”

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Nature Trails Day Nursery mark Employee Appreciation Day

Festivities were well underway at Nature Trails Day Nursery in Cawston as colleagues marked Employee Appreciation Day with a series of celebrations across the setting.

At the award-winning day nursery on Coventry Road, dedicated teams were provided with an array of sweet treats and lunch by their grateful Manager, Vicky Stancer, who thanked them for their outstanding contributions to nursery life and devotion to the children in their care, whilst colleagues took the time to express what they valued most about each other.

As part of the celebrations, parents wrote personal messages of thanks on a special appreciation wall for all to see, whilst practitioners were able to use their ‘Perkbox’ app to leave celebration comments and share recognition with fellow staff members.

The occasion follows a string of events in nursery which put talented colleagues in the spotlight, most recently celebrations for National Apprenticeship Week which honoured the youngest staff members at the setting, who are attaining their childcare qualifications through the Childbase Academy of Excellence whilst gaining practical experience in nursery.

Nature Trails Day Nursery Manager, Vicky Stancer explained;

“I am so proud of our amazing team and the effort they put in to make each day special for the children. This was another lovely opportunity to show them just how much their commitment means to us and our nursery families.”

Employee Appreciation Day took place on 3^rd March.

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Emscote House Day Nursery mark Employee Appreciation Day

There were smiles all round at Emscote House Day Nursery in Leamington Spa as colleagues marked Employee Appreciation Day with a series of celebrations.

At the award-winning setting on Warwick Place, dedicated staff teams were treated to coffee and cupcakes by their grateful Manager, Claire Shale, who thanked them for their outstanding contributions to nursery life and continued devotion to the children in their care, whilst colleagues took the time to express what they valued most about each other.

The festivities follow a string of events in nursery which put talented colleagues in the spotlight, most recently celebrations for National Apprenticeship Week which honoured the youngest staff members at the setting, who are attaining their childcare qualifications through the Childbase Academy of Excellence whilst gaining practical experience in nursery.

Emscote House Day Nursery Manager, Claire Shale explained;

“I am very lucky to have such an incredible team who are determined to give our children the best possible start in life. This was another lovely opportunity to show them just how much their commitment means to us and our nursery families.”

Employee Appreciation Day took place on 3^rd March.

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West Downs Day Nursery celebrate ‘Send a Card to a Friend Day’

Colleagues from West Downs Day Nursery in Winchester received a special delivery as they celebrated ‘Send a Card to a Friend Day’ with children across the setting.

At the award-winning nursery on Romsey Road, pre-schoolers showcased their creativity by making handprint greeting cards, before delivering them to delighted staff teams complete with their messages of appreciation inside, along with some sweet treats.

As part of the occasion, children practiced their mark making and handwriting skills, linking to the nursery’s school readiness programme which prepares pre-schoolers for their next steps in education, with other focus areas including self-care, phonics and early maths.

West Downs Day Nursery Team Leader, Shannon Hudson explained;

“The children had a brilliant time making the greetings cards and staff were thrilled to receive them. It’s important for us to let our colleagues know how valued they are and it’s lovely to involve the children in this wherever possible. This also presented lots of lovely learning opportunities for them, as well as promoting small acts of kindness.”

Send a Card to a Friend Day is celebrated on 7^th January.

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Windmill Hill Day Nursery colleagues banish Monday blues

Despite being labelled as the ‘the gloomiest day of the year’, there were smiles all round at Windmill Hill Day Nursery in Swindon as colleagues enjoyed a series of ‘Blue Monday’ inspired wellbeing celebrations at the setting.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Windmill Hill Business Park, staff were delighted to be greeted by rainbow themed gifts as they arrived at work wearing their brightest clothing, with presents including a personalised rainbow cup with straw each, as well as sweet treats and motivational quotes from their grateful management team.

As part of the festivities, colleagues boosted morale by selecting the name of another team member at random and writing them a note of appreciation, which was then attached to a rose and presented to them as the perfect antidote to the Monday blues.

The latest celebration in nursery follows a tax-free bonus of up to £3,000 for each colleague and a pay rise in December, recognising them all as employee-owners of Childbase Partnership, which has a total of 44 Early Years settings across England.

Windmill Hill Day Nursery Manager, Lora Worthington explained;

“There are no blue Mondays here at Windmill Hill as our colleagues always create the most incredible atmosphere for the children. I am so proud of my team and all they have achieved recently, including our Ofsted Outstanding result, so this was another lovely opportunity to show them just how much their dedication means to us and our nursery families.”

‘Blue Monday’ is marked on the third Monday of January every year.

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Cedar Park Day Nursery colleagues banish Monday blues with Rainbow Day

Despite being labelled as the ‘the gloomiest day of the year’, there were smiles all round at Cedar Park Day Nursery in Twyford as colleagues enjoyed a series of ‘Blue Monday’ inspired wellbeing celebrations at the setting.

At the award-winning day nursery on Bridge Farm Road, staff were delighted to dress in bright clothing for a special ‘Rainbow Day’, complete with a colourful party with the children, where they showcased their creativity by painting their practitioners faces for the occasion.

As part of the festivities, each member of staff selected another colleague to write a ‘thank you’ message of appreciation for, as well as enjoying a series of sweet treats throughout the day and to take home, providing the perfect antidote to the Monday blues.

Cedar Park Day Nursery Manager, Rachael Main explained;

“Our Rainbow Day was a huge success and another lovely morale boost for our incredible colleagues, who constantly go above and beyond. The occasion also provided a brilliant opportunity to discuss emotions and feelings with the children and opened up lots of important conversations around this topic.”

‘Blue Monday’ is celebrated on the third Monday of January.

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West Downs Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

Despite being labelled as the ‘the gloomiest day of the year’, there were smiles all round at West Downs Day Nursery in Winchester as colleagues enjoyed a series of ‘Blue Monday’ inspired wellbeing celebrations at the setting.

At the award-winning day nursery on Romsey Road, staff were delighted to receive a series of gifts as they arrived for work, including a goody bag filled with blue sweets and their very own jar of positive affirmations to boost morale when needed, providing the perfect antidote to the Monday blues, courtesy of their grateful management team.

West Downs Day Nursery Business Administrator, Anna Kenrick explained;

“We had a lovely day proving that today didn’t have to be a blue one. The gifts were hugely popular amongst the team and this presented another fantastic opportunity to show our colleagues how appreciated they are, by both colleagues and nursery families.”

‘Blue Monday’ is marked on the third Monday of January every year.

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Sandfield Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

Despite being labelled as the ‘the gloomiest day of the year’, there were smiles all round at Sandfield Day Nursery in Headington as colleagues enjoyed a series of ‘Blue Monday’ inspired wellbeing celebrations at the setting.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Sandfield Road, staff were delighted to be greeted by a special breakfast spread as they arrived at work wearing their brightest clothing, with treats including fruit platters, pastries, yoghurts, crumpets and juices, providing the perfect antidote to the Monday blues, courtesy of their Partnership Councillor, Dani O’Sullivan and Nursery Chef, Sarah Parsons.

Sandfield Day Nursery Business Administrator, Becci Worth explained;

“There are no blue Mondays here at Sandfield as our colleagues always create the most amazing opportunities for the children, who bring incredible energy to the setting. This occasion also provides another opportunity to tell colleagues just how valued they are.”

‘Blue Monday’ is marked on the third Monday of January every year.

Category: Colleague

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Celebrating service at Hampstead Gate Day Nursery

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‘Culture Day’ for new Childbase partners

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Celebrating 20 years’ service at Windermere Day Nursery

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Nature Trails Day Nursery mark Employee Appreciation Day

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Emscote House Day Nursery mark Employee Appreciation Day

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West Downs Day Nursery celebrate ‘Send a Card to a Friend Day’

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Windmill Hill Day Nursery colleagues banish Monday blues

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Cedar Park Day Nursery colleagues banish Monday blues with Rainbow Day

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West Downs Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

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Sandfield Day Nursery colleagues banish the Monday blues

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