Kerry Sturmey became part of the Mama Bear’s Day Nursery family in 2010 when the group won the tender to take over a nursery based in Somerset College, in Taunton.
Ms Sturmey was the existing manager and while she and the rest of her team had offered their resignations when the nursery was put out to tender, she subsequently had a fruitful meeting with Mama Bear’s owners Tony and Bev Driffield.
She says, ‘They asked if I would be interested in a position with them and invited me to visit their settings in Bristol. I was very impressed by the nurseries and their whole ethos as a family-run group. They are very passionate about their business and I decided I wanted to be a part of that.’
Once Ms Sturmey was appointed as manager, she spoke with the former staff and explained that she was returning and asked if they would be interested in joining her.
‘I was delighted, as were Tony and Bev, when staff agreed to reapply for positions with the new company and were successful. Many of those staff remain with us today and we have had to recruit additional people to maintain our growth in occupancy.’
Mama Bear’s was so impressed with Ms Sturmey’s leadership skills that it called on her expertise the following year when the group won another tender in Devon, this time to take over a nursery based in South Devon College in Paignton.
‘I was asked to support the onboarding of the new setting and work closely with it,’ says Ms Sturmey. ‘It was a similar process to the first nursery and it achieved an outstanding at its post-registration inspection.
‘From there, Mama Bear’s has expanded its presence in Devon and now has five nurseries in the county,’ she says. ‘My role grew along with it and last year I was promoted to regional manager with strategic responsibilities.’
LOGISTICAL OVERVIEW
Mama Bear’s currently operates 18 nurseries throughout Bristol, Devon and Somerset, and recently unveiled plans to launch one more nursery in Bristol, in January 2014. The 19 nurseries will offer a total of 1,275 places.
Ms Sturmey is now regional manager for 11 settings. This includes four nurseries in Bristol, just recently placed within her remit. Mama Bear’s also employs a regional manager central, Lucy Chalk, and the two work closely together.
Most recently, Ms Sturmey oversaw the merger of Yeovil Hospital nursery into Yeovil Council nursery. She says, ‘The former nursery building was no longer really fit for purpose, and it made sense to merge the setting into the council nursery, which occupied a nice site with an additional building.’
Ms Sturmey reports there were many consultation meetings with parents and staff about a renovation and then a process of inductions when the site officially opened. She also ensured logistics were smooth for the merger.
‘The move was phased and before converging the children had the opportunity to meet and mingle across both sites,’ she says.
JOB SATISFACTION
Everyone at Mama Bear’s is very proud of Ms Sturmey’s Nursery World award. As one of the group’s deputy managers says, ‘She is a passionate dedicated professional who has always encouraged us to strive to be the best we can be’.
For Kerry herself, her current role is part of her journey as an early years practitioner, which began when she had her daughter and led to her taking her Level 3. Today, her expertise is sought by professionals outside of the nursery.
She says, ‘What I really enjoy about my current job is the level of teamwork involved and building relationships with staff. I like to ensure I visit each of my settings each week and this means time management is key.
‘Overseeing acquisitions involves careful prioritising and supporting all staff in what can be a challenging but exciting time. My role is also about keeping lines of communication open, not just with staff and managers but with directors as well. All being on the same page is what makes the company a success.’