Host Barney Harwood of Blue Peter conducted the ceremony at the Brewery in London, and the dancing and celebrating went on late into the night.
Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School has been named as Nursery World’s Nursery of the Year 2015.
The setting, based in Horsham – West Sussex, was announced as the winner of Nursery of the Year at the eighth annual Nursery World awards, held at the Brewery in London this evening (26 September).
Nursery World’s Lifetime Achievement award went to independent educational consultant and early years specialist Marion Dowling.
The award winners are:
Nursery of the Year
Winner - Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School (sponsored by childcare.co.uk, with judge Penny Tassoni)
Finalists - Advantage Day Nursery; First Steps Children's Nursery Rathvilly School; Little Learners Childcare
Pre-School of the Year
Winner - Magdalen Gates Pre-School (with judge Neil Leitch of Pre-school Learning Alliance)
Highly commended – Little Franche Nursery, Little Franche Community Primary School
Finalists - Benhall Pre-School; Jenniflowers Pre-School Nursery; Little Green Rascals Organic Day Nursery; Stone Eden Nursery School
Nursery Chain of the Year
Winner - First Steps Children’s Nursery Group (with sponsor Paul Harris of Early Years Direct)
Highly commended – Mulberry Bush Nursery Group; Snapdragons Nurseries
Finalists - Growing Places Community Childcare Centres; Naturally Learning; Paint Pots Pre-School & Nursery
School Early Years Team of the Year
Winner – Franche Community Primary School, Kidderminster (with judge Beatrice Merrick of Early Education)
Finalist - Stamford Bridge Primary School
Nursery Manager of the Year
Winner –James Crosswell, Kids Allowed, Stockport (sponsored by Primary Site, with Chrissy Dodman)
Highly commended – Jane Bulmer, Franche Community Primary School, Kidderminster; Steph Rogerson, Sparklers Private Day Nursery, Gretna
Finalists - Heather Goode, Pear Tree Nursery; David Lord, Kiddi Caru Day Nursery, Torquay
Nursery Operations/Regional Manager of the Year
Winner - Charlotte Eavis Wix, Toad Hall Nursery Group (with judge June O'Sullivan of LEYF)
Highly commended – Kate Reed, First Steps Children’s Nursery Group
Finalist - John Warren, Fennies Nurseries
Early Years Professional/Early Years Teacher of the Year
Winner – Jessica Curbishley, Woodlands Day Nursery (with Lucy Bradshaw of Nursery World Jobs and her manager)
Highly Commended - Joy Homersham, Elmscot Day Nursery
Finalist - Hannah Birchall, Kids Planet Beamont
Nursery Practitioner of the Year
Winner –Jenna Holloway, Elmscot Day Nursery (with judge John Warren of Fennies)
Highly commended – Margaret Kelly, Seabrook Day Nursery, Childbase Partnership
Finalists - Jo Berry, Kidzone Cranwell; Julie Caddick, Kids Planet Beamont; Georgia Garraway, Guinea Lane Nursery; Tim Graham, Snapdragons Nurseries; Hayley Morris, Montessori People
Newcomer of the Year
Winner – Emma Scott, Pear Tree Nursery (with Ravi Chandiramani of MA Education)
Highly commended – Kayleigh Willows, Kiddi Caru Day Nursery, Plympton
Finalists - Jacqueline Bracewell, Bright Horizons Mansion House; Zulakah Quershi, Hungry Caterpillar, West Twyford
Trainer of the Year
Winner – Anne Horn, Southend Adult Community College (sponsored by CACHE, with Julie Hyde)
Highly commended – Sarah Olley, Montessori Centre International
Finalists - Gill Springer, Professional Training Solutions & LEYF; Helen Vickery, Professional Training Solutions
Childminder of the Year
Winner – Sharon Collier (sponsored by childcare.co.uk, with judge Jane Comeau of PACEY)
Finalist - May Collin, Maisie Poppins Childcare
Outstanding Contribution
Winner – Carolynn Fletcher, Swineshead Pre-School (with MA Education's Matt Govett)
Finalist - Cindy Morgan, Creswick Pre-School
Lifetime Achievement
Winner - Marion Dowling (with Lesley Curtis of Everton Nursery School and Family Centre)
Provision for Two-Year-Olds
Winner – Kidspiration Childcare and Education (with judge Nancy Stewart)
Finalists - Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries; Swineshead Pre-School
Working with Parents
Joint winners – Sparklers Parent Mentoring Programme, St Paul’s Community Development Trust (above with judge Jane Harrison of Red Hen Day Nursery)
Joint winner - HMP Styal Mother and Baby Unit, Action for Children
Highly commended – Kidzone Cranwell; Springboard Saturdads, Springboard Opportunity Group, Chippenham
Finalist - Stone Eden Nursery School
Inclusive Practice
Winner – Achieving Early, Achievement for All (with judge Mary Dickins)
Highly commended – Allens Croft Children’s Centre
Finalists - Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries; Prime Time Programme for Vulnerable Two-Year-Olds, Lincolnshire Birth to Five Service
Team Development
Winner – Dukes and Duchesses, Liverpool (sponsored by BunkCot, with MAG's Ben Allen)
Highly commended – Kidzone Cranwell; Training Depot Day Nursery
Business Development
Winner – Jenniflowers Childcare (with judge Catriona Nason of NEYTCo)
Finalists - Fennies Day Nurseries; Tiddlywinks Day Nursery
Nursery Food
Winner – Elmscot Day Nursery (sponsored by Kellogg's, with Alexa Hoyland)
Highly commended – Kidzone Cranwell; Meadows Children’s Nursery; Little Green Rascals Organic Day Nursery
Enabling Environments
Winner – Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School (sponsored by Early Years Resources, with Payman Mostaan)
Highly commended – Dukes and Duchesses
Finalists - Acorn Day Nursery; Nature to Nurture; Sunbeams Day Nursery
Online and social media
Winner – Kiddi Caru Day Nurseries (with judge Kate Tyler of Shake Social)
Highly commended – Child’s Play Private Nursery
Finalists - Acorn Childcare; Dizzy Ducks Day Nurseries; London Early Years Foundation
Community Support
Winner - The Co-operative Childcare Newburn Nursery (with Nursery World's Rachael Sarson)
Finalist - London Early Years Foundation
Equipment and Resources: Birth to Fives
Winner – Play Collection, Community Playthings (with judge Nicole Weinstein)
Highly commended – TickiT Sensory Flashing Glitter Balls, Commotion; TickiT Silver Sensory Reflective Balls, Commotion
Equipment and Resources: Staff Resources
Winner – iConnect and ParentZone, Connect Childcare (with Nursery World's Ruth Thomson)
Finalists - NurseryBook; Toy Box Talks, Noel Quinn
Equipment and Resources: Professional Books
Winner – Foundations of Child Development Series, various authors, Routledge (with judge Julie Coackley of Chelsea Open Air Nursery School and Children's Centre)
Highly commended – 100 Ideas for Early Years Practitioners: Outdoor Play, Julie Mountain, Bloomsbury
Finalists - Continuous Provision: the skills, Alistair Bryce-Clegg, Bloomsbury; Time to Move, Trudi Fitzhenry and Karen Murphy, Bloomsbury
Entertainment from the Black Eagles
Nursery World editor Liz Roberts
Charity draw for Spread a Smile to win a Community Playthings Country Kitchen
