The seventh annual Nursery World awards were held at the historic Brewery in London.
The room was packed, with some fantastic frocks in evidence, and excitement was high.
Nursery World Editor Liz Roberts welcomes guests to the evening
Dave Benson Phillips was our host for the event
AWARDS RESULTS
Initiatives
Website of the Year
Winner - David Wright and Anna Wright of Paint Pots Pre-School and Nursery with judge Sarah Steel of Old Station Nursery and presenter Dave Benson Phillips.
Highly commended - Elmscot Group
Finalists - Little Me Day Nurseries; Micklands Pre-School
Community Support
Winner - Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, with judge Sue Robb of 4Children
Highly commended - Fit 'N' Fun Kids
Finalist - Tootsies Private Day Nursery
Enabling Environments Award
Winner - Teasel Nursery School-on-the-Marina with sponsor Tim Lacey of Playforce
Highly commended - Elmscot Day Nursery
Finalists - Butterfly Den; Co-operative Childcare Falmer; Kids Planet Wow Factors; Swineshead Pre-School; Tall Trees Kindergarten
Business Development
Winner - GNG Nursery with sponsor Kangacrew's Victoria Williams
Highly commended - Happy Kids Childcare
Finalist - Slice of Pie, Tootsies Private Day Nursery
Team Development
Joint winner - Clockwork Day Nursery with judge Anne O'Connor
Joint winner - Springboard Opportunity Group (with missing team members!)
Finalists - The Hollies; Kidzone Cranwell; Seymour House
Nursery Food
Winner - Snapdragons Nursery (Keynsham) with sponsor Laura Street of Kelloggs
Highly commended - Tootsies Private Day Nursery
Finalists - Hale Day Nursery; Triangle House Day Nursery
Inclusive Practice
Winner - Stramongate Nursery's Well-Being Project with judge Gail Ryder Richardson
Highly commended - Cambridgeshire County Council's ENCo Handbook
Finalists - Booktrust Stories Tour; Elvetham Heath SENCO team, Bright Horizons
Working with Parents
Winner - Action for Children's Mother and Baby Unit at HMP Styal with Mark Allen Group's Ravi Chandiramani (sponsored by Bunkcot)
Highly commended - Fit 'N' Fun Kids, Young Mums Will Achieve
Finalists - Elmscot Group Parent Workshops; Leicestershire County Council Parent Play Project
Provision for Two-Year-Olds
Winner - Little Me Day Nurseries with sponsor Payman Mostaan of Early Years Resources
Highly commended - Happy Kids Childcare; Old Station Nursery
Finalists - Bluecoat School and Nursery; Jeffrey's Corner
Equipment and Resources
Staff Resources
Winner - Playing and Learning Outdoors by Jan White, Routledge
Highly commended - Effective and Caring Leadership in the Early Years by Iram Siraj and Elaine Hallett, Sage
Finalists - Bookstart Corner Two-year-Old Pack; Child Development for Early Years Students and Practitioners by Sally Neaum, Sage; Effective Assessment in the EYFS by Jan Dubiel, Sage; The Power of Physical Play by Siren Films
Three to Fives
Winner - Community Playthings Playframe with judge Nicole Weinstein
Highly commended - Beleduc Farmyard Hand Puppet Set
Finalists - Playforce Early Years Scrambler Sets; Totem Pole Awe & Wonder (Fairies)
Individuals
Newcomer of the Year
Joint winner - Jenny James of Kids Planet Beamont with Nursery World Jobs' Lauren York
Joint winner - Maisie Collin, Maisie Poppins Childcare
Finalists - Martina Nawrot of Hungry Caterpillar; Emma Packer of Fennies
Nursery Practitioner of the Year
Winner - Natalie Jones, Kiddi Caru Colchester with judge Mary Dickins
Highly commended - Jill Purves, Chapter One Childcare
Finalists - Chloe Amos, Stone Eden; Sam Laxton, Co-operative Childcare; Sarah Lofting, Manor House Nursery School; Hannah Reeves, Schools Out (Elmscot Group); Heather Watson, Bright Horizons
Trainer of the Year
Winner - Claire Burgess of Norland College with sponsor Nick Cutland of CACHE
Highly commended - Fiona Cann and Sara Sprague of Tots on Tour
Childminder of the Year
Winner - Samantha McKenna with judge Jane Comeau (sponsored by childcare.co.uk)
Finalists - Maise Collin, Maisie Poppins Childcare; Joanne Hall, Little Explorers Childcare and Early Education
Nursery Operations/Regional Manager of the Year
Winner - Sarah Rotundo of Co-operative Childcare with judge David Wright
Finalists - Lucy Hoban, Kids Planet; Louise Rupchand, Fennies
Early Years Professional of the Year
Winner - Kathryn Learner of Bright Horizons with judge Purnima Tanuku, National Day Nurseries Association
Highly commended - Nicola Saunders, Hale Day Nursery
Nursery Manager of the Year
Winner - Carolynn Fletcher of Swineshead Pre-School with team and sponsor Paul Harris of Early Years Direct
Highly commended - Tina Thomson of abc Nursery
Finalists - Keri Allen of Sparkers Private Nursery; Wendy Feddon of Stone Eden; Helen Magan of Bluecoat School
Outstanding Contribution
Winner - Sally Forster of Kidzone Cranwell with judge Penny Tassoni (sponsored by childcare.co.uk)
Highly commended - Mary Barlow, Totem Pole; Debbie Lalley, Lark Lane Pre-School
Finalist - Penny Webb, Penny's Place
Organisations
Pre-School of the Year
Winner - Little Learners Pre-School with Neil Leitch of the Pre-school Learning Alliance
Highly commended - Magdalen Gates Preschool
Finalists - Gingerbread Pre-School; Parktown Pre-School; Woodlands Pre-School at manor House Nursery School
Nursery Chain of the Year
Winner - London Early Years Foundation with sponsor Catherine Lyon of EASYsolution 4 NURSERY EDUCATION.
Highly commended - Snapdragons Nurseries
Finalists - Chapter One Childcare; Fit 'N' Fun Kids; Tiny Toez
Nursery of the Year
Winner - Manor House Nursery School with judge Julia Manning Morton (sponsored by childcare.co.uk)
Highly commended - Cowgate Under 5s; Atelier Nursery
Finalists - Blois Meadow Day Nursery; Roundabout Nursery
Lifetime Achievement
Winner - Professor Tina Bruce CBE with Stella Louis
Charity raffle
This year we were delighed to partner with Wallace and Gromit Children's Charity for a prize raffle. Stone Eden were presented with the Community Playthings Playframe by Mark Allen Group's Ben Allen (and Wallace and Gromit!)
Dancing the night away
Photographs
If you would like to download these or any of the other photographs of the event, please click here.
Many thanks to all our sponsors and judges, who made it all possible, and to all who entered the awards.