Meet the Manager and Owner of Kirkgate Childcare

My name is Dawn, I am married with two children Harry and Ruby. I love to walk with my Cocker Spaniel Milo, play and coach netball and enjoy spending time with family and friends.

I decided at a very young age that I wanted to pursue a career in Early Years. I studied my Nursery Nursing Education Diploma after leaving school and then moved onto working in a Private Day Nursery. I then chose to work in a Primary School and in 2001 I was successful in gaining an Early Years Practitioners Post within a Local Authority Centre of Excellence, it was there I realised the importance of working with the whole family to ensure better outcomes for the child. During the 16 years working for the LA I progressed into management and achieved my BA Honours Degree in Childhood Studies at Leeds University.

I have lived in Sherburn in Elmet for many years and always felt there was not enough choice for families requiring childcare. In 2017 I left the Local Authority and the journey of Kirkgate Childcare began.

I believe one of my most important investments is my team, it is important that they are nurtured, supported and challenged to grow. If they are happy and share my vision of creating foundations for life for our next generation then we will continue to achieve our mission, which is to provide a happy, safe and stimulating environment to enable all children to become confident, independent and respectful learners whilst working in partnership with parents.

“The dedicated and ambitious manager works closely with staff to monitor children’s progress and review and evaluate practice. She uses information obtained from group tracking systems to plan interventions and successfully close any gaps in children’s learning”

Ofsted, November 2019

As the Assistant Manager of Kirkgate Childcare, I am thrilled to be in a position to continue the vision that Dawn along with the rest of the team have worked so passionately and tirelessly to achieve.

I joined Kirkgate Childcare in September 2018 as a Childcare Practitioner and I was promoted to the role of Assistant Manager in September 2019, which has given me so much insight into the operations of the nursery and I have enjoyed seeing it flourish into the outstanding magical childcare setting that it is today.

I have 20 years experience within the childcare sector and my previous roles include private nanny, room leader, out of school club manager and deputy manager for a chain of nurseries.

I am passionate about ensuring that children receive high-quality learning experiences in their early years to prepare them for their future education but delivered in a fun way. I am forward-thinking and like to ensure that practice keeps evolving and have travelled to different settings across the uk to see the benefit of different approaches to play for myself.

My approach is very much child led and teaching children to find the answers together through questions rather than being told why or how something works.

I am an advocate for outdoor play, loose parts play and providing educationally stimulating environments for children.

In June 2019 I completed my level 4 in advanced childcare practice and management and completed my NPQ in Early Years Leadership in April 2024.

As a trained Childcare Assessor I am able to help support, inspire and guide our Early Years Apprentices and team to realise their full potential.

I am also highly trained in looking after children with severe and life threatening allergies.

I am looking forward to continuing working alongside Dawn and the team to ensure that the nursery continues to maintain the high standards achieved to date.

I am a mum to a little boy Jack age 8 who is my absolute world so I’m kept pretty busy out of work enjoying days out, playing and taking him to various rugby related clubs, having a young son means that I understand the struggles families can face juggling work and childcare.

In my spare time I love to cook, visit coffee shops, I love a to do list, watching Leeds Rhinos and international teams, spending quality time with my family and friends, holidaying and enjoy long walks with my miniature poodle Boris!

My name is Katelyn Powell, and I am an Early Years Practitioner starting my role in September 2021. All my life I have been around children of all ages and have always wanted a career working with children.

I was a young leader at my local Rainbows group, and I loved seeing the girls develop and advance to Brownies with new skills.

I love working as a team, I believe it is a key aspect in this area of work, bringing new ideas and making sure the children receive the best care and support whilst at nursery.

I think the best bit about working in a nursery is how rewarding it is to see the children’s skills grow and their personalities blossom.

For the past year, I have had the pleasure of being a PA for an autistic boy, I love seeing him become more independent and watching his confidence  grow. In my own time, I love spending time with my family and friends, and teaching my dog new tricks as well as reading and walking.

Pre-covid times going to concerts and visiting new places in the UK and abroad!

I am very excited to be apart of the Kirkgate team and to be working with such lovely people, as well as guiding the children to a happy childhood and a successful time at nursery.

I have a 14 year old son called Jake and being a mum is the best job in the world. We have just welcomed a puppy into our family called Buddy.

My passion has always been to work with children. Throughout my childhood and early education, I always chose childcare to support my learning and development for my future career, from work experience to going on to college to complete my Btec National Diploma in Early Years. I have worked in many roles throughout my career, becoming a room leader at a young age, I knew I was capable of more challenges. I pursued this and went on to work for a local authority for 11 years.

During my time there I accessed an extensive amount of training and my knowledge and experience flourished. I found myself wanting to learn more about special educational needs and disabilities and had a passion and a belief that every child has the right to succeed and thrive.

I have funded many online courses to support my understanding of children with various needs and to date I continue to do lots of research and attend relevant training to further my knowledge and understanding in my present role.

I am passionate about furthering my career and personal development and hope in the not too distant future to go to university and complete a BA Honours in child and family studies

I am currently a key person, I feel meeting new children and families is a wonderful experience and when families choose Kirkgate childcare it fills me with pride. To share that journey of their children’s very first steps in to nursery life and being that safe, consistent and caring person for their child who they can turn to for reassurance, a cuddle or to just ‘check in’ is the best feeling of all. Sharing all milestones however big or small with parents/carers is such a joy to be a part of.

Early Years is my passion as these are the most important times of a child’s life. Sparking that initial developmental curiosity, awe, wonder and excitement in children that will lead them to a positive and successful attitude towards learning for the rest of their lives. I have pride in knowing that I have the opportunity to be part of something like that every day with Kirkgate Childcare.

My name is Teresa, I am a Wife, Mother and Nanna and absolutely love all three family roles.

I have a little dog called Ozzy, who is a Jack Russel Cross, we enjoy our walks around the village, countryside and beach.

I enjoy food, cooking and eating out (especially for Sunday Lunch).

I have worked with children and their families for 19 years in various capacities, from nursery, foundation, KS1 and KS2 as well as running after school club up to the age of 11.

I have a great interest in children’s behaviour and have helped support families whose children have difficulties in this area as well as supporting children and adults with various special educational needs and disabilities.

I feel passionate about ensuring every child feels happy and safe, which then adds to their learning and achievements.

My name is Holly and I am a Level 3 Early Years Practitioner. I began my role with Kirkgate Childcare as an apprentice in 2019. Since then, I have spent time working alongside a passionate, caring and experienced team, where I have been able to develop my skills in a professional manner, leading to the completion of my qualification in June 2020.

I have always enjoyed interacting with children. In 2018, I volunteered as an English Teacher in rural areas in Sri Lanka and Cambodia for 6 months, where I planned and taught a variety of lessons from grammar practice to volcano experiments! I found the whole experience both extremely rewarding and enjoyable and it became clear to me that I wanted to pursue a career in childcare.

I am fascinated by the development of children’s minds and how childhood experiences can go on to shape children for the rest of their lives. This is one of the reasons I feel so strongly that children should have access to quality early years care. I am now in my final year studying for a degree in Psychology and Child Development Bsc at York St John University.

At nursery, I enjoy getting to know each child’s unique personality and feel privileged to be able to help guide their development through the early years foundation stage.

Hello, my name is Seema. After a fulfilling career in finance, I decided to take a break to focus on raising my son, George. During this time, I discovered a profound passion for helping children learn, grow, and develop.

My journey into early childhood education began when I started attending playgroups, soft play sessions, and parties, as well as organising events with George and his friends. It quickly became evident to both myself and others that I have a natural talent for connecting with children. I found joy in engaging with them, and my nurturing personality shone through in these interactions.