Our Staff

Joanne - Nursery Proprietor/Manager

I own and manage Kinder Park Nursery.

I qualified in 1988 from Carlisle College with an N.N.E.B. certificate.

I fulfilled my childhood ambition to own a nursery, when I established at Kinder Park in 1991 at the age of 22.

I love my job and this is a very rewarding career working with and caring for young children and their families. My role as manager is made easier by the brilliant team of staff which I employ; they are enthusiastic and motivated and share my passion of providing high quality childcare and education in a homely environment.

My spare time is spent with my family I have 2 children - Matthew and Lucy. I enjoy catching up with friends, shopping and socialising. I have recently started horse riding which is a new challenge for me.

Kath - Assistant Manager - Yellow Room

Hi my name is Kath and I work in the Yellow Room.

I qualified as an N.N.E.B in 1990 and have worked with children ever since.

I joined Kinder Park Nursery in 2000 on a part time basis and now I hold a full time position as Assistant Manager. I am proud to be part of the team at Kinder Park because our aim is to provide the highest possible standard of care and education in a welcoming and homely environment.

I enjoy socialising with friends, eating out, shopping for a bargain, cooking and looking for what’s new at the flicks.

Katy - Deputy Manager - Red Room

Hi my name is Katy and I work in the Red Room.

I passed my N.N.E.B qualification in 1994.

I have lived in Carlisle all my life except for one fantastic year, living in the United States and a season working in the French Alps.

I have worked with children since I left school and find it very rewarding, although very challenging at times. I enjoy dancing, singing and amateur dramatics and often share this love with the children! I also love music, going to the theatre, London and any American City!

I have worked at Kinder Park Nursery since 1998 and I am the Deputy Manager.

I love working in the nursery, it’s wonderful to be part of a fantastic team and that’s what we are.

Pamela - Baby Room Supervisor

My name is Pamela and I work in the Baby Room.

I joined Kinder Park Nursery whilst completing my NVQ level 3 in 2000.

I have continued with my professional development and having completed my NVQ level 4 am delighted to be a part of such a successful nursery team.

Childcare and Education was a complete change of direction for me, having worked in the retail trade from a young age.

My own children are grown up now and both attended a pre-school nursery whilst I worked, I therefore feel I have an appreciation and understanding of the needs of working parents having been on both sides of the fence.

My passion is caring for babies under two and I am extremely proud of the facility my colleagues and I offer in the baby room.

I believe children are precious and never ceased to be amazed at their potential.

I have been described by others as a passionate, enthusiastic and knowledgeable person in childcare.

I call myself ‘Head of Resources’ and am known for my bargains that I pick up in charity shops or car boot sales.

Pam - Nursery Practioner - Yellow Room

Hi my name is Pam and I work in the Yellow Room

I am married with 2 children and 3 lively grandchildren.

I gained my NVQ 3 in April 2002 and have been a part time member of staff since then. I enjoy the homely environment at Kinder Park where we hope to enrich your child’s start to education with lots of fun packed learning opportunities.

My passion is travel and I am always planning my next holiday be it camping or something more luxurious! I like to relax at weekends catching up with friends, cooking a meal and a tall glass of something cold and fizzy.

Nicola - Nursery Practioner - Blue Room

Hi my name is Nicola and I work in the Blue Room.

I gained my Qualification Diploma in Childcare and Education level 3 in 2002 and have been working at Kinder Park Nursery since then.

I have always worked in the 2-3 years old room which I find challenging but I really enjoy watching the children grow and develop new skills throughout their time spent in our room.

I am originally from Barrow-in-Furness and have lived in Carlisle since 1998.

I now live with my fiancé, 2 cats, 3 guinea pigs, marine fish and a turtle – as you guessed I love animals and I am sure the list will get longer.

Victoria - Nursery Practioner - Baby Room

Hi my name is Victoria and I work in the Baby Room.

I qualified in 2003, with a diploma in child care and education and started to work at Kinder Park Nursery 2004. I am currently working towards a foundation degree in teaching and learning support for early years

I work full time in the baby room and really enjoy each and every day caring for and having fun with the children.

It is lovely to see each child progress through the baby room and then on through the rest of the nursery. It is also very nice to see families as they return to the nursery when younger siblings arrive.

I feel privileged to spend my week in a fantastic environment with a great team of people.

I endeavor to build positive relationships with the children, helping to ensure they feel safe and secure whilst at nursery, building their self confidence and self esteem through lots of positive communication with them.

I enjoy helping to provide an environment which is safe and homely for your child, supporting their progression as they explore the areas enriched with exciting resources.

I look forward to working in partnership with you, helping to meet the needs of your child. I would love to hear about what your child likes doing at home or new skills they are showing, also any ideas you might have of experiences I can provide for your child at nursery.

Lynsey - Nursery Practioner - Baby Room

Hello my name is Lynsey and I work in the Baby Room.

I now live in Carlisle, but originally from Penrith where I grew up and took my Diploma in childcare. I have had lots of different experiences in childcare; during my courses I had placements in a hospice, Children's unit in a hospital and a Special Education Needs School where I thoroughly enjoyed my time.

I have worked at Kinder Park Nursery since October 2006 and love every minute of my time here! I feel very proud to work with such a lovely committed team.

I have worked with children for over 5 years now, since I qualified as a nursery nurse in 2002. It has always been a dream of mine to work with children from an early age and feel very passionate about my job, as I find it very rewarding, caring for and supporting young individuals.

Before I worked at Kinder Park Nursery I worked in another nursery where I worked with a range of ages from babies to pre-school, which has given me lots of experience and understanding.

I now work in the baby room at Kinder Park and thoroughly enjoy it. Each day is very rewarding caring for the babies and having lots of fun together!

Liane - Nursery Practioner - Baby Room

Hi my name is Liane and I work in the Baby Room.

I completed my NVQ Level 2 in Childcare in 2003 and I am currently working towards my level 3.

I have worked with children on and off for 8 years. My full time placement for my NVQ 1 & 2 levels was at a Special Needs School, where I went on to full time employment after completing my NVQ's. I found this job rewarding and challenging and enjoyed my time there.

I also worked at a children's crèche/club at a holiday park, caring for children aged between 3 months and 14 years.

I have been at Kinder Park Nursery since May 2010 and work part time in the baby room. I really enjoy it here and it is great to work with such a brilliant and committed team.

I have enjoyed getting to know the children in the baby room and also meeting the new babies that start and creating a safe and secure environment and building positive relationships with them, making sure their time at nursery is an enjoyable and positive experience.

Nadia - Nursery Practioner - Blue Room

Hi my name is Nadia and I work in the Blue Room.

I gained my level 3 teaching assistant qualification in 2008 at Carlisle College.

Since then I have worked with children aged from 2 to 11 years in nurseries and schools. I have enjoyed every minute so far and find it a very rewarding job.

I am married with a son & daughter and they are my little stars and always keep me smiling.

I have lived in Carlisle all my life except for 4 years when my parents emigrated to New Zealand, taking me, my sister and brother with them. It is a fantastic place, but family brought us back to Carlisle in the end.

In my spare time I go running twice a week, enjoy bike rides with my family, eating out and socialising with family and friends.

Rebecca - Nursery Practioner - Yellow Room

My name is Rebecca and I work in the Yellow Room.

I have an HNC in Childcare and Education (equivalent of a Level 4), which I gained in 2001 and I have been working with children ever since.

I have always wanted to work in Childcare and thoroughly enjoy it, every day is different and you get the amazing opportunity to see children develop and learn.

I have lived in Carlisle for 8 years and before that I lived in Central Scotland, near Stirling. I have many friends that I still visit in Scotland but my family all live here.

I enjoy music and dance (not very good dancer but i try). I'm usually singing though children tell me I'm not very good (harsh critics!!) I also enjoy reading and the cinema. On the weekend I am usually found shopping though it is mostly window shopping!

Yvonne - Nursery Practioner - Yellow Room

My name is Yvonne and I work in the Yellow Room.

I have worked in childcare for 21 years – 11 years as a childminder and 10 years in a nursery. I passed my NVQ 2 qualification in 1986, then my NVQ 3 in 2004.

My own children are 21 and 19 years old and they are now more like my friends as we get on very well.

I have always been involved with children from a young age. My mum was a foster carer, so I always knew that I wanted to work with children.

My passion is travel and I always seem to be looking for my next holiday at a bargain price. I relax by eating out or going to the theatre which is a treat for my daughter and I.

Kath - Office Administrator

Hi my name is Kath and I am the part-time Office Administrator.

I am married and have 2 children. I started my working life after leaving school at 16 working for Boots the Chemist, I then moved into office work with Boots Opticians and continued working in offices for the NHS and also in a Primary School office.

I have always had a customer/parent contact with all my jobs.

I enjoy coming to work at the nursery as everyone is very kind and friendly and the children really brighten my day up.

Anita - Cook

Hi my name is Anita and I am the cook at Kinder Park Nursery.

I am extremely excited about being the cook in the nursery. I have to admit that I have been bitten by the bug that is 'Jamie Oliver' & feel that one day he may actually take over the world! But for now he has succeeded in changing the face of school dinners.

I feel it is even more important for nursery age children to receive the same standards of well balanced nutritional meals, as they will then go on to make healthy and informed food choices throughout their lives.

As a busy working mum of two, I know how hard it can be to always offer a home cooked meal therefore it is lovely to know, that, when your child is in nursery they will be receiving a well planned & healthy meal. Oh & it makes picnics so much more fun!

Jayne - Cleaner

Hi my name is Jayne and I am a part-time cleaner at Kinder Park Nursery.

I also work as a Senior Teaching Assistant at Norman Street Primary School.

I am married with two children. My family is very important to me and even though they are 'all grown up' I like to spend as much time with them as I can. I like nothing more than to go and watch my son play golf on the weekend and as a total contrast to that I 'shop till I drop' with my daughter.

When I have some 'me' time I like to spend that in the kitchen cooking, I am also an avid reader of autobiographies.