At Burstead Bears Day Nursery we believe that our children deserve the right to receive the best individual attention, a guarantee to care and an education of the highest degree. We provide a high ratio of quality early years childcare staff specialists and our extremely skilled staff are fully trained with recognised qualifications in child care. Additionally, all staff and volunteers undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Baring Service DBS formally Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). All of this combined makes us what we believe one of the best nurseries in Essex.

We are proud of our staff retention rate and put this down to careful selection and dedicated training programmes. We also provide a fun and happy environment which benefits the children and the staff who work for us.

When a child begins at Nursery they are allocated to a key person. This key person will have the special responsibility of building strong relationships with the children in their small group and will be the point of contact to parents who wish to discuss their child's development.

	Andrew Stern – Founder  Andrew is the founder of Burstead Bears Day Nursery and is fully committed to supporting the nursery's CEO/Manager Rachael Robinson. Andrew also looks after the financial aspects of the Nursery.
	Rachael Robinson – CEO/Manager (Safeguarding Children Co-ordinator) Rachael being a founder member of Burstead Bears, helped start the nursery back in 2006 and is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Manager. Thanks to Rachael's love and passion for Burstead Bears, her continuous pursuance of excellence has been rewarded by the setting being recognised as an award winningnursery since 2010. We have also been repeatedly been voted by an independent body as a top 10 nursery in the East of England, ahead of 930 other nurseries. Due to Rachael and her team's achievements the nursery has built an enviable reputation that we continue to enjoy today. Rachael has a wealth of experience in childcare having qualifications in both childcare and management; she also has the overall control of the day to day running of the nursery.
	Paula – Deputy in Charge Paula qualified as a nursery practitioner in 2006. Since this time Paula has progressed to be a most professional and skilled practitioner, who has achieve the equivalent to an NVQ Level 4. Due to Paula's vast experience, she has earned the respect of all her colleagues, which is due to her capacity to comprehend and respond to our children's needs with ease, she is also perceptive, supportive and patient with both children and colleagues alike.
	Nicola – Senior Practitioner Nicola is a bright, enthusiastic and caring individual who has a wealth of experience working with early year’s children of all ages from new born babies to our pre-school children. Nicola started life at Burstead Bears in 2010 as one of our nursery practitionerswith a true passion for working with young children. As time progressed she was promoted to a senior nursery practitioner, a role for which she is highly respected. Additionally, Nicola assists with various duties in the management of the nursery. Since joining the nursery Nicola has started her own family and now has a lovely son.
	Abi – Nursery Practitioner Abi started life at Burstead Bears in 2010 as an apprentice and worked her way up the ladder to become an excellent fully qualified nursery practitioner. Abi is another one of our practitioners who has a real passion for working with young children, and due to her naturally friendly warm-hearted manner she has the ability to interact and bond with all children with the greatest of ease. In 2011 Abi took time out to give birth to a beautiful baby boy and subsequently went on to have a second child, this time beautiful little girl, we were delighted that on both occasions Abi returned to continue her fantastic work with the nursery as one of our most valued team members.
	Keli - Nursery Practitioner Keli has been working in the childcare sector since 1998, during which she has worked as a nanny for 10 years with children aged up to 16, and as a nursery practitioner with children from birth to age 5. Within Keli's role she has cared for many children of varying abilities including a 5 year period where she had great pleasure in caring for child with autism, who thanks to Keli's input is today learning, socialising, communicating developing really well. This makes Keli one of the nursery's most experienced and respected members of staff. After all the years Keli has worked in this sector, she still maintains the same passion in her role caring for children and helping them progress as she did when she first started. Keli's main pursuit outside of work is caring for her 3 horses as well as competing in various equestrian events, in which she has been most successful winning trophies for show jumping, cross country and dressage.
	Bethany – Nursery Practitioner Bethany is a bright, cheerful and outgoing character, who joined our nursery team because after completing a 2 week work experience at a nursery, she realised that it was a long term career in childcare that she wanted to pursue. Bethany enjoys creative art and in particular painting, which is put to good use with the children. Since becoming a member of Burstead Bears, Bethany has demonstrated excellent interaction skills, as well as a willingness to help others and a desire progress in her role within the nursery to make a rounded member of the team.
	Jodie – Nursery Practitioner Jodie was initially inspired to work in childcare by her mother who had worked in the childcare sector for many years. Since joining Burstead Bears Jodie has displayed her passion of working with children by showing a great deal of empathy, warmth, understanding and enthusiasm whilst interacting in both play and education. This is evident as the children immediately warm to Jodie’s friendly and gentle persona. Jodie’s interests include: canoeing, sailing, reading and painting.
	Samantha – Nursery Practitioner Samantha is an energetic, fun and creative member of our team. She has worked as a qualified nursery practitioner and nanny for many years and decided to join our team for a more settled career path. Samantha has a vast array of experience with special needs and her bubbly character makes her perfect to work with our early years children. Samantha is an extremely creative individual which she puts in to practice by providing exciting and stimulating activities for our children. Samantha’s interests include walking her beloved dog, keeping fit, cooking, spending time with her nieces and family, also socializing with friends.
	Chloe – Nursery Practitioner Chloe has a calming, nurturing persona that is demonstrated by the love, care and attention she provides to the nursery’s children. Like so many other nursery practitioners, Chloe first decided that she wanted to work with children after completing her school work experience with a local nursery. Since then Chloe went on to college where she attained her level 3 qualification in childcare and subsequently joined Burstead Bears. Chloe is a motivated and ambitious person who not only is looking for a long successful career in childcare, but in the longer term is hoping to own her nursery. Outside of work Chloe is a qualified lifeguard and enjoys swimming, going to the cinema and spending time with friends.
	Shannon - Nursery Assistant Shannon comes from a large family and was inspired to work with early years children after babysitting for her nieces and nephews, she particularly enjoyed seeing the children progress throughout their stages, which she found most rewarding. It was therefore a natural progression for Shannon to seek a career in childcare. Shannon has demonstrated to be someone who is very approachable with staff, parents and children as she has a warm and friendly persona, she is also bright, fun, caring and patient. The nursery and children benefit by Shannon’s excellent creative and artistic skills, which are put to good use. In Shannon’s spare time she enjoys socialising with friends and family, going to the cinema, eating at restaurants and shopping.
	Fiona - Nursery Assistant Fiona is the 2014 and 2015 Irish dance champion for Southern England and competes in the Irish dance world championships each year. In Fiona’s spare time she enjoys teaching 3 & 4 year old children Irish dance and loves to see the children progress in their dance abilities that takes them to competitions, which in turn has helps build their confidence. It was seeing the children’s progression that inspired Fiona to want to work with them full time and see how they progress in all other areas of their development. Fiona has a very positive outlook, she is motivated, imaginative, caring and fun, she also loves interacting with people of all ages and all walks of life. Whilst studying Fiona excelled in art & craft and achieved an AA in Business Studies. It goes without saying that the nursery puts Fiona’s amazing achievements to good use with the children who benefit hugely by her talent.
	Jade – Nursery Assistant Jade’s inspiration to work in childcare was twofold. Firstly, Jade loved the connection she had with the children she used to babysit. Secondly, she has a very close friend who had been working with Burstead Bears for several years and saw her progress from being a trainee to becoming a fully qualified nursery practitioner. Jade also noticed her friend’s enthusiasm and fulfilment flourish by from working at the nursery. This enthused Jade to not only work with children, but also to work with Burstead Bears. Jade is a funny, caring, affectionate, outgoing (although at times a little shy) person, who is always up for a challenge. It’s clear to see that Jade continues to have that immediate connection with our children that she enjoyed so much whilst babysitting. Jade’s main passion outside of work are her 3 horses that she regularly enters in to showing competitions and show jumping, from which she has accumulated many rosettes and trophies. Her other interests include bowling, walking, going to the cinema and eating out with friends and family.
	Summer – Nursery Assistant Summer is a very gentle, kind and caring person, who is easy to liaise with. Summer was initially inspired to work in childcare from when she used to help babysit for her family members and enjoyed the interaction she had with the children. Whilst Summer was at school she completed a 2 week work experience at a local nursery, which she absolutely loved, and it was this that made her realize that working with children was the career path she wanted to follow. Due to Summer’s lovely nature she conveys a calming influence to our children. Summer is very creative and excels in fine and imaginative art, which the nursery’s children benefit by. Her other interests include dog walking, music and dance, ice skating, also spending time with family and friends.
	Shannon - Nursery Assistant Shannon is a quiet, gentle and caring person which makes her perfect for working with our early years children. When Shannon went to college she studied health and social care for two years, but soon recognised that her true desire was to work with children, hence joining Burstead Bears. Shannon’s first taste of caring for children was when she used to babysit for her very large extended family, where she took particular enjoyment seeing the children learn and progress in the different areas of their development. During Shannon’s studies she excelled in Maths, English & Science. Shannon enjoys in her free time to socialise with her friends and family, going to the cinema and shopping.
	Sinead – Nursery Assistant Sinead is a bright, cheerful and outgoing character, whose vibrant personality is most infectious to both the children and other staff members alike. Sinead joined our team because she wanted a long term career in childcare; and since becoming a member of Burstead Bears she has demonstrated excellent interaction skills, as well as a willingness to help others and a desire to progress in her role within the nursery, thereby make her an excellent rounded member of the nursery’s team. In Sinead’s spare time she enjoys being with her family and friends, also going to the cinema.
	Layla – Nursery Assistant Layla is a calm and caring member of our team who was drawn to working with children after looking after her nieces and nephew. Layla’s calming influence makes her perfect for working with our early years children. Whilst studying Layla was an A* student, her long term goal is to attain a degree in early years and go on to become a qualified teacher. Since joining Burstead Bears Layla has shared many of her excellent attributes with the children such as painting and baking. During Layla’s spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and socializing with friends and whilst at home she loves to bake.
	Stacy – Nursery Cook Stacy largely contributes to the success of our kitchen, helping maintain our prestigious Gold Award for Healthy Eating, also the 5 Star Award for Food Hygiene. Both of these accolades have only been achieved by a handful of nurseries in Essex. Through Stacy's efforts the children enjoy healthy and nutritious meals with a fantastic variety of food. At the request of our parent's, we produced our own recipe booklet that is available at the nursery.