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 Criminal Records Bureau check. 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 continious pursuance of excellence has been rewarded by the setting being recognised as an award winning, Ofsted Outstanding nursery 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 Wall – 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.
	Katie – Senior Practitioner Katie qualified as a nursery practitioner in 2007. After qualifying and prior to joining Burstead Bears, she worked as a nanny caring for four children of varying ages. Katie took the decision to diversify her career path to broaden her knowledge and understanding in childcare and felt that by joining Burstead Bears she could achieve her goal. Since joining the nursery Katie has demonstrated a warm, loving and patient nature that is clearly visible by the calming influence she has over the children. She also has the capacity to comprehend and respond well to the needs of children of all ages as well as her colleagues.
	Nicola – Senior Practitioner Nicola started life at Burstead Bears working in our baby room, she has now progressed to successfully running one of our toddler rooms. Nicola is a bright, enthusiastic and caring individual who speaks French, which she puts to good use by introducing the language to our children. Nicola is a naturally gifted nursery practitioner who has a passion for working with young children. Due to her friendly warm-hearted manner Nicola has the ability to interact and bond with all children with the greatest of ease.
	Abi – Nursery Practitioner Abi started at Burstead Bears in 2010 as a trainee and worked her way up the ladder to become a qualified nursery practitioner. In October 2011 Abi took time out to give birth to a beautiful baby boy, after which we were delighted that Abi returned to the nursery to continue her good work as valued member of our team.
	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 Shannie16, 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.
	Nicole – Nursery Practitioner Nicole is a happy, gentle and caring person with whom children immediately identify with. Nicole studied animal care for one year at college, but soon realised that her true passion was working with children and it was this career path she chose. Nicole participates in performing arts and has performed at the Thameside Theatre, she also enjoys playing the guitar, various outdoor activities and caring for animals. Like other members of staff, Nicole puts her performing arts and musicality skills to good use at the nursery by encouraging the children to participate in various related activities, which the children have great fun with.
	Georgia – Nursery Assistant Georgia is a friendly, happy individual who reveals a warm and calming persona with whom the children immediately warm to and enjoy interacting with. From 15 years of age Georgia baby sat on a regular basis, she also completed her work experience in a pre-school which she loved. When Georgia went to college she studied media and fashion promotion for 2 years, but soon recognised that her true desire was to work with children, which is when she joined Burstead Bears. Georgia excels in art & craft, she also enjoys reading, bowling and socialising with family and friends.
	Charlotte – Nursery Assistant Charlotte is a bright, cheerful and outgoing character, whose vibrant personality is most infectious to both the children and staff members alike. Charlotte joined Burstead Bears because as far back as completing her work experience at a primary school, she knew it was childcare where she wanted to have a long term career. Charlotte is very creative in both art and photography, she also designs and makes clothing and accessories, all of which the nursery is able to put to good use with the children. In Charlotte's spare time she enjoys going to restaurants, cinema, bowling, travel and spending time with family and 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.
	Caitlin - Nursery Assistant Caitlin is a confident, gentle and caring person who mixes well with everyone and with whom the children immediately warm to and enjoy interacting with. Caitlin's inspiration to pursue a career working with children was motivated by her mother who formally worked in a primary school and in more recent times works as a nanny. Caitlin’s first taste of caring for children was when she used to babysit for friends and family, where she took particular enjoyment seeing the children learn and progress in the different areas of their development. During Caitlin’s studies she excelled in textiles, music, business studies and media. In her social time Caitlin enjoys socialising with her friends and family, going to the cinema and attending boot camp.
	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 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 ready 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.
	Shannie – Nursery Assistant Shannie has enjoyed looking after children from a young age; helping out with her cousins and babysitting.Shannie’s enthusiasm for working with young children came from her mother and auntie who both work in childcare and indeed both of whom worked at Burstead Bears.In the past Shannie worked with children and young adults with severe learning disabilities at a local respite centre where she gained a wealth of experience in varying illnesses and conditions, which makes her an ideal addition to our already experienced team of practitioners.In Shannie’s spare time she continues to offer her services at the respite centre, she also enjoys spending time with her family andsocialising with her friends, going to the cinema and to restaurants.
	Sue – Nursery Cook Sue 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 Sue's efforts the children enjoy healthy and nutritious meals with a fantastic variety of food. At the request of our parent's, we have produced our own recipe booklet that is available at the nursery.