My name is Maria Harrington and I am the Acting Nursery Manager at Hazebrouck Nursery whilst Nathalie is on Maternity Leave. I hold an NVQ Level 3 in Childcare and Education, an NVQ Level 3 in Management and my Advanced Diploma in Childcare and Education. I am also a mentor for NVQ learners.  I am looking forward to starting my Foundation Degree in the near future. I really enjoy working at Hazebrouck Nursery and have a great team with me caring for children at all ages from 3 months to school-starting. The first member of our experienced and energetic team I'd be pleased to introduce you to is our Deputy Manager, Leanne Potter.

Little Gems and Mini Stars (0 - 2 year olds)
Our baby unit has the capacity for 30 children split between 2 separate rooms; 3 months - 18 month olds and 18 month - 2 year olds. There is 1 practitioner present for every 3 babies of which 1 is a Room Supervisor qualified to a minimum NVQ Level 3.

Both of our baby rooms are spacious and have an open plan environment with an array of resources that babies can discover and be creative with. Within the younger baby room there is a separate milk kitchen and in both rooms there is a separate nappy changing facility. Both rooms are mainly carpeted, but we also have an area specifically for their creative play and meal times.

Meal times are very social occasions with the staff sitting down with the children. For younger babies we have cots at sleep time and the older children have their own beds to sleep on. Both the Little Gems and Mini Stars have access to their very own outdoor area giving them the opportunity to explore and find their feet.

Bright Stars (2 - 3 year olds)   
Bright Stars have capacity for up to 32 children in the 2 - 3 year age range. There is one practitioner for every four children, one of whom is a Room Senior, qualified to NVQ Level 3 who leads the team.

The children in the Bright stars are very lucky they have two separate rooms and use these rooms throughout the day. They are free to choose what activities they would like to use, the rooms are well equipped with resources to stimulate and excite the children.

In the large playroom the Bright Stars have their own separate bathroom. It also has a carpeted area which houses their quiet area for them to share books or have stories together or just to relax, also their role play area which changes regularly to various exciting things such as a post office, toy shop or hair dresser just to name a few.  The rest of the room is geared around creative play, which they love!

The 2nd room “The Sparkle Room” is a smaller room. This room houses a separate quiet room for register time, music and movement time and this is where after lunch the Bright stars can have a sleep if they wish, they all have their own little beds  and go to sleep with calming music to relax them.

The All Stars (3 - 5 year olds)
The All Stars has capacity for 29 children from the age of 3 to 5 years. We have one practitioner present for every 8 children in this area and once again a room supervisor qualified to at least NVQ Level 3 who leads the team and is responsible for implementing the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and overseeing the smooth operation of the room.

The All Stars' room had a fantastic make over which looks great. As you walk into the room there is a dedicated area for all the children’s creative activities. In the All Stars they have a separate room which has the computer and resources for problem solving and numeracy. There is also a large carpeted area which houses the quiet and reading area, mark-making area and role play. The All Stars have also been blessed with a newly equiped free flow area that they can use at various times throughout the day, this contains water trays, bug hunt materials and much much more.