Thom Crabbe, national manager for early years, and disability, CWDC
Thom co-leads the CWDC's £25m early years programme, delivering workforce reform and Sector Skills Council responsibilities. Prior to joining CWDC, he worked for six years at the Daycare Trust, ending as director of services. He began working in early childhood services in 1996, initially in health services management. In recognition of his work, Thom was invited to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts last year.
- Susanna Dawson, chair, National Childminding Association
Susanna has been chair of the national charity for five years. She registered as a childminder in 1995 and still provides childminding services part-time alongside her NCMA duties. Delivering training and being a key member of regional committees gives Susanna the grass-roots knowledge that makes her an excellent chair.
- Anne England, foundation stage leader, Barton Primary and Nursery School, Torbay
Born in Africa, Anne graduated from Bristol University with a BA and taught overseas in a variety of schools in Ethiopia, Pakistan and Argentina. During several career breaks she has worked with an Afghan refugee programme, in consular and immigration services and hospitality management. Back in the UK she returned to teaching and is a foundation stage leader, team leader for reception classes and a postgraduate tutor and mentor.
- David Fitzgerald, head of Childcare Division, Department for Education
David became head of the Childcare Division in December 2009. He previously led the joint DCSF/BIS Bill Team which was responsible for the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill. His move to DfE followed 12 years at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, latterly as head of the Gambling and National Lottery Licensing Division.
- Alison Garnham, chief executive, Daycare Trust
Alison took up her position at the Daycare Trust in June 2006. Prior to that, she was director of policy and research at One Parent Families. She worked for many years as a welfare rights adviser and for women's organisations before joining the Child Poverty Action Group. She has written about lone parenthood and child poverty.
- Jane Harrison, director, Red Hen Children's Day Nursery, Louth, Lincolnshire
Educating young children about food is one of Jane's passions, which led to her nursery winning the Nursery World Food Award 2009. Jane and her husband have developed a successful nursery on their Lincolnshire farm, where children benefit from a healthy outdoor lifestyle. Her first-class degree in early years has helped to develop her nursery's provision for children and families.
- Linda Keats, graduate training adviser, Early Years and Childcare, Essex
Linda has worked in the early years sector for more than 20 years, mostly in Australia. She started her UK early years work as a development officer, but soon realised that she missed working directly with children, so she became deputy at one of the first Sure Start Children's Centres in Basildon, Essex, later becoming manager. She started her current position in 2008 and is completing an Early Years Foundation Degree.
- Jennie Lindon, chartered psychologist and early years consultant
Jennie has three decades of experience working with early years, educational and play services. An established author, she has more than 30 books published. Recent publications include Understanding child development, Equality in early childhood and Parents as partners. Jennie writes for a range of early years magazines, but her most regular contributions are for Nursery World and Child Care.
- Anne Longfield, chief executive, 4Children
Anne has worked in the field of children and family policy and services for more than 25 years. She has led numerous campaigns and published widely. Anne works closely with Government and decision-makers and was seconded to the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit at the Cabinet Office. Under Anne's leadership, 4Children has grown to become an award-winning charity. She received the OBE in the Millennium honours.
- Martin Pace, director, Reflections Nurseries, Worthing, West Sussex
Reflections Nurseries won Nursery World Nursery of the Year 2009. Martin has worked in the childcare sector for 17 years and is studying for an MA in early childhood studies at Roehampton University. He was managing director of Dolphin Nurseries from 2000 to 2004 and has worked for kidsunlimited and Jigsaw Day Nurseries. He is author of Starting a Nursery - A Practical Guide for Early Years Professionals.
- Megan Pacey, chief executive, Early Education
Megan joined Early Education as chief executive in April 2009. After completing an MA in education, she joined the Daycare Trust in December 1999. Her work included the 'Time for children's centres' and 'Men in childcare' campaigns. Other roles include associate director at a private policy research company, policy and development manager at a homeless charity and director of policy and campaigns at the Institute of Fundraising.
- Dr Jools Page, lecturer and director, MA in early childhood education, University of Sheffield
Jools has worked in early childhood education for more than 30 years, in both care and policy-making roles. Her research interests focus on relationships between babies and their key adults and the rights of babies and young children, specifically those under three. She writes articles for Nursery World and is co-author of Working with babies and children: From birth to three.
- Wendy Scott, freelance early years consultant and president, TACTYC
Wendy received the Nursery World Lifetime Achievement Award 2009 in recognition of her remarkable contribution to early years education. She has 18 years' early years teaching experience, including as head of a demonstration nursery school, senior lecturer in early childhood education and Ofsted inspector. She was chief executive of the British Association for Early Childhood Education and chair of the Early Childhood Forum.
- Annie Seeley, registered public health nutritionist, City University
Annie specialises in infant and child nutrition, including in early years. Her other areas of work include cooking in school and school and nursery food provision, recipe creation and analysis and food and low-income issues. Organisations she has worked with include the Food Commission, Organix, Soil Association, Barnardo's, British Heart Foundation and Sure Start. She is currently working at City University's Centre for Food Policy.
- Lesley Staggs, early childhood consultant
Lesley has always worked in early years education, first as a teacher and nursery head. After a year in teacher education, she became an early years inspector. She led the work on developing the Early Learning Goals and Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and then worked as a senior adviser within the Sure Start Unit at the DfES. In 2003, Lesley became the first national director for the Foundation Stage and held that post until 2006.
- Judith Stevens, senior adviser for Every Child a Talker, National Strategies
During her varied career Judith has worked as a childminder, teacher, early years and mathematics co-ordinator, early years adviser and regional adviser. She has a huge interest in early language development and in problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy, particularly outdoors. She is the author of several books and has written extensively for early years publications, including Nursery World.
- Purnima Tanuku, chief executive, National Day Nurseries Association
Purnima works closely with ministers and civil servants and represents NDNA and the private nursery sector. She has been instrumental in establishing the National Early Years Enterprise Centre and champions the cause of raising the profile of the early years workforce. Purnima's career spans across public, private and voluntary sectors and she has served as a non-executive director in a number of organisations.
- Nicole Weinstein, freelance journalist
Nicole Weinstein specialises in early education, childcare and under-three development. She spent five years writing news and features in-house for Nursery World and now writes the monthly 'Tried and Tested' feature on nursery equipment. She has extensive links throughout the childcare sector. Since becoming a mum, she is even more passionate about what's on offer for children in the early years.
