Kathy Brodie is an EYP and trainer in Cheshire, specialising in the Early Years Foundation Stage. She mentors on the EYPS course for the North West Early Years Transformation Group (Chester, Liverpool Hope and Cumbria Universities). Kathy tutors on the Early Childhood Studies course at Chester University and on the Foundation Degree course at Stockport College (awarded by Liverpool John Moores University).
Phil Churchill, a management, marketing and PR consultant, is also a trainer and journalist. As senior partner of Churchill Associates, he delivers a range of services to organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Over the years he has worked with government departments, local authorities, blue-chip companies and small businesses. In 1997, he was involved in helping set up Early Years and Childcare Partnerships.
Thom Crabbe is national manager for Early Years at the Children's Workforce Development Council. He co-leads the £16m Early Years programme, delivering workforce reform and Sector Skills Council responsibilities. Prior to joining CWDC, Thom worked for six years at the childcare campaigning charity Daycare Trust, ending as director of services.
Susanna Dawson has been a registered childminder and member of the NCMA since 1995. Susanna took on the chair's role in the first year at her local childminding group, and soon got involved in the Northumberland County Association and Regional Committee. She is now completing her six-year term as national chair and standing down. Susanna has continued childminding three days a week during her time as chair.
Mary Dickins has worked with practitioners, children and families for 34 years. She trains early years professionals, specialising in SEN and equality issues. Organisations she has worked with include the Audit Commission, Ofsted, National Children's Bureau, Save the Children and CACHE. She is senior lecturer at London Metropolitan and works as a consultant and author on equality and inclusion.
Marion Dowling started her career in the pre-school playgroup movement, was head of a state nursery school and has worked as a local authority adviser. Since 1998, Marion has worked independently as a consultant and trainer on local, national and international initiatives. Marion is a vice-president for Early Education. She is currently writing a new book on exploring young children's thinking.
David Fitzgerald became the head of Early Education and Childcare Division in the Department for Education in December 2009. He previously led the joint DfE/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 Gambling and National Lottery Licensing Division. His previous posts at DCMS included heading the arts education team and Private Secretary to the Arts Minister.
Linda Godley manages Bewbush Neighbourhood Nursery, which has been open for six years. She managed its set-up under the Sure Start programme. She and her staff are now working to take the nursery over as a social enterprise. She originally became involved with a local pre-school which her son attended and trained as a supervisor. She then worked for the Pre-school Learning Alliance as a development worker.
Jane Harrison Educating young children and parents about good food is one of Jane's passions which led to her nursery winning the Nursery World Food Award 2009. Red Hen went on to win our 'Enabling Environments' award in 2010, in recognition of the benefits children derive from real-life events and quality outdoor play at her nursery on a farm. Jane is a visiting tutor at Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln.
Laura Henry has spent her working life within the early years sector and is managing director of Childcare Consultancy. She supports those working with young children in the UK and internationally. Laura provides a range of bespoke early years training. She is the UK national representative for the World Forum on Early Care and Education. She is an author and contributor to early years publications.
Linda Keats has worked in the early years sector for over 20 years, mainly in Australia. In the UK she started as a pre-school development officer, then became a nursery deputy manager. In 2008, she joined the Workforce Development team at Essex Early Years and Childcare. As a workforce development consultant she promotes Level 2-7 qualifications including the Foundation Degree and EYP Status.
Neil Leitch is the chief executive officer of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. Having originally qualified in the late 1960s in electronic communication, he went on to study administrative and financial management. This led to roles of operations, finance and marketing director before entering the world of financial underwriting and lending. Until 2006, Neil chaired the Finance Industry Standards Association.
Helen Moylett is an early years consultant and writer. She has been a teacher, a local authority senior advisory teacher and a senior lecturer. In 2000 she became head of an early years centre. In 2004 she joined National Strategies. She was on the national steering group for Birth to Three Matters and helped develop the EYFS. She was lead for ECaT and an expert adviser to the Tickell EYFS review. Helen is president of Early Education.
Wendy Scott has extensive experience as an early years teacher, headteacher, lecturer, adviser and inspector. After six years as chair and chief executive of Early Education, she went as a specialist adviser to the DfES. Wendy is currently a freelance consultant, engaged overseas with UNICEF and the British Council as well as local authorities across the UK. She is also honorary president of TACTYC.
Sarah Steel founded The Old Station Nursery in 2002, after a search for high quality local childcare left her thinking that there was a gap in the market. It has been a challenging nine years since then, but has undoubtedly been a success story for the group. The company now runs 13 day nurseries across the UK, as well as two stand-alone Kids' Clubs.
Dr Jools Page directs and teaches on the MA in Early Childhood Education at Sheffield University. Jools has worked in early childhood education for over 30years, and has extensive experience in both caring for children and in policy making roles. She led on policy and practice for provision for children aged birth to three in Kent. Jools's research interests focus on relationships between babies and their key adults. and the rights of babies and young children, specifically those under three.
Annie Seeley is a registered Public Health Nutritionist specialising in child nutrition and early years food provision. Annie contributed to the Soil Association's ground breaking Nursery Food Report (2009). She also helped pilot nutrition and food guidance for the School Food Trust's 'Laying the Table. Recommendations for National Food and Nutrition Guidance for Early Years Settings in England' (2010). Annie's other specialist areas include cooking education (from early years, through school to community settings), food policy and low income food issues.
Purnima Tanuku is chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association. Purnima works closely with ministers and civil servants and represents NDNA and the sector. She has been instrumental in establishing the National Early Years Enterprise Centre. Purnima's career spans public, private and voluntary sectors. She was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) this year.
Sue Robb Sue trained as a teacher and worked in a variety of schools and local authorities. Sue left local authority work to lead on the children's centre programme for London, and for the past three years was the senior director for Early Years in National Strategies. In May, Sue joined the charity 4Children as head of early years to lead the development of the DfE's Foundations for the Future programme.
Anand Shukla is chief executive of Daycare Trust, which campaigns for high quality, universal and affordable childcare. He is the chief spokesperson and ambassador for the organisation. Anand was previously Daycare Trust's business director. Anand has worked in social enterprise development at the UK children's charity Barnardos and at the international development charity Allavida.
Penny Tassoni is an education consultant, author and trainer. She trained and worked as an early years and primary teacher before lecturing in an FE college on childhood studies courses. Penny has also worked as the UK Education and Training manager of a large nursery chain. She has written over 30 books including the best selling Practical EYFS Handbook. Penny is currently also a consultant for Edexcel.
Ann Ross has worked in the childcare sector for the past 18 years. She lives in Dartford where in 2006 she set up her business Your Child Matters Childminding Service. In 2009 Ann joined the local NCMA Network and became a Quality Assured childminder. She gained Outstanding in her 2010 Ofsted Inspection. Ann is particularly interested in special needs. She mentors childminders for the NCMA on the EYFS and SEN.
Jenny Spratt is head of EYFS and Children's Centre Services in an English local authority where she has led the Early Years and Childcare Strategy since 1998. She was headteacher of a nursery school for nine years. Jenny represents the Local Authority Early Years Network on the Early Childhood Forum and is an early years sector specialist for C4EO. Jenny has co-authored Essentials of Literacy with Tina Bruce.
Karen Walker is head of Children's Services for London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), the largest social enterprise daycare provider. Karen has spent 20 years in the childcare industry, opening her first nursery in West Yorkshire. She expanded the business to eight day nurseries before selling on to her business partner last year. She recently completed her masters in early childhood studies.
Nicole Weinstein is a freelance journalist specialising in the early years education and childcare sector.
