Nursery World Awards 2023 – Early Years Apprentice of the Year

You can download a link to the awards book here

Hibah Ahmed has a natural talent for working with young children and shows great care, patience and kindness in all of her interactions with them. Her approach to her training has been exemplary and she has demonstrated a strong desire to learn and grow in her role, actively seeking out opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge.

Unusually for an apprentice, Hibah has taken on responsibility for developing the nursery’s outdoor area and used her Forest School training to support children’s outdoor learning and wellbeing. One of her most notable achievements is the design and implementation of a sensory garden. She personally researched and selected plants and materials that stimulate the senses – fragrant flowers, textured leaves and different colours and shapes. This project has made a significant difference to the nursery children’s outdoor explorations by providing a stimulating and engaging environment. Hibah has also worked on creating an outdoor classroom and developing a garden-based curriculum for the nursery, leading to more opportunities for hands-on learning and exploration.