Meet the Team Swineshead

Hi, I'm Courtney! I started at Mon Ami back when I was a student in 2010, attending every other week for my college placement. I became part of the Mon Ami family and never left! I have worked my way from being a Practitioner to Senior Practitioner, then Deputy Manager and now Manager. 

Whilst here, I have completed a leadership apprenticeship, Elklan Level 2 and currently Level 4 training, SENCo training as well as lots of other training including Makaton Level 2 most recently.

What I love about Mon Ami is our ethos to create a home-from-home environment and I feel that is truly reflected within our practice and the relationships made with families. 

I enjoy working alongside the parents and children and encouraging their passion for learning while enjoying seeing the children develop their interests. I really enjoy messy play and being outdoors, whether that be in the nursery garden or out exploring our local community.

I have a passion for supporting children with SEN and I am committed to making sure they’re given the same opportunities as everyone else and ensuring that we provide an inclusive service.

Hi, my name is Hayley. I work at Swineshead Mon Ami as the Deputy Manager. I have worked at Mon Ami for over 20 years! I am qualified up to NVQ Level 3 and have worked my way up from Nursery Practitioner to Deputy Manager. Having worked across all the rooms within the nursery, I have spent the majority of my time (and now am settled) in the Toddler Room.

I have Paediatric and Emergency First Aid training as well as a Level 2 in Food Hygiene. I am always keen to undertake supplementary training to support the children I work with. I recently completed a SEND-focused course and took my Levels 1 and 2 in Makaton. I also regularly complete online training courses in Safeguard to ensure I stay up-to-date. I plan to take a course in the near future on Young People's Mental Health.

I am known for always being busy creating exciting activities extending from the children’s interests to enhance and promote their learning. I particularly enjoy getting messy both indoors and out, and finding new ways to encourage all of the children to reach their full potential!

Outside of work, I enjoy going on adventures with my husband and children, Lily and Max, making memories. We also have a dog called Woody, who I love going for long walks with. When I have spare time, I also like crafting with all kinds of different materials and often create resources to use at work!

I love working at Mon Ami and see the nursery as my extended family. I find it so rewarding to create great bonds with the children in our care and help them to develop and grow. Fostering positive partnerships with children's families is also really important to me. The team at Mon Ami is like a big family; the staff are my friends. It’s my second home.

I love to be so closely involved in the children's journeys, watching them reach each new milestone, celebrating their accomplishments both big and small, and helping them to grow and learn. Being there to cheer them on, to listen to their worries, to encourage them, to support them, to comfort and reassure them, to provide them with the very best start to life - that is what makes my job so special to me.

Hi, I'm Claire! I am the Nursery Cook at Mon Ami Swineshead.

I’m 38 years old and a mother to an 11-year-old boy who struggles with a serious eating disorder called ARFID. I was born and raised in Leicester and since the age of 18, I have managed and owned my own businesses which has led me to live in various locations until last year, when I moved from the south coast to Lincolnshire.

Over the past 20 years, I have completed various training courses including First Aid, Food Safety and Hygiene, Pub Management, Training Standards Management and most recently, Safeguarding.

I really enjoy my job at Mon Ami and think it's so important to create healthy, nutritious meals from scratch for the children to enjoy, encouraging them to experience and taste a broad range of different foods. My experience with my son makes me all the more passionate about this. I love to cook, but I would also love to one day pursue my dream job as a Social Worker. I am really interested in children's psychology and mental health, which I am in the process of completing a home-learning course for.

Hello, I'm Kerry! I have worked at Mon Ami for over 12 years. I first started working here as an Apprentice, working primarily in the Baby Room. I then went on to gain my Level 3 qualification. A few years later, I was promoted to Baby Room Leader and Senior Nursery Practitioner! More recently, I have been spending more time in the Preschool Room and it's been lovely to experience working with another age group some more.

I am Paediatric First Aid trained and also have Level 1 and 2 qualifications in Makaton. 

I have always had a passion for working with children. I find it really rewarding watching them learn and achieve their goal on a day-to-day basis, and knowing that I have been a part of promoting and supporting that development.

When I'm not at work, I like to keep active and healthy by going to the gym and going for long walks with my dog. I am currently away on Maternity Leave and look forward to returning to Mon Ami in October! 

Hi, I'm Gemma! I am Level 4 qualified and Paediatric First Aid trained and joined Mon Ami in 2023. 

I have been working in childcare for over 10 years and have worked in several children's nurseries over the years. I particularly enjoy working with the 3-4 year olds and am currently based in the Preschool Room. 

I have a two year old son and love to spend my time with him, going out and about and working on our family farm. 

I love getting stuck into messy play with the children, listening to the children's stories and having fun in the home-from-home environment of Mon Ami. I really enjoy taking the children on walks around the village and exploring the nursery garden with them, digging in the vegetable patches and getting muddy! 

Hi, I'm Vicky. I joined the Mon Ami family at the end of May 2023. I am Level 3 qualified, although I started my career in childcare later in life, after having my own three children. I have been an Early Years Practitioner for the last 12 years. 

I hold a Children and Young People's Workforce Level 3 qualification. I am also Paediatric First Aid trained and Fire Warden trained. I am the designated Fire Warden at Mon Ami Swineshead.

I was once a Live-In Nanny for a Casting Director and her actor husband, looking after their three boys. I didn't touch childcare again then until I'd had my own children, when I became a Registered Childminder, working from my own home.

I am a single mum of three Boys aged 25, 21 and 15. My eldest has recently gained a First Class degree in Computer Network Security in Manchester. My middle son is at Leicester College of Performing Arts in his last year of a Level 6 Trinity Diploma in Musical Theatre. My youngest is just beginning his final year at secondary school with the ambition to join the RAF one day.

I am a very musical and creative person. You will always find me singing, dancing, drawing or making something. Other hobbies include walking; last year, I walked 100km in one month to raise money for the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance. I am also a Civilian Instructor for the Boston Air Cadets. I'm finding this great fun and learning lots of new skills too!

I believe learning should be fun! I feel that all learning opportunities should be inclusive of and adapted to each child's individual needs. I love watching the children become engaged and focused on new activities and interests. It always amazes me how much information they soak up and remember. It is lovely to watch them grow and develop their independence as little people throughout their time in the Preschool Room, where I am based. 

One thing that never gets any easier for me is the goodbyes as the children leave us for school. Every child leaves a little imprint on my heart and I really love the fact that I have helped to play a part in their learning journey and hopefully have given them some core memories they will treasure forever!

Hi, I'm Kate! I am one of the newer members of the Mon Ami team at Swineshead, joining in June 2023. My husband and I, along with our little girl and dog, made the 92-mile move to Lincolnshire from Northamptonshire. Everyone in the team has been so lovely and I have felt very welcomed! 

I have been working in Early Years in some capacity for nearly 18 years. Originally from Derbyshire, I started as an apprentice and worked my way up through the ranks to ‘third-in-charge’, running the Baby Room there for 7 years. I left that setting after 8 years to explore training and assessing. 

I trained and assessed childcare apprentices, both school leavers and mature learners until I met my now husband. He lived in Banbury, Oxfordshire so the first big move for me! Here I joined a nursery as their Deputy Manager, room-based, running their Baby Room. After a short while, we were lucky enough to fall pregnant with my now 6-year-old. 

When returning from Maternity Leave, I became an office-based Deputy Manager to more closely support the setting’s Manager. After my husband got a promotion, life became very stressful with a small child and two stressful jobs! I took the decision to step back and find a job closer to home. 

I started working in the village nursery as a Level 3 Practitioner, then went on to cover maternity as the Baby Room Leader. Soon we got itchy feet and my husband and I decided we needed a big change. So, we moved our whole lives to Lincolnshire. That is when the Mon Ami family opened their arms and welcomed me in! 

I am passionate about all things Early Years and truly believe in giving children the best possible start in life.  I have a particular interest in both the Reggio Emilia and Curiosity Approach. I am fascinated by schemas and love to watch and provide for these patterns of play as children learn and develop. I feel completely honoured to be a part of these wonderful little people’s journeys.

Hi, my name is Adele and I joined the Mon Ami team in 2023!

My Early Years journey began when I completed my Level 3 in Children’s Play, Learning and Development in 2016. I have worked with children of all ages up to 11 years in both nursery and school settings! 

I am Paediatric First Aid trained and regularly carry out additional training to support my knowledge and understanding in all areas of Early Years.

I love getting to see the children I work with growing up into bright, independent individuals and I am committed to supporting each child in every step of their learning and development. 

When I'm not at Mon Ami, I enjoy spending lots of time with my family, playing games and completing puzzles together. 

Hi, I'm Kelly! I began my Mon Ami journey many years ago as an Apprentice and completed my Level 2 Childcare qualification. I then moved and gained some more experience in a different nursery. When I saw that a position became available again at Mon Ami, I just had to come back as the Mon Ami family felt like home for me! 

I have always had a passion for working with children, having spent a lot of my younger years around children. One of the many things I love about my job is watching them learn and grow into lovely, confident young people. I really enjoy messy and creative activities that really allow the children to express themselves.

In my spare time, I like to keep active by going to the gym. I also love going to concerts and seeing live music, as well as spending time with my friends and family - not to forget my pet cat, Nala!

Hello, I'm Melody! I have been working at Mon Ami since 2021 when I joined the team as an Apprentice. I have now completed my Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification and am working within the team as a qualified Nursery Practitioner.

Before joining Mon Ami, I was a qualified dental nurse for four years, which helped me gain lots of experience in working with children. With this background in mind, I am the nursery's designated Oral Health Officer and am really keen on finding lots of exciting ways to promote children's good dental hygiene habits. I am also Paediatric First Aid trained.

In my spare time, I really like to spend quality time with my family. I also love watching movies and embracing my inner geek - I'm a big Doctor Who fan! I love to travel and try all sorts of different cuisines and in the future, I plan to go on a safari in Africa.

I love watching the children laugh and enjoy themselves as they learn through play and it is very rewarding to see them achieve something new! I like to make the children’s learning as fun as possible, and some of the activities I create have come from my own memories as a child. One of the best things about my job is seeing the children grow in confidence and become independent as we guide them to experience and learn about the world around them.

Hi, I'm Jess! I started working at Mon Ami in April 2023 as I was really keen to pursue a career in Early Years. I’ve always really wanted to work in childcare and joined the team as an Apprentice, studying for my Level 3 qualification. I really enjoy being creative and getting messy while helping the children to grow and learn.

Outside of work, I love spending time with my partner and his family. I also like going for walks with my partner - we both enjoy the fresh air and getting outdoors.

I love waking up in the morning to go to work. Seeing the children smile and watching them play happily with their friends is so special. My favourite thing about my job is knowing that the children look up to me as a role model and being able to help prepare them for their journeys at primary school.

I’m currently away on Maternity Leave with my beautiful daughter, but I can’t wait to come back!