Our Team
Our Team
With over 100 years of combined early years care and education experience, Rainbow Teddies Pre-school employs well experienced, competent, caring staff.
Essential Information
- All staff employed by the setting, or any volunteer attending the setting on a regular basis, are vetted and undertake a check through the Disclousure and Barring Service (DBS).
- Staff have Paediatric First Aid Training Certificates.
- All staff are encouraged to attend courses to gain relevant qualifications, to acquire new skills and to up-date current methods and practices.
- The Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinators (SENDCo) update their training regularly to ensure that current practices are employed within the group.
- We also operate a Key Person system whereby all children are allocated a qualified member of staff who will be responsible for liaising with parents, monitoring the progress of a small group of children and coordinating each child’s Learning Journey Profile.
- Finally, Rainbow Teddies provides very good adult-to-child ratios to ensure the safety of the children in its care. The ratio is at least 1 adult to 4 children for under 3′s and 1 adult to 8 children for 3′s and over.
Our Manager
Marie
“I’m the Manager, SENDCo and Deputy Safeguarding Lead at Rainbow Teddies. I have a Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce. I joined Rainbow Teddies in Nov 2020 and have worked in childcare since 2013. I’m married with two teenagers and have lived in Thornbury for most of my life, in fact I was born in Thornbury Hospital! I enjoy baking and I love to go camping.”
Our Team
Emily
Deputy Manager. Rising School Leader and Curriculum Co-ordinator Safeguarding Lead
“Hi my name is Emily.
I have fourteen years experience in Early Years settings undertaking roles such as teacher, deputy manager, manager and SENDCo.
I trained as an Early Years Teacher and gained my BA (Hons) Initial Teacher Training with specialism Early Years in 2008. I also gained my Early Years Professional Status around this time.
I have recently moved to Thornbury and I live with my two children, both boys aged 13 and 6, they both keep me very busy!”
Nichola
Teddy Tots Leader and Curriculum Co-ordinator
Assistant SENDco
Nichola’s qualifications include a CACHE diploma in Nursery Nursing (NNEB). She has worked in a variety of childcare settings for over 20 years.
“Hi, my name is Nichola and I’ve worked with children for 20+ years. I have two of my own children now and our family roots are in the South East, so it was lovely to get a job at Rainbow Teddies because it’s not just a place to work, it is a family.”
Clare
Rising School Leader
With an NVQ in Childcare and Education along with a diploma in pre-school practice. Clare helped to set up the Happy Hands toddler group in Thornbury.
“The pre-school has been a part of my families life for over 50 years now as my husband was one of it’s very first pupils back in the 1960’s when it first opened in Christ the King church hall! Our two children then both attended the group and I helped out on the committee. I started working at Rainbow Teddies over 20 years ago.
I hope you and your children have as many happy times at Rainbow Teddies and create as many fond memories of your time with us as my own family have over the years.”
Angharad
Qualified Assistant
Angharad’s qualifications include an NVQ3 in Early Years Care and Education. She has worked in childcare for 16 years, including overseas.
“Hello, I’m Angharad. Big on Sensory Play, Makaton, Yoga and I’ll be seen getting over excited on dress up days aswell!”
Lisa
Qualified Assistant
“My own children inspire me with their creativity, that helps me add to the fun learning opportunities we share at Rainbow Teddies. I moved to Thornbury with my family in 2020, though we’ve settled right in along with our menagerie of animals and feel like we’ve always lived here!”
Annie
General Assistant
Annie has a NVQ Level 3 in Child Care and Education.
(Annie drawn by one of our children!)
“I have worked at Rainbow Teddies since September 2016. I have two boys of my own and the children at pre-school like to call me Fred!”
Jo
General Assistant
“I joined the Rainbow Teddies team in 2017. I’m a mum to three girls who all went to Rainbow Teddies. I have always lived in Thornbury and my girls and I all went to Manorbrook School. I enjoy making greetings cards and I bring my passion for creativity into the setting by designing activities for the children.”
Erin
General Assistant
“Hello, my name is Erin. I have worked at Rainbow Teddies as a Gen Asst since 2022 undertaking a bank role. It was my 5 year old daughter that inspired me to work at Rainbow Teddies as she enjoyed her time here before starting school in Sept 22. It’s a rewarding experience to support all the amazing children that come and join in all the fun and creative learning at the pre-school.”
Management Committee
Our preschool is parent-led. This means that we are run by a Management Committee made up of volunteer parents and carers connected to the preschool. In line with our Constitution the pre-school cannot exist without it.
The Management Committee is responsible for:-
• managing the pre-school’s finances
• employing the staff and manager of the pre-school
• ensuring that the preschool has and works towards policies that help it to provide a high-quality service
• ensuring the preschool works in partnership with the childrens’ parents
We also get involved in a whole variety of other activities including:-
• fundraising to buy additional resources and improve the preschool
• promoting the pre-school
All parents/carers are invited to the Annual General Meeting which takes place in the first autumn term. During the AGM, nominations are sought for a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer, and other supportive roles, for election onto the Management Committee which meets once a term.
The committee run a Facebook group for current parents and carers so you can be kept up to date with all the latest news. You can also contact the committee here via email chairrainbowteddies@gmail.com.