Following my first career in TV advertising, I retrained in Early Years and started Chestnuts in 1998 when my daughter was two and my son, five.   I have worked in Local Authority Early Years & Children’s Services and, as a qualified Adult Education tutor, managed the Early Years & Teaching Assistant training department at Richmond & Hillcroft Adult Community College for many years.  I continue to undertake a small Quality Assurance role for the college.   Now semi-retired, I work remotely, dividing my time between Teddington and Scotland with two to three months annually in Australia, where both my children now live. 

I have been working at Chestnuts Nursery and Pre-school as the Business Manager since 2016. After working at Chestnuts Nursery and Pre-school for 2 years, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in childcare and qualified as a Level 3 Early Years Practitioner in 2017.

Both my boys went to Chestnuts Nursery and Pre-school.

I joined Chestnuts in September 2017, after my Level 3 qualification.

In the July of 2018, we invested in a beautiful setting in Strafford Road and opened up as Chestnuts
Our Chestnuts Garden is absolutely beautiful for our children to explore, use their imagination and
learn through their play.

We pride ourselves in building a trusted working partnership with our parents, with the focus of
ensuring that our Chestnuts children are safe and happy.

I started working at the Chestnuts Nursery as an Early Years Practitioner in 2014. During the past eight years at Chestnuts, I have been working in all three branches and have experience working with children of different ages. I have had a variety of responsibilities including the Preschool TW2 Deputy Manager.

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I have been in childcare since 1995, when I started to volunteer in local
nurseries as a student, whilst working across settings and with local families.
During this time Iʼve also completed courses in safeguarding, first aid, food
hygiene, behaviour management and paediatric first aid.

Iʼm also a mother and understand the importance of a great start in the
educational life of a child.

I have been at Chestnuts Corner since it first opened and I am completing my training for my level 3
qualification.

I also have a qualification in paediatric first aid.

I had previously been working in retail, helping to manage the shop.

Then I decided I wanted a career and thought I would try working with children.

I joined RHACC in 2019 to study my level 2 diploma.

I started volunteering at Chestnuts in October 2019 as part of my level 2 studies and was offered a position at Chestnuts TW1 in January 2020.

I haven’t looked back since, I have fallen in love with childcare and Chestnuts!

I took my NNEB qualification when I left school. Since then I have worked in different locations with children, after having a break to look after my own children, I returned to nursery work.

I am also qualified in first aid, and like to do training to refresh myself with up to date courses.

While I was studying child care, I did lots of placement work with different ages of children in different settings. At the moment I’m working as a qualified level 2 practitioner at chestnuts corner nursery.

I also have experience of working with older people in care homes.

In addition, I am a mother of three daughters who are 14, 13 and 10 years old and I understand the importance of giving every child the best start in life.

Volunteering in a local nursery for 2 hours a week for 5 weeks.

Volunteering in a library as a library assistant in a school.

Volunteering as a reception class helper in a school.

Volunteering in a local charity shop as a charity shop assistant.

8 years early years workforce experience.

I have been working in childcare since 2017 and have about seven year's experience working with children

I have been working in childcare since 2017 and have about seven year's experience working with children (Chestnuts Nursery and preschool)

Languages-English and Arabic.

I have level 1 Health & Social Care

Level 3 Paediatric First Aid and Level 2 Early Years Practitioner

And also a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from university.

I was born in Algeria, Bejaia, and moved to London in 2007. I have completed higher education GCSE and A'level equivalent in Algeria and I have a degree in Management Science from University of Abderrahmane Mira. Also I have a level 2  in Childcare. I love spending time with my children, cooking and baking cakes, sewing.