CATHERINE

Catherine is a devoted early years practitioner who has spent 20 years of her career dedicated to supporting and improving the learning and development of children under five. But, it wasn’t until Catherine and her husband chose to start a family of their own that she made a career change into early years.

Catherine, a qualified barrister, decided after her first baby that she wanted to undertake a career where she could get the independence and stimulation of working and mixing with adults and the enjoyment of looking after her first child. Almost seventeen years ago Catherine founded Rompers Nursery in Liverpool. Today the private day Nursery has grown to 16 staff with provision for up to 46 under fives.

In September 2007 Catherine undertook the three month validation Pathway at Liverpool Hope University to gain Early Years Professional Status.

She said, “EYPS gave me time to continue my professional development. It refreshed my practice, and helped me focus on how to evaluate and improve the techniques we use in the setting. I have disseminated my experience to my staff and this has motivated two of the staff to begin working towards NVQ Level 4."

Rompers Nursery recently received capital funding and completed a two-storey extension to the nursery to improve their continuous provision. In addition to the changes inside the nursery they also place great emphasis on outdoor play.

The constant focus on improvement both through the further training of staff and changes to the nursery itself has resulted in very positive feedback from parents who appreciate the emphasis which Rompers places on continuing personal development. Currently, Rompers has a long waiting list of interested parents.