Hayley Morris, of The Montessori People in Thornaby, has been announced as a finalist for Nursery Practitioner of the Year, with winners announced on Saturday 26th September, in London.
The national nomination came as a huge surprise to Hayley, as her managing director and nursery manager secretly put her forward for the respected accolade.
Speaking about the news Michelle Tudor, managing director of The Montessori People, said: “Hayley is an amazing member of our management team and she thoroughly deserves to be recognised for all of her hard work.
“As soon as the awards were open for entries, both myself and my nursery manager, Cheryl Kent, decided to put Hayley forward for Nursery Practitioner of the Year.
“We were absolutely thrilled when we received confirmation that Hayley was a finalist and coincidently we were about to celebrate her birthday, so it was perfect timing!”
Hayley has been with The Montessori People for four years and in the educational industry for 12 years, however always worked voluntarily within childcare groups and nurseries. As part of the submission form, parents described her as having “an extraordinary love for her job” as well as “an endless amount of patience for each and every child”. Parents continued to say Hayley’s “enthusiasm and creativity rubs off on the children and this was apparent right from the start”.
Feeling ecstatic, Hayley said: “I’m still in shock, it was such a surprise! It’s a real privilege to be nominated, especially because I’m the only person shortlisted in the area.
“The whole team is attending the awards and I’m really looking forward to celebrating an incredible academic year.”
The Montessori People, which employs 20 people in the region and takes care of 100 local children, caters for those between the ages of six weeks and four years.
The nursery is also celebrating its ‘outstanding’ results after a surprise visit from Ofsted, which resulted in the highest possible rating in all three areas of the inspection, which focuses on children’s needs and wellbeing as well as the nursery’s management team.
For more information, visit: http://www.themontessoripeople.co.uk/