Paula has a NVQ Level 3 Qualification in Early Years and Education and a High Level Teaching Assistant HLTA Level 4 Diploma. She also worked in a primary school for 22 years and a further 2 years in a private nursery.

In her spare time Paula loves to spend time in her beautiful garden, it’s a working progress and always changing, but she says it’s good for her mental health and well- being. She also loves walking and hiking; she’s climbed a few mountains like Scafell Pike and Helvellyn and also completed the 3 Peaks Challenge.

Paula’s favourite activity to do with the children is singing together at circle time. All the children love to sing and they all join in, making it a happy and joyous experience! The thing Paula loves best about her job is to see the impact she has on a child’s development and well-being, helping them grow and learn about the world they live in, it’s definitely a challenge but very rewarding.

If Paula could be an animal, she would love to be a butterfly as they are so beautiful and elegant. The craziest thing Paula has ever done is Go Ape in Sherwood Forest, it was very exciting and she absolutely loved it.

Emily moved to China when she graduated university and immediately began working in Early Years. She is about to start working towards her Level 3 qualification in Childcare and hopes to continue her education by working towards a SENCo or management qualification in the future.

In her spare time Emily loves to read and enjoys visiting the library to borrow books and browse the shelves! She also loves travelling – after spending a long time travelling around Southeast Asia, she is very excited to visit new places now she’s back in Europe! The best meal Emily has ever had was the most amazing, authentic, homemade food from a small Buddhist temple restaurant in Chengdu, China. The monks made all the food themselves and all the proceeds went to a local charity that helped people in the area living under the poverty line. She says the food was delicious and flavoursome and that it was lovely to be able to support the local people.

Emily’s favourite activity to do with the children is anything messy or creative. She loves to set out a variety of materials and watch the children use their imaginations to create freely – it’s incredible to see all the different ideas they have! The thing she loves most about her job is watching the children change and grow over time. She says the children never cease to amaze her with what they are capable of when given time, space and patience to explore and learn and it makes her incredibly proud to work in early years and be part of their journey.

The craziest thing Emily has ever done is moving to China when she was just 21! She had just graduated university and wanted to continue learning Chinese, so she decided to move there to be an English teacher. Looking back now, she says she doesn’t know how she was so brave and courageous to move there without knowing anyone or much about the country, but it is the best thing she has ever done and she doesn’t regret a moment of her time there. Emily’s favourite place in the world would have to be Koh Pha Ngan, in Thailand. It’s a little island off the east coast of the country and it really is just a little piece of paradise! She says she will never forget how beautiful the sunsets were on the beach. It’s definitely her happy place!

Becky has been working at Elmore for over 4 years and is Level 3 qualified. She says that the best part about her job is seeing the children grow as individuals and reach new milestones.

In her spare time she likes to go for walks in the Peak District. Her favourite place in the world is Disney World in Florida as this is the last holiday she went on with her nan.

Her favourite activity to do with the children is messy play, she loves to get involved and get messy with the children.

Becky says that her best quality is being positive and if she could be an animal she would be a sloth as they live a very calm and chilled life most of the time but can be fierce if necessary. She says the craziest thing she has ever done is jumped off a boat into the sea while being on holiday in Turkey, certainly something that takes a lot of courage!

Fran is Level 6 qualified with a Degree in Childhood Studies. She has worked and volunteered in childcare since she was 16 years old and has done everything from volunteering at a community centre toddler group to placements in many different schools.

When Fran is not at work, you’ll either find her building or rather painting and decorating her camper van or walking in the peaks somewhere. The best meal she ever had was a big community meal in the town hall in the village of Deku, Fiji. She tried so many different things she would have never had the opportunity to try anywhere else.  If Fran could be Disney character for the day, it would have to be Moana, as she is very head strong and confident. Plus, who doesn’t want to live on a tropical island by the sea!

Fran’s favourite activity to do with the children is anything messy, she loves to see the children experience new textures, smells and sounds as they play. Her favourite part of her job is that she loves building connections with the children and see them settle into nursery life and thrive.

The craziest thing Fran has ever done is build a kindergarten school in Fiji. She says the island is beautiful and the people so inviting and it will always be her home away from home and her favourite place in the world. If Fran could be an animal, she would love to be a hedgehog, as she would like the ability to hibernate through the winter and wake up when all the flowers are blooming.