Middlewood Nursery
Jemma Flanagan
Early Years Manager
Always ready with big grins and warm cuddles, Jemma is our smiling sunbeam of Middlewood Kindergarten. With an NVQ Level 3 in Childcare and working towards her Level 5 in Leadership and Management in Children and Young People’s Workforce, she is one of life’s grafters but still manages to bring an enormous sense of fun to every occasion.
The best meal she’s ever had is her Mum’s meat and potato pie with super thick pastry and Henderson’s Relish. What Sheffield lad or lass doesn’t love Hendos?!! We’ve always known that she’s got a bouncy personality, but we didn’t know that she once did a 200ft reverse bungee jump for charity! Suddenly, I wish I’d not just been talking about meat and potato pie!
Jemma loves watching the children develop and playing a part in their early education. Her Superhero name would be The Chaos Co-ordinator, an appropriate title as she’s never seen without her trusty notebooks, post it notes and lists and loves to get involved with organising events and activities for the nursery. Is it a bird, is it a plane, no it’s The Chaos Co-ordinator! She likes getting stuck into anything outdoors, upcycling and messy arts and crafts.
Pia Zirou
Deputy Early Years Manager
Pia has a Master’s Degree in International Business Management, which has provided her with strong strategic and organizational skills. In addition, her qualifications include Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and she has over 10 years of experience working with children. Pia also holds a range of specialized certifications such as Attention and Autism and has earned diplomas in Special Needs and Educational Psychology, along with a BA in Physical Education.
In her spare time, Pia enjoys traveling, she says it’s like embarking on a grand adventure where each new destination unveils its own enchanting story. She also loves going for a run to clear her mind and immersing herself in psychology books. If Pia could be an animal, she would choose to be a giraffe. Their unique height and long neck allow them to see the world from a different perspective plus their gentle demeanour and graceful movements make them fascinating and admirable creatures.
Pia’s favourite activity to do with the children is yoga. It’s a fun and engaging way to promote physical activity, flexibility, and mindfulness. By exploring different poses and movements, children not only improve their physical abilities but also build a positive mindset and a sense of accomplishment. The thing Pia loves most about her job is the opportunity to be a foundational influence in the lives of young children. It’s fulfilling to be part of their development and to contribute to their happiness and learning.
The beach is Pia’s favourite place in the world as she finds it incredibly peaceful and comfortable there. The sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun, and the feel of the sand help her relax and unwind. It’s the perfect spot for her to meditate, recharge, and reflect on life.
Gaynor Flanagan
Lead Senior Early Years Practitioner
Gaynor has worked in childcare since she was 19 years old, has a tonne of experience, a foundation Degree in Early Years as well as several other qualifications and has worked in all of our three nurseries!
Her favourite activity to do with the children is anything creative and messy as this is the best way for the children to express themselves. She says her favourite part of her job is seeing the children gain confidence and develop whilst having a fun happy time.
If Gaynor could be a Disney character for a day as would love the be the fairy godmother and make everyone’s wishes come true. Her superhero name would be Crochet Queen as she spends every spare minute crocheting and although she is never seen without it by her side she has never made anything for herself!
Gaynor would love to do a tandem parachute jump one day and if she could be an animal she would love to be a dolphin and be carefree exploring the ocean and all the different wonders under the sea.
Emilie Bagley
Senior Early Years Practitioner
Emilie is Level 3 qualified and has 5 years’ experience of working in childcare.
The first CD Emilie ever owned was One Directions first album, she absolutely loves them! If she could be a Disney character, she would love to be Moana and have so much fun exploring the world!
Emilie’s favourite activity to do with the children is anything that is messy because it is so much fun! She says the best thing about her job is learning about the children’s personalities and watching them grow and develop as they get older.
In her spare time Emilie enjoys visiting her family and going for long walk with her sprocker spaniel Reggie. Her favourite meal is her mum’s homemade chilli, yummy!
Holly Wheeler
Senior Early Years Practitioner
Holly is Level 3 qualified and wants to work towards a SENCO qualification. She says the children and the team she gets to work with everyday are her favourite part of her role.
Australia is Holly’s favourite place as she has family there and she loves the amazing wildlife, beaches, outback and of course the sun! Her favourite meal of all times is her mum’s homemade meat and potato pie. Yummy!
Holly loves being outside in the garden with the children, planting fruit, vegetables and flowers with them, teaching them all about different plants and how we can look after them and what we can grow and use in the meals we eat. Watching the children be amazed at what they’ve grown together, prepare their harvest for cooking and then eating the meals together is so special to her.
In her spare time Holly enjoys spending time with her family and friends, walking her dog Tulip and go to concerts. Holly describes herself as a nice and kind person who helps people wherever she can. If Holly was a superhero her name would be ‘the pink flash’ because all you would see if her bright pink hair.
Jenny Palmer
Nursery Administrator
Introducing Jenny who joined the Middlewood team in August 2024 as their Nursery Administrator. In her spare time Jenny enjoys spending time with her two sons who are 5 and 10. They love exploring new places and having days out. She even runs a Facebook blog reviewing local family days out.
The craziest thing Jenny has ever done is climbing to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge as she has a fear of heights! If she could be an animal for the day, she would love to be a cat and just do lots of lying around in the sun all day – what’s not to love!