Staff Profile
Name
Nicola Abell
Joined the Nursery
June 2007
Job Title
Forest School Leader / Nursery Officer
Qualifications
BA (Hons) Degree in Child and Youth Studies
Foundation Degree in Children’s and Young People’s Services (Early Years)
Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education
Forest School Level 3 Practitioner award
Level 2 Health and Safety in the Workplace
Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Autism
Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health
Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Behaviour that Challenges
Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties
16 Hour Forest School First Aid Course
ITC Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid
Notes
From a young age I knew that I wanted to work with children, my nan was a teaching assistant and my mum worked in an after school club, you could say that I followed in their footsteps.
Before I started college in 2005 I did voluntary work within the Nursery in all three rooms. During my college course I did one of my placements in the baby room and worked part time in the holidays, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
After completion of my college course in June 2007 I was offered a full time position and I joined the Smisby family.
During my time at the Nursery I have worked mainly in the Pre School Room, with two short periods of working in the Toddler Room. I love working in the Pre School Room and this is the age range where my passion lies, as well as supporting children with additional needs. I am currently one of the settings Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCO) and I am hoping to study towards a qualification to support this area of interest.
In 2014 I completed my Foundation Degree in Children and Young People's Services and I moved on to complete a BA (Hons) Degree in Child and Youth Studies in 2016. After a few short courses and a break from studying I embarked on my Level 3 Forest School Practitioner Award which I completed in 2019. I love exploring the natural environment with the children, whether this be in the garden or local woodlands, where we have lots of adventures and often get very muddy on our explorations.
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