The Team
Humphrey Boyd Manager
Early Years Professional Status, Level VI Child Care
BA Hons Art and Sociology
PGCE Art and Drama
First Aid
Health and Safety
Sessional lecturer at Reading University
Mentor for the University of Reading EYPS Programme
Early Years Forum Representative
PVI (private, voluntary and independent sector) Representative on Schools Forum Committee
Single Funding Formula Steering Group Committee Member
Duties: SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) for The Orchard, role sharing with Amanda Luker. As owner manager, I manage the whole team, the business and the property. I am responsible for the recruitment of all staff and the supervision of the Deputy Managers and oversee the curriculum development and delivery in line with national strategies and current thinking in education.
Personal Statement: As the older sibling in a large family I have always loved working with children. My career has developed in a range of settings from play work, social work and child psychiatric services and into education.
I founded The Orchard in 1989 with a view to offering a high quality, fresh and novel early years experience for Caversham community.
I am personally committed to equal opportunities in the workplace and through the service we provide and am proud of the multi-cultural quality of this setting. Growing up in a rural farm environment my leaning towards nature and outdoor learning can be seen in how we have developed the garden to be an extension of the indoor learning arena.
Michaela Norris Nursery Administrator
NVQII Business Administration
Working towards NVQIII Childcare completion July 2011
First Aid
Food Hygiene
Health and Safety
Duties: 9am - 1pm Monday to Friday
I am the first port of call for new and existing parents and carers. I deal with Admissions, personnel, fees and funding including the nursery grant. I am responsible for most office duties, including record keeping and data management, answering the phone and managing the website contact.
Personal statement:
I have worked at The Orchard for over 10 years now and I like that I'm not always tied to my desk but can help out with the children and provide support in other ways. It has an open and relaxed atmosphere and working with children creates a cheery environment to work in. The Orchard has offered a lot of diversity as an employer and allows for new career directions.
Michelle Clark Dolphins Team Leader Co-Caring Group Leader: Ducks
NVQIII Child Care
Duties: Full Time Team Leader carrying out all childcare duties and management of small co-caring group of trainee nursery professionals.
My extensive experience of working 1-1 with child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder has made me much more aware of how children perceive the world and more sensitive to catering for their needs.
I love watching and helping children develop. The comments they make fascinate me and I try to extend their use of language by introducing development activities that give them opportunities to learn as they play.
Here in the Dolphins we offer fun, play based and exciting learning experiences. We use a range of techniques and resources. Puppetry and Story Sacks provide opportunities to engage the imagination and promote communication. Dance, sand and water play form a large part of the programme and there are many chances for children to get involved in imaginary play through dressing up and the kitchen area. Outside, our little tikes bikes and slides encourage physical mobility skills and we have a beautiful outdoor den which we use for stories, role play and outdoor learning.
