Careers Interview: Cheryl Baddeley, manager of Oak tree Nursery, Ilfracombe, Devon
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Oak Tree Nursery is part of the My Start Children's Centre in Ilfracombe, Devon, and is operated by the Pre-school Learning Alliance.
The nursery has 87 children on its register and is open 52 weeks of the year.
Cheryl Baddeley has been manager of the centre since it opened in 2004. Baddeley has gradually worked her way up to the post of manager, starting out by running a toddler group and then opening a pre-school in a church.
"The job is demanding but very enjoyable. You get to know lots of families and feel a central part of the community," she says.
The nursery is located in an area of high deprivation and some of the children come from vulnerable families. Baddeley sees it as her role to ensure that children and families get any support they need. "It's about assisting and engaging the parents as much as it is about helping the children," she says.
She adds that running a nursery is truly a team effort. "The main thing I learned about the job is that you can't do everything yourself," she says. "You need good people around you."
