Email  enquiries@stjohns-oakmere.co.uk

Management and Staff

The management of the playgroups is undertaken by the Manager (based at St John's Methodist Church), who is also the leader at the church based setting. Day-to-day running of Baker Street is by Mrs Mills and at Oakmere by Alyson Gnesson supported by the Deputies at both settings. The manager and leadership team work closely with all staff and attend regular meetings to ensure the smooth running of the settings. The Annual Stakeholders Meeting is open to the parents/legal guardian of the children who attend the playgroups and to all staff. It is a forum for looking back over the previous year's activities and hearing about the coming year's activities.

Continuing Professional Development for Staff

At St John's we far exceed the minimum statutory requirement for qualifications. Over 90% of current staff hold at least an NVQ 3. We actively encourage all staff to undertake relevant qualification and training; our aim being to encourage all staff to have at least a NVQ Level 3 in early years care and education. The Manager of the playgroups has attained Early Years Professional Status (equivalent to NVQ 6 and Teacher Status for Early Years) and BA (Early Childhood Studies). She supports the staff at both settings.

The playgroup staff participate in regular training courses to help keep them up-to-date with the latest thinking and best practice in early years care and education. All staff undertake regular First Aid and Safeguarding training and all staff have been, and any future staff and regular volunteers will have an enhanced DSB check. St John's subscribe to early years publications as well as making use of the wealth of relevant information available on the internet. We have support from Herts for Learning and we are members of Early Years Alliance and access training through both organisations.

The staff who work at St John's Nursery Playgroup Oakmere are:

Celia Mills	Manager (EYPS), BA (Early Childhood Studies), Designated Safeguarding Children Officer, SENCO
Alyson Gnessen	Leader Early Years Foundation Degree (EYFD), SENCO, Designated Safeguarding Children Officer
Keely Brand	Senior Deputy EYFD
Mushfika Ameer	Practitioner BA Hons (Childhood & Youth Studies)
Neringa Rackauskaite	Practitioner Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
Julie Gauden	Practitioner Level 3
Sophie Smith	Practitioner Level 3
Becky Dagsland	Practitioner Level 3
Margaret Rhodes	Music Teacher

The staff who work at St John's Nursery Playgroup Baker Street are:

Celia Mills	Manager Early Years Professional Status (EYPS), BA (Early Childhood Studies), Designated Safeguarding Children Officer, Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO)
Jayne Stone	Deputy Level 3
AnnaMaria Turner	Senior Practitioner Level 3, Joint SENCO
Ann Conyers	Senior Practitioner Level 3
Rebecca Cooke	Practitioner Level 3
Lindsay Karpasitis	BEd with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status)
Kerry Hill	Practitioner NNEB L3
Ahdieh Khosravizad	Practitioner Level 6 Early Years
Margaret Rhodes	Music Teacher