Meet our Team

Meet our Team...


Our team is dedicated to providing a positive, safe, caring, warm and friendly environment for your child. Each Pre-School child has dedicated Key Workers. They meet your child on a home visit before they start, so they can start to build a relationship with them and you as well as get to know what they like, meaning when your child starts they have formed a friendship to ease the transition when starting. Key Workers will work with your child in Pre-School and monitor and track their progress throughout their time with us.

Our team work across Pre-School and Mighty Oaks, our wrap around care service. This means Pre-School children who stay for wrap around care are cared for by the same staff. Children attending Mighty Oaks from our local schools, Shefford Lower School and Robert Bloomfield Academy, will often know the staff from when they attended Pre-School or will know their faces from spotting them around the school site in their bright blue hoodies!

Our greatest asset is our staff team. They are experienced, knowledgeable and committed. Our Manager Lyndsey Black, has worked at Acorn Pre-School & The Mighty Oaks since 2015 and prior to that she volunteered with us. Lyndsey is passionate about early years education and providing the best for our pupils and their families.  Our approach and ethos means each of our children starts their day feeling valued, loved and appreciated.

Staff qualifications

Staff qualifications range from NVQ Level 3 to Level 5. All staff receive annual child protection / safeguarding training as well as other key topics. All staff also hold a valid paediatric first aid training qualification and food hygiene qualification in addition to the many other courses and professional networks they attend. We have a trained SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) who keeps up to date with best practice and can advise on any child who may have additional needs or special requirements.

Key workers

When your child first joins us, they will be allocated ‘key workers’, who helps them settle in and monitors them throughout their time at Pre-School. This staff member ensures that what we provide is right for your child’s particular needs and interests. Key workers also create and maintain your child’s Learning Journal. However, all staff will have a good knowledge of your child and their needs.

Leadership and Management

Acorn Pre-School & The Mighty Oaks is a registered charity and managed by the Voluntary Management Committee, the Committee is made up of the Manager and parents of children attending or have attended. The Management Committee have responsibility for all the operational and legal obligations: employing the staff and managing the day-to day running, including adherence to Ofsted regulations and Government legislation.

Millie's Mark

We hold Millie's Mark Accreditation. Millie's Mark is an exceptional achievement for a childcare setting, as it shows we and our staff go well above and beyond minimum requirements in keeping children safe. 

Click the links below for our staff profiles...

  • Lyndsey Black - Manager & Early Years Educator
  • Maureen - Deputy Manager, SENCo and Early Years Educator
  • Chloe - Session Leader & Early Years Educator
  • Hayley H - Session Leader, Early Years Educator, Looked After Child Co-ordinator
  • Natalie - Session Leader, Health & Safety Co-ordinator, Early Years Educator
  • Harleigh - Assistant SENCo & Early Years Educator
  • Jamie - Early Years Educator
  • Emily - Early Years Educator
  • Sobia - Midday Supervisor
  • Lesley - Trainee Early Years Educator
  • Alana - Apprentice Early Years Educator
  • Jacqui - Business Administrator
Qualification: 
  • Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management 
  • Level 4 Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
  • Designated Safeguarding in Education Lead
  • Behavioural Coach - Positive Early Childhood Education
  • Makaton Level 1
  • Forest School Practitioner Level 1 
  • Food Hygiene Level 2
  • Paediatric First Aid and First Aid at Work
  • Physical Activity and Nutrition Co-ordinator
  • Makaton Level 1
 
 
Responsibilities:
  • Designated Safeguarding Lead
  • Physical Activity and Nutrition Co-ordinator (PANCo)
  • Parental Involvement Officer
  • Healthy Smiles Co-ordinator
  • Forest School Practitioner
  • Key Person 
  • Paediatric First Aider
 My favourite children's book is A Squash and a Squeeze. My favourite nursery rhyme is Around, around the garden like a Dinosaur.
Qualification:
  • NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Child Care
  • Early Years BTEC
  • SENCo
  • Paediatric First Aid & First Aid at Work
  • Food Hygiene Level 2
  • Level 2 Safeguarding Childcare in Education
 
Responsibilities:
  • Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
    1:1 SEN support Co-ordinator
  • Key Person
  • Paediatric First Aider
  • Out of Schools club Co-ordinator

My favourite children's book is Room on the Broom. My favourite nursery rhyme is Goldilocks.

Qualification:  
  • Level 4 Advanced Early Years Educator
  • Designated Safeguarding Lead
  • Paediatric First & First Aid at Work
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene
  • Level 3 Safeguarding Childcare in Education
 
Responsibilities:
  • Session Leader
  • Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
  • Key Person
  • Paediatric First Aider 
  • Wellbeing Co-ordinator

My favourite children's book is The Tiger who came to Tea. My favourite nursery rhyme is Days of the Week.

 

Qualification:
  • NVQ Level 4 - Promoting Health and Well-being through Physical Activity and Nutrition Co-ordinator in the Early Years
  • NVQ Level 3 Early Years Educator
  • Paediatric First Aid and First Aid at Work
  • Looked After Child Co-ordinator
  • Level 3 Safeguarding Children in Education 
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene
  • Physical Activity and Nutrition Co-ordinator
 
Responsibilities:
  • Key Person
  • Paediatric First Aider
  • PANCo
  • Maths curriculum lead

My favourite children's book is 10 Little Dinosaurs. My favourite nursery rhyme is Days of the week.

 
 
Qualification:
  • Level 4 Advanced Early Years Educator
  • Paediatric First Aid and First Aid at Work
  • Makaton Level 2
  • Level 2 Safeguarding Children in Education
  • An Introduction to Health and Safety
  • Level 2 Health & Safety
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene
  • Makaton Level 2
 
 
Responsibilities:
  • Key Person
  • Paediatric First Aider
  • Health and Safety Co-ordinator
  • Communication Champion
  • Communication and Language curriculum lead

My favourite children's book is The Gruffalo. My favourite nursery rhyme is Days of the Week.

 

Qualification:
  • Level 4 Advanced Early Years Educator
  • Paediatric First Aid & First Aid at Work
  • SENCo Diploma
  • Level 2 Safeguarding Children in Education 
  • Lift off to Language Co-ordinator
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene
 
  • Responsibilities:
    Deputy SENDCo
  • Lift off to Language Co-ordinator
  • Key Person 
  • Paediatric First Aider
  • Equality and Diversity Co-ordinator

My favourite children's book is The Tiger who came to tea. My favourite nursery rhyme is Wind the bobbin up.

 

Qualifications:

  • Level 3 - Early Years Educator
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene 
  • Paediatric First Aid and First Aid at Work
  • Level 3 Safeguarding Children in Education

Role:

  • Key Worker
  • First Aider
  • Oral Health Co-ordinator

My favourite children's book is Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Diary. My favourite nursery rhyme is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

 

 

Qualification:
  • NVQ Level 3 
  • NVQ Level 2 
  • Paediatric First Aid
  • Level 2 Safeguarding Children in Education
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene
 
Responsibilities:
  • Key Person
  • Paediatric First Aider

My favourite nursery rhyme is The Wheels on the Bus.

 

Qualification:
  • Paediatric First Aid
  • Level 2 Safeguarding Children in Education
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene
 
Responsibilities:
  • Midday Supervisor
  • Paediatric First Aider

My favourite children's book is We're going on a Bear Hunt.

Qualification:
  • Studying Level 3 Early Years Educator
  • Level 2 Safeguarding Children in Education
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene
  • Level 3 Paediatric & Infant First Aid
 
Responsibilities:
  • Assistant Key Person

 

Qualification:
  • Apprentice Level 3 Early Years Educator
  • Level 2 Safeguarding Children in Education
  • Level 3 Food Hygiene
  • Level 3 Paediatric & Infant First Aid
 
Responsibilities:
  • Assistant Key Person
Qualification:
  • Paediatric First Aid
  • Level 3 Safeguarding Children in Education
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene
 
Responsibilities:
  • Health and Safety
  • Business Administration
  • Paediatric First Aider

My favourite children's poem is The Owl and the Pussy Cat.