Our Rooms
The Nursery has three separate rooms which are appropriate for each age and stage of development. All rooms come together on a regular basis for story times and singing sessions.
+ Baby Room 6 months - 2 years
Our Baby Room provides our youngest children with a calm, warm and nurturing environment from their very first day, allowing parents to return to work secure in the knowledge that their baby's individual needs are being met.
This light and airy self-contained room has access to its own garden, allowing your baby to explore freely inside and out in a variety of flexible learning areas. There is a dedicated sleep area where babies rest in Travel Cots, Dream Coracles or on sleep mattresses, which gives them greater independence and security. Babies love curling up in their own snuggle space and happily drift off to sleep like a little bird in its nest.
Each baby has a nominated Key Person, who will follow your child's home routine until they turn one when they will be encouraged to settle in to the Nursery routine. Your child's Key Person will get to know your baby the best and will respond to their physical and emotional needs and provide activities which will enable them to thrive.
This room can hold 18 Babies and the ratio is 1:3
Children are cared for by the following staff:
Katherine Lee - Room Leader
Katherine is an experienced Room Leader and Duty Manager who has been part of the St Gabriel’s Nursery team since 2014. A qualified Level 3 Early Years Educator, she is also the Nursery’s ECAT (Every Child a Talker) Leader, supporting children’s communication and language development across the Nursery.
Shannon McDonald - Deputy Room Leader
Shannon has a Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and is based in the Baby Room. Shannon has worked in the Nursery since November 2023. Shannon is Deputy Room Leader on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Abigail Baggs - Deputy Room Leader
Abigail is also the Transition Coordinator for the Nursery, ensuring that a child's Key Person is liaising with the other settings a child might be attending alongside our Nursery. Abigail holds a Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and has has worked in the Nursery since June 2019. Abigail is Deputy Room Leader on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Connor Palfrey - Nursery Staff
Connor holds an NVQ Level 3 Qualification.
Agila Arunachalam - Nursery Staff
Agila holds a Bachelor of Education.
Mia Pawson - Nursery Staff
Mia holds an NVQ Level 2 qualification and is working towards her Level 3.
Jayann Fowler - Nursery Staff
Jayann holds an NVQ Level 2 qualification and is working towards her Level 3.
Sameena Syed - Break Cover
Sameena is a Nursery Apprentice, working towards her NVQ.
David Taylor - Break Cover
David is NNEB (Level 3) qualified and has worked in the Nursery since February 2015. David is the Nursery's outdoor education specialist. 
+ Toddler Room: 2 - 3 Years
Our Toddler Room is a busy and exciting environment which encourages children to begin to learn to do things for themselves; indeed, our toddlers are very inquisitive and increasingly independent.
The room has a variety of features including its own Nursery gym, which promotes physical development, social interaction and problem-solving skills, together with a creative area where the children can express themselves through a variety of media. The secure outside play area allows children to explore freely between their indoor and outdoor environment.
Each child has a Key Person who provides bespoke activities to develop their physical, personal and social skills and, at the same time, encourages them to communicate their thoughts and ideas.
This room can hold 20 Toddlers and the ratio is 1:4
Children are cared for by the following staff:
Sophie Walters - Room Leader
Sophie is an experienced Room Leader and qualified Level 3 Early Years Educator. She is passionate about creating a warm, nurturing environment where every child feels happy, secure and confident to explore, learn and develop.
Katie De Oliveira - Deputy Room Leader
Katie holds an Award Certificate and Diploma in Childcare & Education (Level 3). She has worked in the Nursery since May 2016.
Leonie Moeller - Nursery Staff
Leonie holds an NVQ Level 3 qualification. Leonie has worked in the Nursery since June 2023.
Emma Fearn - Nursery Staff
Emma holds an NVQ Level 3 qualification.
Tyllye Dibley-Dunford - Nursery Staff
CACHE level 2 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner.
Bronwyn Thomas - Nursery Apprentice
Bronwyn is working towards her Level 3 Qualification.
Lucy Jones - Nursery Apprentice
Lucy is working towards her Level 3 Qualification.
Helen Clothier - Break Cover
Helen holds a PGCE in Early Years
+ Pre-School Room: 3 - 4 Years
The Pre-School Room provides a perfect environment to ignite your child’s love of learning. The free-flowing space allows children to have access to both indoor and outdoor learning opportunities, which are both child-initiated and adult-led.
Activities are planned thoughtfully by each child’s Key Person to cater for the children’s personal interests, widen their knowledge and stimulate future learning. Children are encouraged to become more independent and are supported to become school ready (independence with self-care, dressing themselves, taking turns and sharing and building strong communication skills).
Children attending our Pre-School room are required to have learnt to use the toilet and be dry most days as well as dropped their daytime nap.
Potty training: How to Start & Best Age to Potty Train
The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is further enhanced for children in their final year in the Pre-School Room by lessons in PE, music and drama, which may be taken by a teacher or member of Nursery staff. The children still have plenty of time to learn through play and express themselves independently.
This room can hold 48 Pre-School children and the ratio is 1:8
Children are cared for by the following staff:
Miriam Hamm - Room Leader
Miriam is an experienced Room Leader who has been part of the St Gabriel’s Nursery team since 2015. She holds a Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce and brings many years of experience supporting young children’s learning, development and wellbeing.
Jill Magpusao - Deputy Room Leader
Jill holds a Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and has worked in the Nursery since September 2019.
Kaylie Pontin - Nursery Staff
Kaylie holds a CACHE Level 3 qualification in Childcare and has worked in the Nursery since October 2021.
Cheyenne Puffett - Nursery Staff
Cheyenne holds a Level 3 Diploma in Childcare.
Clarissa Munetsi - Nursery Staff
Clarissa holds an NCFE Level 2 Occupational Entry for the Early Years Practitioner and is working towards her Level 3 Qualification.
Emily Johnston - Nursery Staff
Emily holds a CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma for Children's Care, Learning and Development
Danielle Wilson-Thame - Break Cover
VTCT Skills Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce (Early Years Educator).
