Congratulations to our 2021 Shortlist!

Childminding Business of the Year

Sponsored by Childcare.co.uk

·         Julie& Jo’s, Cambridge

·         Catherine and Lawrence, Cambridge

·         Playhood, Crouch End, London

Early Years in School Award

·         Gateways School, Leeds

·        Manor Wood Foundation Stage Unit, Manor Wood Primary School, Leeds

·         Marlborough Primary, Washington

Nursery Group of the Year

·         Cherubs Nurseries

·         Fledglings

·         Kids Planet

·         Kindred Nurseries

·         N Family Club

·         Spring

·         Sunbeams

Nursery of the Year

Sponsored by Childcare.co.uk

·         Kiddlywinks Pre-School Centre and Day Nursery, Penrith

·         Stars Day Nursery, Peterborough

Watermead Day Nursery, Loughborough

Pre-School of the Year

·         Bury Grammar School, Bury

·         Busy Bees Ledbury, Herefordshire

·         Findon Valley Free Church Preschool, Worthing

·         The Greenhouse Multi-Cultural Play and Arts Project, Liverpool
·        Kilsby Pre-School, Rugby

Community Support

·         Bright Horizons Timperley

·         More2Nurseries, Greenwich, London

·         Rosebuds Pre-School, Brixton, London

·         Traquinas Childcare, Thetford

Childminder of the Year

Sponsored by Childcare.co.uk


·         Julie Dixon, Cambridge

·        Catherine Fay, Cambridge childminder 

·         Sally Harvey, Oxfordshire

Nanny of the Year

Sponsored by Nannytax and BAPN - the Association for Professional Nannies 

·        Amy Hensman
·        Georgia Harris
·        Kelly Bowman

Newcomer of the Year

·         Aliysha Hopwood, SEND to Learn, Blyth

·         Carys Jones, Nina’s Nursery Great Moor, Stockport

Nursery Manager of the Year


·         Sallyann Frisby, Shooting Stars Pre-school, Peterborough

·          Karen James, Kiddlywinks , Penrtih

·         Lucy Pottinger, Grass Roots, Sowerby Bridge

·         Olivia Young, Kidzrus, Manchester

Nursery Operations / Regional Manager

·         Lauren Mankelow, Choochoos Day Nursery, Kent

·         Carly Wray, Seahorse Nursery, London

Nursery Practitioner of the Year

·         Charlotte Crennell, Tiddlywinks Nursery Group, Manchester

·         Sarah Dickinson, SEND to Learn, Blyth

·         Deana Frost, Village Nursery Group , Manchester

·         Emma Hardman, Village Nursery Group, Manchester

Outstanding Contribution

Sponsored by Treehouse Nursery Schools

·         Julie Lister, Portland House, Huddersfield

·         Alison O’Connor-Limb, Village Nursery Group

·         Nina Stones, Nina’s Nurseries, Stockport

Trainer of the Year


·         Kelly Cave, Strode College

·         Alison Featherbe Learning and Development

·         Ruth Swailes, Assure Education

·         Kate Wake, National Extension College

Covid-19 Hero

Sponsored by Cache

·         Ashley Bereznyckyj, Stars Day Nurseries, Peterborough

·         Kirsty Bradburne, Village Nursery Group, Manchester

·         Amy Delooze, Village Nursery Group, Manchester

·         Natalia dias Pinto Pena, Seahorse Nursery, London

·         Karen James and team, Kiddlywinks, Penrith

·         Kilsby Pre-school, Rugby

·         Mandy Lacey, childminder, London

·         Hayley McCann, YMCA Thames Gateway

·         Kimberley Munro, Blue Grass Purple Cow Nursery, Stockport

Eco-Friendly Early Years Award

·         Jayne’s Nursery, Chelmsford

·         London Early Years Foundation

·         Meadow Lane Children’s Nursery, St Ives, Cambridgeshire

Enabling Environments Award

·         Kids Planet Stretton, Warrington

·         Rainbow Nursery, Frome

·         Stables Daycare , Tonbridge

·         Toddletown Day Nursery, Godalming

·         Watermead Day Nursery, Loughborough

Health and Wellbeing Award

Sponsored by Fennies

·         Kindred Healthy Steps initiative, Kindred Nurseries

·         Meadow Lane Nursery, St Ives, Cambridgeshire

·         Supporting Physical Development in Early Childhood, Open University

Inclusive Practice Award

Sponsored by Nasen

·         Footprints Learning for Life, Hartlepool

·         Kids Planet Beamont, Warrington

·         Tiny Tree Day Nursery, Leeds

Working with Parents

Sponsored by Nursery Story

·         Early Start Nutrition, London                                                 

·         The Education People, Kent   

·         More2Nurseries, Greenwich, London                                    

·         Playhood, Crouch End, London                                                                      

·         Small Steps Big Changes

Online and Social Media Award

·         Bright Minds Daycare , Birmingham

·         Kids Planet

·         Marcham Little Angels, Abingdon

·         Pebbles Childcare, Worthing

·         Small Steps Big Changes

Team Development Award

·         Evergreen Early Years, Preston

·         Honey Pot Nursery Group, Liverpool

·         N Family Club, London and Home Counties

·         Sunbeams Day Nursery, Leeds

·         Sunflower Children’s Centre, Sheffield

Working with Babies and Toddlers

Shortlist to be announced soon.

Professional books

·         Growing Together: 50 inspiring ideas for intergenerational learning by Lorraine George, Yellow Door

·         Looking for Learning: Maths Through Play by Laura England, Bloomsbury Education

·         Play is the Way: child development, early years and the future of Scottish education edited by Sue Palmer, Postcards from Scotland

·         Putting Storytelling at the Heart of Early Childhood Practice by Tina Bruce, Lynn McNair, Jane Whinnett (editors), Routledge

·         The A to Z of Early Years by June O’Sullivan, Sage Publications

·         Working with the Revised Early Years Foundation Stage: Principles into Practice by Julian Grenier, independently published