Meet the Team
Mary Veltom
Owner/Manager
Mary holds Early Years Professional Status.
She is a Designated Safeguarding Lead and a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).
“I live near Westbourne, on a farm, with my husband and our pet cat. I love walking, cycling and being outdoors. I have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. I was a farmer, before I started working in early years when my youngest daughter was in nursery. I discovered I thoroughly enjoyed working with young children and retrained to gain my early years qualifications.
To watch children become independent, confident, happy and ready to move to the next stage of their lives gives me great satisfaction and joy.”
Kate Postles
Owner/Manager
Kate holds Early Years Teacher Status.
She is a Designated Safeguarding Lead and a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo).
“I live in Emsworth with my husband and two daughters, with our dog and two cats. We love spending time at the beach and in the woods.
I love working with children, especially in early years. Every day is an adventure as we watch to see where the children’s play will take us. I consider it my absolute privilege to be a tiny part of each child’s journey.”
Karen Gange
Early Years Educator
Karen holds Level 3 NVQ in Early Years Care and Education.
“I am married, and have three children and three grandchildren. I am very lucky to live very close to two of my grandchildren and enjoy spending time with them. I love being outdoors walking, cycling and gardening.
I have worked in childcare for over 30 years, starting as a childminder when my children were little, then becoming an Early Years practitioner working in a variety of settings. I have my NVQ3 in Early Years and, more recently, gained my Beach School accreditation. I’m passionate about children learning through play and exploring the outdoor environment.”
Kayleigh Rambridge
Early Years Educator
Kayleigh holds Level 4 Higher Professional Diploma in Early Years.
"I have a daughter called Poppy. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, and going for walks in the woods and at the beach. I also enjoy crafting and watching movies.”
Holly Griffiths
Early Years Practitioner
“I live in Emsworth. Amongst lots of things, I enjoy long walks in the countryside with my family and running with my friends. If you don’t find me cooking up a storm in the kitchen, then you’ll find me curled up with a good book by the fire. I am also a keen skier, I love to craft, and I love spending time on the beach and in the water.”
Janine Bloom
Early Years Educator
Janine holds Level 4 Higher Professional Diploma in Early Years.
“I have two boys, Leo and Max, and my partner, Adam. We have a dog called Rocky.
In my time away from work, I love to spend time with my family.”
Louise Solomon
Early Years Practitioner
Louise is working towards Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Early Years
“I live in Emsworth with my son and daughter, our two dogs and kitten. I love to be outdoors - exploring in the woods, cycling, at the beach. In my spare time, I enjoy keeping fit and painting.
I really enjoy working in early years - being part of a child’s life, watching them grow in confidence and seeing their happy, smiling faces. I look forward to no two days being the same.”
Hannah Lane
Early Years Educator
Hannah holds BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies
“I live in Emsworth with my husband, my daughter and my son. I like to spend time with my family, going on adventures and doing a bit of gardening.
I love watching children’s minds develop and seeing where their curiosity takes them.”
Jess Khoo
Early Years Educator
Jess holds Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education
“I live with my husband, my twin girls and our dog. We love spending time having picnics in the park and spending time at the beach.
I enjoy working with children, watching them explore and enjoy the world around them, and seeing the world through their eyes.”
Adele Salway
Early Years Practitioner
“I am married with seven children and lots of grandchildren.
I have worked with children since 1980 – nannying, childminding and running my own nursery from home.
I love all types of arts and crafts, enjoy walking and exploring the countryside, rivers and woodlands, and have endeavoured to instil an appreciation of the natural world to all those in my care over the years.”
Jo Hitchiner
Administrator
“I live locally in Hambrook, married to Martin and mum to my two girls, Elsie and Eleanor. We are very lucky to have four horses, six chickens and our dog Mabel to keep us busy!
We enjoy getting out and about as much as we can, and often spend our weekends going on adventures with our caravan to new places!”
All our Early Years Educators are trained in Safeguarding (Level 3 or higher), Paediatric First Aid and Food Safety (Level 2 or higher), and regularly update these qualifications.