Nursery World Awards 2008: Individuals - Trainer of the Year
WINNER: Sue Overton, Sue Overton Associates
Not simply a trainer but an orator, mentor and campaigner as well, Sue has made advancing early years training her life's work. After building up her own successful nursery business, she found out what was really crucial to viability at grass-roots level. Since then, she has devoted herself to establishing training that would create a balance between early years settings as businesses and as centres for care and education.
Throughout her career, Sue's lobbying of regional and national government has achieved a better deal for childcare workers, and it is partly thanks to her that institutions like the NDNA have such a firm footing today. She has also been involved in the training and support of Early Years Professionals since their earliest development.
The Sue Overton CV reads like a who's who of the industry - she has worked as a freelance trainer for Kinderquest, Busy Bees, NDNA, Childbase and Asquith - at the latter 99.2 per cent of delegates described her as 'excellent' and 0.8 per cent as 'good'. Attendees are, as a colleague puts it, charmed and captivated by her. One practitioner says, 'On each occasion I have finished the course feeling inspired, motivated and bursting with new knowledge and ideas.'
Celebrating success, no matter how small, is central to Sue's philosophy, and through her sessions and practice she seeks to instil self-confidence in the sector's workers.
Currently working as a support trainer for Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships, her challenges are to up-skill and motivate all types of childcare providers to remain sustainable in these difficult times.
All this energy and experience stems from a real passion for childcare and, as a statement from her nomination says, 'She makes a difference because she is different. Her training style is unique. She is our guru.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Barbara Murray, University of Brighton
Barbara is currently a senior lecturer for early years education at the University of Brighton and a course leader for EYPS. She has held many roles in education, but her recent work promoting EYPS in the south-east has been second to none, recruiting and supporting 61 practitioners to achieve EYP status at the university. Barbara even organised a highly successful conference celebrating the extended professionalism of the early years sector. Her bespoke training programme and its solid integration into the institution has been praised by the Children's Workforce Development Council. A mission to improve has also led her to research and develop SEN practices, including better inclusion and tackling bullying behaviour in the early years.
FINALISTS: Vivette Eaton, The Childcare Company; Sue Gascoyne, PLAY to Z
CRITERIA
Open to anyone responsible for early years and childcare training in colleges, training companies, or in-house for nursery groups etc.
- Sponsored by CWDC.
