Ben Rolfe is the founder and CEO of Childcare Marketing, a leading agency dedicated to boosting the growth of childcare businesses. With an MBA and a strategic mindset, Ben has led the agency to generate over 226,800 enquiries and create 427 bespoke websites since 2019.
David Heard is a senior practitioner at The Oaks Day Nursery at the University of Birmingham. He was named joint winner as Nursery Practitioner of the Year at the Nursery World Awards in 2023.
Dhanvanti Deshmukh is a nursery manager for London Early Years Foundation. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the early years sector. She is an early years trainer and consultant, EYP qualified teacher and counsellor and conducts workshops for teachers and parents.
Georgia Leech is the senior nutritionist at Early Start Group, which supports nurseries to achieve standards of nutrition excellence. She has developed a number of Association for Nutrition certified training modules regarding early years nutrition and menu planning.
Helen Donohoe is CEO at The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY). She has many years of experience across the wider children’s sector and was a parent governor at a maintained nursery in north London.
Helen Moylett received Nursery World’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 after working as a practitioner, university lecturer, head teacher and consultant. She was centrally involved in developing the EYFS and led Every Child a Talker. She is a vice-president of Early Education.
Jackie Musgrave is associate head of school at the Open University, and her academic and research home is in the Early Childhood team. She has taught students for almost 30 years, her research explores children’s health and wellbeing, and she has authored an extensive range of publications.
Jane Harrison is director of Red Hen Day Nursery, which has gained national accolades for providing exceptional provision on a working farm. Jane is an advocate for children’s healthy lifestyles. Her nursery has won Nursery World’s Nursery of the Year, Nursery Food and Enabling Environments awards.
John Warren is director of Toddleworld Bespoke Nursery Franchise group. An international trainer, consultant and speaker, he has worked in the sector for over 40 years from practitioner to Ofsted inspector. He is also a published children’s author and has an MA from Sheffield University.
Dr Jools Page’s internationally renowned research on professional love led to her being awarded The Association of Infant Mental Health UK Louise Emmanuel Award 2021 for its significant contribution to infant mental health in terms of practice through her work in research and policy.
Julie Mountain is a specialist early years landscape designer and educator. She is former operations director at Learning through Landscapes, while her company, Play Learning Life, helps others make the most of outdoor learning.
Linda Keats has worked in early years for over 30 years as an educator, deputy, manager and now as an early years advisor and consultant. She has worked in Australia and the UK, supporting settings, childminders and schools in all areas of the EYFS.
Mya Sharma is operations director at Ely Nursery. Mya started her career in the health and social care M&A sector before transitioning to early years to support her family’s nursery business, established over 20 years ago. She is currently studying for her Early Years Teacher qualification at UCL.
Neil Leitch OBE was appointed CEO of the Early Years Alliance in 2008. He has been a strident leader of the membership organisation, overseeing its rebrand in 2019. Neil has fronted numerous sector campaigns on fair funding and staff mental health.
Penny Tassoni MBE is an education consultant, author and trainer. She has written more than 30 books and is the author of the best-selling Practical EYFS Handbook. Penny is also president of early years organisation PACEY. She is a regular and very popular contributor to Nursery World.
Philippa Thompson is a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University with a research and practice specialism in early childhood parent partnerships, anaphylaxis, outdoor learning and employability. She has worked in the sector for over 35 years in education, family and community services.
Purnima Tanuku OBE is chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association. Purnima works closely with ministers and senior civil servants and is a major contributor to the policy debate across the UK. She was awarded an OBE in 2010 and regularly appears on national television, radio and in print.
Rebecca Martland is a trainer, consultant and four-times Outstanding childminder with 20 years’ experience. An EYP, qualified teacher and co-founder of a thriving local childminding association, Magic Minders, she is a staunch advocate of play-based, child-centred education and childcare.
Sarah Mackenzie is CEO at Storal nursery group. Her leadership career across nursery groups has focused on delivering high-quality early education, team engagement and development and business growth. Sarah is a columnist in Nursery World and chair of the South East Ofsted Big Conversation.
Dr Stella Louis is a freelance early years trainer and consultant who has also worked as a nursery nurse, nursery manager and NNEB course co-ordinator. She has an MA, a doctorate in education and is a Froebelian-trained travelling tutor. Stella has a strong interest in schemas.
Dr Sue Allingham is an independent consultant, author and trainer. Beginning her early years career in the classroom, she went on to senior education roles in the late 1980s. Sue followed an MA with a doctorate, both in early years education, from Sheffield University.
Sue Asquith is an international early childhood consultant and author. She started her early years career as a childminder, affiliated with local Children’s Centres, a college lecturer, trainer and assessor. Work includes writing and delivering training, consultancy visits and keynote speeches.
Dr Tanya Richardson is a senior lecturer in early years at the University of Northampton and is programme leader for its Early Childhood Studies. She led her own Outstanding day nursery and is particularly interested in the student experience for Early Childhood Studies and supervises doctoral students.
Zoe Raven opened her first nursery in 1989 and is now CEO of Acorn Early Years, a charitable social enterprise based in Milton Keynes, with 16 nurseries. She has taught on foundation degrees, and in 2023 completed her doctorate on the ethics of care in early years provision.
