Download a digital version of our 2023 Awards Book here
- Read all the full stories of the winners on our website at https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/awards
More photos from the night will be available to download soon
More than 530 people from across the early years sector attended the event.
The awards evening was hosted by actor and comedian Paul Whitehouse.
Nursery of the Year
Sponsored by childcare.co.uk
Winner
- Archfield House, Bristol
With awards host Paul Whitehouse and judge Helen Moylett (far right)
Highly Commended
EsSENtial Early Years, Wirral
Lambkins Day Nursery and Pre-School Centre, Cumbria
Finalist
The Oaks Day Nursery – Birmingham
Nursery Group of the Year
Sponsored by Eden Training Solutions
Winner
- Naturally Learning, Cornwall
Highly Commended
Kirktonholme Childcare, Glasgow
Finalists
Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries, West London and Buckinghamshire
Little Adventures Nursery Group
Pre-school of the Year
Winner
- Seedlings, Doncaster
With judge John Warren (right)
Highly Commended
Alphablocks Nursery School & Pre-Prep, Enfield
Beeches Park Day Nursery, Burton upon Trent
Finalists
The Old Forge Day Nursery, Derby
Smallville Nursery, Kent
Early Years in School Award
Winner
- Manor Wood Primary School, Leeds
With judge Di Chilvers
Highly Commended
Great Corby School and Nursery, Carlisle
Finalist
Diamond Wood Community Academy – Dewsbury
Childminding Business of the Year
Sponsored by childcare.co.uk
Winner
- Cheeky Cherubs Childcare, Leicestershire
With judge Helen Donohoe
Finalists
Sarah and Carly Baker Childcare – Rotherham
The Playroom Marple – Stockport
Nursery Manager of the Year
Sponsored by Busy Bees
Winner
- Elizabeth Kemsley, Nurtured at Chell, Stoke on Trent
Highly Commended
Hazel Moody, Advantage Day Nursery, Surrey
Finalist
Hannah Saunders, Snapdragons Nursery, Keynsham
Nursery Operations/Area Manager of the Year
Sponsored by CC Nurseries
Winner
Louise Monange
- Beeches Park Day Nursery; The Old Forge Day Nursery; The Old School Adventure Club
Highly Commended
Danielle Hamer, Bright Horizons
Finalists
Tracy Berry, The Old Station Nursery Group
Rachael Lyons, Elmscot Group
Sarah Yates, The Old Station Nursery Group
Nursery Practitioner of the Year
Sponsored by Childbase Partnership
Joint Winner
- Matt Langton, Outdoor Owls Richmond with judge Lorna Wigley
Joint Winner
David Heard, The Oaks Day Nursery Birmingham
Highly Commended
Sophie O’Sullivan, Springfield Bees Pre-School, Essex
Finalists
Jess Fudger, Cherubs Wynndale – Nottinghamshire
Katy Hicks, Kingswood Day Nursery and Preschool, Hull
Early Years Apprentice of the Year
Winner
- Hibah Ahmed, Edgbaston Nursery School, Birmingham
With judge Aaron Bradbury
Finalists
Natasha Bruce-Jones, Smallville Nursery,Kent
Bethan Hall, Kerries Cherubs, Blyth
Bethany Moorhouse, Little Angels Day Nursery and Out-Of-School Club, Huddersfield
Liliana Nobrega Afonso, Seahorse Nursery Park House, London
Childminder of the Year
Sponsored by childcare.co.uk
Winner
- Charlotte Greeno, Among The Leaves, Cambridge
Collected by Catherine Gaunt, deputy editor Nursery World with judge Rebecca Martland (right)
Finalists
Kimberley Forteath, Little Sunbeams Childminding Service, Guisborough
Debra Meakin, Cheeky Cherubs Childcare, Leicestershire
Trainer of the Year
Sponsored by MCW Support Services
Winner
- Dr Stella Louis, The Froebel Trust, London
Highly Commended
Liz Edwards, Janet Packer, Jan White – Outdoors Thinking, Sheffield
Finalists
Aaron Bradbury, Early Years Reviews
Kate Peach and Jo Caswell, Peachwell Early Years Consultancy, South East
Becky Watanabe, Acorn Early Years, Milton Keynes; Northamptonshire; Bedfordshire
Outstanding Contribution
Winner
- Helen Bingham, Aspire Academy Trust, Cornwall
With judge Sue Allingham
Highly Commended
Marie Anslow, St Aubin Nursery Roath, Cardiff
Finalists
Joan Bannister, Paint Pots Nurseries and Pre-Schools – Southampton
Mandy Farrer, Diamond Wood Community Academy, Dewsbury
Deborah Hutler, Blackberries Childcare Group, Cambridgeshire
Linda Richardson, Hitchin House Day Nursery, Hitchin
Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner
- Dr Stella Louis
With presenter of the award early years expert Julia Manning-Morton (right) and daughter Hannah
Early Childhood Graduate of the Year
Sponsored by Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network (ECSDN)
Winner
- Helen Haygarth, University of Sunderland
With judges Philippa Thompson and Dr Tanya Richardson (far right)
Highly Commended
Laura Hale, University of Northampton
Finalist
Louisa Johnson, University of Chichester
Health and Well-Being Award
Winner
- SIL, Liverpool
With judge Mine Conkbayir
Finalists
Bright Horizons, Nationwide
Eagley School House Nurseries, Bolton
Edufeel, Enya’s Childcare, Lincolnshire
The Old Forge Day Nursery, Derby
Enabling Environments Award
Sponsored by Kids Inc
Winner
- The Nurture Nursery, Bathgate
With Linda Keats
Finalists
Birmingham Day Nurseries and Explorers’ Forest School at Winterbourne House and Garden, Birmingham
Broussa Day Nursery, Hale
Incy Wincy’s Day Nurseries, North Yorkshire
Jack In The Box Nursery, Bosbury
Eco-Friendly Early Years Award
Sponsored by Hope
Joint Winners
- Acorn Early Years, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, and Bedfordshire
- The Old Forge Day Nursery, Derby
Finalists
Childbase Partnership
Jayne’s Nursery, Chelmsford
Working with Parents
Sponsored by Nursery Story
Winner
- The Indigo Childcare Group – Early Years, Glasgow
Highly Commended
Roots Federation, Hertfordshire
Finalists
Babblebrooke Day Nursery, Loughborough
Bright Little Stars Nursery, Watford
Centre for Early Child Development, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
esSENtial Early Years, Wirral
Working with Babies and Toddlers
Winner
- Snapdragons Nurseries, Bath, Bristol and Wiltshire
With judge Sarah Mackenzie
Highly Commended
Kids Planet – Wallasey
Finalists
Blue Giraffe Childcare – Worcestershire
Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries – Northolt
Business Development Award
Winner
- Bonnie Bear Day Care, Liverpool
With judge Neil Leith
Finalists
Family First Nurseries
Little Adventures Nursery Group
Team Development Award
Sponsored by Family First
Winner
- The Nurture Nursery, Bathgate
Highly Commended
The Sunflower Children’s Centre, Hyde
Finalist
Hitchin House Day Nursery, Hitchin
Nursery Food
Winner
- Portland House Nursery, Huddersfield
With judge Edwina Revel
Highly Commended
Grass Roots Private Day Nursery, Sowerby
Finalists
Acorn Early Years, Milton Keynes; Northamptonshire; Bedfordshire
Woodlands Day Nursery, Elmscot Group, Altrincham
Inclusive Practice Award
Sponsored by nasen
Winner
- Early Intervention Speech and Language Team, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
With judge Dhanvanti Deshmukh
Finalists
Early Inspirations, Manchester
SEND Support Team, Kids Planet Day Nurseries
Smallville Nursery, Kent
South Acton Nursery School and Children’s Centre, London
Community Support
Winner
- Family Matters – The Indigo Childcare Group, Glasgow
Highly Commended
The Nursery in Belong, Ready Generations, Chester
Finalist
Pillars of the Community, Smallville Nursery, Kent
Online and Social Media
Winner
- Beeches Park Day Nursery, Burton upon Trent
Finalists
Dandelion Education, Norfolk
Highfield Nursery, Blackpool
Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries
Jesters Childcare, Essex
Professional Book of the Year
- Winner
Slow Knowledge and the Unhurried Child: Time for Slow Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education by Alison Clark Routledge
With judge Anna Wright
Highly Commended
The Passionate Practitioner’s Handbook – by Michele Doull and Avril Robertson (That Guys House)
Finalists
Developing Child-Centred Practice for Safeguarding and Child Protection: Strategies for Every Early Years Setting (Little Minds Matter) – by Rachel Buckler (Routledge)
Early Childhood Theories Today – edited by Aaron Bradbury and Ruth Swailes (Learning Matters)
The Neuroscience of the Developing Child. Self-Regulation for Wellbeing and a Sustainable Future – by Dr Mine Conkbayir (Bloomsbury)
Schemas In the Early Years: Exploring Beneath the Surface Through Observation and Dialogue – by the Pen Green Schema Group, edited by Cath Arnold (Routledge)
