The Nursery World Awards 2024 shortlist revealed!

The evening is an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the excellent and innovative practice of individuals and organisations across the early years sector.

Thank you to everyone who entered this year – we received hundreds of entries, and the standard was very high. Thank you to the judges for all their hard work, and to our sponsors for supporting the event.

Many congratulations to this year’s finalists.

Read on to find out the names on the 2024 shortlist, and details for how to book your ticket for our glittering awards night…

Nursery of the Year

• Broussa Day Nursery, Part of the Elmscot Group – Hale, Greater Manchester
• Little Explorers Forest School – Derby
• Poppies Pre-School – Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire
• RAFA Kidz Cranwell – Sleaford, Lincolnshire
  
  

Nursery Group of the Year

• Acorn Early Years – Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire & Bedfordshire
• Bright Horizons – Nationwide
• Kido Schools – Greater London
• Kids Planet – Nationwide
• Kindred Nurseries – Nationwide
• RAFA Kidz – Nationwide

 
Pre-School of the Year

• Bybrook Pre-School – Yatton Keynell, Wiltshire
• The Old Forge Day Nursery – Findern, Derbyshire
• Venture Outdoor Kindergarten – Kingsbridge, Devon
• The Wharf Nursery School – Godalming, Surrey
• Woodville Pre-School, Storal – Woodville, Derbyshire
  
  

Early Years in School Award

• Eldon Grove Academy – Hartlepool, Teesside
• Gateways School – Leeds, West Yorkshire
  

Childminding Business of the Year

• Bears Daycare – Bewdley, Worcestershire
• The Playroom Marple – Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Rachael's Childcare – Staithes, North Yorkshire
• Shelford Childcare – Cambridge

Nursery Manager of the Year

• Kate Campbell, Defence Children Services, ESBA Early Years – Dhekelia and Ayios Nikolaos, Cyprus
• Victoria East, Smallville Nursery – Snodland, Kent
• Jane Noble, First Friends @ Wootey – Alton, Hampshire
• Catherine Stones, Tiddlywinks Nursery Group – Higher Blackley, Greater Manchester
• Kirsten Ward, Willow Tree Nursery School – Clacton on Sea, Essex

 Nursery Operations/Area Manager of the Year

• Emma Bate, Storal – Nationwide
• Charlotte Bateman, Little Barn Owls Forest and Farm School Nurseries – Horsham, West Sussex
• Rebecca Casserly, Nurtured Childcare – North of England
• Georgina Hempstead, The Old Station Nursery Group – Nationwide
• Laura Tingey, Acorn Early Years – Milton Keynes, Northants and Bedfordshire

Nursery Practitioner of the Year

• Paul Carter, Kristaval Day Care Nursery – Liverpool, Merseyside
• Alison Eardley, Nurtured @ Chell – Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
• Claudia Scarsella, Cybertots at GWQ – Brentford, West London
• Mark Wallis, Elmscot Group – Hale, Greater Manchester
• Aoife Winchcombe, The Butterfly Pre-School – Clapham, South West London

Individual Childminder of the Year

• Kerri Fitzgibbon, Poppyfields – Teacher Led Early Years – Colchester, Essex
• Charlotte Ford, Little Strawbs Childminding – Carterton, Oxfordshire
• Claire Hassall, Claire's Childcare – Hygge In the Early Years Accredited Setting – Thirsk, North Yorkshire
• Vikkie Murray, Little Acorns Childminding – Banbury, Oxfordshire
• Caitlin Smith, The Flower Cottage – Dudley, West Midlands

Trainer of the Year

• AHN Education & Training, Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC – Greater London
• Helen Field, Central Bedfordshire Council
• Ali McClure, Ali McClure Education and Parenting – Guildford, Surrey
• Edwina Revel and Georgia Leech, Early Start Nutrition – East London

Outstanding Contribution

• Charlotte Bateman, Little Barn Owls Forest and Farm School Nurseries – Horsham, West Sussex
• Alison J Hawkins, Wester Coates Nursery School – Edinburgh
• Fiona McQueen, Bright Horizons Treehouse – Aberdeen
• Jackie Warren, Growing Places Community Childcare Centres – Hampshire

Early Years Apprentice of the Year

• Allya Ali, The Learning Tree Nursery School, Storal – Romford, East London
• Mollie Bowen, The Nursery in Belong – Chester
• Sarah Camp, Kamelia Kids Day Nursery and Beach School – Worthing, West Sussex
• Sophie Davies, Shenfield Day Nursery – Brentwood, Essex
• Mohamed Elmi, Bright Horizons Cedar House – Enfield, North London

Early Childhood Graduate of the Year

• Lisa Bickford – University of Plymouth
• Dearbhail Maguire – Liverpool Hope University

Health and Wellbeing Award

• Blue Giraffe Childcare – Droitwich, Worcestershire
• Farm Day Nurseries – Nationwide
• Holly Bank Nursery, Portland Nurseries – Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
• Honey Pot Nursery Group – Liverpool, Merseyside
• Kerrie's Cherubs – Blyth, Northumberland

Enabling Environments Award

• Atelier Nursery – Bath, Somerset
• esSENtial Early Years – Birkenhead, Merseyside
• Growing Places @ Little Acorns – Wickham, Hampshire
• Little Barn Owls Forest and Farm School Nurseries – Horsham, West Sussex
• Treehouse Nursery School – Wanstead, East London

Eco-Friendly Early Years Award

• Adventure Farm Day Nursery – Burton On Trent, Derbyshire
• Bright Horizons at 24 St Swithin – Aberdeen
• Honey Pot Nursery Group – Liverpool, Merseyside
• Young Friends Kindergarten – Hove, East Sussex
  
  

Working with Parents Award

• 50 Things to Do Before You're Five, St Edmund's Nursery School and Children's Centre – Bradford, West Yorkshire
• Atelier Nursery – Bath, Somerset and Chippenham, Wiltshire
• Finkley Weeke Nursery and Pre-School – Winchester, Hampshire
• Nottingham Hub, National Literacy Trust – Nottingham
• Smallville Nursery – Snodland, Kent

Working with Babies and Twos Award

• Atelier Nursery – Chippenham, Wiltshire
• The Close Day Nursery School – Banbury, Oxfordshire
• Growing Places Community Childcare Centres – Hampshire
• Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries – Northolt, West London
  
  
  

Business Development Award

• Canopy Children's Nurseries – Nationwide
• Male Childcare & Teaching Jobs – Nationwide
• Precious Times Day Nursery – West Midlands
• U1R Thanet Nursery – Ramsgate, Kent
• Wild at Heart – Driffield, East Yorkshire

Team Development Award

• esSENtial Early Years – Birkenhead, Merseyside
• Honey Pot Nursery Group – Liverpool, Merseyside
• Young Friends Kindergarten – Hove, East Sussex

Nursery Food Award

• Atelier Nursery – Chippenham, Wiltshire    
• Harpole Day Nursery, Part of The Old Station Nursery Group – Harpole, Northamptonshire
• The Old Forge Day Nursery – Findern, Derbyshire
• Willow Tree Day Nursery, Part of the Elmscot Group – Sale, Greater Manchester
• Woodlands Day Nursery, Part of the Elmscot Group – Timperley, Greater Manchester

Inclusive Practice Award

• Dingley's Promise – Nationwide
• Doris Venner Pre-School – Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey
• esSENtial Early Years – Birkenhead, Merseyside
• The Indigo Childcare Group - Glasgow
• NELI Preschool, OxEd and Assessment
• Wonderbloom Nursery – Woking, Surrey

Community Support Award

• Community Initiative, Bright Horizons Bracknell Day Nursery and Pre-School – Bracknell, Berkshire
• The Early Years Community, Osmaston Day Nursery – Derby
• Ready Generations Charity – Liverpool, Merseyside
• Young Fathers Programme, Shifting Your Mindset – Nottingham

 
Online and Social Media Award

• Male Childcare & Teaching Jobs – Nationwide
• Nurtured at Skelmanthorpe – Huddersfield
• Polka Dot Farm – Billericay, Essex

Professional Book of the Year

• Are You Ready For Your Inspection, 4th Edition, Self-published – By Vanessa Dooley      
• From Birth to Three: An Early Years Educator's Handbook, Routledge – By Julia Manning-Morton
• Why Children Need Joy, Corwin – By Ben Kingston-Hughes

Lifetime Achievement

This award will be announced at the ceremony.

• Find out how to book a place to attend the awards night here
  
  
• More information about the Nursery World Awards is available on our dedicated website

Thank you to our 2024 sponsors