Nursery World Awards 2022: the winners revealed
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Bee in the Woods Kindergarten was crowned Nursery of the Year at the Nursery World Awards 2022 last night (24 September) at a glittering ceremony at the Brewery in London. Kindred Nurseries took Nursery Group of the Year, and David Wright won our prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

Read all the full stories of the winners on our website www.nurseryworld.co.uk/awards
Download our digital Awards Book
Download photos of the evening
NURSERY OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by childcare.co.uk
Winner
- Bee in the Woods Kindergarten, Brighton & Hove
With awards host Emma-Louise Amanshia and judge Helen Moylett
Highly Commended
- Charnwood Nursery & Pre-school, Leicester
Finalists
- Blue Giraffe Childcare, Worcestershire
- Grass Roots Private Day Nursery, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire
- Meadow Lane Children’s Nursery, Cambridgeshire
NURSERY GROUP OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Eden Training Solutions
Winner
- Kindred Nurseries
Highly Commended
- Stramash Social Enterprise
Finalists
- Ashbridge Independent School and Nursery Group
- Finkley Nurseries
- Sleepy Hollow Group
- Stars Day Nurseries
- Wolds Childcare
PRE-SCHOOL OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Polylino
Winner
- Willowbrook Preschool, Nottingham
Highly Commended
- Muddy Boots Pre school, Bideford
Finalists
- Ashby Pre-School Academy, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
- The Lime Trees, Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire
EARLY YEARS IN SCHOOL AWARD
Winner
- Trinity Primary Academy, London
With judge Di Chilvers
Highly Commended
- Penketh South Primary School, Warrington
Finalist
- Newlands Spring Primary and Nursery School, Essex
CHILDMINDING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by childcare.co.uk
Winner
- Cally Smith Childcare, Richmond, North Yorkshire
With judge Dr Sue Allingham
Highly Commended
- Julie & Jo’s Childcare, Cambridge
Finalists
- Bonding School, Crystal Palace, London
- Titches Childminding, Whitchurch, Hants
NURSERY MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Busy Bees
Winner
- Priya Patel, Inspire Montessori Schools
Highly Commended
- Katie Duke, Tops Day Nurseries Havant
Finalists
- Steph Mattin-Moss, Nature Den Nursery Ipswich
- Stacey McMorland, The Nursery at Whitehouse Farm
- Nicky Willetts, Tops Day Nurseries Wareham
NURSERY OPERATIONS/AREA MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Winner
- Sharon Thompson, Spring by Action For Children
With judge Jo Caswell
Highly Commended
- Michelle Gascoigne, Tynemouth Nursery Group
Finalists
- Catherine Baker, Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery
- Gemma Fletcher, Kidzrus Group
NURSERY PRACTITIONER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Childbase Partnership
Winner
- Beth Cooper, Boston Nursery School
Highly Commended
- Jojo Chuong, Snapdragons Nurseries
Finalists
- Lydia Roberts, The Lime Trees
- Megan Williams, Montessori Minds
EARLY YEARS APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by SS Educational Services
Winner
- Jack Bedder, SEND to Learn
Collected by Nursery World Associate Publisher George Hogg
Finalists
- Claire Ratcliffe, The Lime Trees
- Leanne Rowlands, Kids Planet Day Nurseries
- Skye Stephens, Fit N Fun Kids
CHILDMINDER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by childcare.co.uk
Winner
- Julie Dixon, Julie & Jo’s Childcare
With judge Rebecca Martland
Finalists
- Chelsie Orange, The Little Orange House
- Laura Perfetti, Playhood
TRAINER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by MCW Nursery Support Services
Winner
- Cheryl Bedding, Aperion Training
Finalists
- Amy Alderson and Drew Radford, Tops Day Nurseries
- Dr Mine Conkbayir, Mine Conkbayir Consultancy
- Trisha Lee, MakeBelieve Arts
- Liz Pemberton, The Black Nursery Manager
- Kym Scott, Place to Learn
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION
Sponsored by Treehouse Nursery Schools
Winner
- Sheila Kaye, Little Chums Nursery
Highly Commended
- Katie Watson, Northumberland County Council
Finalists
- Mandy Farrar, Diamond Wood Community Academy
- Carole Henderson, Bright Horizons
- Ursula Krystek-Walton, Thrive Childcare and Education
- Alison Owen, Bolton Start Well-Harvey Nursery
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Sponsored by Bright Horizons
Winner
- David Wright, Paint Pots Nurseries
With John Warren
PANDEMIC RESPONSE
Sponsored by NCFE
Winner
- Wiggles & Giggles Nursery, Grimethorpe
Award collected by Nursery World News and Online Editor Catherine Gaunt
Finalist
- Abacus Ark Nursery School
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Sponsored by Fennies Nurseries
Winner
- The Children’s Kitchen, Bristol
Highly Commended
- Bright Horizons UK
- Montessori Minds, Romford, London
Finalists
- Elmscot Day Nursery, Chester
- The Old Forge Day Nursery, Findern, Derbyshire
- Woodlands Day Nursery, Timperley
ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS
Winner
- Ashbridge Nursery Hutton
With judge Julie Mountain
Highly Commended
- Busy Bodies Child Care Centre, Ludlow
- Dandelion Education, Aylsham, Norfolk
Finalist
- Pebbles Childcare, Worthing
ECO-FRIENDLY EARLY YEARS
Sponsored by Hope
Joint Winners
- Jayne’s Nursery
- London Early Years Foundation (LEYF)
The LEYF team
Finalists
- Childbase Partnership
- Dandelion Education, Norfolk
- Holly Grange Montessori Nursery, Lymm
WORKING WITH PARENTS
Sponsored by Nursery Story
Joint Winners
- Childbase Partnership
- Elmscot Day Nursery, Chester
Finalists
- Banana Moon Bromley
- Traquinas Childcare, Thetford, Norfolk
WORKING WITH BABIES AND TODDLERS
Sponsored by McQueens Dairies
Winner
- London Early Years Foundation (LEYF)
With judge Alison Featherbe
Finalist
- Toddletown Day Nursery, Godalming
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Winner
- Adventures with Alice, Alice Sharp
With judge Anna Wright
Finalists
- Back-Up Care @ Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, Bright Horizons
- Muddy Explorers, The Oaks Day Nursery
- Munchkins Nursery
- Smallville Nursery
TEAM DEVELOPMENT
Winner
- Grass Roots Private Day Nursery, Sowerby Bridge
With judge Dr Sharon Colliles
Highly Commended
- Kilsby Preschool, Rugby
Finalists
- Charnwood Nursery & Pre-school Group
- The Nature Den Nursery, Ipswich
NURSERY FOOD
Winner
- Each Peach Childcare, Newhaven
With judge Edwina Revel
Finalists
- Imperial College London Early Years
- Willow Tree Day Nursery, Sale
INCLUSIVE PRACTICE
Winner
- The Nest @ Canterburys
With judge Neil Leitch
Finalist
- Open University
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Winner
- Cherubs Nurseries (could not attend)
Highly Commended
- Traquinas Childcare
Finalists
- GNG Nursery
- St Aubin Roath
ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Winner
- TTS, Nottinghamshire
With Nursery World Publishing Director Tom Curtiss
Highly Commended
- The Old Forge Day Nursery, Derby
Finalists
- Banana Moon Day Nursery, Bromley
- Eco Babe Private Day Nursery, Sale
- Traquinas Childcare, Norfolk
PROFESSIONAL BOOK OF THE YEAR
Winner
- Playful Mathematics by Helen J Williams, SAGE Publishing
With judge Penny Tassoni
Highly Commended
- How to Recognise and Support Mathematical Mastery in Young Children’s Play by Di Chilvers (Ed), Routledge
- Introduction to Neuroscience and Self-regulation in Early Years by Dr Mine Conkbayir, Hallmark Education
Finalists
- Alphabet Rhyme Time by Michelle Larbey, Learnwell Trading
- Discover Creativity with Babies by Louise Day, Routledge
- A Guide to SEND in the Early Years by Kerry Murphy, Bloomsbury Publishing
- Observing Gabby by Cath Arnold, Open University Press/McGraw Hill
See more about the Nursery World Awards at www.nurseryworldawards.com