Work Matters: A day in the life ... Sarah Breingan, nursery nurse

Role: Nursery nurse at Forbes Nursery in Edinburgh

Qualifications: MA in design, HNC in Early Years Childcare and Education, General Fitness Instructor ETM award, Level 2.

Sarah Breingan was the recipient of this year's Nursery World Nursery Practitioner of the Year award. In her current role as nursery nurse at Forbes Nursery in Edinburgh, she has been at the forefront of developing the nursery's Forest School approach and enjoys adventurous outdoor activities with the children - such as sliding down slopes on bin bags.

She has also put her design skills to good practical use, creating lively boards for the children to keep track of tasks such as choosing snacks and planting in the garden. Sarah enjoys the busy pace of life in the nursery and being hands-on. She is currently developing her fitness instructor skills and will be using them increasingly with the children.

- 8.00am

An early start just before eight when the children arrive, and my first job is to set up the pre-school room. Every day is different depending on any special sessions - such as music classes and forest days. Children enjoy free play when they arrive.

- 9.30am

We all tidy up before snack time, and the children like to have a quiet time before they eat. If it is a Monday they are very keen to have circle time, when they talk about the weekend.

- 10.00am

Snack time is staggered so the children can continue with their activities if they want to.

- 11.00am

From now until noon, activities are planned, based on the children's own interests. Come rain or shine they will usually prefer to go outdoors in the garden, and we encourage them to put on their outdoor clothing themselves.

- Mid-day

We like to have a quiet time before lunch, which the children all eat together. They take turns in setting the table, which they enjoy.

- 1.00pm

Some of the children have a sleep after lunch. We generally have structured activities inside or outside at this time. I set up the equipment out of doors, such as balancing beams and hoops; we do fitness activities with these.

- 2.00pm

Once a week we go along to the local park where there are hills the children can climb. We take a picnic to have as our mid-afternoon snack.

- 3.30pm

By now we are thinking about heading back. Once we get there the children enjoy a mix of structured and free play, and often at this time dip into some of the messy play activities.

- 5.00pm

We tend to have free play from now until 6.00pm, when parents come to collect their children. Some of the children may be getting a little tired by this time and prefer to do something quiet, like listening to a story tape and turning the pages of the accompanying book.

- 6.00pm

It is the end of another busy day and the room has to be put back together. At this time, my head is usually full of thoughts about what we are going to be doing the next day.

WHAT IT TAKES

Being an excellent and effective practitioner not only requires knowledge and understanding of children, but also the ability to develop high levels of skill and competence in areas of personal performance, such as innovation, initiative, professionalism and respectful leadership, along with the confidence to relate well with other team members, parents and children.

Applying personal knowledge, abilities and competence in complementary subjects, in this case design, or creative arts and environmental studies, can bring a great deal of extra 'flavour' into nursery activities and approaches, enabling children to benefit from broader and bolder experiences as a result.

Taking a personal lead on developing a whole-team approach to a specific curriculum or practice area, in this case the Forest School approach and particular design initiatives, requires a commitment to keeping activities fresh and engaging.

It is vital to uphold good relationships across the nursery. This requires an ability to work well with the whole team and sensitively encourage staff in developing their own confidence and competence.

To be successful in upholding consistently high levels of practice across a setting, an excellent practitioner will maintain the energy, dedication and motivation to relate quality to performance at every opportunity. This is possible from the outset of a career, if knowledge, skill and experience are reflected upon and adapted for improvement, along with continued learning.

Having achieved recognition for excellence in practice, the practitioner could look to influence approaches in other settings through support networks, continue development through leadership qualifications, such as Early Years Professional Status, and consider advisory roles in the future.

Tina Jefferies, managing director of training provider The Red Space Company, www.redspace company.com