Interview: Nasso Christou

Ms Christou retired from her position of children’s centre head at the end of October after 24 years at the setting.

What has been your greatest achievement?

To show that it is possible for public services to be innovative, highly popular, cost-effective and state of the art. A place at the centre is known locally by parents as the ‘golden ticket’. This, more than anything, shows the impact the centre has made locally. Parents know that we have an excellent programme and a superb, highly qualified team who have the highest expectations for all our children.

What attracted you to the position at Archway Children’s Centre?

I was attracted to the job because nursery provision, particularly day care, was so appalling. I knew that we could and should do better. Twenty-four years is a long time to be in the same job – but luckily it hasn’t been the same job! There was always something else to do – new opportunities to develop the service and our programme. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to contribute to the national debate on the development of children’s centres and to develop a whole new approach to family services working with so many different professionals and developing so many projects and services, even a cafe!

While at the children’s centre, what improvements did you put in place and what was their impact?

I had to change everything, including the building, and provide what was missing altogether. Creating a nature garden with chickens, mud and nettles, instigating outdoor days – whole days spent in the garden without play equipment – long before forest school was invented. I created a healthy, no-sugar menu long before Jamie Oliver’s campaign.

What other changes do you believe will take place in the sector?

I would love to be optimistic, but the unpicking of these wonderful services has already started. So short-sighted – we have seen the amazing improvements in outcomes for children who have attended good provision like ours. To deny that to future generations is tragic.

How will you be spending your retirement?

Now that I am free to express my own views I will campaign vigorously and work with anyone interested in improving provision. I will also join any campaign to stop Ofsted from trying to quantify the unquantifiable because its narrow framework is stultifying creativity – so much wasted time negotiating its matrix of tick boxes and so much rubber-stamping of bad provision because the right boxes have been ticked.