Our Team
Director
Rick
As our Director, Rick is committed to providing all children with an environment in which they can learn and explore. He has a passion for continuous improvement and relishes seeing the growth and evolution of the setting as a whole. With Zoe as his partner, enabling the childcare aspect of the business, Rick strives on ensuring that Next Generation is at it’s best to continually support it’s practitioners, staff, children, families and visitors alike as well as the local community. Rick liaises with the Wigan Local Authority regularly in ensuring he is up to date on all childcare and business matters as a whole.
Manager (Senco, DSL)
Zoe
Having been at Next Generation since her student years, Zoe has over 15 years experience in childcare and has played a part in each room over the years. The latter 10 years have seen Zoe a member of the management team with her drive and passion to get us to where we are today. Zoe has the lead role for SEND and Child protection within the setting and is SENCO Champion cluster lead within the local Early Years community. She continually strives on meeting the ever changing needs of the children and their families year to year and therefore ensures she is kept up to date on the most recent aspects of childcare ongoing. Zoe has great links with our local authority childcare team and is highly thought of within the local sector; in turn becoming a LEyEP practitioner who supports training, modelling and coaching locally to support system leadership in Wigan.
Nicola
Nicola has 18 years experience working in the childcare sector with children from birth right up to the age of 11. She joined us here in 2013 as a dedicated, qualified practitioner and immediately had a positive impact upon us as an Early Years team. She has a passion for making children’s experiences inviting, exciting and intriguing and you can see that the children are at the heart of everything she does. Nicola forms part of our management team as our setting deputy manager and Early Years Lead across all rooms. Nicola is always on the go to make daily experiences worthwhile and is a fantastic role model to practitioners. Nicola has a deputy supporting role in the co-ordination of SEND and has recently been appointed as our student liaison officer with her drive to teach and support upcoming practitioners. Nicola is a Mum of 2 boys – both of which have attended here with us at nursery throughout their early years.
Rebecca
Rebecca began working here in 2012 as a level 2 qualified practitioner and went on to complete her level 3 shortly afterwards. Rebecca has experience with all age ranges and spent a vast part of her early days here with our out of school club children. Rebecca is now a member of our Under 2’s team and has recently taken the role of a Senior practitioner within the staffing team. Rebecca is active in supporting our babies and practitioners within, ensuring that they are supported in becoming keen and confident explorers. Rebecca has built up relationships with practitioners, children and their families over time making her a well-known valued staff member. Rebecca describes herself to be creative and hard-working. Rebecca has also seen through her DSL training in support of the senior team.
Teigan
Teigan initially came to us as a student on her placement from college and showed complete dedication and confidence with the children. Once qualified she joined us here as a valued member of our team in 2018 and has been a Preschool practitioner ever since. She has recently taken a senior practitioner role within the staffing team. Teigan has built up strong relationships with our Preschool children and their parents and carers and is often fondly spoken of within family homes. Teigan describes herself to be adaptable, welcoming and having the abilities to work well as a team in supporting our Preschool children. Year upon year Teigan progresses within her role. Her confidence on wider aspects of childcare continues to grow ongoing as does her ability to support children with additional needs - continually striving to do her best. Teigan has also taken the position of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Megan
Megan joined our Next Generation team in June 2022 as a fully qualified level 3 practitioner who had experience in special educational needs and had previously worked in Early Years settings. Megan joined us to support our Preschool team but has recently had a change and is now working with our Infant children aged 2-3 years. Megan feels that she is much more suited to this age and is a great asset to the Infant room team, given her confidence with supporting behavioural needs, self-help and Independence within the children she works with.
Robyn
Robyn joined us here at Next Generation in February 2022 after a change in career. Robyn was already qualified to a high standard and wanted to fulfil her ambition in joining us here at Next Generation to work with and support children to develop and grow. Robyn has a BA Hons in Early Childhood Studies but is enthusiastic about continuing to learn new things as she goes. Robyn is now a member of our Preschool team after spending some time in each of our 3 Early Years rooms over the last 3 years. Robyn likes to learn and appreciates challenge; describing herself to be enthusiastic, nurturing and supportive not just of the children but of the whole staffing team.
Kayleyann
Kayleyann joined us at Next Generation in April 2024 and became a part of our Preschool team. Kayleyann has a vast amount of experience in Early Years; some of which has been in a senior or management position, giving her leadership insight. Kayleann is qualified to level 3 in Early Years and has been qualified since 2009 - She has remained in childcare ever since. Kayleyann feels that she is really suited to the Preschool room as she has spent many of her years supporting this age group. Kayleann enjoys craft experiences and brings this interest into aspects of her work in support of the children she works with. Kaylann has a son who attends with us during Holiday Clubs.
Nicola
Nicola joined us here in 2018 as a modern apprentice and is now a qualified practitioner within our Under 2’s room. Nicola has the ability to understand and empathise with other parents and carers who may be in similar situations to her and needing to support their child, who has additional needs, through their early years. Nicola describes herself to have a kind and caring nature and feels that she is best suited to the care of our babies because of this. Nicola is highly valued by our Under 2’s room parents and is continually praised by them for her efforts with their children.
Natalie
Natalie has been with us here at Next Generation since 2002. Although having had experience in all age ranges over the years, Natalie spent a vast amount of time in our Under 2’s room due to her calm, kind and caring nature; allowing babies to feel safe and secure. When we felt the effects of Covid-19 upon all of our children, we decided that our preschool children needed that extra person with the above skills in support of their well-being, therefore we moved Natalie to Preschool to help this progress. However, Natalie is now back in her usual place supporting our Under 2’s. Natalie also has children of her own that have been with us here at nursery throughout their early years.
Jennifer
Jennifer joined our Under 2’s team in 2021. Jenny has over 12 years experience in childcare having been working at a local nursery since her college training years. She is qualified as a level 3 practitioner and has recently seen through specific baby training with the local authority to help her fulfil her role here. Jenny is a Mum of 2 children herself - 1 of which she has needed to support through his early years experience due to having hearing needs and subsequently behavioural needs as a result - this gives Jenny the ability to empathise with parents who are having to go through the same processes with their children.
Macey
Macey joined us here during the Summer of 2023, straight from leaving high school. She knew what career path she wanted to go down and contacted us to see through a modern apprenticeship; preferring a hands-on further education. Macey is currently seeing through her Level 2 Early Years Educator qualification and will qualify early 2025. Macey has spent a lot of her apprenticeship supporting our Under 2’s, however now that she is due to qualify, she has moved to support our Infant room children. Macey likes to spend time on the children’s level singing songs and reading stories, in support of our Infant room intent.
Elise
Elise has recently rejoined us here at Next Generation in March 2023 after a short career change working in the care sector. Elise realised that her heart lied in childcare and that her original role was more suited to her skills and abilities. Elise originally joined us in 2018 as a student on placement who quickly decided that she would prefer to train and learn on the job and therefore became our modern apprentice. Elise saw through her Level 2 qualification in Children’s and Young People’s workforce. Elise is a member of our Breakfast and After school Club team as well as our Holiday Club. She is described to be an enthusiastic and bubbly person who ensures she meets the children’s needs given the wide age range she works with.
Kia
Kia was originally attending Wigan and Leigh College to see through her childcare qualification but decided that learning on the job was more suited to her and therefore applied for the position we were advertising for a modern apprentice. Kia joined us here in February 2023 and quickly settled into our Next Generation team. Kia is working towards her Level 3 Childcare qualification and is enjoying being hands-on, learning new things each day. Kia describes herself to have a kind and caring nature and shares that she enjoys teaching children new things. Kia is now based in our Infant room as she feels better suited to the age range in support of independence and progressing the children’s communication skills.
Ellie
Ellie joined us in December 2023 as our newest modern apprentice after a short trial at college; quickly realising that she was better suited to a more hands-on role within Early Years. Ellie has had experience in all of our ages so far with a large amount of this time being based in Infants, however, she has recently moved to join our Under 2’s team. Ellie is a quick learner and is really attentive to the individual routines of the babies in our care; she is a great asset to our Under 2’s room. Ellie is working through her level 2 Early Years Educator apprenticeship and is due to qualify in 2025.
Courtney
Courtney has recently joined our team in July 2024 after completing her level 6 qualified teacher status in Early Years at university. Courtney has been on placements throughout her QTS qualification, giving her a practical insight into being amongst children. Courtney first came to us as a member of our Infant team but given her qualification, we decided to move her to our Preschool room to best support us as a setting in getting our Preschool children ‘school ready.’ Courtney is a Mum of two herself; one boy and one girl, giving her that motherly care experience as well as the ability to see the difference in educating both boys and girls and what this can bring.
Stacie
Stacie rejoined our team in November 2023 after having some time out of employment to have children. She is Mum to 3 young boys, 2 of which are twins who were born prematurely and have special educational needs - giving Stacie the ability to understand and empathise with other parents in similar positions, who are supporting their children through their Early Years education and health journey. Stacie is a level 2 qualified practitioner who originally came back to us to support in our After School Club. However, she is now a member of our Under 2’s room team and at times supports our Infant room children too.
Hannah
Hannah came to us many years ago with her learning support officer on a placement basis to allow her to become more familiar with working life and the role of a nursery nurse in supporting her to qualify as a level 2 practitioner. Hannah now supports us once a week at nursery and enjoys her time with the children who are also very fond of her. Hannah is continuing to progress with her early years skills ongoing and is supported by our team.
Jeanette
Jeanette is our nursery cook who has been here with us since 2016 after a career change. She strives on producing enjoyable healthy meals each day and works hard in ensuring that our kitchen is kept up to the highest standards of cleanliness in support of achieving our food hygiene rating. Our Infant children are fond of Jeanette and enjoy their daily chats with her through the kitchen hatch.