Inspiring Early Years Area Manager from Manchester shortlisted for top industry accolade
Danielle, a Regional Director for the Northeast and Northwest at Bright Horizons, is in the running for the ‘Area Manager of the Year’ title.
She is one of only five Area Managers to make the final shortlist in this category of the 2023 Nursery World Awards. These prestigious awards are open to everyone involved in childcare and education and highlight truly inspirational work.
Danielle’s great work has already been recognised as she was named in the very first Business Women in Education Women to Watch list last year. Her role oversees 19 nurseries across the Northeast and Northwest region where she has been involved in recent Ofsted Inspections at some of the nurseries.
She supported 15 Ofsted inspections last year alone, where 10 of them received an ‘Outstanding’ grade, including two of those ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted ratings from settings where she was providing maternity cover. 50% of the nurseries in Danielle’s region now hold an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating, with the other nurseries graded as ‘Good’.
Danielle’s efforts have been praised by those she works with, including one nursery manager who said: “Throughout my Bright Horizons journey, she has led, coached, and mentored me to be the best manager I can be and to filter this down into my team to provide the best opportunities for children, parents, and staff. Every nursery she works with she works hard to ensure they are providing the best childcare and education, and this shows through the amount of Outstanding and Good nurseries within her region.”
Being a part of the community is something Danielle emphasises amongst her nurseries. One example was at Bright Horizons Trafford Day Nursery and Preschool, where she supported the Nursery Manager who set up a food bank in the nursery to aid families struggling to feed their children. Danielle ran well-being workshops to take care of her peers and provide guidance for both her colleagues and the children at the nursery.
Danielle said: “I feel incredibly proud to have been nominated for this award and being given recognition for all the work we do at Bright Horizons. Having worked at Bright Horizons for 15 years, has really set my career off working in a sector I love and I’m passionate about. I started off as a nursery nurse and progressed my way to becoming a nursery manager by the age of 23, with the support from the team at Bright Horizons with my development training, it has led me on the pathway to where I am today.
“I care deeply about everything there is to do with the early years of a child’s learning, which is why I enjoy setting up an environment to inspire and create experiences of the highest quality for children.”
Winners of the Nursery World awards are chosen by a distinguished panel of expert judges and will be revealed on September 30th. For more information about a career at Bright Horizons, then you can find it all on their careers page.
