Meet our staff

Rukhsana

Nursery Manager

Rukhsana has over 25 years of experience in the nursery education field. She’s a teacher, advisor and manager who has successfully established new nurseries in the UK and Dubai. She is also a keen Scout leader, who enjoys the outdoors immensely.

She hopes that all the children who come to Collingham Gardens Nursery will be able to treasure their experiences and develop values, beliefs and attitudes which will allow them to respond to everyday challenges with integrity and understanding.

Shamsia

Early years practitioner

Shamsia is a qualified early year practitioner and childcare worker with a broad experience of working in nurseries, crèches, primary schools and drop-in centres, all of which have provided a high standard of care to children and their families. She also has experience as a community outreach worker to support and encourage local families to access provisions and services independently. Shamsia has undertaken her Level 2 Forest School training and is currently completing her Level 3 Forest School Leader programme.

Shamsia is always looking for new ideas to support the children’s interests in the nursery and delights in building a loving rapport with the children and their families.

Inca

Early years practitioner 1-2-1 support

Inca is an early years practitioner with experience working as a Teaching Assistant, Learning Support Assistant and After-School Art Club Leader in both primary school and nursery settings.

Coming from an Arts background with a degree in Fine Art, Inca has always been extremely committed to inspire children to use their creativity to express themselves and their ideas.

Inca has experience working 1:1 with children with SEN and has gained invaluable training and mentoring from Camden and Hackney council’s Specialist Inclusion Teams.

Having grown up in the countryside Inca is passionate about the profound benefits of spending time in nature and outdoors that children experience. This attracted her to Collingham’s setting in a beautiful and wild woodland garden, the perfect environment for the children’s vivid imaginations.

Marlon

Outdoor Learning & Special Projects Coordinator

Marlon trained to become a teacher in Denmark where he was highly influenced by both Steiner Waldorf and the Udeskole movement. These cemented his love for outdoor learning and providing the inspirational approaches that now form the basis of his teaching. He has a wide range of teaching experience in settings both in the UK and abroad and more recently has been establishing and managing outdoor nurseries across London through which he has acquired a wide range of skills and knowledge that support his progressive interest in education.

Marlon is also a registered Forest school trainer and has a particular interest in how the forest school ethos can be incorporated into more urbanised landscapes through innovative thinking and sustainable models.

Zeljka

Early years practitioner

Zeljka is a qualified early years practitioner with over 20 years of experience of caring for children in the early years and primary sector, alongside experience of working with children with complex needs. Having grown up in rural Yugoslavia Zeljka spent much of her own childhood gardening together with her family and playing in nature. This strong connection with nature and the happiness it brought left a lasting impression on her and has formed part of her approach to supporting children in their own education.

She joined Collingham Gardens Nursery in 2020 after being entranced by its hidden, magical garden and unique educational ethos of learning through outdoor and meaningful play, which she believes is the cornerstone of children’s learning and development.

Emily

Third in charge

Emily has been working in early years for over 10 years. She has a wide range of childcare experience in the UK, Australia and America, ranging from being an au pair and early years practitioner to nursery management roles.

Whilst working across London Emily became aware of how little outdoor space most nurseries have access to, her first nursery in Canary Wharf had no outdoor area so she had to be incredibly creative to ensure the children could still experience outdoor learning. Whenever they did get a chance to go outside Emily noticed how relaxing the children became, especially when they’d take a walk down to the jetty watching the boats go by – ahh peaceful. For children who live in such concentrated urban spaces, she finds it really important to spend as much time outdoors, as she too has fond memories of always being outside playing as a child.

Emily is also presently completing her Forest School Leader training and believes that being able to offer this type of activity makes the children’s experiences and learning even more special and exciting – using a bowsaw at the age of 2, yes, yes they can!