Meet our staff

Dorothy Williams

Nursery Manager

With over 15 years of experience in Early Years education, Dorothy holds a Bachelor of Education from the Institute of Education, University College London. She also has a Montessori Pre-Primary Teaching Diploma for children aged 2–7, a Montessori International Diploma, and a Level 3 qualification in developing Speech, Language, and Literacy in the Early Years.

Throughout Dorothy’s career, roles have included Montessori Teacher, Pre-School Room Leader, Third in Charge of a Nursery, Deputy Manager and Manager at several Outstanding Nurseries.

A passion for connecting children to nature drives Dorothy to provide the best possible start in life, creating a creative, nurturing, and stimulating nursery environment for young children.

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.

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.

Sarah

Early years practitioner

Sarah is a highly experienced and qualified nursery practitioner with an NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Early Years and 21 years of experience working in childcare. She has worked with children from 3 months to 4 years across various nurseries, including a Montessori setting, where she enjoyed fostering children’s growth and confidence.

Sarah has Forest School training and is passionate about connecting children with nature, nurturing their creativity, independence, and well-being. She is dedicated to creating meaningful learning experiences for children and building positive relationships with families.

Toni

Early years practitioner

Toni is a highly experienced childcare professional with a background in nannying, childminding, and nursery work. She began her career as a nanny in Spain before moving to London, where she worked as an au pair and later as a nanny for families with young children. Toni pursued her passion for early childhood education by completing a diploma, foundation degree, and degree in Early Years Studies at Metropolitan University in London.

Toni’s experience includes working as a childminder assistant and nursery nurse, where she creatively supported children’s development by teaching Spanish and introducing tai chi and yoga for physical growth. Toni is passionate about fostering children’s creativity and independence through the forest school approach, providing meaningful connections with nature to nurture their development.

Fatema

Early years practitioner

Fatema is an emerging Early Years Practitioner with a Level 2 Diploma in Childcare and Education. She is dedicated to supporting children’s early development through creative, safe, and engaging learning environments. Passionate about fostering strong relationships, Fatema enjoys connecting with children and their families, ensuring every child feels nurtured and valued.