At Clever Clogs Nurseries we place huge emphasis on specially selecting staff for their caring and loving nature, as well as making sure that they are highly professional and committed with recognised childcare qualifications.
We aim to provide a harmonious and happy environment for our staff which consequently creates a nurturing, supportive and caring environment for children and parents.
All of our staff must be Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) approved before employment begins, and all staff, at a very minimum, hold Basic First Aid training and Basic Food Hygiene certificates.
Because of our great reputation we attract the highest calibre of applicants for every vacancy and our effective staff recruitment and selection procedures mean we are able to appoint staff that are of the highest possible standard and are an asset to the Clever Clogs family.
On starting with us, all staff undergo an intensive induction training programme to familiarise themselves with our standards and procedures and to get to know the parents and children they will be working with on a daily basis.
Training is continually provided to ensure that we keep up-to-date with the latest and best practices and regular personal development reviews give staff the opportunity to continually improve and grow.
We have an incredibly high staff retention rate which shows our staff are happy in their jobs and this reassures parents that their child’s care is at the forefront of our minds.
Our team will go above and beyond to look after the children in our nursery and will work tirelessly to provide tailored care to suit each and every child. We will work with parents to provide appropriate care and will happily accommodate needs and meet any special requirements.
We believe it is the combination of our passion and dedication that makes us different from other childcare providers – looking after children is not just a job, it’s our lives and it is the reason we jump out of bed in the morning!
Andrea Townsley - Nursery Proprietor
As a mother of three young children herself, Andrea knows how important it is for parents to find nursery care they are comfortable with that offers a loving and supportive environment for children. It’s her understanding, commitment and passion that led Andrea to building her first nursery in Belmont and subsequently running three successful nurseries.
All of Andrea’s children have attended nursery and it’s this experience that helps her shape her own business and company ethos of providing a home away from home for children who attend her nurseries. Andrea’s youngest Lexie was even ‘site tester’ when she purchased the two new nurseries which led to more dolls being added to Hartlepool and a sandpit being installed at Bowburn.
Although a very experienced businesswoman Andrea knows each and every child and parent in all three of her nurseries and regularly welcomes families in the morning, says hello during settling in sessions and joins tours. Her friendly, loving and approachable manor means parents and children are comfortable asking her any questions they may have and they trust her instinct.
Andrea’s passion is to provide friendly, caring, supportive, learning environments for children to allow them to thrive and reach their full potential. Andrea understands the needs of parents and children and wants each and every child to love their time at the nurseries and for parents to feel happy and secure in the knowledge that their child is being well looked after.
Phillippa Parrish - Nursery Manager
"Phillippa is a warm and caring individual, who makes me feel confident that my child is being well looked after and that his individual developmental needs are being met and exceeded."
Phillippa was the first staff member of Clever Clogs Belmont when it opened in 2007.
Having helped nursery owner Andrea establish the business, advising on everything from selecting a building site to educational plans, decorating the nursery and toy buying, it soon became clear Phillippa was ideally suited to a managerial role.
Loved by children and staff within the nursery Phillippa is the first person to arrive in the morning and the last person to leave at night and will do everything she can to exceed expectations and keep up the high standards at Belmont.
As well as making sure the nursery is working as a business Phillippa is also responsible for ensuring the nursery provides a welcoming, homely, educational environment where kids can have fun, learn, make friends and thrive.
Phillippa is responsible for showing parents and children around the nursery and will take time to personally answer any questions they may have. She is instrumental in the settling-in stages of any new child joining the nursery and will stay with the child and parents as long as is necessary to help with the transition.
Phillippa has a vast amount of knowledge of childcare and educational policy and this, combined with over eight year’s worth of experience in childcare and her natural ability to make everyone she meets feel at ease, makes her best placed to meet the needs of individual children and their families.
Phillippa is also a fantastic manager with whom all of our staff have great relationships with, and she was instrumental in us achieving our Outstanding grading from Ofsted.
