The Nursery Team
We are looking forward to meeting you…
Early Years Foundation Stage Leader – Miss Hannah Knighton
Nursery Practitioners – Tara Barrot, Jasmine Jones, Sarah Cowell, Claire Fish
Hannah Knighton
I have been working as a teacher for the past 11 years. Teaching has always been my dream career. After completing my teaching degree, (Bachelor of Science with QTS), at the University of Cumbria, I secured my first post as a Year 1 class teacher at our other primary school, Christ the King Catholic Academy. It was in the following year, having moved to teach nursery, that my passion for working in Early Years began. Since then, I have worked in both of our academy primary schools’ Early Years departments. After teaching a year in our 3- 4 nursery, I became the Early Years lead here at St Cuthbert's.
I strongly believe that the Early Years is at the heart of children's education. It enables children to prepare for their school lives within a safe, caring and play-based learning environment. Working within a team environment and supporting the children to flourish and learn makes nursery in particular, an extremely fulfilling and special phase to work in. I am immensely proud of what our children can achieve. Outside of school I like to be active, my lock down puppy, Mila, keeps me busy and on most evenings and weekends we are either outside along the promenade or in muddy fields! I love going on holiday and exploring the different places I visit. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy teaching the children to be curious about the world around them. I look forward to welcoming you to our dedicated team of nursery staff and sharing our nursery provision with you.
Tara Barrot
My introduction to early education began when I became a part of the St Cuthbert’s family as a parent volunteer. I worked alongside the teacher within the year one class. I enjoyed this role immensely and so I decided to enrol at Blackpool and the Fylde College to study a level 3 teaching assistant diploma.
In 2014, I began working with a child at school on a one to one basis which I found incredibly rewarding, whilst in the role I was working in preschool as a nursery assistant. My role in preschool inspired me to go back to college to study a level three diploma in early years education. This has led to my current role; working with the very youngest pupils in our school family. During my time at St Cuthbert’s I have also had the opportunity to take care of the organisation and running of the parent and toddler groups in the Children’s Centre. This role taught me the importance of parent partnership and helping parents feel empowered and nurtured. I am very passionate about early years and I am always looking to develop my knowledge and understanding by attending courses and training opportunities which keep me up to date with new educational theories and policies. I believe that working as part of the EYFS team and maintaining strong links to school further helps us to fully understand the educational and development needs of the children and we ensure that your child is always ready to take that extra step. On a personal note, I am married and I have two children. As a family we enjoy being outdoors and we often spend our weekends down at the beach or off of lots of walking adventures with our Siberian Husky ‘Nanook’. To unwind after all that walking, I like nothing more than to watch a good film or read a book.
Jasmine Jones
I have worked for St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy since 2019 and was welcomed by such a friendly family ethos. Previous to this, whilst studying my degree, I worked at our other primary school, Christ the King and I volunteered within Years 2 and 3. This allowed me to develop my subject knowledge of the curriculum whilst having first-hand experience. My current role is within the nursery at St Cuthberts. I also support the breakfast club which allows me to interact with children from all ages.
My favourite part of working within the Early Years is seeing how children develop through play and supporting their learning through continuous provision, in particular messy play. I love seeing children develop new skills and putting them in to practice, knowing that I have helped aid this is extremely rewarding. Outside of the early years I love exploring new places with family and friends and going on holiday. I also enjoy a spot of retail therapy.
Sarah Cowell
I began working at St Cuthbert’s in 2013 after developing a keen interest in education and a passion for helping children to learn from an early age. Prior to working at St Cuthbert’s, I studied a degree in primary education which was invaluable to my current role as I gained knowledge of the ways in which children learn best and I am fortunate to be able to apply this knowledge in practical and fun learning experiences for the children at nursery.
I spent the first few years of my career at St Cuthbert’s working as a teaching assistant in the reception classroom. In my current role, I am able to apply this experience to help ensure the children in my care are fully prepared for the important ‘next step’ in their education. I also have experience of working at Christ the King which is another school in our academy. I worked in the foundation class before taking time off to have my little girl. Since returning to work, I have been in preschool at St Cuthbert’s which is one of my favourite phases to work in. It’s incredibly rewarding watching the children in our care grow in confidence and develop their independence. In my free time I love to spend time with my family, taking my two year old daughter to different places such as the beach, park and zoo. I also enjoy going out for tea and catching up with friends. As a mum myself, I fully understand the importance in finding a nurturing nursery and preschool for your child. We always put the children’s needs first and ensure that their happiness and care is at the centre of everything we do. I look forward to meeting you and your child and showing you all the wonderful activities we do in preschool.
Claire Fish
I have been working in early years for almost 16 years. I started off working as a parent/volunteer at St Cuthbert’s nursery when my eldest son was three and I loved it so much that when the opportunity arose, I went back to college to study a level 3 diploma in early years. I became a part-time employee at nursery in 2007 and have never looked back. During this time, I have also studied for and gained a first class honours degree in Early Childhood Studies which has given me a wealth of knowledge of the theories which underpin early education and the core values that have helped to shape my current practice.
During my time at St Cuthbert’s I have also had the pleasure of working in the reception and year one classrooms as a teaching assistant. The knowledge I gained while working within school was invaluable as it gave me an insight in education after early years and how I can help prepare the children in nursery to become ‘school ready’. I love my job; it is hard to put into words the pride and accomplishment I feel when a child in my care learns a new skill or simply gains the confidence to ‘have a go’. At home, I am a mum to three amazing children who keep me really busy. As a family we enjoy spending lots of time outdoors - walking long distances in the countryside and riding our bikes along the promenade. In my free time I am an avid reader and a fan of listening to music, going to concerts and watching films. I can’t wait to meet you and welcome you and your child into our nursery family.
Emily Duxbury
I have been working as a teacher for over seven years, and ever since I was in primary school myself, I have known that I wanted to become a teacher. After completing my teaching degree at the University of Cumbria, I secured my first post as a Year 1 class teacher here at St Cuthbert’s. I remained in this role for six years, working as a key member of the KS1 team, while also supporting areas of the Early Years department during Miss Knighton’s first maternity leave.
Last year, Mrs Smith offered me the opportunity to make the big step up to Year 6. This was an exciting and rewarding experience, allowing me to further develop my teaching skills while working with a completely different area of the curriculum. Taking this step gave me the confidence to push myself further in my career, and when the opportunity arose to cover Miss Knighton’s second maternity leave, I was keen to take on the challenge. I now speak to you as the current EYFS/KS1 Lead, alongside my continued role as a Year 1 class teacher. Understanding where children begin their learning journey has always been extremely important to me. I strongly believe that Early Years education is at the heart of children’s development, providing a safe, caring and play-based environment in which they can prepare for their school lives. Working as part of a supportive team and helping children to flourish makes nursery, in particular, a truly special and fulfilling phase to work in. I am immensely proud of what our children are able to achieve. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family. I have three nephews and three nieces who certainly keep me on my toes! In recent years, I have also made more of an effort to travel and explore new places. When I manage to find a quiet moment in a busy day, I enjoy relaxing with a good book. I look forward to welcoming you to our dedicated nursery team and sharing our nursery provision with you.