Our Team
Director
Rick
As our Director, Rick is committed to providing all children with an environment in which they can learn and explore. He has a passion for continuous improvement and relishes seeing the growth and evolution of the setting as a whole. With Zoe as his partner, enabling the childcare aspect of the business, Rick strives on ensuring that Next Generation is at it’s best to continually support it’s practitioners, staff, children, families and visitors alike as well as the local community. Rick liaises with the Wigan Local Authority regularly in ensuring he is up to date on all childcare and business matters as a whole.
Manager (Senco, DSL)
Zoe
Having been at Next Generation since her student years, Zoe has over 15 years experience in childcare and has played a part in each room over the years. The latter 10 years have seen Zoe a member of the management team with her drive and passion to get us to where we are today. Zoe has the lead role for SEND and Child protection within the setting and is SENCO Champion cluster lead within the local Early Years community. She continually strives on meeting the ever changing needs of the children and their families year to year and therefore ensures she is kept up to date on the most recent aspects of childcare ongoing. Zoe has great links with our local authority childcare team and is highly thought of within the local sector; in turn becoming a LEyEP practitioner who supports training, modelling and coaching locally to support system leadership in Wigan.
Joanne
Joanne has been at Next Generation for over 20 years with a vast amount of this being as a senior member of staff, giving her experience in the majority of age ranges. Joanne is qualified to level 3 in Early Years and has specific baby training. Joanne has 2 children of her own that have both gone through nursery since being babies. Joanne has recently opted for a change in role and has moved from leading our babies to become a member of our Infant room - supporting our toddlers to become strong communicators who show ever growing skills in independence. Joanne is a strong team player and works hard within her team on sharing ideas, providing nurturing experiences and individual care.
Nicola
Nicola has 18 years experience working in the childcare sector with children from birth right up to the age of 11. She joined us here in 2013 as a dedicated, qualified practitioner and immediately had a positive impact upon us as an Early Years team. She has a passion for making children’s experiences inviting, exciting and intriguing and you can see that the children are at the heart of everything she does. Nicola has recently widened her leadership skills by taking the lead role in Early Years meaning that she guides our staffing team in all 3 of our Early Years rooms; Under 2’s, Infant room and Preschool. Nicola is always on the go to make daily experiences worthwhile and is a fantastic role model to practitioners. Nicola has a deputy supporting role in the co-ordination of SEND and has recently been appointed as our student liaison officer with her drive to teach and support upcoming practitioners. Nicola is a Mum of 2 boys – both of which have attended here with us at nursery throughout their early years.
Tom
Tom is our deputy manager here at Next Generation. He has a BA Hons in Teaching, Learning and Mentoring and has previous experience as a pastoral manager in a high school as well as experience in the care sector. Tom joined us here to become the lead in our Out of School Club room and to further support within all rooms. Tom is proud of the fact that he is one of few males working in early years across the borough which makes him more passionate about his role. He describes himself to be a good role model, adaptable, trustworthy and approachable. Tom has a willingness to learn new things and is supportive of the safeguarding and child protection duties within childcare being appointed deputy designated safeguarding lead. Tom has also now completed his Level 3 Early Years Educator in support of his role.
Megan
Megan joined our Next Generation team in June 2022 as a fully qualified level 3 practitioner who had experience in special educational needs and had previously worked in Early Years settings. Megan joined us to support our Preschool team but has recently had a change and is now working with our Infant children aged 2-3 years. Megan feels that she is much more suited to this age and is enjoying getting to know the children and their families as she grows in confidence within her role.
Robyn
Robyn joined us here at Next Generation in February 2022 after a change in career. Robyn was already qualified to a high standard and wanted to fulfil her ambition in joining us here at Next Generation to work with and support children to develop and grow. Robyn has a BA Hons in Early Childhood Studies but is enthusiastic about continuing to learn new things as she goes. Robyn is now a member of our Preschool team after spending some time in each of our 3 Early Years rooms over the last 3 years. Robyn likes to learn and appreciates challenge; describing herself to be enthusiastic, nurturing and supportive not just of the children but of the whole staffing team.
Rebecca
Rebecca began working here in 2012 as a level 2 qualified practitioner and went on to complete her level 3 shortly afterwards. Rebecca has experience with all age ranges and spent a vast part of her early days here with our out of school club children. Rebecca is now a member of our Under 2’s team and has recently taken the role of a Senior practitioner within the staffing team. Rebecca is active in supporting our babies and practitioners within, ensuring that they are supported in becoming keen and confident explorers. Rebecca has built up relationships with practitioners, children and their families over time making her a well-known valued staff member. Rebecca describes herself to be creative and hard-working.
Nicola
Nicola joined us here in 2018 as a modern apprentice and is now a qualified practitioner within our Under 2’s room. Nicola has the ability to understand and empathise with other parents and carers who may be in similar situations to her and needing to support their child, who has additional needs, through their early years. Nicola describes herself to have a kind and caring nature and feels that she is best suited to the care of our babies because of this. Nicola is highly valued by our Under 2’s room parents and is continually praised by them for her efforts with their children.
Teigan
Teigan initially came to us as a student on her placement from college and showed complete dedication and confidence with the children. Once qualified she joined us here as a valued member of our team in 2018 and has been a Preschool practitioner ever since. She has recently taken a senior practitioner role within the staffing team. Teigan has built up strong relationships with our Preschool children and their parents and carers and is often fondly spoken of within family homes. Teigan describes herself to be adaptable, welcoming and having the abilities to work well as a team in supporting our Preschool children. Year upon year Teigan progresses within her role. Her confidence on wider aspects of childcare continues to grow ongoing as does her ability to support children with additional needs - continually striving to do her best.
Gabi
Gabi came to us in 2016 to see through her childcare qualification as a modern apprentice after becoming a young mum and wanting to learn more about childcare and what it entails. Gabi qualified as a level 2 practitioner and has since then pushed herself further progressing through her level 3 qualification with her drive and passion to continue to learn. Being a young Mum has given Gabi the ability to be supportive of other young parents that may come to us at nursery, understanding their pressures and at time their struggles. Gabi has since gone on to have a second child who is learning and growing with us here at Next Generation. Gabi is a valiued member of our Infant room team, supporting children aged 2-3 years.
Natalie
Natalie has been with us here at Next Generation since 2002. Although having had experience in all age ranges over the years, Natalie spent a vast amount of time in our Under 2’s room due to her calm, kind and caring nature; allowing babies to feel safe and secure. When we felt the effects of Covid-19 upon all of our children, we decided that our preschool children needed that extra person with the above skills in support of their well-being, therefore we moved Natalie to Preschool to help this progress. However, Natalie is now back in her usual place supporting our Under 2’s. Natalie also has children of her own that have been with us here at nursery throughout their early years.
Jennifer
Jennifer is the newest member of staff at Next Generation and has joined our Under 2’s team. Jenny has over 12 years experience in childcare having been working at a local nursery since her college training years. She is qualified as a level 3 practitioner and has recently seen through specific baby training with the local authority to help her fulfil her role here. Jenny is a Mum of 2 children herself - 1 of which she has needed to support through his early years experience due to having hearing needs and subsequently behavioural needs as a result - this gives Jenny the ability to empathise with parents who are having to go through the same processes with their children.
Emily
Emily came to us late 2019 as a college student studying childcare and felt that being more hands on and learning on the job was better suited so joined us here as our modern apprentice. Emily saw through her modern apprenticeship to become a level 2 qualified staff member in May 2021. Emily strives on meeting new people and likes to engage with our families at pick up and drop off times. She has a kind, caring and gentle disposition which enables her to be sensitive and supportive of the children in her care. Emily likes to learn new things and is enjoying her supporting role in both Infants and Under 2’s, increasing her knowledge on supporting different ages. Emily was formerly a member of our Breakfast & After School Club team but is now enjoying time with the younger children - at times she continues to support in the school holidays within our Holiday Club.
Elise
Elise has recently rejoined us here at Next Generation in March 2023 after a short career change working in the care sector. Elise realised that her heart lied in childcare and that her original role was more suited to her skills and abilities. Elise originally joined us in 2018 as a student on placement who quickly decided that she would prefer to train and learn on the job and therefore became our modern apprentice. Elise saw through her Level 2 qualification in Children’s and Young People’s workforce. Elise is a member of our Breakfast and After school Club team as well as our Holiday Club. She is described to be an enthusiastic and bubbly person who ensures she meets the children’s needs given the wide age range she works with.
Kia
Kia was originally attending Wigan and Leigh College to see through her childcare qualification but decided that learning on the job was more suited to her and therefore applied for the position we were advertising for a modern apprentice. Kia joined us here in February 2023 and quickly settled into our Next Generation team. Kia is working towards her Level 3 Childcare qualification and is enjoying being hands-on, learning new things each day. Kia describes herself to have a kind and caring nature and shares that she enjoys teaching children new things.
Elise
Jeanette is our nursery cook who has been here with us since 2016 after a career change. She strives on producing enjoyable healthy meals each day and works hard in ensuring that our kitchen is kept up to the highest standards of cleanliness in support of achieving our food hygiene rating. Our Preschool children are fond of Jeanette and enjoy their daily chats with her through the kitchen hatch.
Hannah
Hannah came to us many years ago with her learning support officer on a placement basis to allow her to become more familiar with working life and the role of a nursery nurse in supporting her to qualify as a level 2 practitioner. Hannah now supports us once a week at nursery and enjoys her time with the children who are also very fond of her. Hannah is continuing to progress with her early years skills ongoing and is supported by our team.