Our staff are dedicated and enthusiastic, with up-to-date skills and qualifications. All of them are qualified first aiders and have been fully DBS checked. We provide time and space for knowledge sharing, and support for continuous professional development for all our staff. Goudhurst Village Pre-school is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and we ensure that we keep up-to-date with best practice in early years care and education.
Our ratio of adults to children in our pre-school sessions is at least one adult to four children for under threes, and at least one adult to eight children for over threes. This helps us to give time and attention to each child – talking and listening to them and helping them to get the best out of the experiences and activities we provide. We work in partnership with parents to share information and involve them in their child’s continuous learning and development in a variety of ways.
Jo Galloway – Manager
Our Manager, Mrs. Jo Galloway, is ultimately responsible for each child’s care, development and emotional support. Each key person reports to her and she is in charge of child protection, health and safety, food and hygiene, all risk assessments, curriculum planning, first aid and overseeing premises evacuation and fire procedures.
Jo has a Diploma in Pre-school Practice Level 3, is SENCO qualified and is currently undertaking a management training course. She is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and Health and Safety Officer.
Jo’s experience of running successful pre-schools over the past twenty years. She has run a children’s play centre, been a nanny, and also babysits for local people. She has two grown-up children who like herself have lived in Goudhurst Village all their lives.
Our Good In All Areas Ofsted report is testament to her ability to put her years of experience and knowledge expertly into practice within a short space of time and pull together a genuinely happy team.
Deputy Manager
Our Deputy Manager Kat Woodcock joined the preschool in June 2017. She is Level 3 NVQ qualified and an ex-nanny who lives in Goudhurst and is Deputy DSL and Health and Safety Office. She has considerable experience working with all ages of children.
Pre-school Practitioner
Mary Drewett joined us in September 2018. She has worked in childcare for many years, with a wealth of experience with young children. She is qualified to level 6 with Early Years Practitioner Status and is Senco qualified.
Pre-School Practitoner
Dee Barham, joined the team in September 2019. Dee spent 24 years in the equine industry, working as a riding instructor, groom and a trainer of young horses. Dee has a patient and caring approach to her work and has a keen interest in the physical well-being of children and how this contributes to the child’s development. Dee hopes to gain her Level 3 ‘Early Years Educator’ qualification in the near future.
Pre-School Practitioner
Australian born Emily brings a flair of the theatrics to her role at Goudhurst Village Preschool. Her background lies in Theatre and Performance with a BA in Drama Studies and then practical performance at the Academy Drama School. Emily spent many years performing in the Fringe and
small touring productions around the UK before starting a small theatre company, Atomic80 Productions, which toured shows around the UK and Off Broadway in New York.
Emily’s connection with Goudhurst Village Preschool began as a parent in 2017, through her daughter Aniela, before becoming a permanent member of the staff. Emily now enjoys the most challenging and rewarding role of her acting career; creating high energy, improvised live performances to an eager child audience.
Pre-School Practitioner
When Sadie left school she said she had no idea what she wanted to do moving forward. She thought that she’d really like the idea of working with children. She went to college for 3 years and was able to gain the knowledge and experience for the health, wellbeing, and development of children from conception to seven years old, alongside doing work experience in both Goudhurst village pre-school and Goudhurst Primary school. All the hard work paid off in the end as she was able to come out with an A* in both CACHE Level 2 and level 3 Diploma. Sadie then joined the pre-school in September 2021.