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A voice for the early years sector in Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ - representing your views

We are delighted to introduce you to the Early Years Phase Council which was formally launched on 5 July 2018. This Council is comprised of an elected membership of representatives designed to capture the views across the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors of Early Years providers. The Early Years Phase Council (EYPC) mirrors the work of the Primary, Secondary and Special Phase Councils and works in close partnership alongside them.

The EYPC gives all stakeholders the opportunity, in partnership with our Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ (SCC) colleagues, to support children and families on their journey of learning. It has a very broad representation from across the sector with members from maintained nursery schools, childminders, private voluntary and independent providers including pack away sessional settings and full day care settings.

This offers us an opportunity to really understand the perspectives of the whole sector and ensure that we have a voice that represents all children under 5 when Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ seeks information and opinions in order to inform future planning and policy for Early Years.

The EYPC will work as a conduit to support wider consultation on a broad variety of issues and strategies including service delivery, funding and targeted priorities including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and social mobility.

We will continue to have representation on Schools Forum, which is instrumental in deciding future funding policy. We will also have opportunity to meet with the SCC Director of Education at regular intervals, along with the Chairs of the other Phase Councils, to influence and input into future strategies.

Your EYPC representatives introduce themselves below and provide their contact details. This webpage will be updated regularly and we hope to send out newsletters and bulletins whenever we are participating in Local Authority consultations.

We are all active professionals and you will see us at network meetings so please do approach us and introduce yourselves. If you would like to contact the Phase Council directly, then please email them: surreyeyphasecouncil@gmail.com

Members profiles

Donna Harwood-Duffy - Chair

Dorking and Chertsey Nursery Schools and Mole Valley Family Centre

I have worked in primary and nursery settings in Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ and overseas as a qualified teacher for over twenty years, spending most of my career working in the early years. I have been the headteacher at Dorking Nursery School since September 2013, one of Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ's four maintained nursery schools.

Since September 2018, I became the Executive Headteacher across both Dorking and Chertsey Nursery School. I am a National Leader of Education, recognised by the Department for Education (DfE) as providing system leadership to the sector, Dorking Nursery School is a National Support School.

Danielle Lilley

Fennies - Epsom

I have been working in the early years sector for 11 years and stumbled upon working within nurseries by pure accident. I began my time within nurseries as a bank member of staff and worked my way up through each role within the nursery settings, completing my Level 3 apprenticeship. I did take a step back from working in a nursery and undertook a health and safety role, auditing different early years settings which I gained valuable experiences. I then stepped back into the nursery environment after 2 years and began my journey into management.

I have worked at my current setting Fennies for 4 years now and had the most amazing experiences and life lessons within the sector. I have a real passion for ensuring children have the best start to their early life and that the practitioners within the settings have the opportunities to access training to promote their professional development.

Penny Macland

The Wharf Nursery School

I am very proud to have been the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and a senior leader at The Wharf Nursery School, for the last eight years, having previously taught across the primary age phase in both the state and independent sector. The Wharf Nursery School is a well-respected, state maintained nursery school which has been at the heart of the community of Godalming since it was founded in 1947.

I am a passionate advocate for inclusive, high quality early years education and value working with parents and carers, health teams and other agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for all our children.

Sarah Porter

The Stables, Lingfield

I am the owner of The Stables Nursery which is a day nursery catering for children from birth to five years. I have owned the nursery since 2016, but prior to that I worked as a qualified teacher for fourteen years across three Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ schools. I have also been lucky enough to travel to the United States of America, Singapore and Denmark in order to learn about their approaches to Early Years Education. After the birth of my fourth child, I became a childminder and gained an outstanding Ofsted inspection.

My childminding provision subsequently grew which allowed us to buy a local nursery which I have expanded significantly since taking it over and we are in the process of incorporating a Forest School. I am passionate about early years provision and I feel very proud to be an elected member of the Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ Early Years Phase Council.

Nicola Ruffle

Childminder, The Little Sweethearts Montessori

I started my childminding journey when my daughter was small, alongside being a foster carer to teenage placements. This led me to do further training, and after achieving my diploma in Social work, I spent six years as a Children and Families social worker. In 2007 I returned to childminding and set up the Little Sweethearts to provide childminding as a high quality, home based childcare option.

I hold an National Nursey Examination Board (NNEB) certificate and an International Diploma in Montessori Pedagogy. My love of the natural world and the benefits that this can bring to children led me to become a Level 3 Forest School Leader and we incorporate the forest school approach into our services.

I was part of Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ's Childminding Network and achieved the Quality Improvement Award and The Little Sweethearts Montessori has just has gained accreditation under the Montessori Evaluation and Accreditation Board (MEAB) scheme.

Ilana Hill

Childminder

I have been a childminder since January 2001 and absolutely love my job. Working in childcare is not a job – it's a passion! Children are our future and together with their carers, childcare providers have a vital role in children's development and in helping to form each child into a confident, fully functioning member of our society.

I offer a home from home environment where children are loved, kept safe, provided with professional and appropriate developmental care and each one is treated as an individual with a voice. Children are given lots of opportunities and time to become independent, socially confident individuals. I believe the best toy ever given to a child is an adult's time.

Childcare is an under appreciated and under valued profession in England and I would love to be involved in changing this and helping people to appreciate the amazing work that our childcare professionals love to do every day.

Stacey Lawrence

YMCA Sovereign Preschool

I am Stacey Lawrence, preschool manager of YMCA Sovereign Preschool in Reigate. We are a 35 place setting with 54 families on roll.

I am qualified, having worked in the sector for 20 years and I am incredibly proud to be able to provide a quality and inclusive provision where the children can achieve the best possible outcomes in their early years. I lead a team of seven staff, including two Early Years level 3 apprentices and I am passionate about having an impact on the development of the next cohort of Early Years professionals joining the sector.

I am looking forward to offering my experience and knowledge and working collaboratively with other Early Years professionals on the Early Years Phase Council to have a positive impact on the strategic development on the Early Years sector as a whole.

Nina Talkington

Riverbridge Primary School

I have been working in the Early Years sector over a period of 22 years, across two primary schools in Spelthorne. I am the Phase leader for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1, and Reception teacher at Riverbridge Primary school in Staines. I am a deputy Designated Safeguard lead and Pupil Premium lead for EYFS and Key Stage One. I am currently mentoring two Early Career Teachers.

My interest in becoming a member of the Early Years Phase Council stems from my consistent desire to look for ways to improve provision for young children and support them in a successful journey through school.

Riverbridge Primary school is a member school of the Lumen Learning trust. In support of the trust values, I am committed to supporting and collaborating with other schools to provide the best outcomes for children in the local community. In my role as Phase Leader, I have supported teachers working across the five schools and have been an active participant in termly year group seminars held across the trust. In addition to this I have over a decade's experience of contributing to the Spelthorne EYFS network.

Ciaran Timblick

Gosden House School, Guildford

I am a qualified primary teacher, with a specialism in Early Years. I have been extremely fortunate to have gained experience in a range of settings, including nurseries and mainstream primary schools.

Since 2018, I have been working at Gosden House School, a specialist setting for learners aged 4 to 16 with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) and Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD). These were previously called Learning and Additional Needs (LAN).

I have very much enjoyed leading learning in several year groups throughout the school, and this variety has developed my understanding of practice both in Early Years and throughout the primary phase.

Having completed the National Professional Qualification for Leading Literacy (NPQLL) in 2023, I am passionate about early Literacy and the impact it has on improving future life chances. I am a keen advocate for inclusive and equitable education, and strongly believe in collaborating to give all young people the very best start in life

Ben Stephenson

Founder of Let's Explore

I oversee all aspects of Let's Explore in Horley, including Let's Explore Soft Play and Let's Explore Day Nursery. Since founding Let's Explore, I've been deeply involved in the design and brand development, ensuring that young adventurers enjoy the thrills and spills of soft play in a fun, exciting, and safe environment. As a self-confessed racing enthusiast with a degree in motorsport engineering, I've been part of the Let's group of businesses since the launch of Let's Race in 2013.

In 2016, I found myself frequently in the Lets Explore toddler area, entertaining my new-born son. As the first "Little Explorer," he has since graduated through the years at nursery, giving me a unique perspective as both a parent and a business owner. With my experience founding and running a private nursery, I bring valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the early years sector.

By joining the Early Years Phase Council (EYPC), I aim to collaborate with professionals across diverse settings, influence strategic decisions on key issues such as funding and SEND provision, and ensure private providers have a strong voice in shaping the future of early years education. My commitment to high-quality, inclusive, and impactful early years provision fuels my passion for making a positive difference in the sector.

Jo Cole

Caterham School

I have nearly 30 years’ experience in education, many of them with strategic responsibility for Early Years in both independent and state schools across the UK and Singapore.

Currently I am Head of Pre-Prep at Caterham School, driving curriculum innovation, staff development and strong outcomes for pupils. As an Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspector and governor of a maintained primary school, I view provision from multiple perspectives, always with the pupil at the centre and a commitment to making their learning magical.

I also run a Woodland Toddler group and work with local nurseries to ensure smooth transitions into school.

What I love most about Early Years is that no two days are ever the same – each child, each class and each year brings something new, making this phase both unpredictable and endlessly rewarding.

Sarah Morris

Shepperton Pre-School

I have worked in early years since I started at Shepperton preschool in 2012 as a SEND support.  In 2016 I stepped up to the role of manager. Since then, I have guided the team through two Ofsted inspections both of which resulted in Outstanding.

I am passionate about partnership working as the best way to ensure positive outcomes and high attainment for all children.  As a manager of a small PVI with charitable status, I understand the challenges small settings face in delivering quality provision, but I also recognise the importance of celebrating the incredible work these small settings accomplish.

Throughout my time in the sector, I have witnessed so many changes, and I want to be part of making sure that we continue to deliver the best service we can offer as a sector to ensure that our children are safe and flourish.

Contact members

You can contact any of the members to give them your comments and they will feed it back to the group.