Meet the Team
Rachel – Owner
I am the Director and Co-Owner of Forest and Coastal Nurseries, working alongside Katrina Brown. I have worked in childcare for over 20 years and feel incredibly privileged to play a part in shaping young children’s early experiences.
I am passionate about giving every child the best possible start in life, providing a nurturing environment filled with love, care, fun, and the freedom to simply be a child.I believe that children learn best when they feel safe, happy, and valued,
and I am committed to creating a setting where every child can grow in confidence and develop at their own pace.
I am equally passionate about supporting my team, ensuring they feel appreciated, motivated, and given every opportunity to develop their skills and progress in their careers. By fostering a positive and supportive environment for both children and staff, we create a nursery that feels like a true community.
Katrina
I am the Director and Co-Owner of Forest and Coastal Nurseries, working alongside Rachel King. Together, we have grown all three of our nurseries from strength to strength and remain committed to continually developing
and enhancing each setting to provide the very best experiences for our children and families. We are passionate about creating enriched learning opportunities that inspire curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning. Our focus is on providing exciting, nurturing environments where every child can thrive, explore, and reach their full potential. As a mum and grandmother, I understand the importance of providing children with a safe, caring, and stimulating environment. I am deeply passionate about my work and the ethos that underpins our nurseries. I take great pride in creating extensive and engaging learning spaces that support children's development, wellbeing, and individual interests, while fostering strong partnerships with families and the wider community. My commitment is to ensure that every child receives the highest quality care, learning opportunities, and memorable experiences during their early years journey.
ANITA- AREA MANAGER
I am the Area Manager across our three settings and have worked in childcare for over 12 years. During this time, I have worked in a variety of roles and progressed throughout my career, gaining valuable experience along the way.
I am passionate about supporting all children, with extensive experience in SEN, and enjoy helping children reach their full potential. I also enjoy supporting our staff teams and management to provide the best possible experiences for children and families.I love working across all three settings, as each offers something unique while sharing the same values and ethos.
Abby- DEPUTY MANAGER
As Deputy Manager, I am dedicated to creating an inclusive and nurturing environment where every child feels valued and supported. With 24 years of Early Years experience and a Level 4 qualification in Children's Care, Learning and Development, I am passionate about helping children reach their full potential. I have a particular interest in supporting children with Special Educational Needs, promoting emotional wellbeing through co-regulation, and developing language skills through meaningful play. I also enjoy leading calming stretch and breathing sessions that help children relax, regulate their emotions, and feel ready to learn and thrive
JenniE - SENCO
Hello! My name is Jennie, and I am the nursery SENCo. With 16 years of dedicated experience in the early years sector—split equally as eight years as a practitioner and eight years as a SENCo—I am deeply passionate about nurturing every child's unique potential.
I hold a Level 3 qualification in Early Years & Child Development (0–19) and am a certified Advanced SENCo and Early Years Inclusion/SENDco Lead. My specialist training includes being Portage trained, accredited in Language for Learning, and deeply studied in Children’s Behaviour as a Form of Communication. I also have valuable experience working directly alongside the Speech and Language Therapy team for the former Playgroup Service.
In my role, I focus on identifying additional needs early and implementing the right support to help children thrive, building a foundation for a fulfilled, independent future. I believe true support takes a village, which is why I work in close, collaborative partnership with parents, medical teams, therapy services, and outside agencies. To me, ensuring that families feel welcomed, heard, and actively involved is the heart of creating the best possible outcomes through nurturing, play-based development.
Zoe - Nursery Manager
My name is Zoe, I have worked in Early year years for 26 years. I am the manager at Walmer Nursery School.
An experienced and dedicated Early Years Manager with a strong commitment to providing high-quality care and education for young children. Skilled in leading nursery teams, developing engaging learning environments, and ensuring compliance with safeguarding and regulatory requirements. Passionate about supporting children's development through play-based learning while building positive relationships with families, staff, and the wider community. Experienced in staff mentoring, curriculum planning, quality assurance, and fostering inclusive practices that enable every child to thrive and reach their full potential.
Kerrie - ADMINISTRATOR
I am the Administrator at Walmer Nursery, where I support the day-to-day running of the nursery and help ensure everything runs smoothly for our children, families and staff. My role includes managing registrations, attendance, family communications and maintaining accurate records. I enjoy building positive relationships with our families and being a friendly point of contact for parents and carers. I am proud to be part of a dedicated team that provides a safe, caring and nurturing environment for every child.
Katie
Hi, my name is Katie.
I have nearly 10 years of experience in Early Years and I am passionate about supporting children’s learning and development. I enjoy creating a safe, nurturing environment where children can learn through play, build confidence, and reach their full potential. I love being part of each child’s journey and watching them grow, achieve milestones, and develop new skills!
Hayley
Hello, My name is Hayley I am Baby room lead, deputy safeguarding lead and Acting deputy manager
at walmer nursery. Im currently in my 19th year in childcare, I hold a level 3 in childcare and all relevant training in working with babies. I love settling our babies into the setting and making the families and children feel welcome and safe. The best part of my job is seeing our babies lovely smiles, giggles and being able to see how our babies develop and thrive.
Lucy
Hello, my name is Lucy. I am a Nursery Room Lead with a Level 3 Early Years qualification and five years of experience working with young children. I am passionate about creating a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment that supports children's learning, development, and well-being. I enjoy building positive relationships with children,
families, and colleagues to help every child thrive.
Vicky
Hello my name is Vicky I have been an Early Years Practitioner for the last 3 years, I am currantly doing an apprenticeship and hoping to complete my level 3 qualification over the next year. I love working with the children, my passions include offering creative experiences to all children, supporting literacy, communication and interactions, and getting our children ready for school, I am an active part of the setting, I especially enjoy building bonds and creating great relationships with parents and children.
Anoushka
My name is Anoushka, I am a Room lead in the main room two days per week, I am a Level 3 practitioner and have been working in early years since 2012. I am very energetic and enthusiastic! I love having fun with the children and
exploring all learning opportunities, I enjoy providing exciting activities and experiences for all ages as well as supporting children with SEND. I have a great relationship with the children and parents. I love being outdoors in all weathers, you will find me running around the garden in the rain with the children!
Chloe
Hello, my name is chloe and i have worked in childcare for 3 years. i am currently training to gain my level 3 NVQ in childcare. i love working with the babies and creating a warm welcoming environment for them and their families, my favourite part of the job is being able to watch all the babies and children hitting milestones while building their own confidence and creating bonds with the babies and their family members.
Hayley S
My name is Hayley. I have worked as a nursery practitioner for the last 3 1/2 years. I am very patient and understanding. I think this is very important within our job role. I love reading with the children and enjoy lots of role-play. I think this promotes great independence and communication with the children. I also enjoy tacpac with some of our sensory children. This really helps with communication
Molly
Hello my name is Molly I have worked in childcare for over 4 years now I have a level 3 in education and early years. I love seeing the children thrive and learn new things each day as well creating positive relationships with them and their families.
I especially love working with our SEN children and learning way to better support their individual needs.
Daisy
Hi my name is Daisy, I have worked as a nursery practitioner at Walmer Nursery for 1 1/2 years. I love working with children and supporting their potential to learn and thrive!
Alongside work, I am currently entering the second year of my degree in Early Childhood Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University. In the next few years, I hope to be an Early Years Qualified Teacher.
Emelia
I am a Level 2 Practitioner at Walmer Nursery and have been qualified in childcare for over 8 years. I am passionate about supporting children as they learn, grow and develop, and I love watching them be creative, explore new experiences and gain confidence through play. Being part of their learning journey and seeing them achieve new milestones is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.
Jayah-
My name is Jayah I have worked in early years for two years, I really enjoy engaging with all children making sure they feel special, loved and cared for. I’m a very nurturing person and I particularly enjoy providing adult led activities and offering my support to all of the children.
I am going to be starting my apprenticeship soon and to gain my level 3 qualification.
Jess -
Hi my name is Jess, I have recently completely completed my level 2 diploma in Early Years, I am hoping to start my level 3 apprenticeship as soon as this is available. I really enjoy settling children and building a strong bond with parents and watching the progress, I have a passion for SEND due to being partially deaf myself, so I am currently completing online training around this as it is something that really interests me.
Contact
Reach out anytime, we're here to help
Phone
Admin@dnfs.co.uk
01304 801714
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Walmernursery@gmail.com
Pegwellbaynursery@gmail.com
01304 375355
01304 695175
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