Meet Our Team

Our team of childcare practitioners offer the ideal mix of youthful energy, life experience, skills and qualifications, while being supported by a highly qualified, experienced and passionate management team.

All of our childcare team hold a formal childcare qualification with many having achieved degree’s or assessor qualifications. While all are on a journey of continued professional development and attend a variety of the training sessions throughout the year. Each individual holds a current DBS check and has attended a paediatric first aid course within the last three years. Within the team we also have specialist safeguarding officers and Special Education Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO).

Many of our team members are also Mums or Dads themselves and can empathise with the feelings of leaving your child with someone else and the many demands of being a mummy or daddy.

Dominic Gill
Owner
With over tens years working (having fun) in nurseries, with Oakley I wanted to create a nursery and preschool that I was happy for my own children to attend. I am proud that we have done just that. Our team of practitioners is second to none, providing excellent care everyday while constantly striving to offer more. Lead by a passionate and highly experience management team, I am confident that the extended family we have created allows every child we see to be happy, kept safe, educated and supported through these important early formative years. I can say this this because that’s the experience my child had when he attended. Preferring to spend my time in the rooms with the children then in the boring office, I am always available should you wish to discuss anything with me.
Emma Dawson
Nursery Manager
Having worked in Early Years Settings since 2005, and having managed nurseries since 2010, when I joined Oakley in 2018, I felt like I'd found the right family for me, and that's exactly how I want you to feel when your child joins Oakley. My team and I all have a passion for giving children the tools to develop into happy, confident, inqusitive children and when the time comes that we have prepared them for school. I look forward to showing you around our Nursery and Preschool.
Louise Batterham
Deputy Nursery Manager & Acorns Room Leader
Level 3 Qualification Louise has been at Oakley since it opened in 2014. She is Deputy Manager of the nursery as well as leading the Acorns room. Louise has years of experience with the under twos which began in 2001, her passion is all things babies.
Chelsea McCrossan
Mini Oaks Room Leader
Level 3 Qualification.
I am Room Leader for the Mini Oaks here at Oakley. At this age it's so exciting to see the children's understanding of language and their speech develop and grow. I am trained in Makaton sign language, and use this with the children, who we find pick it up very quickly. Using Makaton really helps them to develop their communication and supports their language development. I also have a love of storytelling, and enjoy nothing more than cuddling up with the children for story time.
Karen White
Preschool Room Leader
Level 3 Qualification
I have over 25 years of childcare experience and have been the Room Leader in Preschool for several years now. I love my role preparing your child for school, we have great fun in Preschool learning our numbers and phonics through play, as well as working on our independence and giving your child the tools to thrive. One of my favourite activities with the children is when we visit the local care home, it's wonderful to see the children talking animatedly to the residents.
Paula Ratcliffe
Administrator
As the administrator for the team, it is my role to make sure all the “office” work runs smoothly so the rest of the team and focus 100% of their time on your children. This includes looking after the joining paperwork, funding documents and the Famly system amongst many other little yet crucial tasks within the nursery. As a Mum with a young family myself, I understand the pressures of balancing parenthood with work, family and general life. If you have any queries about any of the non-childcare based aspects of nursery life please feel free to contact me via the Famly app.