Start your career in childcare
Alison - Nursery Director
Alison never planned to work in childcare. In 2009, while on maternity leave with her second child, she was made redundant from her banking job. A gentle nudge from her childminder - and plenty of encouragement from her husband - led her to enrol in a Level 3 childcare course.
Once she began, she fell in love with it. She started by caring for a friend’s little girl, and everything grew from there. Her days were filled with zoo visits, swimming, farm trips and fruit picking. Before long, she had two assistants, 32 children on roll and had earned four Ofsted Outstanding gradings.
Childminding taught Alison the power of relationships and the importance of teamwork, “I realised that families were trusting me with their greatest treasure, and I was all in.”
In 2016, she was invited to share her thoughts on a farm-based nursery concept. With her husband’s support, she submitted a proposal and won - beating a large nursery chain. That moment marked the beginning of a new chapter.
Since then, Alison has opened multiple farm-based nurseries, each built on a foundation of family values, outdoor learning and real-world experiences, where children collect eggs, groom ponies and learn surrounded by nature.
Her leadership style is people-first, and she credits childcare with sharpening her skills in communication, resilience and project management. She’s still as passionate as she was on day one, “This is a true family business, built on heart, teamwork and plenty of muddy-knees learning.”
Her advice? Say yes to the first step. You don’t need a perfect plan, just start and see where it leads.