Not simply a trainer but an orator, mentor and campaigner as well, Suehas made advancing early years training her life's work. After buildingup her own successful nursery business, she found out what was reallycrucial to viability at grass-roots level. Since then, she has devotedherself to establishing training that would create a balance betweenearly years settings as businesses and as centres for care andeducation.
Throughout her career, Sue's lobbying of regional and nationalgovernment has achieved a better deal for childcare workers, and it ispartly thanks to her that institutions like the NDNA have such a firmfooting today. She has also been involved in the training and support ofEarly Years Professionals since their earliest development.
The Sue Overton CV reads like a who's who of the industry - she hasworked as a freelance trainer for Kinderquest, Busy Bees, NDNA,Childbase and Asquith - at the latter 99.2 per cent of delegatesdescribed her as 'excellent' and 0.8 per cent as 'good'. Attendees are,as a colleague puts it, charmed and captivated by her. One practitionersays, 'On each occasion I have finished the course feeling inspired,motivated and bursting with new knowledge and ideas.'
Celebrating success, no matter how small, is central to Sue'sphilosophy, and through her sessions and practice she seeks to instilself-confidence in the sector's workers.
Currently working as a support trainer for Early Years Development andChildcare Partnerships, her challenges are to up-skill and motivate alltypes of childcare providers to remain sustainable in these difficulttimes.
All this energy and experience stems from a real passion for childcareand, as a statement from her nomination says, 'She makes a differencebecause she is different. Her training style is unique. She is ourguru.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Barbara Murray, University of Brighton
Barbara is currently a senior lecturer for early years education at theUniversity of Brighton and a course leader for EYPS. She has held manyroles in education, but her recent work promoting EYPS in the south-easthas been second to none, recruiting and supporting 61 practitioners toachieve EYP status at the university. Barbara even organised a highlysuccessful conference celebrating the extended professionalism of theearly years sector. Her bespoke training programme and its solidintegration into the institution has been praised by the Children'sWorkforce Development Council. A mission to improve has also led her toresearch and develop SEN practices, including better inclusion andtackling bullying behaviour in the early years.
FINALISTS: Vivette Eaton, The Childcare Company; Sue Gascoyne, PLAY toZ
CRITERIA
Open to anyone responsible for early years and childcare training incolleges, training companies, or in-house for nursery groups etc.
- Sponsored by CWDC.
