Early Years 2008 awards

Early Years Educator is proud to announce the winners of the Early Years Awards 2008.

The awards were held at Parkstead House, Roehampton University, London, on 13th September 2008, to highlight and reward excellence in the provision and support of early years education throughout the United Kingdom.

The standard of entry was exceptionally high and the judges would like to thank all those who nominated themselves or others.

View and download the photos from the EYE Awards 2008

The winners are:

Educational Visit/Early Years Project of the Year 2008, sponsored by:

First prize

The Early Years Fiesta
Eureka! The Museum for Children
Halifax, West Yorkshire

Second prize

The Royal Highland Education Trust
Castle Douglas
Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Childminder of the Year 2008, sponsored by:

First prize

Mary Morgan
London

Second prize

Charlotte Donald
Halifax
West Yorkshire

Family-Friendly Setting of the Year 2008, sponsored by:

First prize

Highfield Children's Centre
Saltley,
Birmingham
West Midlands

Second prize

King's Heath Grange Day Nursery
Birmingham
West Midlands

Third Prize

Seabrook Day Nursery
Luton
Bedfordshire

Inclusive Setting of the Year 2008, sponsored by:

First prize

Cass Child and Family Centre,
London

Outdoor Setting of the Year Award 2008, sponsored by:

Joint First prize

Rendcomb College Junior School
Cirencester
Gloucester

Joint First prize

St Mary's CIW School
Overton-On-Dee
Wrexham

Joint Third prize

Chewton Common Playgroup
Christchurch
Dorset

Joint Third prize

Farley Nursery School
Wiltshire

Creative Setting of the Year 2008, sponsored by:

Joint First prize

St George's School for Girls
Edinburgh

Joint First prize

Bayonne Nursery School
London

Third prize

Woodlands Park
London

Daycare Setting of the Year 2008, sponsored by:

First prize

The Early Years Centre
University of Cumbria
Penrith
Cumbria

Second prize

Highfield Nursery
Solihull
Birmingham
West Midlands

Third Prize

Green Park Day Nursery
London

Foundation Stage Setting of the Year 2008, sponsored by:

First prize

Thomas Boughey Nursery School
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire

Lifetime Achievement Award 2008, sponsored by:

Anne Nelson

Her teaching career began in 1966 when she completed her probationary year in Ealing before moving to Oxfordshire where she worked as an early years teacher. In 1973 she was appointed Deputy Head of Chalgrove Primary school in Oxfordshire and three years later became the Headteacher of Wolvercote First School in Oxford.

During this period she was heavily involved in training early years practitioners in Oxfordshire as well as the USA and Japan. In America she worked with a group of Oxfordshire headteachers each summer to train practitioners on the British approach to child-centered education. She also wrote the Oxford Picture Word Book published by Oxford University Press.

In 1983, she moved to Coventry to work as an Early Years Adviser adopting the responsibility for Early Years developments across the city where she worked on various projects including the expansion of nursery education.

As a school improvement adviser, she worked across primary, secondary and special schools. She trained as an Ofsted inspector and supported several schools in special measures such as designing new primary and secondary schools. Her role changed when she was appointed Head of Early Years and Childcare. This post brought responsibility for all of the provision in schools and PVI settings, which included 5 Sure Start local programmes.

In 2004 she was appointed Chief Executive of the British Association for Early Childhood Education. She was responsible for planning and implementing a comprehensive training programme to promote quality in early childhood education delivered centrally and in local authorities.

She is currently vice chair of the Early Childhood Forum comprising 55 national membership organizations representing practitioners across the state maintained, voluntary, private and independent sectors. She regularly represents the organization at focus group meetings at the Department for Children, Schools and Families. As chair of the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership in Oxfordshire she is a member of the Children’s Centre Steering Group and the Children and Young People’s Partnership Board. She is also a trustee of the Centre for Research into Early Childhood.

She will be leaving her post at Early Education in March 2009 but will continue to work on a part-time basis as an Early Years Consultant, therefore this award could not be more timely.

View and download the photos from the EYE Awards 2008