Kathryn Turnbull

I have been running the Art Group Sessions at Autisk for the past few months. It's a session for families to attend after school. I'm responsible for planning activities and involving our youth volunteer, keeping records and building positive relationships with children and their families. It's a safe and inclusive environment for children to visit who have varied needs.

Over the summer I am going to be working at the HAF holiday club at Autisk. This is the first time I will be working with a child with significant needs 1-2-1, although I already know quite a few families who attend sessions. I am excited for the opportunity to gain further experience. I am interested in pursuing further SEN training.

For the past year I have been working in a temporary role at a fantastic community run, independent preschool. Ages 2-4.

The preschool has a very inclusive and nurturing ethos, with an emphasis on the importance of outdoor learning, which is what really attracted me to this setting in particular. There is a lovely outdoor provision, an allotment and we provided lots of enriching practices into the curriculum ie outdoor yoga. Each child valued as an individual and activities planned around their interests and stage of development. We use basic signs in addition to verbal instructions with all of the children. I have loved my time here.

My partner and I opened a small food business called Hallam Street Kitchen, originally serving Mexican street food (my partner is a chef) after a time I reopened it by myself as a sandwich bar. I really enjoyed this challenge, the routine, learning new skills and meeting new people but unfortunately it wasn't sustainable and we were forced to sell.

I worked for four years at my friend's busy cafe in Davenport, after many years working in the childcare sector it was a new challenge. I mainly worked on the bar as a barista but was responsible for opening, close downs, maintaining records, cleaning, shopping for stock, serving customers and ensuring high standards were maintained.

I worked as an Ofsted Registered Childminder for 13 years. I looked after children from a few months old up to high school age.

I loved my time as a Childminder establishing strong bonds with children and their families. Watching children progress in their own time and way. I enjoyed the freedom being able to go out into the environment gave, real life experiences in place of reading about them in books. During this time I had many EYFS children, I worked in partnership with other settings to provide continuity of care and share any concerns etc.

I was committed to ongoing CPD, which is something I am still interested in pursuing.

The reason I eventually gave up my registration was due to COVID and all the restrictions placed. My own children were also getting older and had their own individual needs.

From 2004-2008 I worked in various Afterschool clubs, Nurseries, Preschool, agency work for charities/children's centres. Until I registered as a Childminder.

I began working in the childcare sector at the Afterschool Club at my own primary school where I worked whilst I studied NVQ3 in Playwork.