Our passionate and experienced staff work closely with parents to ensure that every child has the opportunities, activities, and resources to develop into happy, confident and independent individuals. Overview Our children benefit from expert care and teaching whilst at nursery, and families benefit from experts on tap to inform and advise on key learning, wellbeing and developmental stages. Whilst children’s learning is fun, play based and creative, our curriculum ensures we are giving them a head start, gradually readying them to thrive in their next step up to Reception. They believe they are having simply fun, we know it’s purposeful play developing firm foundations for life-long learning. Being part of Copthorne Prep ensures a seamless journey through school. Pupils already feel at home as part of our school family as they move up to Reception and continue their journey on a future-focused curriculum which runs through to age 11. We also benefit from being part of the award-winning Caterham School family with early offers and scholarship opportunities in Year 5 to join the senior school. Meet the team Nicki Jefferies Nursery Manager Nicki Jefferies Nursery Manager I joined the Flying Start team with much experience across a wide range of nursery settings, developing my knowledge and practice by completing an Early Years Foundation Degree, (Levels 4, 5) followed by most recently, a BA (Hons) in Early Years Education (Level 6). The variety of roles I have held have allowed me to develop strong leadership, organisational, and mentoring skills while maintaining a child-centred approach to learning and development. I have a strong passion for outdoor learning and hold a Level 2 Forest School qualification. I enjoy providing children with meaningful experiences in nature, supporting them to develop confidence, independence, and practical life skills. Outside of work, I am a Girl Guider and value working with children of different ages and abilities, offering enriching experiences that support personal development, resilience, and lifelong skills. Our Flying Start Nursery is a fantastic environment for children to grow as part of a warm family community. Along with the rest of the nursery team here, I really enjoy working with our families and their children and love seeing them develop and learn through the wide range of activities and enrichment opportunities offered. Faye Rumble Faye Rumble Deputy Nursery Manager Faye Rumble Deputy Nursery Manager I love being a part of Flying Start Nursery as I enjoy every day being different. I love seeing the progress the children make from their starting point until they go into Reception class where they thrive as they already feel secure and a sense of belonging at Copthorne Prep. Sophia Pavlou Sophia Pavlou Nursery Practitioner Sophia Pavlou Nursery Practitioner I love working at Copthorne Prep’s Flying Start Nursery because the children truly make every day a joy. I have many years of service with the nursery, which reflects the warm, supportive environment and strong values at the heart of the school. The ethos is centred around nurturing confident, happy learners, with a clear focus on understanding each child as an individual and carefully supporting their next steps through meaningful, child-led experiences. The environment is welcoming, inclusive, and inspiring, and the strong relationships between staff, children, and families create a real sense of community. Being part of a team so committed to high-quality early years practice and giving children the very best start makes this a truly special place to work. Sharon Ford Sharon Ford Nursery Practitioner Sharon Ford Nursery Practitioner One word to describe my thoughts about being part of our Flying Start Nursery is: exciting. The children have every opportunity to grow in all areas while still having fun which forms a firm and loving foundation. Nicki Jefferies