Early Years practitioner Joanne Pear, the new manager of The Exchange day nursery in Bridgwater, wasn’t the only recent arrival: two colleagues from her previous setting decided to come with her to work for Mama Bear’s too.

Joanne Pear said: “As soon as I heard about the vacancy at Mama Bear’s I knew it was a position I’d enjoy, and Hayley Giles who is my deputy, and Lili-Marie Durham who is doing an Early Years apprenticeship, told me they both felt the same, so they applied as well and relocated with me.

“Mama Bear’s approach appeals to us: our flexible sessions can be arranged around the parents’ working day - even when days and hours are subject to change – with fees only charged for the sessions actually required. We think working parents need this kind of service.

“I came to The Exchange because I wanted to push myself as a manager and work in a bigger nursery that included babies as well as pre-schoolers - I knew managing this nursery would be fast-paced and varied.

“I manage quite a large team here and no two days are the same which means I’m also learning new things all the time - and that’s so rewarding.

“I qualified with a degree in early childhood studies from Plymouth University and went straight into a deputy manager job. I was then promoted to manager and stayed with that nursery for seven years. It was on a school site, so really gave me a thorough understanding of what children are expected to be achieving before leaving nursery.”

Joanne advises parents looking for pre-school care to visit as many nurseries as they can, and take time to ask questions and observe interactions between children and staff.

She said: “It would be really hard for parents to judge which setting will suit their child best without making an in-person assessment, so I’d urge them to start looking early and consider all their options.

“In particular, we understand how challenging it can be for parents of two- to three-year-olds whose earliest years coincided with lockdown. We do currently have a few spaces available for children in that age group and I’d encourage any parents concerned about their child’s previous lack of socialisation due to Covid to come in and have a chat with us. 

“Because we are still building our team at The Exchange we’d also welcome approaches from qualified Early Years practitioners who would like to join us and help us achieve the Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rating we’re aiming for on our next inspection.”

The Exchange is a purpose built, modern nursery with bright engaging rooms, a generous amount of space, and resources to support children at each stage of their development. The nursery currently has a limited number of spaces for children aged from three months to five years.

Conveniently located just off the A38 Bristol Road, next to Avon and Somerset Police Centre, close to Morrisons RDC and easily accessible for families living to the north of Bridgwater, the nursery offers the added convenience of easy drop-off and pick-up, with parking right outside.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.00pm every weekday, all year round - excluding Bank Holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year. Further details and details about Flexi-Care are available from 01278 445589 or see www.mamabear.co.uk.