Meet Our Nursery Team

Hi, I am Eileen, I have spent my entire career, with wholehearted passion, setting up, establishing & running good quality playgroups & nurseries across London. I hold an army of qualification's & never tire of learning new things. I set up Mara in Oct 2020 and have a beautiful smaller setting in Covent Garden which is Ofsted rated 'Outstanding'. I have 6 children of my own and am a Nana. I love travelling, so we have ventured to 60 plus countries. My vision for Mara is to create a home away from home, which is welcoming, supportive and where children have the best experiences of their early years.

Hello! My name is Miriam, I am the Office Manager at Mara. I have worked as an assistant for many years at various different companies, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Henderson Global Investors. I live in Whetstone with my three children, my husband and our cat, Cookie. I love running and outdoor swimming. Role: Data Protection Officer and Childrens tracking and development lead To ensure that all confidential data is retained appropriately and in accordance to the Data Protection Act 2018 & 2020. To ensure that all information is discarded as required, to protect personal information. As well as ensuring we use information appropriately to safeguarding children and staff. Using Famly to track and monitor children’s progress in learning and development. Support staff in their observations and assessments. Check baselines and assessments are complete. Follow up with action plan and next steps

Hi! My name is Coral, and I’ve worked within the early years setting for over 3 years now. The first nursery I worked in was a Montessori nursery. I then began working at Turtles Nursery (also owned by Eileen) in Covent Garden. I love Eileen’s way of teaching children as it’s very much based around the children and letting them explore and experience new things freely and I believe that’s what it’s all about! Role: Fire Safety Marshall Carry out fire drills. Ensure extinguishers and in date and labelled. Check evacuation posters. Complete and log fire drill.

Hello, I’m Jerleen. I am the Manager at Mara Nursery. I went to University and studied Law and Business but my passion has always been with children.  I have previously worked at Barracudas which is a holiday camp, as well as doing babysitting and nannying between my studies. I feel like I am finally in my element working in the early years setting as I am a child at heart, which has helped me to bond with the children at Mara.  I enjoy learning new things and endeavouring in new challenges.  From a young age I have always had the motivation to support others to achieve their goals and help them to develop within education and their wellbeing. Having the opportunity to work with children on a daily basis will enable me to help them to achieve their independence and reach their milestones. When I’m not at work I enjoy cooking, and spending time with my friends, family and dog Anna. Role: Childrens tracking and development lead and Designated Safeguarding Lead Using Famly to track and monitor children’s progress in learning and development. Support staff in their observations and assessments. Check baselines and assessments are complete. Follow up with action plan and next steps Ensure the general safety and wellbeing of everyone in the setting. Report any concerns and support staff in their safeguarding practice and knowledge. Follow up any concerns working with different agencies.

Hi my name is Bonnie, I knew from an early age that I wanted to work in Early Years, so once I completed college I took on the role as an Early Years Apprentice, I loved the idea of learning on the job, ten years later I am now a Senior Nursery Nurse, with a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood, Play Work and Education. Role: Parent support Advisor To support parents and carers on the general topics regarding children’s development/ challenges as followed: Oral health, Sleep, Behavior, Weaning I am also a mother to two lovely children, this has enabled me to experience nurseries from both viewpoints, the practitioner and the parent, this inside experience helps me to understand the feelings and needs of parents and children when using nurseries, I have a keen interest in learning through play and exploration as well as using nature to enhance children’s learning. The nurturing, warm feel and the emphasis on following children’s interests really drew me to Mara Nursery, I am excited to start my journey at Mara and looking forward to getting to know you all.

Hi I'm now working for Mara nursery.

Hi there, I'm Claudia and I am a nursery practitioner here at Mara Nursery. I am originally from Colombia, but I have been living in London since 2011. I have a degree in Speech therapy and I am practitioner level 3. I have worked in different bilingual nurseries in London teaching Spanish to children as a second language. I am very excited to start working here at Mara's Nursery because it is a great opportunity to improve my English as a second language haha. The nursery staff and the children have welcomed me with open arms and I love to see the approach of the nursery towards the children's learning and development. They learn freely, taking advantage of the different spaces available. Finally, I love working with children because this jobs allows me to actually make a change in the world by helping raise loving and caring individuals.

Hi my name is Justyna. I am an Early Years Practitioner. I also have a Masters Degree in Pedagogy. But for a few years I was following my other passion floristry, I had my own florist shop. After giving birth to my first child I decided to spend more time with my son, which was amazing. After moving to UK, my son started nursery, and I was really surprised how different Early Years education was to Poland. It was so amazing for me that I decided to study Child Care. I gained my qualifications and then I had my second child. I applied for the job in Mara Nursery because, I love their approach, It is beautiful and welcoming setting. I love working with children and I am very passionate about children's learning and development. I am excited when they learn new skills. I love spending time with my family, exploring new places together, making memories which makes me very happy.

I have my Level 6 Childcare Qualification. I am the youngest of 6 children and the proud owner of a beautiful cat called O'Malley. Responsibilities - First Aid officer and Health and Safety Officer Check and replenish first aid boxes. Ensure they are clear and visible in each room. Report and hazards or missing items. Check risk assessments have been completed daily. Ensure they are stored when completed. Ensure the general safety of the building by notifying management of any risk or hazards.

I have 22 years of experience as a Nanny! I speak Russian , Bulgarian and English language! I like being around children so much. In my free time I like to go swimming, I love reading and really enjoy cooking for my friends. When they enjoy my cooking, it makes me very happy!

Nursery Apprentice Role: Deputy SENCO & Equality, diversity, and inclusion officer, EAL Support and Staff Wellbeing officer Support the SENCO lead in ensuring SSPs are in place. Ensure the SEND folder is up to date. Meet with 1:1 to discuss progress and further actions if needed. Ensure there is a calming space. To support families and children that have English as their additional language. Creating helpful resources to support their communication. To ensure we offer options in all languages that our families speak. Support leadership team in planning for cultural events Support staff with their mental health on a day-to-day basis. Be the ‘go to’ when they want to discuss issues, concerns, or general feelings. Meet with staff every term in a quiet and confidential place to check in on them. Log further actions if needed.

Hello, my name is Selena. I'm very excited about joining Mara Nursery and learning new things. I have new colleagues and they are all super nice! And of course meeting lots of new faces of the lovely children, when I play with them my heart melts! I'm surprised about the way of teaching children which a huge difference compared to the Hong Kong Kindergartens, here it is more creative, with lots of exploring and embracing nature! Thank you to Mara for giving me the chance to explore my way too. Before moving to the UK with my family in 2020, I was a Violin Teacher for ten years, now I keep my passion on music and keep practicing and teaching in my spare time.

Hello, I’m Kéja-Kyra. I started my journey at a young age, babysitting for family and family friends. Children have always taken to me and childcare has always been a passion for me, so I went to college and studied Health and Social Care. I always knew I wanted to work with children and actually had my sights set on being a Midwife. I soon learnt that I am a practical learner so at the age of 17 I completed my Level 2 Apprenticeship in Children and Young peoples workforce, this is where my passion was ignited and began to grow. I then moved on to work at Clowns Day Nursery, an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rated nursery. At Clowns I completed my Level 3 qualification, from here there was no stopping me. Although I had a part time job while studying for my level 3 and working a 40 hour week, I could never get tired of seeing the children, everyday is unpredictable. I then went on to University to study Health and Social Care to further my knowledge and understanding in Child care. I also have experience in being a Nanny. Next in store for me was working at Mara Nursery! I couldn’t be happier with this Mara Nursery and the team I work with. I am a big kid at heart and I love creative and messy play, challenging children’s abilities and teaching them new skills. It really fills my heart with joy when i see a child progressing and achieving with my help and support. Apart from work I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, doing spontaneous activities and outing and sleeping.

Nursery practitioner Role: 1:1 Lead Lead 1:1s helping to train, coach and show strategies. Meet with the SENCO to discuss progress and further action needed.

Nursery Apprentice Role: Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead Ensure the general safety and wellbeing of everyone in the setting. Report any concerns and support staff in their safeguarding practice and knowledge. Follow up any concerns working with different agencies. Also to ensure the environment and activities provided include a variety of festivals and celebrations from our local communities’ cultures. Ensure British values are implemented throughout the room, daily. Ensure staff follow the long term plan.

My name is Andrea, I am from Romania and I am a nursery teacher. I can speak Romanian, English, Italian and a little bit of Spanish. I have two daughters and I love them to bits. I love travelling, being outdoors and all sorts of crafts. I joined Mara in September 2023 and I love being here!

Nursery Apprentice - Level 3

Nursery Apprentice - Level 3

Nursery Practitioner

Nursery Practitioner

One to one support

Nursery Practitioner based in Pumpkins

Nursery Practitioner

Nursery Apprentice Level 3