I have always been passionate about 'Early Years' education.
On leaving school, after A levels, I decided not to take up my University place to read Russian but instead to go into the teaching profession, where I qualified as a teacher in the Montessori method of education in the early I970 's.

I initially worked with children up to the age of 7 but soon decided that early years was, for me, the most interesting age. My philosophy is that there is a key to each child and that each child is individual and deserves a well-balanced start to education which should concentrate equally on all areas of learning.

Maria Montessori's first book was called 'The Absorbent Mind' and described a child's development from 0-5. This is the time when a child's mind is at it's most receptive and when they are capable of learning more than at any other time in their lives.
I opened 'Tadpoles' at it's present premises in 1993, with that principle very much in my mind. Our premises are very, very special, indeed 'unique', in that we are a private school in a state school enclave. We are very proud of our facilities, our lovely garden, bright hall and classrooms and indoor, heated swimming pool.
We continually strive to implement improvements within the school and even though we have been given areas of outstanding by O.F.S.T.E.D, we realise that there are always things that we can still improve.