Kadene

My Summary

My Experience

I’m 31 years old, and I’ve spent the last 16 years working with children and in education -although, if I’m honest, my love for working with children started long before I was officially employed!

From a very young age, I was always the one playing “school” with my younger siblings. During the summer holidays, I would get out my workbooks, sit them down and make them do pretend lessons with me. They still tease me about it now! Looking back, I think that was probably the first sign that working with children was always going to be a big part of my life.

I come from a Jamaican background, and I’m a very family-oriented person. I love cooking, being creative, getting silly and, most importantly, having fun. I think those qualities are really important when working with children because children learn best when they feel comfortable, happy and able to be themselves.

My first real step into childcare was when I was 15, when I started working at my cousin’s childminding setting alongside being at school. I absolutely loved it and knew very quickly that childcare was something I wanted to pursue as a career.

After leaving school, I went to college and studied Health and Social Care, Politics, and English Literature, Language and Literacy. Alongside my studies, I volunteered at a children’s centre and an after-school club, which gave me even more experience of working with children from different backgrounds and with different needs.

I then went to university to study Childhood and Youth Studies. While studying, I also worked in a nursery with children aged 0–5, gaining hands-on experience and developing my understanding of early childhood development.

After graduating, I started working my way up the nursery ladder. I became a Room Leader, then studied Special Educational Needs and became a SENCO. From there, I progressed to Third in Charge and then Deputy Manager. I’ve had the opportunity to experience almost every side of nursery life, from being directly on the floor with children to supporting staff, managing teams and overseeing children’s learning and development.

In 2019, I also started my own Saturday school, the Croydon School Readiness Programme. This is something I’m incredibly proud of. We support children with their speech and language development and help prepare them for starting Reception. We work on everything from learning to write and spell their names, phonics, reading and writing, pencil control and early maths. It has been amazing watching children grow in confidence and ability over the years.

I’ve also had the opportunity to work in a private school with an attached nursery, where I was Curriculum Manager, overseeing the learning and development of children aged 0–5. This gave me a broader perspective on education and strengthened my passion for creating environments where children can thrive.

Throughout all of these experiences, one thing has never changed: I genuinely love working with children. I love seeing that moment when something suddenly “clicks” for a child, watching their confidence grow, and knowing that I’ve played even a small part in helping them succeed. I also believe that children should have lots of opportunities to laugh, be silly, explore, get creative and simply enjoy being children.

I don’t have any biological children of my own at the moment, but I have two stepchildren, two nieces, a nephew and lots and lots of godchildren. In fact, I currently have 18 children who call me “Auntie Dene”, which I think says quite a lot about the kind of person I am!

After 16 years, childcare isn’t simply a job to me. It’s something that has been part of my life since I was a teenager, and something I genuinely feel passionate about. I want children to feel safe, valued, listened to and confident in who they are. Most of all, I want them to have fun while learning.

I think I’ve spent most of my life teaching children - I just finally got paid to do what I was already doing with my siblings!

My Qualifications

Early Years Teachers Status (MA)
Childhood and Youth Studies (BA Hons)
Early Years Education (Level 3)
Special Educational Needs (Level 4)
First Aid
Safeguarding

My Availability

30-35 hours per week

My Fees

• Babysitting from £18.00 per hour

For bookings of fewer than 20 hours per week, my rates start from £20 per hour, increasing up to £25 per hour depending on the number of children and requirements of the role.

For bookings of 20 hours or more per week, my rates start from £18 per hour, increasing up to £20 per hour depending on the number of children and requirements of the role.