New Year Honour – Chief Executive of early years charity delighted to receive CBE
The Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Purnima Tanuku has been named in the New Year Honours List 2025 with a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) honour.
Purnima who is “absolutely delighted” has been honoured for services to Early Years Education following 20 year’s as Chief Executive at NDNA. In that time she has led the organisation to become the voice of the early years sector across the UK, with national offices in Scotland and Wales while also establishing the National Early Years Enterprise Centre as the organisation’s head office and training centre in Yorkshire.
Sarah Steel, Chair of Trustees for NDNA, said: “We are extremely proud of all the work Purnima has done to further the cause of seeing all children and families thrive through high-quality early education and care. To be honoured with the CBE in the New Year Honours List shows that her dedicated work and commitment to our crucial sector has been truly recognised.
“We have seen a lot of change in the world of early education, from funded childcare being introduced and expanded to radical changes in curriculums, safeguarding and new standards in quality. Purnima has been at the forefront of providing leadership and support to the whole sector, she thoroughly deserves this remarkable award.”
Purnima said: “I am genuinely humbled and honoured to receive the CBE in this year’s Honours list. It came as a total surprise and it still hasn’t sunk in yet.
“It has been a privilege to work within and support the early education and care sector over the past twenty years. Nothing makes more of a difference to a child’s life chances than giving them high-quality learning and development opportunities in the first five years.
“This honour represents the commitment and passion that early years providers, and the incredible workforce in our sector, have in working with our youngest children day in day out. It is this passion that drives me in everything I do to support the early years sector.
“NDNA is all about supporting nurseries and their staff to give children the best start in life. That’s why we are continuing to roll out more Maths Champions support that’s proven to boost early maths skills, giving unemployed people the chance to start a career in early years through Childcare Works and investing in workforce development through the Institute of Early Years Education.”
Purnima is well known within the education community for lobbying Governments across UK to make sure that early education and childcare policy is at the top of their agenda and works for children, families and providers.
Under the leadership of Purnima as Chief Executive, NDNA has grown to represent a network of 24,000 nurseries and their educators across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. NDNA trains around 35,000 educators a year and also supports hundreds of nurseries internationally.
In 2006, NDNA opened its National Early Years Enterprise Centre in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, where it still has its headquarters. Purnima has been instrumental in expanding NDNA across the globe, and plays a key advisory role in supporting government policy in various countries internationally.
More recently, NDNA launched the Institute of Early Years Education, the first UK-wide professional membership body for all individuals working, or aspiring to work, in the early education and care sector. The Institute aims to improve the status and wellbeing of those working within the sector and provides access to evidence-based resources, continuing professional development (CPD) tracking and a comprehensive healthy lifestyle package.
Born in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Purnima was raised and educated in India before moving to the UK, where she held senior positions in local government and the private sector. When she received her OBE in 2011, she was the first South Indian woman to receive the award – now she will be the first to receive the CBE honour.
As well as leading large organisations, Purnima loves performing arts. She is a classically trained dancer and played a major role as a trustee and Chair in the development of Kala Sangam, the renowned South Asian Academy of Performing Arts in Bradford.
Purnima lives in Lancashire with her family.
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