The NDNA nursery awards are back for 2025!
NDNA is pleased to announce the launch of the NDNA Awards 2025, sponsored by Hope, which are now open for entries to nurseries and NDNA networks across the UK.
The prestigious awards spotlight and celebrate leading talent in the early years sector and the winners of nine of the awards will be announced and celebrated at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool on Friday 6 June. The NDNA Awards are launching new categories for 2025 including the Nursery Group Community Impact Award and Learning Through Play: Outdoor Explorers award.
Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of NDNA said: “It gives me great pleasure to launch the NDNA Awards 2025, which are dedicated to the skilled practitioners and high-quality settings that educate and care for our youngest children. This is the opportunity for practitioners and settings to showcase their talent and to be celebrated.
“Our awards are recognised and valued across the sector, and we are excited to be launching new awards for 2025, which will spotlight both individual and collective achievements. The process of judging our awards is rigorous, involving a panel of experts who are looking to reward nothing but excellence.
“Winning an NDNA award is a huge achievement and brings opportunities and benefits for the future. Winner of NDNA’s Apprentice of the Year 2024 Kelsey Johnson was recently invited to give a “voice of the learner” presentation about her experience as an apprentice at the Department for Education’s Permanent Secretary Stakeholder Group meeting. Other award winners have been offered media interviews or invited to share their comments and we are proud that the NDNA Awards provides a platform for these opportunities.
“We look forward to welcoming our practitioners, judges and sponsors together for an evening to celebrate everyone’s achievements.”
Speaking about her experience Kelsey Johnson of Mill Cottage Montessori Nursery in Huddersfield said: “It was an incredible opportunity to share my own experiences from the start of my career in early years education to some of the success and challenges we face in the profession. I felt very honoured to have been put forward by NDNA to be a part of something like this and can’t wait to see what’s next!”
New for 2025 is the Nursery Group Community Impact Award, open to any nursery group that engages in initiatives to benefit their local communities such as supporting local food banks. Also new for 2025 is the Learning Through Play: Outdoor Explorers award, open to early years settings that offer exciting, stimulating outdoor experiences for all children.
In addition, the much-coveted Nursery of the Year award, which for the last couple of years has only covered the United Kingdom, will now include international entries again. The winner of this award will be voted for by an esteemed panel of judges who will be looking for highly skilled practitioners and a high-quality setting that excels in one of these regions.
NDNA Scotland is launching a Children’s Rights Award for members in celebration of children and their rights. Designed to showcase the best of rights-based practice in early learning and childcare in Scotland, the award winner will be announced at the Scotland spring member face to face event in March 2025.
Popular awards returning for 2025 include Practitioner of the Year, Manager of the Year, Excellence in Additional Needs, sponsored by Widgit, and Apprentice of the Year Award.
NDNA Practitioner of the Year 2024 Winner, Leanne Eastwood said: “When it was announced that I had won, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude. I was filled with pride, not just for myself, but for my entire team and extremely appreciative to all the parents that supported my nomination and made it possible to win.
“Winning Practitioner of the Year offers a multitude of benefits that can significantly enhance both professional development and the quality of care provided in early years settings. The recognition brings a boost of morale, it celebrates the dedication and hard work of early years practitioners and opens up further career progression and exciting new opportunities.”
Speaking about being awarded the Nursery of the Year 2024 Overall Winner, Elaine Sagar of The Sunflower Children’s Centre Hyde, Cheshire said: “Winning Nursery of the Year has been an incredible honour for Sunflower. It has boosted the confidence of our team, reaffirming their hard work and dedication. Parents are proud to be part of an award-winning nursery, and we are humbled by their support. The children thrive in the positive energy it’s created. The recognition has strengthened our community, and we would absolutely encourage others to pursue the opportunity!”
The NDNA award winners will be announced during an evening ceremony sponsored by NDNA’s Corporate Partner, Hope. Guests will be welcomed with a drinks reception leading into a three-course dinner followed by the awards ceremony and of course, the opportunity to party and celebrate.
All award categories are free to enter for NDNA members. Entries and voting close on Friday 10 January 2025. Visit www.votendna.org.uk
