Waterlooville Staff

Committed to providing the very best!

At the Mulberry Bush we celebrate each and every child as an individual. We work with the key person programme to enable every child to forge a strong, trusting bond with their primary carer in the nursery, as well as good, positive relationships with the rest of the team. Your child’s key person will be responsible for ensuring that they receive tailor-made care, designed to help them develop in ways that interest them and at their own pace. Your key person is also responsible for sharing your child’s day with you when you come to collect them; what they have enjoyed and achieved.

Joining our team

At the Mulberry Bush we are always interested in recruiting passionate and committed individuals to our nurseries. A happy and enthusiastic team dedicated to enabling children to achieve their very best is the most valuable resource we can offer any child. If you would like to discuss joining us then please get in contact by telephone or email or complete an ‘online application form’. Please see the links below for job descriptions of the roles we are currently recruiting for.
Please mark clearly which role you are applying for.

Nursery Nurse - Job description

The Mulberry Bush, are looking for enthusiastic caring practitioners across all age groups.

For further information please click on 'job description' above.

Part time practitioner - Job description

We are currently looking for nursery practitioners to join our team in a part time role.

For more information please click on 'job description' above.

Dedicated to supporting the unique child

“The Mulberry Bush is a family run business combining intimacy and personal atmosphere and attitude with the investment and infrastructure of a much larger organisation.
At the Mulberry Bush we believe passionately that each child is unique and full of potential and our role is to enable them to full fill this. We do so by providing safe, caring, engaging and challenging environments for our children to learn and develop in. Guided by our highly trained and committed team, each child's experiences are tailored to their own, individual needs. This individual care goes beyond the day to day nursery experience and we can play an important part in supporting parents and families.

Helping our children to grow and develop is a great and wonderful responsibility and we are proud to say that when we send our children on to school they are confident and happy in the learning environment, well prepared and eager for their next stage in life.”

Lehann Richardson

Chef

Lehann joined The Mulberry Bush, Waterlooville, to be the setting’s Chef following its refurbishment and the installation of our expansive and fully modernised kitchen. Her passion for cooking started when she began her culinary career working as a kitchen assistant in schools. With 20 years of experience of catering for children Lehann came to the Mulberry Bush with a shared ethos of being able to provide children with homely, nutritious, healthy food.
‘I love working at The Mulberry Bush and can see myself being her until I retire! The light and spacious layout allows me to see into the rooms and to see the children enjoying their food, and of course the empty plates make me happy! Working here has really encouraged me to widen my knowledge further and complete my level 3 in nutrition so that I am confident that we are providing children with all that they need to be healthy and happy.”

Somer Miles

Manager

At the age of 16 I begun an apprenticeship in a small nursery in Cornwall, this was when I realized my passion for childcare. I joined The Mulberry Bush in 2017 as a nursery practitioner when we had just one setting, and as my skills and knowledge developed, I was able to progress to Room Leader.
I have been fortunate enough to see The Mulberry Bush grow and flourish into three beautiful settings and with that came more opportunities to develop my career further. Moving from the Locks Heath setting to the Waterlooville Nursery I embarked on my management career as Deputy Manager and with support from The Mulberry Bush I began my Foundation Degree to help enhance my knowledge and practice further with the hope of one day managing a setting. Then in the summer of 2021 I was lucky enough to progress into the role of Manager and I feel extremely proud to work alongside such an enthusiastic and dedicated team. I look forward to continuing to use my skills and knowledge to help develop our setting further.

Natalie Rason

Deputy Manager

When I left school, I had a strong passion and drive for working in childcare and begun my Level 3, since then I have worked my way up the qualification ladder completing my Foundation Degree and my BA Honors in Early Childhood. I joined The Mulberry Bush in 2019 as Nursery Practitioner in Elderberries and the setting SENCO. Whilst watching The Mulberry Bush grow, I too have grown in my roles and skillset, progressing into Room Leader for Elderberries, helping The Mulberry Bush encourage their ethos to new staff as well as supporting the children with learning and development. Whilst I was Room Leader, I was fortunate enough to be accepted to complete my Post Graduate Certificate in Early Education whilst being supported by The Mulberry Bush to do so. My skills, knowledge and confidence grew whilst completing this course and I have been lucky enough to implement new ways of learning into the company to support continuous development of practitioners. In August 2022, I was given the opportunity to step into the Deputy Manager role which I feel after graduating as an Early Years Teacher allowed me to have the knowledge of practice to enable me to do this role efficiently. I work alongside and support a very motivated, happy and devoted team whose passion for childcare and development grows each and every day.

Chloe Jones

Early Years Support Coordinator

The Mulberry Bush is a fantastic environment for both staff and children, it offers many opportunities for children to expand on their knowledge and development and it is a privilege to be a part this and to watch them grow. For the staff there are always opportunities to develop their personal skills in a supportive environment.

Leah Bailey

Operations Manager

Leah holds her Level 3 NVQ qualification in Children's Care, Learning and Development and has 10 years experience in the sector. Leah came to the Mulberry Bush in 2015 as Deputy Manager of the setting. She quickly established herself as a central member of the team. Leah then took over the role of Operations Manager looking after the HR and invoicing for the nursery as well as other 'behind the scenes' elements of the business.

"The Mulberry Bush is a very special place to work. It is so exciting to be part of the excellent team who are helping to develop the nurseries. I am really enjoying the opportunities that I have to develop both personally and professionally at the Mulberry Bush."