When she was younger, Sam Place had a bird’s eye view of childcare, so it was an easy decision for her to make when she decided to make it a career out of it.
That’s because Sam’s mum was the manager of a nursery and she used to help out on work experience.
That experience served her well because now aged 29, Sam has been with Clever Clogs for ten years and is a Senior Nursery Practitioner in charge of our after-school and holiday club.
During term time, this involves Sam taking children to school each morning and then bringing them back to the nursery until their parents are able to collect them.
And during holidays, it means putting on activities for the children aged up to 11 who attend our holiday club.
Sam says: “We plan many of the activities around what the children are doing at school so, for example, if they are looking at Romans, we will get them to do fun things like make swords and shields.
“We also try to theme activities around days or events, so another example would be Star Wars Day on May 4th.
“The children can also do their homework with us, or just unwind after school and enjoy chatting to their friends.
“At this age you really see the children’s personalities grow and they start to open up more, which is fantastic to be a part of.”
When she’s not at work, Sam enjoys spending time with her partner and going on long walks.
She jokes: “I am never satisfied until I have done at least 20,000 steps!”