Team | Riverside Cottage Nursery

Our Team

Learn a bit about the adult Riversiders.

Nursery Owner

Addi

Addi is the owner of Riverside Cottage Nursery. He and partner Sharon Coyle opened the nursery in 2011, and Sharon sadly passed away shortly after. Addi has handed over the day-to-day management of Riverside to Luke and is now responsible for maintenance and payroll.

Speciality:

Addi is a former paramedic and has ensured that all staff are suitably trained for emergencies.

Nursery Support

Luke

Luke is Addi's son and was closely involved in the whole 3-year process that led to the opening of Riverside Cottage Nursery. When his Mum died, he took a year out from his degree course in horticulture to help keep the nursery open. Luke is now completing his PhD.

Speciality:

Luke has a keen interest in sustainability and also in children's geographies (exploring the ways children interact with and make meaning in their environments).

Manager

Chloe

Chloe was formally a Riverside parent and bank staff member who stepped into the role of Manager in June 2024. She is currently studying for her BA in Childhood Practice at the University of Edinburgh with completion expected in 2026. Chloe has over 13 years experience within the outdoor education sector.

Speciality:

Chloe is level 3 forest school trained and is passionate about child-led learning in a slow paced free flow natural environment.

Administration

Lorraine

Lorraine is a long term friend of the Addison family and an essential part of our team. She keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes from managing the registers to sorting the invoices and everything in between. With a keen eye for detail and a warm and friendly approach, Lorraine keeps Riverside ticking along, without her we would be lost.

Lead Practitioner

Carol Ann

Carol Ann has two children of her own, she lives locally and has a wealth of experience in childcare. She is a long-standing team member, loves outdoor learning and brings an incredible warmth to our unique setting. Recently Promoted to Lead Practitioner, Carol Ann will begin her SVQ level 9 qualification in August 2025.

Specialty:

Carol Ann is working with our children with additional needs, Carol Ann supports our team to have an equitable approach and support experiences suitable for all our Riversiders.

Practitioner

Sarah

Sarah has worked in childcare for 14 years and has held management-level posts during this time. Sarah has three of her own children and lives locally with her family. The team relies on Sarah for her warmth and mothering qualities.

Speciality:

Sarah is a huge advocate of our child-led ethos after seeing this missing while working in other nurseries. She brings a children's rights perspective to all areas of the nursery. Sarah is also finding ways to enhance parent engagement - helping us connect more strongly with families and the wider community.

Practitioner

Claire

Claire is a qualified, long-standing team member with excellent experience, which is very much valued here. Claire is a Mum and has a calming influence on the children and staff - and has a great sense of humour, too.

Specialty:

Claire spends lots of time in the allotment with the Riversiders learning about the full seed to plate journey.

Practitioner

Chelsea

Chelsea's journey began at Riverside as an apprentice and has now been a fully qualified nursery practitioner for over 5 years. She is passionate about getting to know each child's unique personality and traits, and feels incredibly lucky to experience the warmth and happiness that comes from watching them grow and learn every day.

Chelsea enjoys going to the football, spending time with friends and family and going on adventures in her spare time.

Practitioner

Craig

Craig started off his Riverside journey as bank staff and we just couldn't be without him so he quickly became a permanent member of the team, he has a calm and nurturing manner which the children respond well to. He is approachable and is very popular amongst our Riversiders. Craig's eldest child also now attends Riverside. Craig has begin his SVQ level 7 earlier this year, expecting to complete within the next 12 months.

Speciality:

Craig is a qualified sports coach, with an HND in coaching and developing sport. He is a big advocate of block play and enjoys supporting children with this.

Practitioner

Sarah Jane

Sarah Jane is HNC qualified with 9 years experience working in early years. Froebelian inspired through her practice of enabling the children freedom to explore, discover and learn at their own pace. Sarah-Jane brings a calm nurturing manner to our children. Sarah-Jane displays her knowledge of planning and documentation to enhance children’s interests and learning experiences within a slow pedagogy child lead environment.

Sarah-Jane spends her free time with family especially her nieces and nephew engaging in family hobbies/interests and with friends.

Practitioner

Coming soon...

Information coming soon.

Security

Huntley

Huntley joined the team twelve years ago at only 8 weeks old and he has self-assumed the role of security. His gentle nature means he's pretty inefficient but we love him anyway.