National NMT Nursery Awards 2021: Quirky Lancing nursery practitioner known for Disney princess outfits named Nursery Personality of the Year

Catherine Luxford is loved by all at The Nursery Family Lancing, where she has worked since 2016, working her way up to third in charge.

A popular personality with 80,000 views on TikTok, Catherine is a lively, bubbly character with a heart of gold.

Rachel Hughes, deputy manager at The Nursery Family Lancing, said: “There is one main reason that she is so amazing at her role and loved by all and that is her quirky, amazing personality.

“Catherine can walk into a room and the whole atmosphere will change as she calls ‘cooee’ out to everyone, often dressed as a Disney princess.

“She loves musical theatre, so is often found entertaining the children with a song and dance.

“Catherine is a wonderful nursery practitioner. She has been working in childcare for eight years and has been based at The Nursery Family since 2016.

“Catherine has worked her way up from nursery nurse within this time and is not only an incredible support to her team in the Baby Snug room but the whole nursery. She has great relationships with the staff team, the parents and the children all love her.

“Catherine will support people with anything they need, be it a hug, a chat or even a nice cup of tea. She knows her team and will do anything to make the day just that little bit brighter if needed. She also has a great understanding and perspective for the children in her care and offers a wide range of challenging and fun learning experiences for them each day.”

When The Nursery Family chief executive David Hancock spoke about the Nursery Management Today awards, the team at Lancing knew straight away they wanted to nominate Catherine for the Personality of the Year Award.

Staff and parents wrote some lovely comments and the judges quickly shortlisted Catherine for a video interview before inviting her to the awards ceremony in London.

Rachel added: “Catherine’s category had five people in total and we are so proud that she was the winner, although not surprised that she has won. We could not be more proud of her achievement.”