Who we are
The staff who work at St Anne’s college nursery are fully qualified, experienced nursery nurses. They hold first-aid certification, DBS clearance, as well as various training certificates (BTEC, CACHE, etc.). Any temporary members of staff have clearance by the agency they work for. We place a great value on training — all staff are encouraged and supported to expand their knowledge through ongoing, annual training courses.
Foundation Degree in Early Years
Diploma in Childcare and Education
Charie has worked in childcare for over 20 years. Her experience includes working in nursery settings as a nursery nurse, as a SEND teaching assistant in a primary school, and as a nanny. Charie previously worked at St Anne’s College Nursery for seven years (2005-2012) and rejoined the nursery in June 2023.
Cache Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Workforce ( Early Years Educator)
Pippa has worked in early years settings for almost 10 years, joining St Anne’s in 2024. Her qualifications include a Level 3 Diploma in the Early Years Workforce. Pippa is passionate about making the children in the setting feel happy and content and enjoys getting fully involved in all aspects of children’s learning.
Nursery Nurse
Charlotte Vowell
Email: charlotte.vowel@st-annes.ox.ac.uk
CACHE Level 3 Certificate for Children in Education
Charlotte has worked in primary education and childcare 17 years. She has now been at the nursery since 2016.
Charlotte specialises in Special Needs (SEND)
She is also the nursery’s designated safeguarding lead.
Nursery Nurse
Stephanie Cottrial
BA in Primary Teaching with QTS
Stephanie has over 25 years experience working in pre-schools, primary schools and domestic settings, beginning her career as a live-in nanny for infants under 3 years old. Stephanie joined St Anne’s in 2024. Stephanie is passionate about the outdoors and championing forest school and she also specialises in early mathematical development.
Deputy Nursery Manager
Fiona Woods
Email: fiona.woods@st-annes.ox.ac.uk
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Fiona has 17 years’ experience working with young children. Fiona loves to see children learn through play, flourish and become independent confident learners. Her qualifications include a Level 3 CACHE diploma for the children and young people’s workforce (QCF). Fiona joined St Annes in 2025.
Nursery Nurse
Maria Blick
MA in Childhood Studies
BA in Primary Teaching with QTS
Maria has a strong background in Education and Early Years practice and joined us at St Anne’s in December 2025. Maria began her career at École Active Bilingue in Paris, working with nursery and reception aged children. Her qualifications include QTS with Music and a Master’s degree in Childhood Studies. Maria is a parent to four adult children and has been involved in wider educational initiatives, including contributing feedback to The Good Schools Guide and supporting an Oxford University mentoring project with local state schools. She enjoys supporting children’s learning through play, creativity and positive relationships. Maria has recently completed level 4 in Child Counselling.
Karen has over 30 years experience of working in the early years sector, from nursery setting, when her own children were young, to developing a progressive music curriculum and running her own company providing weekly music classes for babies and pre schoolers across Oxfordshire.
Having provided many years of weekly music sessions for St Anne’s Nursery, she now works as a Nursery nurse at St Anne’s. She continues to share her passion of music with the children, and thoroughly enjoys helping to make nursery life a happy, safe environment where the children can all excel.
Additional training among the staff includes
- Promoting positive behaviour
- 12 hour paediatric first aid
- 16 hour outdoor first aid
- Equality and diversity
- Manual handling
- Fire training
- Supporting children’s development of speech language and communication
- Problem solving reasoning and numeracy
- Safeguarding
- Key person
- Observation, assessment and planning
- E.Y.F.S record keeping
- Supporting children with English as an additional language
- Schemas
- Why do they do that?
- Messy explorations
- Appraisal and staff development
- Food hygiene