Rachel Howarth, pictured, has been appointed Nursery Hub Manager and, while she has already started some duties, will formally take up the post on 30 January.

She said: “I’m very excited about starting and am looking forward to working with the team across BEST, nursery staff, parents and the children to drive rapid improvement.

“There have been some really good strides made in putting together an action plan and moving that forward already.

“Parents have said they would like some more information, so we are planning to invite them in on a couple of evenings and talk to them about our targeted actions in more detail. We felt a face-to-face discussion and giving them the chance to ask questions would be the best opportunity to talk about how we are going to make those rapid improvements and explain our thinking behind everything.”

Rachel, who is joining BEST from a school in Luton, brings a vast amount of experience to the role.

She said: “I trained as a primary teacher but the bulk of my teaching experience has been in the Early Years sector, in Reception and in nursery.

“At the moment I am a class teacher in Luton, leading the Early Years team and working with the family worker team there. Prior to that I was at a small infant school in Letchworth and while I was there I completed my Masters in Education at the University of Cambridge. I have also completed a Level 3 Forest School course so I am a qualified leader.”

As part of her Hub Manager role, Rachel will also oversee the two other settings that fall under the BEST Nurseries umbrella, at Arlesey and at Shefford.

She said: “What I’m looking for is consistency across the three settings and having a real good link.

“Also, part of my role will be liaising with the trust’s Central Services team and working with them to develop training for staff. It brings everything together and is about being a bridge between the nursery settings, the schools and the team at BEST.”

Chief Executive Officer Dr Alan Lee said: “BEST is thrilled to appoint someone of Rachel’s calibre. Already, she is having a huge positive impact. 

“Working together with the nursery community, BEST Central staff and Central Bedfordshire Council, I am confident that we will deliver nursery provision of the highest quality.”