Our Team

We take great care in choosing a committed, enthusiastic and professional team of staff, ensuring that experience and qualifications are matched to each area of the nursery.

With a good understanding of children’s individual needs, the staff are able to plan the next steps for your child’s play, learning and development. 

All our staff have been fully checked by the Disclosure and Baring Service. Everyone has a paediatric first aid qualification and are encouraged to use regular training to ensure that we continue to enhance the provision for your children. Our staff pursue their interests in all aspects of child development, meaning that our enthusiasm for helping your children to learn just keeps on growing. Supporting our staff to learn and develop is just as important to us as supporting our little peanuts and their families. 

“Supporting our staff to learn and develop is just as important to us as supporting our little peanuts and their families.” 

We hold monthly staff and team meetings to ensure that staff training is always up to date and we can focus on providing the best care for your children. Working together is something important to all our staff, among themselves as a team and with the families of all the little peanuts.

Sarah Hardwell

Nursery Director

Sarah initially trained as a secondary school history teacher and taught for several years in York. Following this she worked for four years in a York primary school which included teaching a reception class.   

Before opening Little Peanuts, Sarah was both an Ofsted ‘outstanding’ rated early years practitioner and chair of a highly effective foundation stage partnership. Their nationally recognised work in ensuring the best early years provision has led to Sarah meeting with the Minister for Children and Families at the House of Commons.

Sarah is a specialist in speech and language in early years education and has been invited to present at national conferences. Her area of expertise is how to work in partnership with parents in supporting their children’s language development. As a result, she has worked with the DfE in developing a nationwide speech and language programme to enable early years providers to enhance their provision. Currently Sarah has a leading role in the City of York’s Early Talk for York project to improve how communication skills can be taught by nurseries and childminders in the area. Sarah is also an occasional contributor to the Early Years Educator magazine and has been guest editor for their Little Peanuts In Focus edition.

Sam Green

Nursery Manager

Sam is from Wakefield, and has worked in childcare since 2008, and has been in management since 2015. She has a Level 3 qualification in Children’s Learning and Development, and holds Level 2 qualifications in Team Leading, and Understanding Children’s Mental Health. Sam is a fully qualified Level 3 Forest School Leader, and runs our amazing holiday camps.

In her previous setting, Sam used ideas and themes from the Curiosity Approach, to make a complete transformation of her setting from an overly colourful setting with lots of plastic toys and resources, into a calm, natural and eco-friendly setting. Her hard work, and beautiful transformations were recognised by the Local Authority in Wakefield, earning herself, and her nursery a place in the ‘Outstanding Providers’ group, along with only 3 other settings. It also prompted the local council to ask her to showcase her work and the positive impact it had on the children, at Quality Improvement network meetings. Further to this, Sam worked for accreditation as a ‘Plastic Free Scheme’ with the charity Surfers Against Sewage, to tackle the problems with pollution and single use plastics. She designed a range of activities, teaching the children and other staff new skills in caring for our environment, and earned the setting a ‘Plastic Free Nursery’ status, which she continues to encourage here at Little Peanuts.

Melanie Lund

Little Owls Room Leader and SENDCo

My name is Melanie and I live in Selby with my daughter who is 6 years old, and my dog Cleo. I enjoy crafts, baking and going for walks with them and my partner, and in my spare time love to read and cook.
In 2011 I gained my level 3 childcare qualification, and then went on to further my education by studying for a degree in Early Years and Education. I completed this degree in 2014, when I also became Deputy Manager at a small nursery in York. I worked there until 2021. During my time there I also completed training in Special Educational Needs, and Behaviour Management.

Laura Strethearn

Little Hedgehogs Room Leader

Hi, I’m Laura, and I am soon to be the room leader in Little Hedgehogs. I am a qualified teacher with over 15 years of experience working with children. I also hold a degree in English Language and Linguistics, which has deepened my understanding of how children acquire and develop language skills.

At home, I live with my husband and our two wonderful children, Arthur and Annie. As a family, we share a love for the outdoors and often spend our free time exploring nature, especially visiting National Trust properties across the country. In addition to our adventures, I enjoy reading, cooking, and anything creative that involves arts and crafts.

I am passionate about fostering creativity, curiosity, and confidence in children. My goal is to create an environment where every child feels valued, supported, and excited to learn. Whether it’s encouraging language development through singing and storytelling, supporting hands-on discovery, or simply observing the magic of a child’s imagination, I find constant inspiration in the work I do.

Emily Dobson

Nursery practitioner

Hi, my name is Emily. I have spent lots of time around children, as both my brother and sister have young children of their own and I love them to bits! At the weekend I love to spend time with family, and often help my grandad with his shopping.

I hold a level 2 qualification in Early Years and Education, and just love being around children. I have wanted to work with children since I was 10 years old, and I am loving working here at Peanuts!

Wendy Kilvington

Nursery Practitioner

Hello, I’m Wendy. I have two amazing grown up children and two very gorgeous grandsons called Alfred and Robin.

I spent many years, when my children were little, as a childminder and although I have had a few years away from childcare, it’s something that has stayed with me and I am really happy to have the opportunity to be involved again, I am looking forward to spending time with the children in such a beautiful setting.

I like to spend time rooting around at car boots and up-cycling, I enjoy pottering in my garden but most of all I love to spend as much time as possible with my family.

I have worked with children and young people of all ages, running After School Clubs, and Holiday Clubs, and worked with 0-8 year olds at the Childrens’ Centre, it was here I realised my passion was working with the nursery age children, and as the song goes, ‘I believe that children are our future...', you know the rest!
I have a level 2 Playwork diploma, Child Psychology diploma, Working with Parents level 3, Mental Health Awareness Certificate and currently studying a meditation course!
When I have spare time I love being in nature walking and camping and paddle boarding. I love music and have been a DJ and children's entertainer.
I love working with the children at Little Peanuts as no two days are the same and its so lovely to see their little personalities grow and develop.