West Kensington Nursery Head Retires After 30 Years

Pupils learn how to successfully run a music venue

Sue Munns

The Head Teacher of a nursery school in West Kensington is retiring after 30 years of service to education in the borough.

Sue Munn will leave James Lee Nursery on Gliddon Road at the end of the summer term after a career in teaching which started in 1993 when she joined the staff at Livingstone Nursery, now known as Randolph Beresford in White City, as an Early Years Educator. During her time there she studied at Roehampton University and completed a diploma in education and later received her B.Ed. Teacher’s degree July 2003.

She joined James Lee in January 2008 as a Deputy Head Teacher. She spent two years completing a secondment from 2012 to 2014 at Bayonne Nursery in Hammersmith. James Lee and Bayonne are now part of Thames Federation which also operates Melcombe Primary School on Fulham Palace Road.

Sue was appointed Head of School of James Lee Nursery in January 2017. During that time, she has seen a period of significant change, which has included working in partnership with Bayonne Nursery and the Reception class at Melcombe Primary School. The nurseries are rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED.

Following Sue’s retirement, Janice Moore, current Head of School at Bayonne has been appointed as Head of School for the Early Years for the Thames Federation schools in what it is hoped will be an orderly transition in the senior leadership team. The Executive Head Teacher overseeing all schools is Miss Anne Marie Strachan.

In a statement the Thames Federation says, “Throughout her career, Sue has had a singular focus on not only providing the best possible early years education with creativity and inclusivity at the heart of everything but also on providing opportunities for her colleagues to progress their own careers. Sue is a team player and recognised she needed to have a great team around her to make change happen. As such, she encouraged staff to develop themselves and think outside the box. She also wanted colleagues to feel empowered as she appreciated this would ensure the children received the best possible education.”

At James Lee, Sue embraced several activities and initiatives to help enhance the curriculum, such as Forest School and extend their learning in a creative environment. She initiated the Eco School initiative at the nursery, which involved recycling, teaching children about the planet and focusing on the environment. James Lee was awarded a green flag in recognition for these efforts.

Commenting on Sue’s retirement, Anne Marie Strachan, Executive Head Teacher at Thames Federation, said, “Sue is an inspiration to us all. Her inclusive approach has always focused on the children in her care and she has also invested her time and expertise in her colleagues. She is a fountain of knowledge and a forward thinker always seeking creative ways to stimulate her pupils.”

Sue Munns, Head of School at James Lee Nursery, said: “I have a strong passion for early years learning and I have always tried to see the child’s perspective in my everyday approach to teaching. It has been a pleasure working with so many talented teachers and wonderful children over the last 30 years and I will sorely miss the energy and enthusiasm that they bring to my life.”