Lesley Pinault

A  creative, energetic, flexible, hard-working childcare professional, with good communication and organisational skills, 30+ years experience.  

Hello,

My name is Lesley Pinault.  I am a native English speaker from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, UK.

I adore children and most of my working life I have worked with children in some capacity or another and acquired an abundance of experience.  As well as being a parent, I have been a nanny (in a private household in the South of France), babysitter, housekeeper, Teacher of English as an Additional Language, tutor, music teacher, primary school teacher and music instrumental tutor, teaching various musical instruments.  Nowadays, 

I have two degrees in music and education studies, as well as qualifications in the Montessori method and TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language).  Although I have no formal language qualification, I lived in France for many years and now speak French with a degree of fluency.

Years spent as an educational practitioner and pastoral experience gained from motherhood, has given me some insight into the needs of children and how best to treat them.  My child-caring style is derived from Montessori, Steiner, RIE, Pikler, Gentle and Respectful Parenting.  I believe that a child should be treated with respect from the beginning and that observation will aid understanding of children’s needs.  I use lots of positive reinforcement rather than punishment and rewards, plus support and guidance to make the right choices.  However, limits and boundaries must be set so that children know what behaviour is to be expected of them in various situations and circumstances.  Therefore, communication and connection makes for positive relationships based on trust and fosters confidence, which in turn helps children develop their full potential and grow into fully rounded individuals.

My aim as a child-carer is to be a good role model displaying characteristics such as conscientiousness, discretion, flexibility, humility, kindness, politeness and reliable.  I see the duty of a child-carer primarily as keeping children safe.  Other responsibilities include: making sure that children eat healthily; keep play areas tidy (but as soon as children are old enough, they should be encouraged to do this themselves); support with homework; encourage discovery learning and learning through play; organising age appropriate, stimulating fun activities and games inside and outside of the home; organise the children's social calendar; help children navigate the ups and downs of life; teach manners and independence. 

About me, I enjoy travelling and have done so extensively.  I relish spending time outdoors, walking, hiking and exploring .  Indoors, I love to play the piano and sing, listen to music, watch films, read, cook and eat healthy food.  When I have the opportunity, I visit museums, art galleries, exhibitions, theatres and concerts.

Additional information: swimmer, animal lover, driving licence, DBS check, Paediatric First Aid certificate.

Best wishes and warmest regards,

Lesley

My present position is governess/nanny in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for two girls aged 4 and 6.  This involves teaching English, French and piano; liaising with their schools; helping with homework; providing stimulating and educational activities; collecting them from school; accompanying them on play-dates. 

I began my career in childcare many years ago when I was a nanny in Antibes, South of France. My duties included teaching the family’s two children (boy 4 and girl 6), English and swimming, and taking the children to and from school. Since then, I have lived and taught in several countries, apart from England, namely, France, Kuwait, Oman and Uzbekistan.  My career has been a mixture of primary class teaching (teaching all subjects to children of ages 4 to 8), music specialist teaching (teaching class music to children of ages 3 to 14), as well as instrumental tutoring (clarinet, flute, piano and recorders), and teaching English as a foreign or second language.  I also have SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) experience both in and out of schools.  The latter involved tutoring a boy with autism on an individual basis at his residence. 

I am a graduate of Sunderland University where I studied Education and the London College of Music where I studied all aspects of music, theoretical and practical, including instrumental studies (piano, clarinet, harpsichord and flute).  I have also studied the Montessori method at the London Montessori Centre and teaching English as a foreign language at the University of West London.