I caught up with Kristina Marini to find out a little more about her: what brought her to Brighter Start and what she’s looking forward to in her new role.
We talked about her ideas, her hopes, and even her favourite spot in East London.
First things first, Kristina, what’s one thing you’d like our readers to know about you?
I love working in education. I’ve had various roles, but the core has stayed the same – supporting education so that children and young people have the best experience possible.
Now for a slightly trickier question – can you tell us something about yourself that not many people know?
I’m small (5 ft), but I am strong.
I’ve done CrossFit for the last six years which means I’m conditioned in lots of different ways - Olympic lifting, gymnastics, cardio and strength. I’m no professional athlete, but I’m proud of the dedication and commitment I’ve shown to my health and wellbeing.
It’s lovely to have you on the team at Brighter Start – what brought you here?
Having worked for the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), I’ve developed an understanding of the value of evidence-informed practice. As this is a core principle of the SPH, I hope my experience and expertise will make a meaningful difference.
I strongly believe in getting things right for children in their earliest years - it can positively impact the rest of their lives.
In a nutshell, could you tell us a little about what your role involves?
Essentially, my role is to lead the Stronger Practice Advisory team in delivering an effective programme of support in early years settings.
This means working closely with our advisors to ensure they have the tools, knowledge and support they need to help settings strengthen their practice and improve outcomes for children.
It’s early days, but is there a particular piece of work or idea that you’re already excited about?
Yes!
I’m particularly excited to support the ShREC approach, born and bred at Sheringham!
I see just how impactful this programme has been and can’t wait to see it used more widely.
What do you think - or hope - you’ll enjoy most about your role?
What I think I’ll enjoy most is getting to know East London’s early years settings and being able to provide them with the support they need through our wonderful team of advisors.
What’s the one difference you’d really like to make through your work?
I’d like to do my best to make sure advisors are equipped and confident to support early years settings.
If I caught up with you in a year’s time, what would you hope to be telling me about?
I’d hope to tell you that we’ve seen lots of positive impact in early years settings across East London.
For example, settings being more confident in identifying their areas for improvement, practitioners applying new approaches in their day-to-day practice, leaders being able to evidence the changes they’ve made and the impact these are having … I could go on!
I’ll hopefully be able to tell you about some of these!
And finally, what’s your favourite spot in East London?
I’m based outside of East London, so looking forward to getting to know it better in the coming months.