How did “Little Scholars” start?
Little Scholars started in 2015. My four year old daughter Isabella had just started Locks Heath Infant School the previous September. At the time, I was working full time, as a primary school teacher and found it increasingly difficult to find any vacancies with a local child minder or after school provision for my daughter, where she could have both the space and activity variety of a large after school club, together in a cosy, caring environment which was homely. With this in mind I decided to, extend my house and start up a small high quality after school club & child minding business. This became “Little Scholars”.
My Vision
My experience in teaching, childcare and of course, my understanding as a mum, has allowed me to look through both the eyes of a child and that of a parent. My aims and intentions are simple…
I want to provide a high quality childminding service to those working parents, who like me want their child to be in a home from home environment, where their child can both relax and have fun, playing with a small group of children who are of similar age. I recognise that every child is an individual, with their own needs, feelings, and interests varying and changing each day. After a school day, children may need some time to rest and unwind, refuel, let off some steam or may just want to get stuck straight into some fun activities. I want to ensure that the children at “Little Scholars” have the opportunities to do all these things and more. Most importantly I want Little Scholars, to make both children and parents feel happy and relaxed, making that transitional period between home and school seamless.
My Professional Qualifications
I have worked in Early Years provision and Primary Education for 25 years, running high quality nurseries and working as a Primary School Teacher. Listed below are my qualifications:
- EYPS; Early Years Professional Status (level.7)
- BA Hons; Early Years Education and Teaching. (Level.6)
- NNEB/CACHE; Nursery Nursing/ Child Development & Psychology (Level.3)
- HBCA; Home based Childminding (Level.3)
- First Aid Pediatric / Emergency First Aider
- Health and Safety (Level.3)
Registration
I am Ofsted registered and Pacey accredited to care for up to 10 children a day, aged up to 12 years old. The amount of children I have on a daily basis will be based on the ages of the children registered in the group. The general rule is the younger the children in the group the less there will be. If all children were under the age of 8 years, I would have a maximum of 6 children (only 3 of these may be under 5 years old -Reception year).
This ratio means that all children will receive individual care and attention and a selection of activities can be offered to suit every child in my care.
As a condition of my registration with Ofsted and in order to give parents an overview of the childcare service that I offer, I have in place a range of policies and procedures. These ensure that the children’s welfare is paramount at all times. Parents are able to read all policies and procedure when they visit.
Health and Safety
I am very serious about the health, welfare and safety of the children in my care. I hold a Level 3 Award in Health and Safety, enabling me to ensure that the environment and activities for the children are safe and children are secure at all times.
Children are only away from the Little Scholars environment, during the journey straight to and from school. I have carefully risk assessed this walk, choosing a safe route through the residential walkways.
Little Scholars Childcare - Locks Heath 