Fran

About Me

Teacher-led, family-run childcare in Highams Park with SEND expertise, Forest School adventures, and a true home-from-home feel.

Hello,
My name is Fran, and I am an Ofsted-registered childminder and qualified teacher with over twenty years of experience teaching children across all ages and abilities. In my last role as Head of a Key Stage 3 Alternative Provision, I achieved Outstanding in all categories at my final Ofsted inspection.

I am passionate about working with children and fully committed to providing safe, high-quality childcare that places each child’s well-being and happiness at the centre, while supporting them to achieve the very best outcomes academically and personally through play-based learning and a curriculum shaped by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
We were rated Outstanding in our last early years Ofsted inspection.

Our Team
Fran (me): Qualified teacher with 20+ years’ experience, trained SENCO, former contracted Ofsted inspector, and holder of the NPQEYL (National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership). I specialise in early years education, inclusion, and supporting children with additional needs.
Richard (my husband): A retired Executive Headteacher and Level 3 trained Forest School Lead Practitioner. Richard leads our Forest School provision, embedding outdoor, nature-based learning into children’s daily experiences, from the forest and lake to local parks and natural spaces.
J (assistant): An experienced early years practitioner with over 18 years in early and primary education, trained in SEND (autism support). J’s expertise ensures our provision is fully inclusive, nurturing, and responsive to every child’s individual needs.
Together, we provide a strong balance of academic, outdoor, and inclusive learning experiences, giving children the chance to flourish in a warm and stimulating environment.

Our Setting
We live in Highams Park with our three sons and our much-loved pets: a cockapoo, two British Shorthair cats, and two Lionhead rabbits. Our home is spacious, clean, and welcoming, with a secure garden and on-street parking available. We are within walking distance of Highams Park railway station, the 275 bus route, Handsworth Primary School, and close to the forest, lake, and local parks.
Our setting is well-equipped with a wide variety of resources to deliver all aspects of the EYFS curriculum. We also make use of community amenities such as the library and age-appropriate playgroups. For older children attending after school, I provide tailored support with learning and development, offering thoughtfully planned activities to suit different interests and needs — or simply a home-from-home environment where they can rest and relax after a busy day.

We also place a strong emphasis on quality interactions with children throughout the day. We enjoy talking with them, modelling rich language, and encouraging conversation. These meaningful interactions enable children to quickly build on their existing language skills, broaden their vocabulary, and develop confidence in self-expression.

All of our activities are carefully planned in line with the EYFS areas of learning, ensuring children learn through play, develop key skills, and are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.

We believe in healthy, balanced diets and provide freshly cooked meals that cater for individual dietary needs while encouraging children to make positive, healthy eating choices.

My profile and contact details can also be found on the Waltham Forest Directory (Children and Families section, Childcare).