Dawn

About Me

My name is Dawn Brown and I am a registered Childminder with Ofsted and also a member Coram/Pacey. Dawnies Darlings celebrates its 15 year anniversary this year and has been graded as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. The setting consists of myself and my husband, Andy and we are both Level 3 Practitioners with an enhanced DBS check, Safeguarding training, as well as our Paediatric First Aid, and Level 2 in Basic Food Hygiene.

We have three assistants, Lulu (Olivia), Denise (Dee) and Summer. Lulu has been part of our Dawnies Darlings family since she was 7 years old when I used to pick her up from Halfway Houses school. She then completed her work experience with us and officially joined us 6 years ago as an apprentice and completed her Level 2 in Childcare. She has an enhanced DBS check, Safeguarding and Paediatric First Aid training, and is currently studying towards her Level 3.
Dee has worked for us on and off for the last 10 years and has over 30 years’ experience in childcare. She is a Level 3 Practitioner, has an enhanced DBS check and completed her Safeguarding and Paediatric First Aid training.
Summer joined Dawnies Darlings in July 2026 as an apprentice studying towards her Level 2 in Childcare. She has an enhanced DBS check, Safeguarding and Paediatric First Aid training.

Our aim is to provide a warm, caring and stimulating environment, where every child in our care feels safe, happy, secure and valued and is given lots of cuddles. We ensure that all children are treated fairly and have a sense of belonging. We observe and listen to children’s play and adult interaction to identify any bias or discrimination, then deal with any issues that arise. Children may come from diverse backgrounds, but we make sure they are always treated equally and inclusively. We offer all activities and toys to all children regardless of gender and developmental needs. We ensure no child, or their family, is discriminated against or prevented entry to our setting on the basis of gender, ethnic origin, race, colour, sexual orientation, marital status, family structure, nationality, age, disability, or social grouping. Every child is treated as an individual and respected regardless of their religion or culture. We help to educate and support our darlings to celebrate our diverse society, but also protect them from discrimination, creating a fair environment where each child can progress.

It is our role to provide children with opportunities and experiences that help them to develop and feel self-assured in many different situations. We value each person’s cultural capital and celebrate the richness and diversity of our setting. We work with families to share observations, information, knowledge, resources, and ideas with each other. We have tried to create an enabling environment to inspire and engage the children. We include activities and resources that are familiar to children, along with new opportunities.

Dawnies Darlings is run from our 4-bedroom home in Minster-on-Sea and has its own separate entrance, cloakroom area, and toilet which leads into our main playroom. This area was converted from our double tandem garage, and every year we have looked at ways to improve our setting, to enable us to give our darlings the best start in life.

Every darling has their own coat peg and area for their bags and shoes and is identified by their picture. We have a separate area away from the main playroom with a baby changing unit, allowing privacy for the children who are in nappies. We also have noticeboards displaying relevant documentation for ourselves and parents/carers. This includes various information such as Emergency Evacuation Procedure, Food Safety Advice and Healthy Eating, Fundamental British Values, Diversity, Prevent Duty, along with a lot of information regarding Safeguarding and School Readiness.

Most of our indoor activities take place in the main playroom, including an area for craft and structured learning. We also have a separate toilet and sink within the playroom for the darlings to use and they have a potty and step to assist them with their toileting needs and to encourage their independence. We offer an inclusive setting where children can explore, achieve, feel safe and relaxed whilst creating a fun atmosphere where they can thrive. We have a good balance between children making purposeful choices about their learning activities (child-initiated) and adult-led activities.

We also have another playroom in our conservatory which we use as our role play area providing a fun, welcoming and stimulating environment where children can use their imaginations, develop their communication skills and learn through play. The dressing up area allows children to explore different roles and characters, while the play kitchen and shop, with baskets and a trolley, encourage them to act out everyday experiences, practise sharing and develop early mathematical skills. The dressing table allows children to explore self-care and independence whilst practicing their make-up and hair skills. The doctors trolley allows children to explore the role of healthcare professionals, develop empathy and learn about caring for others. Our craft table and chalkboard give children opportunities to express their creativity through drawing, mark making and creating their own artwork.

We have a large kitchen to prepare all meals and snacks, and where we bake with the darlings during the winter months. All our darlings sit at a table or in a highchair during mealtimes where we encourage good table manners, including our darlings we collect from Halfway Houses School. We use 3 bedrooms upstairs with travel cots for nap times and all rooms have monitors, and the children are checked at regular intervals. Children under the age of 2 will be given a Childcare Daily Diary which is used to record the activities of the day as well as nappy changes, any bottles given, naps taken, and all meals and snacks they have eaten. Once your child reaches school age, we will ensure they are school ready making this transition easier for both parents and children.

Our setting is in a residential area which is incredibly quiet and is on a circular road with no through access meaning little traffic. We have access to our garden all year round due to our artificial grass. We have a large garden that is fully enclosed and secure, with immediate access from the main playroom, which is also our closest fire exit. We have an awning area to provide lots of shelter in the summer months and pots for the children to grow flowers and vegetables. We also have a very wide range of outdoor resources, including a trampoline, playhouse, pirate ship, boat, climbing frame, slide, mud kitchen, chalk board and an area for reading and writing. We also have a sandpit, water play, ball pit and a variety of sit on cars, shuttle bugs and toys.

Dawnies Darlings are proud to have been affiliated with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, since November 2023. The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting programme devoted to inspiring a love of reading in the hearts of children everywhere. Dolly Parton launched this in the UK in December 2007. Each month the children from birth to 5 years old receive a specially wrapped book addressed to each child at no cost to their families.