Emma

About Us

Hi I'm Emma, I'm mum to two wonderful children, provider and service manage of Emma's Explorers Out-of- School Service based in Dunning. Myself and the team currently provide a before and after school service to school aged children attending Dunning Primary School.

My own children are my main inspiration and are at their best when exploring the world around them, whilst being creative and carefree. As mum to a child with ASD, I have undergone years of training in supporting children with additional support needs through a variety of different organisations, this gave me the drive to change my career and pursue a role in supporting children within my local community. Working with both neurodiverse and neurotypical children has given me a far greater understanding of the needs of children across all ages and stages. It has also given me the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills to suit each individual child’s learning/developmental needs.

Emma’s Explorers was originally a home from home childminding service, which was based at my family home in Dunning. This service was expanded in August 2025 to a full daycare of children service, providing out of school care based in Dunning Village Hall.

The expansion of Emma's Explorers was carried out to support a local community charity in taking over ownership of the village hall. It was also established to support the school, which needed a wrap around childcare provision and to support the growing demand for childcare in the local community.

It is of the utmost importance that the children feel welcome in our setting, and we aim to provide them with a nurturing environment where they can explore, have fun with each other and relax in a safe space. We aim to spend as much time as possible outdoors in nature with the children as it benefits their cognitive development, social skills, independence, ability to take risks and it’s good for their health and wellbeing.

Children will have the opportunity to take part in a range of activities, from playing to cooking, child lead play, assessing risk independently, arts and crafts, and lots of exploring!

Activities will primarily take place within the village hall and the local park or at our local woodland areas. Children will be supervised at all times.

Team members will accompany children on the 5-minute walk to the local primary school (Dunning Primary School) for school drop off/ pick up.

We provide healthy snacks and drinks throughout the day in line with nutritional standards. We can accommodate specific dietary requirements. Children can also bring lunch/snack boxes if this is the child’s/carer’s preference.