Eleanor

About Me

I love witnessing development in the early years, and enjoy supporting little ones to find their way to becoming resilient, independent and confident individuals that enjoy learning.

I have been an Ofsted qualified and registered childminder for 1 year now and understand the importance of high-quality childcare. I was lucky enough to be a stay-at-home parent for 7 years for my children who are currently 4, 6 and 8. Before this I was largely in academia, obtaining a first-class MSc in contaminant hydrogeology and a PhD in low energy wastewater treatment.

I live with my husband, 3 children and our dog Benji. I enjoy nature and the outdoors, gardening, hiking, camping, music and baking bread.

I aim to provide high quality provision and follow the early years foundation stage (EYFS) standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old (further information on which I can provide).

To achieve this, I embrace a holistic approach to learning and development, centered around each individual child and drawing on various methods such as Montessori, forest schooling and the curiosity approach. I am particularly fond of messy play and plenty of outdoor activities. I also aim to promote the importance of emotional regulation, healthy eating and caring for the environment by example and through general discussion throughout the day.

The setting is free flow and consists of an outdoor area with a well-used mud kitchen, vegetable beds, flowers, a bug hotel and wildlife area, sand and water play provision and our 2 chickens Sarah and Beauty. We enjoy making obstacle courses and have various wheeled vehicles, a small climbing frame and a trampoline to promote physical development. Indoors we have a quiet area for books, puzzles and carpet time discussions and a playroom for small world play, arts and crafts etc. I aim to provide secure, safe and comfortable surroundings where your child can be free to develop to their abilities.

In addition to the setting we visit the library every week, and have trips out to various playgrounds, forests, splash pads, beaches, country parks and soft plays etc.

Meals:

I have a food hygiene certificate and am happy to provide healthy meals and snacks. I will consider all dietary requirements and can provide weekly menus if required. I usually serve balanced meals in accordance with government guidelines and tend to go for whole foods and cook from scratch. I am equally happy for children to bring their own. We will all sit down together around the dining table for lunchtime at around 12. I strongly believe mealtimes are a great time to explore food and chat about where food comes from.