Little Prime Mates
Childminder in Eastbourne
Usually responds within 4 hours
Female Member since Jul 2024 Last Updated Nov 2025 Last Login 18 Nov 2025
My Summary
Little Prime Mates Childminding
About Me
Welcome to Little Prime Mates Childminding,
I’m Elisabeth Prime, a qualified early years teacher with a passion for the magical first years of childhood. Alongside my husband Mark, who has recently joined as an assistant, we provide a caring, calm and inspiring home-from-home environment where every child can flourish. Our setting is based in the beautiful Old Town area of Eastbourne, with spacious indoor areas and a nurturing garden full of opportunities for play, imagination and exploration.
A nurturing setting specialising in 0–3 year olds
Although we welcome children up to age 8, our provision is predominantly for babies and toddlers. A small home setting gives our youngest children:
? secure relationships and strong attachments
? high levels of individual attention
? an unhurried pace, gentle transitions and familiar routines
? emotional security and confidence
? a safe foundation for curiosity, independence and early friendships
These early years are where children begin to develop identity, confidence and self-belief. We nurture them to feel loved, understood and supported.
Child-centred, responsive and personalised
We see every child as a unique individual. Our planning is guided by:
? children’s interests
? individual learning styles
? developing schemas
Schemas are the repeated patterns of behaviour—like transporting, connecting, enveloping or rotating—that show how children are trying to understand the world. By recognising these patterns, we provide resources and experiences that match deep, natural learning.
Inspired by Hygge, Montessori and the Curiosity Approach
? Hygge – calmness, cosiness, soft lighting, warmth and emotional security
? Montessori values – practical life skills, independence, caring for the environment, real objects and responsibility
? Curiosity Approach – natural materials, loose parts, imagination, problem-solving and awe and wonder
Children pour, scoop, tidy, prepare snacks, use real tools safely, care for plants and look after their environment. These experiences build self-esteem, coordination, confidence and readiness for next steps.
Nature, outdoor learning and sustainability
We explore outdoors daily:
? woodland walks
? beach adventures
? local parks
? nature trails
? seasonal changes
Children learn to care for living things and the planet through:
? gardening
? planting and growing
? recycling and composting
? nature crafts
? observing wildlife and weather
Outdoor learning builds physical development, resilience, confidence and joy.
Learning that feels like play
Each week includes:
? sensory and messy play
? small world and role play
? imaginative play
? storytelling and story acting
? mark making and early writing
? investigative and discovery play
? singing, music and rhythmic language play
Our home is language-rich. Through conversation, stories, songs and shared routines, children become confident communicators with strong emotional and social skills.
Experiences beyond the home
? woodlands and parks
? the beach
? libraries
? high-quality playgroups
? child-friendly community spaces
These build confidence, social skills, curiosity and happy memories.
Working in partnership with families
? daily updates
? photos and observations
? WOW moments and milestones
? strong communication
? shared next steps for learning
We know children deeply—their routines, likes, comforters, challenges and strengths.
Our curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage, supporting all seven areas:
? Communication and Language
? Physical Development
? Personal, Social and Emotional Development
? Literacy
? Mathematics
? Understanding the World
? Expressive Arts and Design
We offer purposeful play, real experiences and calm, unhurried days where children feel safe, respected and ready for the next stage of their learning journey.
My Experience
I am a qualified Early Years teacher with a deep love for the magic of childhood. Since September 2024, I have been working as a childminder, and in January 2025 my husband, Mark, joined me as an assistant. We feel incredibly privileged to spend our days seeing the world through the eyes of young children—where every puddle is exciting, every discovery matters, and every day is full of joy, curiosity and wonder. Watching children grow in confidence, independence and happiness is the most rewarding part of our work.
Before transitioning into childminding, I taught Early Years Education at Bexhill College, teaching Levels 1 to 5 including the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Childcare and Education, the T Level Technical Qualification in Education and Early Years, and the BTEC Level 5 Higher Nationals in Advanced Practice in Work with Children and Families. I also worked as a placement assessor, visiting nurseries, schools and childminders to support professional development and high-quality practice.
I recently worked as a Reception and Year 1 class teacher at a local Church of England primary school. I loved supporting children at the very beginning of their school journey, nurturing early literacy, communication, confidence and emotional development. I also ran a baby and toddler group for children from birth to five, which allowed me to build relationships within the community and support families in those important early years.
I have worked as a Children’s Centre Teacher for East Sussex County Council, supporting early years settings across the local area. In this role, I worked directly with babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers, delivered training for early years educators, collaborated with nurseries and childminders, and ran workshops for parents and carers. This gave me a broad understanding of development, family support and inclusive early years practice.
Beyond teaching, I have always been connected to community-based roles. I am a worship leader in my local church and have often been involved in the church children's work. I have also been an Old Town Cub leader—experiences that deepened my love for outdoor learning, play, adventure and hands-on exploration.
Travel has always been a meaningful part of my life. I have had the privilege of volunteering in schools in Germany, Uganda and Australia, gaining valuable insight into how children learn across different cultures. Seeing education through different cultural lenses strengthened my belief that every child deserves to feel valued, included and inspired, and showed me the universal nature of childhood joy, curiosity and play, no matter where in the world they are.
Most importantly, I am a mum to Maisie (7) and Edison (4). Being a parent has given me first-hand insight into child development, temperament, routines, attachment, and the everyday joys and challenges of early childhood. It has strengthened my empathy, patience and understanding—qualities that are at the heart of our calm, nurturing and child-centred environment at Little Prime Mates.
My Qualifications
Qualifications & Professional Status
? BA (Hons) Primary Education (QTS), Specialist in 3–8 years
? Early Years Professional Status
? PG Cert in Writing for Children
? Paediatric First Aid
? DBS Certificate
? Introductory Childminding Course for Qualified and Experienced Early Years Practitioners
? Safeguarding Children and Designated Lead
? Leading and Managing a Childminding Setting
Completed Training & Workshops
Early Years Practice & Curriculum
? ESCC Securing the Prime Areas
? ESCC New to Reception
? Letters and Sounds
? Supporting SEND and Vulnerable Children through a playful, joyful EYFS experience
? Observation, Assessment, Planning and Evaluation (OAPE) toolkit
? Every Child a Talker (ECAT)
? Child Involvement and Well-Being
? Schemas
Specialist Approaches & Inclusion
? Therapeutic Thinking
? CLASS Dyslexia Training
? CLASS Learning and Autism Support
? Neurodiversity: Fin O’Regan
? Social and Emotional Development (SEAD)
? Nurturing the Under Fours
? Advanced Makaton
? Getting it Right for Boys: Engaging Boys’ Interests through Investigative Learning
Creativity, Play & Outdoor Learning
? Early Years Woodworking: Peter Moorhouse
? Drawing Club: Greg Bottrill
? Superhero Play
Leadership & Professional Development
? Challenging, Supporting and Developing Practice
? Train the Trainer: Quality Improvement Mentor training
? Communicating Friendly Spaces
My Availability
We are currently full, but we anticipate a space becoming available from September 2026 (potentially another space in January, 2026). Please do get in touch if you would like to join our waiting list or find out more—we’d love to hear from you.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Morning | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Afternoon | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| After School | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Evening | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 02/11/2025 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £8.00 per hour
My Local Schools
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Pashley Down Infant School
My Documents
- Ofsted Certificate (added 31/08/2024)
- DBS Check (added 31/07/2024)
- UK Passport (added 31/07/2024)
- First Aid Certificate: Paediatric First Aid (added 31/07/2024)
- Training Certificate: Introductory Course for Qualified and Experienced Early Years Practitioners (added 31/07/2024)
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