My Setting
I live in a three bedroom semi- detached house in a quiet street within Obelisk Rise, Kingsthorpe, Northampton. The downstairs consists of living room, kitchen and conservatory dining room, which are all used for childminding. The bathroom is on the first floor and I also have a gate secure garden. The main room for indoor play is the living room, with the dining room being used for arts and crafts, whilst also being the main area used for snacks and meal times. I do have sleeping facilities for babies and children that still require daytime naps and also have single, double, triple and quad pushchairs which all have fully reclining seat positions, should a child fall asleep whilst out.
I have indoor and outdoor resources which are suitable for children of all ages and cater for different developmental stages through the toys available and the activities.
I see my role as a learning and development facilitator; giving children encouragement, activities and learning opportunities in a fun and friendly environment. Although activities are planned, I take a lot of direction from the children and I like to see where an activity can take us; with there being no right and wrongs to how an activity should be played or completed.
I follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and carry out regular observations on the children in my care. This information is evaluated using the EYFS categories:
The Prime Areas
◦ Personal, Social and Emotional Development
◦ Physical Development
◦ Communication and Language
The Specific Areas
◦ Literacy
◦ Mathematics
◦ Understanding the World
◦ Expressive Arts and Design
All observations are kept securely in each child’s personal file, which grows with them to show their development over their time in the setting and goes with them when they leave to take the next step in their life, and will only be shared with parents and Ofsted.
I have long term plans in the setting regarding specific themes etc but activities are planned around the children and their individual needs and interests. I too am still learning and review activities regularly to see if there are different ways to do things.
My Fees:
◦ Pre-school children price per hour: £4.75
◦ Before/ After School children price per hour: £4.75
◦ Bank holiday and weekends (if worked): Double fee
◦ Boxing Day/ New Years Day (if worked): Treble fee
◦ Authorised Additional Hours: Normal fee
◦ Unauthorised Additional Hours: Double fee
◦ Unsociable hours (before 8am and after 6pm): Fee and half
◦ Occasional Minding Sessions: Fee and half
◦ Childminder Sick/ Childminder Holiday: No fee
◦ Parent Sick/ Child Sick/ Occasional Day Off: Full fee
◦ Parent Holiday Full fee
◦ Statutory Bank Holidays (New Years Day,Good Friday, Easter Monday, Bank Holidays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day) if falling when child would normally attend: Full fee
Additional Costs to Consider
Food/ Drink: There will be additional costs for food and drink provided during the day.
Breakfast 75p per child
Lunch £1.75 per child
All trips, drinks and snacks in contracted hours are included in your fee. However, if you require hours that are outside of your contracted hours which include a meal or trip, these will be charged.
I do not charge you for my own holidays or on days that I am unable to offer care due to illness or otherwise. If you choose to take care from any other caregiver during this time then the charges are a matter of discussion between you and that caregiver.
I do not work on Bank Holidays but I will charge the normal fee if a Bank Holiday falls on your contracted day.
