Sarah

About Me

**CURRENTLY FULL UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2025**

Hello, my name is Sarah and we call our setting Sunflower Childcare and we're an Ofsted Outstanding provider. We pride ourselves on producing a home from home environment for the children, that inspires a love of learning and reading. We encourage children to use their imaginations and to explore their curiosity and creativity. We want them to be able to have fun in an environment that provides professional, high quality childcare that is both comforting and safe. We love to do a lot of our experimenting and learning; having fun playing outdoors. If you discover somewhere amazing we could explore please let me know as we love getting “out and about”, collecting things or even just for a stroll, so would love new ideas for places to go.
We aim highly for the children to feel they are part of their own little family and can relax. Feeling relaxed is important because when they relax, they feel safe, secure, comfortable and “at home”. When children feel this way they are able to explore fully and find out about the place they are in and the things they can see, touch, manoeuvre and explore; having fun and learning through play. This is why watching them GROW is our greatest JOY.

As a Childminder and professional childcare practitioner I follow the same guidelines as a Nursery – The EYFS (Early years Foundation Stage). I can provide the “Free 15 and 30 hour” funded Nursery placements; the main difference with my setting is the ability to explore subjects outside of four walls, in the natural and nurturing environment.
Examples of how we achieve this could be:
We match our Books to the environment and art, explore Maths and make Music in the Woods
We learn how to treat and interact with animals and learn about life cycles
We are creative whenever we can be
We explore History, read and follow maps at castles and collect treasure in our baskets
We explore different skills in colour mixing and art, we even mix colours in muddy puddles!
We do Science experiments at the Beach
We plant and grow and draw birds and nature we find on our welly walks
We go on nature hunts and make people pictures from leaves, sticks and stones
We record, count and research our tablet or writing on a clipboard
We learn about different cultures and equality
We jump in puddles, sing in the rain and look for pictures in the clouds
… The list is as long as our imaginations !!

I encourage the children to think of ideas to solve their little problems and not to give up until they have found a solution, helping them develop life skills. Learning to mix with different age groups, learning how to treat, care for and respect animals. Learning to be polite and friendly to others. Using beautiful words like please and thank-you, using kind words and having kind hands. Looking after each other and understanding how this links to everyday life, for example: researching and writing a recipe, shopping and paying for ingredients. Understanding the ingredients needed to make something and being proud to take their creations home.

We are surrounded by parks, farms, playgroups, libraries, music, Hyde Hall, Maldon prom, the Discovery centre, Nature reserves, beach etc; all of which we fully make the most of. We are also English Heritage members, RHS garden members and will go on visits to castles, gardens and special places that provide new and wonderful experiences and stimulation. We also go on outings and look after our well-being with mindfulness activities, sensory play and even yoga. We use the zones of regulation to help us understand and express our emotions. Ensuring social and emotional skills are developed fully in every scenario and that they make new friends outside of the setting (some of whom they will go to School with).

Parents can then relax whilst away, confident in the knowledge their little ones are safe, happy and protected That all insurances, safety measures, policies and procedures are in place, with everything linked to Ofsted’s welfare requirements, which are adhered to and continually updated.

I have three beautiful children of my own. My daughter Layla, and my beautiful son’s Ollie and Arthur. We have a playroom – that belongs to the children. A fully enclosed garden with plenty of toys and games; we also have a dog called Roxy, two cats called Kitty and Milo and a snake called Bruce. All of whom are very friendly, enjoy a lot of fuss and are fully vaccinated, insured and wormed. The snake unfortunately will not be out of the tank at any point during opening hours as I am terrified of them and it is very much locked for my husband Matt to take care of. The children will never be left unattended with any of the animals, they will be taught to respect the animals and how to interact with animals in a kind and safe way. The animals will have their own space to use and the animals will not be in the playroom or around the children without an adult present. Distancing and safety measures are in place to ensure this.