Setting up a Childminders in Hertfordshire

[SPEEL2017]

I am a qualified teacher who has taught in reception for five years. I currently the Early Years Leader in my school and am a trained Forest School teacher, running sessions most afternoons with reception children and a group of children with special educational needs.

I will soon be moving back to Hitchin from London and am thinking of setting up a childminding setting with my mother. A big part of the ethos of this setting would be Forest School learning where children learn in a natural environment and develop confidence, creativity and care.

I have enjoyed teaching and have a passion for working with children in their early years of learning but need to move away from a school setting as I believe Early Learning should be more focused on children's prime areas of development (Personal, Social and Emotional, Communication and Language and Physical Develolment) rather than rushing children through formalised maths and literacy learning before they are ready.

I am thinking of having the childminding setting open Monday to Thursday, would this be something people would be interested in or do people require Monday- Friday care? Also, do parents/carers normally split childcare between nurseries and childminders or would parents/carers send their children to a childminder on a full time basis?

Is Forest School something parents/carers in the Hitchin area are interested in?

Thank you in advance for any help!
Sian

Hi! I work as a nanny in the north Herts area. Will you offer the 15 hours as that's something that parents want. Most local childminders also charge a full day even if they have children who they drop off and collect from local pre schools so offering the 15 hours will be appealing to parents. You might also appeal to home ed families with younger children as well as older ones as your ethos sounds quite similar to home ed.
child minders are hugely in demand in hitchin.

Some parents use a combination of nursery and childminder, others just one or the other. I have some children that come Monday - Thursday, but I'm open all week.

As PP said, offering the free hours helps.

Registration takes a while, so get started ASAP if you're going ahead.

Okay, thanks for this. Can I begin registration before living in the property I will be living in when I start Childminding?

Yes but obviously u need to be there before your inspection x

Hi,

• friend linked me to this

m.hertfordshire.gov.uk/docs/pdf/s/sfitem137december2016.pdf

So hourly rate from the LA for the 15 hours is higher than previous thought