Skip to main content

Dawn Ann Brown


My name is Dawn and I have been Registered with Ofsted as a Childcare Provider since 2011. The setting consists of myself and my husband, Andy and we are both qualified in NVQ Childcare Level 3.  We have two assistants, Allesse and Olivia (Lulu) who have both completed their level 2 in Childcare. Lulu was my very first darling when I used to collect her from school, at the age of 7.  

Dawnies Darlings is run from our 4-bedroom home in Minster-on-Sea and has its own separate entrance, cloakroom area, and toilet which leads into our main playroom.  This area was converted from our double tandem garage, and every year we have looked at ways to improve our setting, to enable us to give our darlings the best start in life.  The entrance hall displays my Ofsted certificate, along with all our qualifications, training, and Public Liability Insurance certificates.  We were inspected by Ofsted in February 2022 and maintained our Outstanding grading which is something we are immensely proud of.

Every darling has their own coat peg and area for their bags and shoes and is identified by their picture.  We have a separate area away from the main playroom with a baby changing unit, allowing privacy for the children who are in nappies.  We also have noticeboards displaying relevant documentation for ourselves and parents/carers.  This includes various information such as Emergency Evacuation Procedure, SMART Rules for Online Safety, Fundamental British Values, Diversity, Prevent Duty, along with a lot of information regarding Safeguarding and School Readiness.

Most of our indoor activities take place in the main playroom, including an area for craft and baking and structured learning.  We have recently added a new toilet and sink within the playroom for the darlings to use and they have a potty and step to assist them with their toileting needs and to encourage their independence.  We have tried to create an environment that promotes the Characteristics of Effective Learning, giving the children the essential knowledge they need to prepare them for future success and giving them the best possible start to their early education (cultural capital).  We have tried to offer a more curious approach to our setting, introducing more natural resources for the children to explore and offer them a place they can feel at home, safe and relaxed whilst creating a fun atmosphere.  We have a good balance between children making purposeful choices about their learning activities (child-initiated) and adult-led activities.

We also have a smaller baby room which we use for the younger children, with age-appropriate toys and resources.  We find this room especially useful when settling in new darlings.  We have a large kitchen to prepare all meals and snacks, including a hot meal when the after-school children join us from Halfway Houses Primary School.  All our darlings sit at a table or in a highchair during mealtimes where we encourage good table manners. We use 3 bedrooms upstairs with travel cots for nap times, along with various buggies for children who prefer to nap this way.  All rooms have monitors, and the children are checked at regular intervals and the time recorded in our baby sleeping log.  Children under the age of 2 will be given a Childcare Daily Diary which is used to record the activities of the day as well as nappy changes, any bottles given, naps taken, and all meals and snacks they have eaten.  All children will have a Learning Journey which is completed by their key worker.  This Learning Journey documents observations and photographic evidence of your child, showing significant learning in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and links the 7 areas of learning.  It will be shared with parents and carers every few months, and we welcome and encourage feedback.  Once your child reaches school age, we will ensure they are school ready making this transition easier for both parents and children.

Our setting is in a residential area which is incredibly quiet and is on a circular road with no through access meaning little traffic.  This also helps promote a safe and secure environment for the children.  We have access to our garden all year round due to our artificial grass.  We have a large garden that is fully enclosed and secure, with immediate access from the main playroom, which is also our closest fire exit.  We have an awning area to provide lots of shelter in the summer months and pots for the children to grow flowers and vegetables.  We also have a very wide range of outdoor resources, including a trampoline, playhouse, pirate ship, climbing frame, slide, sensory wall, mud kitchen, chalk board and an area for reading and writing.  We also have a sandpit, water play, ball pit and a variety of sit on cars and toys.

 

Who to contact

Contact Name
Dawn Brown
Contact Position
Registered Childminder
Telephone
07904 408722
01795871804
E-mail
dawnfitchett@hotmail.com

Where to go

Address
Minster On Sea
Sheerness
Kent
Postcode
ME12
Notes

We are open from 7.30am until 5.30pm Monday to Thursday and 7.30am until 4.00pm on Fridays and have between four and five weeks off a year.  We usually have a week off at the end of May/beginning of June, two weeks off at the end of August and between one and two weeks off at Christmas.  We do not charge when the setting is closed, however, we would still charge if parents decided not to bring their child outside of these times or if your child is unable to attend due to illness. 

 

When is it on?

When is childcare available
Open All Year
Carescheme Age Range:
0 year(s), 0 month(s) to 11 year(s), 0 month(s)
Opening Times
Opening Times
DayOpening TimeClosing Time
Monday 0730 1730
Tuesday 0730 1730
Wednesday 0730 1730
Thursday 0730 1730
Friday 0730 1600

Other Details

Table of costs
Table of costs
AmountCost Type
£6.00 an hour After School
£6.00 an hour Before School
£55.00 for up to 10 hours Per day
£30.00 Per half day
£60.00 for under 1 years old Per day
ECD Type
Childminder
Offers pickups
Yes
Schools covered
Halfway Houses Primary School
Cost(s)
Cost details
Our rates include all meals and snacks
but we ask parents to supply milk
nappies
wipes
and sun cream.
3-4 Year Old Funding?
Yes
2 Year Old Funding?
Yes
Total vacancies
0
Vacancies Details
We are currently full until September 2024.
Immediate vacancies?
No
Contact Provider for Vacancy Details?
Yes
Vacancy Information Last updated Date
27/02/2024
Facilities
Music, Literacy and Numeracy, Computers / It, Messy Play Area, Cookery, Drama, Toddler Groups, Paddling Pool, Toys/dolls, Dressing Up, Dance, Team Games, Discussions / Talks, Outdoor Activities, Environmental Area, Pets, Tv/video/dvd, Trampoline, Parks/playgrounds, Puppets, Water Play, Quiet Room, Games / Puzzles, Visits and Outings, Garden, Walks, Sandpit, Help With Homework, Arts And Crafts, Scooter, Healthy Living, Reading, Air Hockey, Refreshments, Books, Bike, Kitchen, Songs, Sleeping Area, Slide, Library Visits, Stories
Wheelchair Access
No

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN
EY432402
Link to latest ofsted inspection report 

30 Hours Extended Entitlement

Registered to provide up to 30 hours entitlement
Yes
30 Hours Partner Details (These are details of any other childcare provider(s) that this provider will work with to offer the 30 hours entitlement)

We are eligible to receive funding for 2,3 and 4-year-olds. We are also registered to accept child tax credits and childcare vouchers. 

New Childcare Funding from April 2024:

Eligible working parents of 2-year-olds can apply for 15 hours childcare support.  15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents of children from 9 months to 3 years old from September 2024.    

Pattern of Delivery: I offer 15 universal hours between the following hours: 9.00am – 2.00pm, or 10.30am – 3.30pm, 3 days a week or between the hours of 8.00am until 3.30pm, 2 days a week. I offer 30 universal and extended hours between the hours of 8.00am – 3.30pm, or 8.30am – 4.00pm, 4 days a week or 7.30am until 5.30pm, 3 days a week.  Other hours may be discussed, and we also offer stretched funding if required. 

`Entitlement to a Free Early Education place does not offer a guarantee of a place at any one provider or a particular pattern of delivery’.

We offer a minimum of two full day contracts.

 

 

Service status

Status
Open

Local Offer

Description

We currently support children who have recently be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Special Needs Support

When new children join our setting the parents/carers are asked to complete an information sheet which includes their interests at home.  This information is then used to plan their activities, so each child learns and develops in a way that is unique to them.  As childcare providers it is our responsibility to identify children with special educational needs (SEN) and to ensure we can support the child as early as possible to help them learn and progress.  The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the national framework for learning, development and care for children from birth to the end of Reception year.  EYFS framework sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well, and ensures that children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school.  We also refer to the documents `Birth to 5 Matters’ and `Development Matters’.  The identification of SEN is built into the overall approach to observing, assessing, planning, and monitoring the progress and development of all children.   We also carry out 2-year progress checks between the ages of 24-36 months.  The 2-year progress check identifies how children are developing in the Prime Areas and identifies any areas where the child’s progress is less than expected. 

All children under the age of 24 months will have their own daily diary which details what they have been doing that day, including nappy changes, sleep times, food they have eaten that day, their general mood and any other information that may be relevant.  We will also give all parents/carers a detailed handover at pick-up time.  Every child’s formal assessments are carried out and logged in their learning journeys, along with photographs and shared with parents/carers on a regular basis.  Any child that is falling behind or not making adequate progress, will be discussed with their parents/carers and if necessary, referrals will be made to outside agencies, GP’s or health visitors.

All children are entitled to a high-quality education that promotes high standards and to help children achieve their best possible outcomes and fulfil their potential.  At Dawnies Darlings we get to know the children well, how they learn, what they enjoy, what they may struggle with and where they may need more support in certain areas.  Every child has a key worker who will monitor their progress though their learning journey.  We work in partnership with the other adults in the setting to gather views and observations and to build a whole picture of their key children. We then adjust our teaching methods to ensure good progress is made for each child at the setting. 

At Dawnies Darlings we ensure that children with SEN get the support they need, along with engaging in activities alongside children who do not have SEN.  We promote equal opportunities within the setting to make all children feel included and loved.  We have adapted a smaller playroom which offers a calm and quiet area to support children who feel overwhelmed.  We have a variety of resources to support children with SEN to help with communication, calming and relaxation, meltdown management and stimulation.  These include sensory toys, toys that light up and flash, a variety of fidget toys, chew buddy’s, a visual timetables board and now and next transition board.  We adapt tasks by breaking them down into small manageable short steps to make them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timebound).  For non-verbal children we use PECS (picture exchange communication system) as a means of communication. 

As an early years provider we are required to have arrangements in place to identify and support children with additional needs or SEND and to promote equal opportunities for children in our care. Children’s SEN are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support:

  • Communication and interaction
  • Cognition and learning
  • Social, emotional, and mental health
  • Sensory and or/physical needs

If we identify a child as needing SEN support, we will work closely with the parents/carers to offer additional support.  This may include specialist teachers, social services and other outside agencies, GP’s or health visitors. 

The SEND code of practice sets out a graduated approach to provide support for children with four stages of action:

Access – access the child’s development and needs and include parents and the child where age and stage appropriate.  Is specialist help from health, social services or other agencies required?

Plan – agree what strategies, interventions and support are required.  Include a date for reviewing plans and progress.

Do – implement the plan and observe the child’s progress to the action taken.

Review – review the effectiveness of the support and the impact there has been on the child’s progress.  This process needs to become a regular cycle, to ensure the child is making good progress, including seeking further specialist help if necessary. 

The EYFS learning and development requirements comprise of the 7 areas of learning, as detailed below:

PRIME AREAS

  • Communication and language
  • Physical development
  • Personal, social, and emotional development

SPECIFIC AREAS

  • Literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Understanding the world
  • Expressive Arts and Design

Our curriculum is based around the 7 areas of learning and your child’s progress will be documented in their learning journeys which is shared with parents/carers every 3 months with their review.  There is also a section for parents/carers to comment on their child’s progress. 
We will also have regular discussions at drop off and pick up times and we welcome meetings with parents/carers when the setting is closed if you have any issues or concerns you would like to discuss.

 

 

We have experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  All our activities can be adapted to meet the individual needs of the children within the setting, including trips to the park.  We currently have 2 childcare assistants at Dawnies Darlings which allows plenty of group activities as well as 1-1 time with the children. 

Dawnies Darlings is run from our 4-bedroom home with its own separate entrance, cloakroom, and toilet which leads into our main playroom.  We currently have a step leading into the setting and outside to the garden, however, we are flexible to meet the needs of the children and adjustments can be made if necessary.  

Our setting has a program to help your child become school ready, which includes going on school runs with parents/carers permission.  We complete a detailed transition report which is given to the school and welcome your child’s teacher to visit your child at our setting.   If your child moves to a new setting, then a detailed report will be provided.

I am aware of the Local Inclusion Forum Teams (LIFT) and how to access their services.  I work very closely with families to support their children’s additional needs and provide reports and information on their progress.  Children with SEN will be supported with the Best Practice Guidance in the Early Years Audit Tool, Targeted Plans and Personalised Plans which are specific to your child’s needs.  I work closely with parents/carers as well as outside agencies, speech and language therapists, GP’s, social workers, health visitors, and portage and will attend meetings if necessary. 

If you would like further information, please contact me for an information sheet and then we can discuss your childcare requirements and arrange for you to visit our setting.  Details can also be found on our Facebook page, Dawnies Darlings.

I have an open-door policy and will always welcome any feedback from parents/carers.  This can be done either face to face or through various social media messaging platforms, such as email or WhatsApp.  I have various policies that are shared with parents/carers before their child starts which includes a complaints policy.  Parents/carers are given annual questionnaires to complete as well as their child’s learning journeys with feedback sheets every 3 months. There are several reviews that can be found on my Facebook page, Dawnies Darlings.

Reviews

Sign in to write a review

Disclaimer:

This directory has been set up to help you find local services and events available in your area. We make reasonable efforts to make sure that all information provided in the directory is accurate and up to date, but we do not accept any responsibility or liability for any errors in information. It is the responsibility of each individual service to update their information. For more information read our disclaimer.

Give website feedback

green smiley (good) orange smiley (average) red smiley (poor)