You can download the awards book here
Cheeky Cherubs is a small rural farm-based childminding setting which provides endless opportunities for outdoor learning.
Debra Meakin leads the team along with three assistants, who are all Level 3 childcare qualified and above. They engage the children in endless adventures, from climbing their mountain to sliding down it and caring for the farm’s ducks, filling bird feeders and planting pumpkins, peas and sweetcorn in their allotment.
One parent comments, ‘Cheeky Cherubs is like a second home to our two children. The focus on outdoor farm-based learning is fantastic, helping the children to learn about animals, growing food and their favourite vehicles – tractors!’
Care is taken to provide a nurturing setting with strong foundations in the importance of attachment. The team aim to provide plenty of hands-on experiences for the children in their care and encourage children to develop their own ideas by supporting and extending their interests to take their play and learning in many directions. The practitioners carefully observe and engage with children in order to facilitate enhanced learning opportunities for each child and help them to achieve their full individual potential.
As a small team, it is felt that they have the luxury of not only getting to know their key children but also every child in the setting, enabling them to have a whole-setting approach and make the most of the practitioners’ individual strengths and skills.
Continuous professional development is regarded as important to benefit the children in their care and the staff team as a whole. Debra is currently undertaking a Level 3 SENCO course in preparation for a child with Down syndrome attending the setting. Practitioners feel they have recently grown as a team through the new experience of supporting parents going through the adoption process. They are providing stability for the siblings and parents as they adapt to family life together. They ensurethat the setting’s resources and reading materials reflect the diverse range of families that they work with, including children with additional needs and those growing up with same sex parents.
Cheeky Cherubs may be based in a very small village, but the children play a big part in village life and the local community. For example, the Village Hall holds an annual produce show where the children now have their own sections for crafts and cooking. This year they have grown sunflowers and are entering them in the village’s tallest sunflower competition.
A nine-seater vehicle enables them to explore outside the village as well, with recent trips including the Curve Theatre to see Room on the Broom. The National Space Centre is also a favourite place to visit.
FINALISTS
• Sarah and Carly Baker Childcare – Rotherham
• The Playroom Marple – Stockport
CRITERION
Open to settings where registered childminders are working with other childminders and/or assistants, including those registered as ‘childcare on domestic premises’.
