West Worthing Childcare provides high quality care for young people drawing inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach. We are registered to care for 3 children under the age of 5 and 6 children in total under 8 years of age. Our home based setting is conveniently situated close to Tarring Park, 10 minutes walk away from West Worthing station and within walking distance of the beach.
My name is Donna Edwards and I am an Ofsted
registered childminder at West Worthing Childcare. I have always
wanted to pursue a career in working with children since 1999 when
I qualified with my NNEB (CACHE Dipoma in Nursery Nursing). Since
then, I have accrued over 15 years experience working with
pre-school children in a range of different settings including an
award winning Reggio inspired Forest School Nursery.
Over the years I developed a profound professional interest in
working therapeutically with vulnerable children and their
families. I began my training as an Art Therapist in 2010 when I
enrolled on a course at IATE. I successfully achieved a Diploma in
the Therapeutic and Educational Application of the Arts and went
on to study for my Certificate in the Emotional Needs of the
Child. I qualified as a Children’s Counsellor in 2016.
As a trainee therapist I worked with troubled children in primary
schools with Dolphin House and was employed to work with families
at the Brighton Oasis Project affected by substance misuse. My
training and work as a therapist has given me in depth knowledge
of child development, attachment theory and the field of
neuroscience.
In January 2017 I went on maternity leave and gave birth to my
daughter. Becoming a parent is undoubtedly my greatest achievement
to date and I consider myself very privileged to experience life
as a mother. I am fortunate to live in a 3 bedroom house
with a dedicated playroom and garden where my childminding service
West Worthing Childcare is based.
West Worthing Childcare is inspired by the Reggio
Emilia approach. Children are seen as strong, powerful and competent
individuals, holding their own values, being worthy of respect as well
as being respectful towards others. We encourage children to develop
their own theories about the world and great value is placed upon the
ideas and opinions they express. Young people are free to choose how
they spend their time and indoor and outside learning environments are
both available for use.
In Reggio education there is no pre-determined early years curriculum.
We aim to facilitate a self-directed style of learning by nurturing
children's innate curiosity and creativity. At West Worthing Childcare
we genuinely believe that children learn best when they are encouraged
to be active participants in their own journey of discovery. This is
achieved by providing a wide range of experiences which stimulate
imagination, exploration, and children’s creative endeavours.
At West Worthing Childcare we work in accordance with the EYFS
providing all the benefits of a nursery in a home environment. We
strive to get to know each child individually and build the bonds
which lead to secure attachment relationships.
We deeply respect the role that parents play as
primary educators and the most enduring care givers in their
children’s life. At West Worthing Childcare we want to develop a close
relationship with you so we can ensure we are truly meeting your child
and your family's needs. We welcome the exchange of information and
open communication so we always make time to talk at the beginning and
end of each day.
When you are considering the various childcare options available it is
vital to ensure that potential providers are on the same wavelength as
you. West Worthing Childcare is especially well suited to families who
follow a gentle, attachment parenting approach. Ideally you will visit
a number of settings before making your final choice. If you would
like to arrange a viewing at West Worthing Childcare please contact
us we would be delighted to hear from you.
