Laura Smith of Beccles retrains as childminder to open ‘micro-nursery’ at home

A Suffolk woman has retrained as an Ofsted-approved childminder to open a ‘micro-nursery’ from within her own home.

A new initiative called ‘tiney’, which was launched by the Founder of Teach First, aims to retrain residents as childminders to meet the rising demand for childcare services.

This includes Laura Smith, of Beccles, who has opened her own nursery in her home after working in childcare for around seven years.

She said: “I used to work in a nursery, and while I loved being around the children, the long hours and low pay were tough.

“I felt like I had very little control over my time — but becoming a childminder has completely changed that.

“I'm earning more and still get to work with children and in a career I love, but now I have so much more flexibility.

“I love being able to get outside and take the kids on nature walks, collecting conkers and leaves. I feel like I’m a better educator because I have the freedom to create more meaningful, hands-on experiences.”

The launch of tiney comes in response to a significant demand for high-quality childcare services as nursery closures in England have increased by 35 per cent since the pandemic, according to the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA).

Another NDNA report revealed a 50 per cent increase in closures during 2022-23 compared to the previous year.

Amid these closures, tiney aims to attract a new generation of early years educators in Suffolk by offering the potential for higher salaries—due to the low overheads of childminding—and the flexibility of working from home.

Laura added: “The demand from local parents has been unbelievable. I advertised on a Friday and had all my spaces filled by Sunday.

“Our local childminding community is amazing — we meet up regularly have a big group chat where we all share tips, families and support. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“On a personal level, I love being able to choose my own hours, which gives me so much flexibility.

“I can decide how much I want to work depending on where I am in life, which makes me feel really set up for the future and eventually having a family of my own."