Latest Reviews
Here are some of the latest reviews that we have received from parents who have used childcare providers and tutors listed on Childcare.co.uk.
Lou is a fantaatic childminder, who looked after my son from the end of my maternity leave, until he started reception. Her guidance supported him into becoming such a kind, helpful and self assured boy. Her home setting is lovely with lots of play, learning and growing. I would recommend Lou to everyone.
DCG
I am sharing my experience because I believe other parents should know what happened before making such an important decision about who they trust with their child.
I first spoke with this childminder in November 2025 regarding childcare for my one-year-old son. At our initial discussion, we agreed a price of £40 per day / £4 per hour. Based on that agreement, we proceeded with the settling-in sessions and were expecting to receive the childcare contract.
However, several months later, just as we were about to receive the contract, I was informed that the hourly rate would instead be £13 per hour. I was told this was connected to what the Government pays for funded hours, and I was also told that she wanted approximately 7 weeks of paid annual leave. These were not the terms or prices discussed and agreed at our initial meeting in November.
My husband and I understandably decided that we could not agree to these completely different financial arrangements.
Unfortunately, the conversation then became very uncomfortable. I was told that I was selfish and that I should appreciate the effort she had made by accommodating our settling-in sessions. I chose not to argue and ended the conversation.
There were also concerns during the settling-in period itself.
My son only attended two settling-in sessions. During the second session, he was left for approximately two hours. When I returned, I found him asleep in the living room while being watched by a cleaner. This was extremely concerning to me because I had not agreed for someone who was not responsible for my child's care to be supervising him.
I also noticed that my son was wearing clothes belonging to someone else, including clothing that appeared to be girls' clothing. I had not been asked for permission to change him into somebody else's clothes.
Around a week later, my son became seriously unwell and we had to take him to A&E. He had difficulty swallowing and sleeping and was subsequently prescribed antibiotics. I cannot prove where or how he became ill, so I will not claim that the illness was caused by the childminder's home. However, as a parent, the experience understandably increased my concerns about the environment in which my child had been cared for.
Another extremely serious issue arose afterwards.
When we moved to a different childcare provider, I was informed that 30 funded hours had apparently been claimed for my son on 8 July, despite the fact that my son was not attending this childminder at that time. I had previously been asked to complete paperwork relating to funding.
This was extremely distressing and confusing for us. I strongly recommend that any parent in a similar situation carefully checks exactly what funding has been claimed in their child's name and for which dates. If there has been an incorrect or unauthorised claim, I believe it should be raised directly with the relevant local authority/Government funding team so that they can investigate.
There were also discussions about additional charges where I was told that the detailed calculations would only be explained towards the end of August. This made me uncomfortable because, as a parent, I believe I should know the complete financial terms before committing my child to childcare, not after I have already invested time into settling my child in.
During one conversation, when I asked when payment would be required for additional hours outside the funded hours, I was given one date, while her husband shouted another date in the background. I found the whole situation extremely unprofessional and confusing.
Finally, I was personally disappointed with the childcare environment. Based on what I observed during our visits, I did not see the level of childcare resources and facilities that I would have expected from someone advertising many years of childcare experience. There appeared to be very limited dedicated childcare equipment, with only a small kitchen toy visible in the room.
I am writing this review because choosing someone to look after your child is a decision that requires trust, transparency and professionalism.
My experience left me feeling that the financial terms changed substantially from what had originally been discussed, that communication became unpleasant when we questioned those changes, and that there were serious issues surrounding the funding claim which we are extremely concerned about.
Dear parents, please do your own research, ask for all fees and terms in writing before starting settling-in sessions, check funding arrangements carefully, and do not be afraid to walk away if something does not feel right.
I sincerely hope that sharing my experience helps another parent ask the right questions before making their decision.
We highly recommend Soonu to anyone looking for childcare. She looked after our child from the age of 1 to 5, and gave my wife and me the confidence to return to work after maternity leave, knowing our child was in good hands. Our child grew in confidence and independence while in her care, and we are very grateful for everything she did for our family.
I was a little worried about leaving my 13-month-old daughter, Buthyna, for the first time, but meeting Fatema made me feel so comfortable and confident.
Fatema is warm, caring and professional. Buthyna absolutely loves going to her setting and has settled in so well. She enjoys the activities, play and learning opportunities, and it is lovely to see her becoming more confident every day.
Fatema communicates really well and always keeps me updated about Buthyna’s day. She is kind, patient and genuinely cares about the children in her care.
I would highly recommend Fatema to any parent looking for a caring and trustworthy childminder. 5 stars are not enough! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nikki has looked after my little boy for one day a week over the course of the last school year. From the first moments with her I could see he felt so comfortable and at ease. She really took the time to encourage his interests in numbers and letters and was perfectly child led in all the activities and toys she provided. I feel very lucky that my son had this wonderful experience and would highly recommend Nikki to all parents looking for a friendly, caring childminder for their little one.
Nat looked after my son for two days a week for the last school year, everyday he came home happy and excited to tell me about all the wonderful things he had been doing. Nat’s house became his second home. Her tender loving care and attention to detail was second to none. My son has developed so well because of Nat’s care, she does over and above for every child and provides a great variety of toys and activities for the children to choose. I would highly recommend Nat to anyone looking for an exceedingly high standard of childcare for their little one.
Kat has looked after all 3 of my children both professional and private, she is so caring and loving towards them and has been so kind and patient in all times, my kids absolutely love Kat very much and still ask when she can next look after them.
I highly recommend Kat, she is amazing at what she does and we couldn't ask for a better nanny/babysitter for our children.
As a parent it is important to have confidence and trust in the person looking after your children, and Kat exceeds to all these expectations.
Thank you again Kat 🫶🏼
Our daughter started at Peaches and Pears before she turned 9 months old and was there until she turned 3. We couldn't have dreamed of a more caring and supportive environment. We never once had any worries or anxieties dropping her off...it really felt like dropping her off with extended family! The team gained our trust immediately. That was particularly appreciated when returning to work after maternity leave and starting my daughter at nursery at a relatively young age.
The team at Peaches and Pears are really passionate about childcare and they're true experts so this was something else that was reassuring as a new parent. We learnt a lot from them!
Peaches and Pears is small enough that we felt our daughter got dedicated attention but large enough that we felt she was well stimulated and part of a vibrant community. The children all developed really strong bonds and even seemed to share mannerisms and in-jokes which was hilarious.
The team is really good at finding opportunities for the children that help them build their confidence and understand who they are. They take them to the park a lot to explore outdoors, preferring to make things from leaves, sticks and conkers rather than playing with plastic toys or structured games. They even organised a visit to the nursery from some exotic animals while our daughter attended!
Overall we have nothing but good things to say about Peaches and Pears!
Our son started with Mahalia at 10 months and she made both him and us feel reassured about the transition. He has grown to love going there and it's special for us knowing he is happy with Mahalia and his friends there who treat him like family when he is away from home. Mahalia has been wonderful with different themes, activities, play groups and parks which our son loves. She has supported us through all kinds of transitions including potty training. She has excellent communication and we always enjoy the photos of all they get up to. She is just wonderful!
Micheen
Rowena was the childminder for our daughter for 9 months and our daughter has absolutely flourished with her. Apart from offering an exceptional childminding service, where outdoors, interactive play and creativity take a central role, Rowena herself was amazing for us as parents. Communication is always clear with updates during the day. She was flexible with us with changing routines and quick to respond to our messages. Her experience as a mother of two shines through, and Rowena easily manages to keep the environment fair and relaxed. She also gave us lots of great advice too! It was lovely to see the friendships bloom between our daughter and her boys and the other children in her care.
We were sad to say goodbye as our family have relocated, but we would recommend Rowena in a heartbeat.
Ellamae
Maggie is a great professional. She welcomed both us and our daughter with such warmth. Our daughter was only six months old when she started with Maggie, and she made her feel safe, happy and cared for from the very beginning — what more could you ask for?
We received regular updates throughout the day, which gave us great peace of mind. Maggie made us feel part of her home, while ensuring that our daughter was always well cared for. She had plenty of opportunities to interact with other children, take part in indoor and outdoor activities, explore different foods and, most importantly, feel safe and happy.
We are very grateful to Maggie for the care, warmth and attention she has given our daughter. We couldn't have asked for a better person to look after her.
We cannot recommend Karen highly enough! As an ex-primary teacher with extensive early years experience, Karen strikes the perfect balance between fun and early childhood education. The children are always learning through play, and she has instilled a real love for reading and learning in our little boy who at two years old comes home so excited to show off his counting or recognition of shapes.
Karen puts so much effort into creating an engaging environment and takes the kids out on outings every single day - our son has been to every zoo, park, play area, woodland in South East London! She also prepares home-cooked, nutritious meals that they love which is a huge bonus for parents who work full time.
What sets Karen apart is her genuine care for the children's emotional wellbeing and looks after them as if they were her own. I know our son is truly listened to, spoken to with respect and happy, and well cared for. Karen is also wonderful with parents and always open, attentive, and receptive to any concerns. When we asked her to turn our son's car seat around, she did so without hesitation.
We feel so lucky to have found Karen and couldn't ask for a better person to look after our little boy!
EmmaGR
We couldn’t recommend Eileen and her team highly enough. Our son has been with Eileen since he was seven months old, and from the moment he started, we have never looked back. Eileen made every effort to help him settle in quickly and has created such a warm, nurturing and inclusive home-away-from-home environment where he has always felt happy, safe and loved. The development we’ve seen during his time with her has been incredible — he arrived unable to crawl and has left as a confident, curious and chatty little boy. Eileen and her team take the children out every single day, whether it’s to the park, the local sandpit, music class, soft play or the library, giving them so many opportunities to explore different environments, experience new things and make lovely friendships with one another. He has enjoyed countless activities, singing and playing, while also learning important skills such as eating independently and maintaining a great sleep routine. The care and attention Eileen and her team give the children is exceptional, and the amazing home-cooked food and real-time updates is another huge bonus. Knowing our son has been so happy and so well cared for has meant the world to us. As first time parents we feel incredibly lucky to have found Eileen. Thank you Eileen and team!
Nicola has looked after my little girl since she was 10 months old so i could go back to work. She went above and beyond to cater for an earlier start due to me having to be at work for 8am which was great. My daughter absolutely loves it with nicola and has made friends with all the other children that attend. The daily photos and what they are getting up to each day is even better. She has even taught her makaton which is amazing and she thrives there, will be sad when my little girl has to move on
JoGeddes
Nicola is our childminder for 2 of our children. She has been fantastic from the start of enquiry. Nicola has great communication with us, daily updates about their day and always at the end of the phone for any questions. They have an amazing variety of home cooked meals for lunch whilst with Nicola too. My son has come on leaps and bounds since beginning with Nicola, she has taught him some basic makaton, to recognise the names of body parts and supported his independence - such as teaching him to take his shoes off. My daughter has just started and we can’t wait to see the progress she makes with Nicola too! Such a great setting and fantastic childminder!
We honestly cannot recommend Lynn highly enough. She has looked after our daughter now since she was 9/10 months old...she is now 5!!
Throughout that time she has provided the most wonderful, loving & attentive care.
As parents without a "village" around us, Lynn has been absolutely invaluable to our family. She has been so much more than a childminder. She has been a trusted, reassuring & incredibly caring person who we have always felt completely confident leaving our daughter with.
Our daughter has been so happy & settled in Lynns care & it is clear how much care, attention & thought goes into everything she does. She has supported her development, encouraged her confidence & created such a warm environment for her to grow in. Lynn has become such an important part of our daughters early years & of our familys life. We feel extremely lucky to have found her & would wholeheartedly recommend Lynn to any family looking for a childminder.
Finding the right childcare is never easy, but sending our son here has been the best decision we could have made. The atmosphere is warm, nurturing, and truly feels like an extension of home. Our little boy settled in so quickly and looks forward to going in every single day.
What made an enormous difference to us was their flexibility and support right at the beginning. We were going through a very busy transition — starting new work commitments and balancing international travel — all while our son was adjusting to full-time care. The support and understanding they showed during that period took away so much stress and made the transition seamless.
The way they work as a team of three childminders is hands down the best part of their service. For working parents, unexpected closures or sudden sick days are usually a constant worry, but here there is always seamless, trusted cover in place. Our son benefits from having consistent, familiar faces around him, while we get total peace of mind knowing our childcare is completely dependable.
They give children the gentle, personal attention of a home alongside the stability and sociability of a larger setting than just one childminder. We cannot thank them enough for the care they provide and would recommend them in a heartbeat!
We honestly cannot recommend Amanda and Peter highly enough. They have been such a huge part of our family’s life, looking after our son Loui since he was just 17 months old, and we feel incredibly lucky to have found them.
From day one, they have always been reliable, flexible, caring and incredibly knowledgeable. Most importantly, they genuinely care about the children they look after and go above and beyond to help them learn, grow and become confident little people.
Loui has just started school, and we can see so many of the qualities that Amanda and Peter have helped nurture in him. He is confident, kind, funny, independent and happy, and we truly believe his time with them has played a huge part in developing these qualities.
They have been absolutely brilliant at preparing him for school through learning and play. They supported him with potty training, learning to hold a pen, practising writing and doing simple activities to get him ready for school, all while making everything fun and enjoyable. They are so hands-on and really take the time to understand each child and help them develop at their own pace.
The setting itself is amazing. There are so many toys, books and activities, as well as soft play, a bouncy castle, climbing frames and so many exciting things for the children to explore. They even had a snow machine at Christmas! They create such a magical, fun and stimulating environment that the children absolutely love.
I am genuinely so sad that Loui has had to leave now that he has started school, but at the same time I know he is ready, and Amanda and Peter have helped give him such a fantastic foundation for this next chapter.
Our younger son Jude now attends Amanda and Peter’s setting too, which says everything about how much we trust them. Jude had never been cared for by anyone else before, so we were understandably nervous about how he would settle, but he settled incredibly quickly and is so happy there. Peter in particular has been brilliant at helping us navigate all the funded hours and childcare arrangements, making what can be a very confusing process so much easier.
Amanda and Peter aren’t just childminders to us — they have become a really important part of our children’s lives and our family. We will always be incredibly grateful for everything they have done for Loui and everything they continue to do for Jude.
If you are looking for childcare where your child will be genuinely loved, cared for, encouraged, challenged and given the most amazing experiences, we could not recommend Amanda and Peter enough. They are truly exceptional at what they do. ❤️
We couldn’t be happier with the care our son receives here. The setting feels just like a warm, welcoming home, which made settling in so easy for him and gave us complete peace of mind from day one. He is always happy, engaged, and genuinely cared for.
They went over and beyond to make settling in work and as smooth as possible - I had international work travel, my husband started a new job and the our son was having his first weeks at full time childcare!
One of the biggest strengths is the setup. Soonu operates in a trio childminder operation! Because three of them work together as a team, we have never had to scramble for childcare due to sick days, appointments, or personal time off. There is always familiar, reliable cover in place, which provides incredible consistency for our son and total peace of mind for us as working parents.
They provide the warmth and individual attention of a traditional childminder alongside the reliability and structure of a nursery. We are so grateful for everything they do and cannot recommend them highly enough.
I never dreamed that my daughter would have the best childminder I could have ever wished for. She is truly passionate about what she does and genuinely cares for every child as if they were her own.
She takes such wonderful care of the children, making sure they are well fed, changed, happy and comfortable. She goes above and beyond to create meaningful experiences for them, taking them to the park, farms to see the animals, and many other places where they can explore, learn and develop.
What I appreciate most is the love, patience and dedication she puts into her work every single day. She is not simply looking after the children; she is helping them grow, learn, become more confident and develop important skills through fun and enriching experiences.
I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have her looking after my daughter. Knowing that my child is in such caring, capable and loving hands gives me complete peace of mind. I truly couldn't ask for a better childminder. Thank you for everything you do for the children and for all the love and care you give them.