Lesley
Childminder in Edinburgh
My Summary
About Me
My name is Lesley and I am a fully registered childminder with many years of experience caring for children in a safe, nurturing home environment. I live with my husband and our 15-year-old son and one of our adult daughters who still lives at home, We have three children in total — two are now adults, and our eldest daughter no longer lives at home. Family life is very important to us and our home is warm, welcoming and full of laughter.
I pride myself on offering a true home-from-home setting where children feel safe, secure and valued. I aim to build strong, trusting relationships with both children and their families, working closely with parents to ensure continuity of care and to support each child’s individual needs, interests and stage of development.
My Home & Environment
We live in a spacious four-bedroom bungalow with a large open-plan living area, which is the main space used for childminding. The environment is organised to be child-friendly, safe and stimulating, with a variety of age-appropriate toys, books and activities that encourage learning through play.
Our fully enclosed garden provides a safe and secure outdoor space where children can explore and be active. Outdoor equipment includes a slide, goal posts, a basketball net and a wide range of outdoor toys and resources. I strongly believe in the importance of outdoor play and physical activity as part of a child’s overall development, and we spend time outside whenever possible.
Quality of Care
At my most recent inspection with the Care Inspectorate, I was awarded a “Very Good” (Grade 5) in all areas of my work, with no recommendations for improvement. This reflects my commitment to providing high-quality childcare in a safe, caring and supportive environment.
My goal is to ensure that every child in my care feels happy, confident and encouraged to reach their full potential.
My Experience
As a mother of three children and a proud grandmother, alongside 11 years of professional childminding experience, I have extensive knowledge of caring for children across a wide range of ages and developmental stages. This personal and professional experience has given me a deep understanding of children’s individual needs, routines and personalities. Most importantly, I genuinely love caring for children and supporting them as they grow and develop.
I am fortunate to live in an area with fantastic local amenities. We regularly attend toddler groups, visit soft play centres and enjoy local parks, providing children with valuable opportunities to socialise, build confidence and develop important social skills.
I am passionate about the outdoors and believe fresh air and physical activity are essential for children’s wellbeing. We enjoy regular walks along Portobello Beach and adventures exploring Arthur's Seat. Occasionally, I also take the children further afield to places such as Archerfield Estate in North Berwick, as I drive and am able to provide a wider range of enriching experiences.
I believe that a balance of structured activities, outdoor exploration and free play helps children thrive, and I strive to make every day fun, engaging and full of learning opportunities.
My Qualifications
Child and baby first aid level 2
Paediatric First Aid
Food and hygiene level 2
Basic Food Safety
Child protection level 2
Emotional health and wellbeing
Promoting positive behaviour in children
Understanding learning styles and is important.
My Availability
My Fees
- Childminding from £8.00 per hour
My Local Schools
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Parsons Green Primary School
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Craigentinny Primary School
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Hermitage Park Primary School
My Documents
- Care Inspectorate Certificate (added 28/02/2023)
- Marriage Certificate (added 28/02/2023)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Parents say
This childminder provides exceptional care in a loving, home-like environment. Children enjoy a wide range of activities, including outdoor excursions and educational visits. Parents appreciate the regular updates, photos, and detailed daily reports. The childminder is described as experienced, trustworthy, and flexible, creating a happy atmosphere where children thrive and develop important social skills.
Summary generated by AI from the text of recent member reviews
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Lesley. Please note that reviews represent the subjective opinions of other Childcare.co.uk members and not of Childcare.co.uk. Parents must carry out their own checks and references on childcare providers to ensure that they are completely happy before enaging in the use of their services.
We have repeatedly thanked our lucky star to have found Lesley when we were looking for childcare for our children: Lesley has been taking care of our sons from when they were under 1 year old, up to pre-school age, and in the three years we have known her we have not had to worry once while our children were in her care.
Not only does she provide a beautiful and safe family home with lots of toys and activities, but she is also going to great efforts to make sure the kids are out in the fresh air, and seeing lots of places, from parks and playgrounds to the beach, toddler groups, museums, farms, ... you name it. On top of it all, we were kept up-to-date with lots of pictures and updates.
One of our sons had serious food allergies and she was absolutely amazing in making sure he was safe without being excluded. - Her love for children and her experience are instantly obvious, and we can only wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a loving home away from home for their child!
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Adrien
on 23/10/2024
Our daughter stayed with Lesley for 2 years and we all loved every moment of it.
Lesley is more than a childminder she provides a home from home, children are happy, never bored and learn a lot.
On a practical level, There are constant updates on the activities of the day, flexibility when need be and a lot of care.
The hardest part has been to say good bye…
We can only recommend Lesley.
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Marine
on 04/08/2023
Our son started with Lesley when he was 14 months old and has enjoyed two years in Lesley’s care. When we first met Lesley we instantly knew she was the right childminder for us. She is highly experienced, confident and trustworthy. It’s clear Lesley loves being around children and they love being in her company too. Lesley treats the children like they are part of her family and gets them out and about daily to play park, beach, soft play, toddlers class…they are always doing something. It is a very happy environment offered. We really appreciate the regular photographs sent to us on WhatsApp each day and our daily diary so we know how much our son has ate, slept and amount of nappy changes ! It was one of the hardest decisions for our son to move on to a nursery to take advantage of government funded hours. We feel so lucky to have had Lesley as our childminder as she has helped our son have the best start in life.
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Laura
on 30/06/2023
My son went to Lesley's for about a year, unfortunately due to moving house we had to stop. Lesley provides Superb service for children she has in her care! My son is very energetic and he had received exactly what he needed at Lesley's as there were many outdoor activities and also trips to different places which my son loved. Thanks a lot for everything, James misses you a lot!xxx
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Lenkita
on 10/10/2021
Lesley is an excellent childminder and has played such a huge part in my sons development, he’s very sociable and confident and I cannot thank her enough for the childcare she has provided.
I was kept updated throughout each day which really put me at ease (as a first time mum), it was lovely seeing photos of how much fun he was having.
I also received a daily diary which detailed meal times, nap times, nappies etc.
Lesley’s home is a great environment.
Highly recommend!
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Lauren
on 10/08/2021
Our daughter started with Lesley at 13 months. We chose a childminder as I wanted a mixture of ages in a homely setting. We immediately felt comfortable with Lesley in her beautiful home with all the space, toys and activities a child could want! We were happy that the children would be out and about each day at different activities, eg mixing with other children at local playgroups or visiting playgrounds and softplays further afield. Our daughter has been to places we had never taken her eg Gorgie Farm and Butterfly World so she has made amazing new memories with Lesley! We feel she has a genuine love for the children in her care, encourages their interests and development, our daughter truly loves spending time with her and we know that she is safe and well looked after. Lesley sends pictures throughout the day so we know what they are getting up to and most of pictures of our daughter that we have around our house have been taken by her...she has a real knack for getting a big smile! Current circumstances meant our daughter did not attend for the past 5 months but she restarted this week and has been very excited. Shes now 2yrs 2m and talks about Lesley's house, being picked up in the car, seeing the other children and what they will do together. Im so glad we chose this setting as it has been a success all round!
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AJC
on 13/09/2020
Lesley looked after my son from P1 to P5 and I never once had a moment's worry when he was with her. She provides a caring, fun, safe and active childminding service. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a childminder.
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bonnie
on 07/09/2020
Our son Finn (8 months when he started childcare) loves going to Lesley, from day one he’s been really happy there! Lesley has been brilliant at keeping us updated during the day with photos and messages (very reassuring for first time parents!). She keeps the children entertained at the house, park, toddlers groups or trips to the beach and other fun places, Finn is always exhausted when he gets home :) I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Lesley to any parent, we consider ourselves lucky to have found her!
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Jen W
on 17/08/2020
Another fantastic experience with Lesley. My daughter has been going to Lesley's childminding for the last 2 years and has had an absolute ball. Lesley had also previously looked after my little boy and for me there was no one else I wanted to look after my little girl. Lesley is a very active, hands on childminder who always has lovely activities planned, from toddlers group to walks down the beach, day trips further afield like Fairy Trails or trips to all the best local parks, days at soft play and my daughter’s favourite - home baking. She always keeps me updated throughout the day, with my little lady having the best time. Nothing is too much trouble for Lesley, she is super accommodating, helpful, kind and caring, always happy to go that extra mile - she really has been like a second Mum for my little girl. Not only do I consider Lesley a fantastic childminder, I would also consider her a friend. I cant recommend Lesley enough, your little one really would be in the best hands!
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Ash
on 17/08/2020
My son was with Lesley 2 days a week since he was 11 months (he's now nearly 3) and when I dropped him off he would run through the door without a backward glance. He loved his time with Lesley who would take him on wonderful outings to the beach, the playground, soft play and provides lots of toys in her home and outside in her garden. My son would always talk happily about Lesley and his time there and the other children. Lesley always sent lots of updates through the day. Sadly due to a house move, we have had to change our childcare arrangements. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
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Rosie
on 06/11/2018
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This profile was last updated on 19th February 2026 and has been produced from information provided to us by the user. We have not verified or confirmed the accuracy of any of the information and members should undertake their own vigorous checks and references. Please ensure you read our Safety Advice and information on how to Check Childcare Provider Documents.
