PamCooke

Our support network, an outstanding childminder!

Our son has been going to Pam since he started Reception, and he is now in Year 6. Over the years, her home has genuinely become like a second home to him, and he always enjoys going there.

Pam is so much more than just a childminder to us, she is our support network. We don’t have much support elsewhere, so knowing that our son is safe, happy and cared for by someone we completely trust means everything to us.

Pam always goes above and beyond for the children. She arranges special days and celebrations, takes them to the park and to feed the ducks, and will often treat them on a Friday after they’ve had a great week. She provides meals and snacks and always makes sure our son is happy and comfortable in her care.

She is caring, compassionate and incredibly attentive. Whatever the circumstances, she always makes sure our boy feels safe and supported, whether that is walking to and from school, helping him with his schoolwork or supporting his general development and confidence.

Pam has also always been extremely flexible. If my husband or I ever need to change or swap a day, she does everything she can to support us, which has made such a difference to our family.

Since being with Pam, our son has been supported throughout his education and development and has come on leaps and bounds. Pam also completes a journal with the children, which is a lovely way for parents to see what they have been doing and the memories they have made during their time with her.

Her prices have always been extremely reasonable and offer amazing value for the level of care and service she provides. Her home is always clean and welcoming, and her Ofsted inspections consistently reflect the care, attention and commitment she gives to the development of every child in her care.

Nothing is ever too much trouble for Pam. She goes above and beyond every single day, and without her support over all these years, we genuinely don’t know where we would be.

We couldn’t recommend Pam highly enough. Any family would be incredibly lucky to have her caring for their child, just as we have been.

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by Steph Pa on 25/09/2026

More than just a childminder -A part of our family

We feel incredibly lucky to have had Pam look after our daughter from before she was one until now that she started Reception. She has been so much more than just a childminder and has played such a special part in our daughter’s early years.

Being away from our support system and without family nearby, having someone like Pam who we could completely trust made such a beautiful difference in our life. She has always been caring, kind, understanding and genuinely interested in our daughter and her development. I always knew she was in safe hands and, most importantly, that she was truly loved and cared for.

Pam has also been such a support to me. She has always encouraged me in the things I’ve been doing and shown a genuine interest in my life. She has always been incredibly understanding too. Whether I needed to drop my daughter off a little earlier or was unexpectedly late because something had gone wrong, she never made me feel guilty or uncomfortable. She was always fair, compassionate and understanding.

She has always been extremely professional and honest. She never asked for anything beyond her agreed daily rate, which was £37 a day (everything included) and was incredibly reasonable with her fees compared with many other childminders. Despite this, the level of care she provided was exceptional. From trips to the park, feeding the ducks and getting special treats each Friday to celebrate a good week. She did it all.

The food and snacks she provided were amazing and top quality (I honestly never once had to send extra food along.)

She also made every special occasion feel special, whether it was a birthday, Christmas or Easter. Pam always put so much thought into making these days memorable for all the children.

One of the most thoughtful things she gave us in the end was a beautiful journal documenting our daughter’s time with her, including her progress, special memories and all the little moments they shared. It is something we will treasure and will be so lovely for our daughter to look back on one day.

Pam has such a good heart and genuinely cares about the children in her care. You can see that she takes pride in what she does and really wants the children to be happy, confident and well looked after.

It is difficult to put into words how grateful we are for everything Pam has done for our daughter and for us over the years. She has given our little girl such a happy, loving and memorable start to life, and we will always be thankful for that.

We would recommend Pam without hesitation to any parent looking for a kind, trustworthy, professional and genuinely caring childminder. ❤️

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by Annelize on 25/09/2026

An exceptional reliable childminder

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My daughter has been cared for by Pam since she was 10 months old, and she is now three and a half. She attends Monday to Thursday, 8am–5pm, and I genuinely couldn't be happier with the care, love and attention she has received over the past three and a half years.

Pam has been so much more than someone who simply looks after my daughter while I'm at work. She has supported me as a parent, helped me build confidence, guided us through weaning and has always been there with sensible, caring advice whenever my daughter has been unwell. She has supported us through things such as constipation, dietary changes and administering medication when needed. I have always felt that my daughter's individual needs are understood and genuinely matter.

My daughter absolutely loves going to Pam's. She has a wonderful relationship with Pam and her husband and genuinely sees them as an additional set of grandparents. That means an enormous amount to me because, above everything else, I wanted my daughter to feel safe, secure, loved and at home.

Pam's home is exceptionally clean, warm and homely. It never feels institutional or like a nursery; it feels like a real home, which was exactly what I wanted when my daughter was 10 months old. She has a fantastic selection of toys and regularly rotates them, which keeps things fresh and interesting for the children while also keeping the space organised and uncluttered.

I also want to clarify two points mentioned in another recent review because I was personally present during the settling-in session referred to.

Regarding the clothing, the child arrived without a spare change of clothes and subsequently wore some of my daughter's clothes. I was there at the time and was completely comfortable with this. The parent also thanked us for lending the clothes and later returned them. I have also been in situations where my daughter has unexpectedly needed spare clothes, so I know these things happen.

I was also present during the settling-in session and did not see the cleaner being left responsible for supervising the child. The cleaner had been cleaning and had finished, while I was there, and Pam was caring for the children. I therefore wanted to clarify that this was not what I witnessed.

I can only speak from my own experience, and mine has been overwhelmingly positive. After three and a half years, I have never had a concern about the standard of care my daughter receives. Quite the opposite — I have enormous trust in Pam and feel incredibly lucky that we found her.

Pam has helped my daughter grow into the happy, confident little girl she is today, while also supporting me as a parent along the way. She now also drops my daughter off at preschool and collects her, which has been incredibly helpful.

Choosing childcare is a huge decision, and I know how difficult it can feel to leave your child with someone for the first time. I would wholeheartedly recommend Pam to any parent looking for a caring, trustworthy and genuinely homely childcare environment.

After three and a half years, I have absolutely no hesitation in giving Pam five stars. She has been a fantastic part of my daughter's life and of ours as a family, and I am extremely grateful for everything she has done for us.

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by Amanpree on 17/09/2026

⚠️ Parents, be very careful when choosing her

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.

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by Georgi on 14/09/2026

Excellent

Pam has looked after both of our children and we couldn’t be happier with the care she provides. She is warm, caring, reliable, and creates such a safe and happy environment for the children. Both of our kids absolutely loved spending time with her and always came home happy and full of stories about their day.

Pam has been fantastic at supporting their development, encouraging learning through play, and helping them grow in confidence. It gave us real peace of mind knowing they were in such capable and caring hands. We would highly recommend Pam to any parent looking for a trustworthy and dedicated childminder.

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by Richard on 15/05/2026

Home away from home

Pam has been looking after our daughter for almost 2 years, since she was 10 months old.
Pam provides a home away from home in a very loving environment.
Our daughter sees her as another set of grandparents which is lovely.
We always know what our daughter has done every day, food, nappys, playing.
Pam teaches the children manners and also helps potty train with a lot of 1 on 1 attention.
Pam looks after the children like they are her own.
We couldn't have asked for a better start to our daughters life.

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by Amanpree on 29/07/2025

Amazing Childminder

My son and daughter both were looked after by Pam and I have no complaints at all. Pam cared for them like they were her own and communicates effectively with parents. She potty trained my children, taught them songs, numbers and colours. They engaged in a variety of activities and attended a baby group on Fridays, amongst walks to the park. The children also talk highly of her daughter and husband. Pam was also flexible with our needs in regards to timings and days. Pam comes highlybrecommended.

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by Alicia on 31/10/2023

Outstanding!!

Our son has been with Pam since he l started in reception at school and will soon be turning 7. He loves going every day, Pam drops off and picks him up everyday. He has everything he needs and more whilst he is in Pams care. The anxiety of leaving your child is overwhelming, but Pam is literally the best. She gives you daily updates, always a phone call away if you need her for anything and is available in the school holidays to have children. We cannot recommend Pam enough!

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by Steph Pa on 07/06/2023

Outstanding

Just wanted to leave a review to say just how fantastic Pam is!

My daughter has been with Pam since she was 7 weeks old. She is now a bouncy toddler who is always excited when we pull up outside Pam's house.

Pam has shown a lot of care and attention to my daughter's development and the results are evident. My daughter has grown to become a confident child who interacts well with others and the environment around her.

Pam takes the children off on adventures to the park and playgroup. During the summer they have a supervised bouncy castle in the garden. We receive lovely crafts bits like valentines, christmas cards and paintings.

Pam has supported us through my daughter's milestones like weaning, teething, potty training, stopping dummy use and academic learning.

As working parents we never have to worry about how our daughter is doing as Pam send us daily updates and yearly reports on her progress.

Pam was very supportive and works with parents to find solutions to any difficulties. We are very grateful for the compassion and flexibility that Pam has showed us.

You will know Pam is the right person to look after for your child when you meet her. She is professional and caring.

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by Zipporah on 01/02/2022

Outstanding

Both my children have been going to Pam since they were 8 months and 6 months old. When Pam mentions a home from home she means it. Pam treats my girls like part of the family and shows them a lot of love and care. They get the 1:1 attention that I always wanted them too. They have come on so much and Pam supports them and myself every step of the way. Pam is not just a childminder but she has welcomed us all in like part of the family. I am now leaving Pam but only because they will be attending a nursery school closer to where we live. I cant recommend Pam enough and you can be rest assured she will do everything to help your children develop.

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by Parent on 18/11/2019