Dd's Forest Hill
Childminder in London: Lewisham
5.0
My Summary
Home-Based Montessori
About Me
Welcome to DD’s Childcare – Where Love, Learning, and Laughter Flourish
We warmly welcome you to DD’s Childcare, a home-based Montessori setting rooted in care, culture, and creativity. Founded by Donnell (Uncle DD) and supported by my fiancée Hannah.
With over a decade of combined experience in the childcare sector, we are proud to offer a nurturing and dynamic environment where children thrive. My passion for childcare began when I became an uncle at just 11 years old, earning the affectionate nickname “Uncle DD.” Since then, I’ve combined my natural ability with professional training, including a Level 3 Early Years qualification, and hands-on experience launching and running childcare ventures. Hannah, a warm and devoted educator, brings years of experience as a primary school teacher and nursery assistant, and shares a deep passion for childhood development.
Our Approach
DD’s Childcare blends the Montessori philosophy with the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) curriculum to offer a rich and holistic learning experience. We go beyond traditional childcare—our weekly routines include:
- Planned educational activities tailored to each child’s needs
- Healthy, balanced meals prepared with care
- Regular library visits to nurture a love of books
- Bi-weekly nature walks and park trips to foster exploration and wellbeing
- Language integration, including Spanish and British
-Sign Language (BSL), to support communication and inclusivity
As a male educator in a female-dominated industry, I’m passionate about changing perceptions and encouraging more men to enter early years care. At DD’s, we champion diversity—not just in who we are, but in what we teach and how we support every child’s unique journey.
The setting is operated out of a four-bedroom house, where the extended ground floor and garden are used for childcare. There is a wide range of garden toys to suit all ages.
It is situated in proximity to the local library and a few parks. Approximately 7 minutes from Sydenham and Forest Hill Station and about 10 minutes from Catford Station and Lower Sydenham, and a short walk from the local buses (194, 202, 181, 356, 352, 450).
My Experience
My wife and I bring a wealth of experience and passion to childcare, with over a decade of combined expertise. She is a dedicated primary school teacher, while I was born and raised in a family-run childcare environment. Childcare truly runs in our blood, as both of our parents also operate successful childcare businesses.
I hold a Level 3 qualification in childcare, complemented by a university education in Business and IT. My partner has achieved a Level 8 qualification in primary education, reflecting her deep commitment to nurturing young minds. Over the past five years, I have worked as a professional childcare assistant and babysitter, honing my skills and building lasting connections with many families.
My Qualifications
Childcare Level 3
First Aid
Safeguarding Level 2
Food and Hygiene Level 2
Special Educational Needs Level 2
American Sign Language and Makaton
Art and Design Diploma
My Availability
We are open Monday - Friday from 8am-6pm
My Fees
- Childminding from £9.00 per hour
Our fees are £9 per hour for a full day 8am-6pm including meals and snacks.
£9 per hour for half-day attendance 8am-1pm and 1-6pm.
Fees are paid in advance on the 1st of each month.
My Local Schools
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Adamsrill Primary School
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Haseltine Primary School
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Kilmorie Primary School
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Brent Knoll School
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at St Michael's Church of England Primary School
My Ofsted Inspections
The inspection grades below have been obtained from the Ofsted website based upon the registration number the childminder has provided to us. You should verify this information yourself prior to using the childminder.
My Documents
- Ofsted Certificate (added 10/07/2017)
- Other (added 01/04/2025)
- Inspection Report: DONNETTE HINDS-GRIFFITHS INSPECTION REPORT JANUARY 2019 (added 21/08/2019)
Reviews
4.97 out of 5
Parents say
The childminder receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for providing a warm, nurturing environment where children thrive. Parents praise the structured activities, healthy meals, and regular communication. The setting is described as safe, stimulating, and educational. Children form strong bonds with the caring staff and are excited to attend. Many reviewers highlight the childminder's professionalism, experience, and genuine love for the children in her care.
Summary generated by AI from the text of recent member reviews
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for DD's Forest Hill. 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 are incredibly grateful to have Donnette as our son’s childminder. From the moment we met her, we knew he would be in excellent hands. She possesses a warm and nurturing demeanor that immediately puts both children and parents at ease.
Donnette and her team creates a safe and stimulating environment where our son has thrived. She engages him in a variety of activities that promote learning and creativity, from arts and crafts to outdoor play and trips around the local area. We’ve seen significant progress in his social skills and confidence during his time with her.
Communication with Donnette has been outstanding. She provides regular updates on our son's development through conversations, phone calls, pictures and parents meetings and is always open to discussing any concerns or suggestions we may have. It's evident that she genuinely cares for the children she looks after, treating them as if they were her own and giving lots of helpful support and suggestions.
She has been very accommodating and supporting our son with his fussy eating and I love the variety of healthy and delicious foods she provides.
We highly recommend Donnette to any parent looking for a dedicated, reliable, and loving childminder. Thank you, Donnette for all that you do!
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Jade
on 15/01/2025
We were so lucky to find Safehands for our daughter! She’s now been in their full time care for over a year and we couldn’t be happier with her development. She started when she was just 7 months old and I was very nervous of the transition. Auntie has such vast experience with settling in young babies so we took her lead and my daughter responded so well to a gradual introduction starting with only a couple hours and then building from there. A year on and my daughter really sees it as her second home.
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Forest H
on 08/02/2024
My 2.5 year old son has been attending Safehands full time since he was 10 months old and I can honestly say that we now couldn't be without Auntie and the Safehands team. They are so caring and genuinely love the children under their care. My son is absolutely thriving and his development has been nothing short of phenomenal. Thank you Auntie!
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Clare
on 10/01/2024
Our almost 3 year old has been going to Aunty for around 6 months and we only recently took her out as she was showing signs of being very ready for nursery. Our daughter now goes back to visit Aunty regularly and she is extremely excited to do so. Aunty has created a genuine loving bond with our daughter which we will be forever grateful for and we plan to stay in touch.
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Gracie I
on 20/12/2023
Donette is a fantastic childminder that has taken extremely great care of our little boy. We sent our son in at 10 months old and he spent just over a year and a half in her care where he developed leaps and bounds. It’s a very important decision to choose the right child care and Donette certainly ticks all the boxes; from nutritious food, to fun yet developmental play and activities, to care and a safe space, her care provides a trustworthy setting for any child. She creates a great environment that the children clearly enjoy and also developed a special bond with our son making him extremely happy and comfortable. We are extremely pleased that we made the decision to send him there.
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Mei
on 25/11/2022
Our son started attending Safehands when he was 9 months old, and they have been absolutely brilliant with him. We started with 3 days a week and then moved full-time when I went back to work. He loved the setting and was very happy to go there every day, to the point that he would ask about Safehands during the weekend too. Over the following 2 years, he learned so much and was very well supported and looked after. He also has eczema and food allergies and they would look after him with great experience: having had other children in similar situations, they are very well prepared.
The setting is really nice, with a good outdoor space for summer activities too. Every day they would organise something different for the children to do and learn, following a structured activity program that was shared with us beforehand. Also, the staff would share updates and photos during the day and on a dedicated app which both me and my husband absolutely loved. They really supported us during every step of our son's growth, from the first steps and words to the toddler phase, through sleep regressions and potty training, always with great expertise and a big, warm smile on their faces.
Our son became friends with the other children and we still meet them for play dates now, so it was also a great experience for us to bond with other parents.
We couldn't ask for more and we definitely recommend them.
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Sara
on 07/11/2022
I highly recommend Safehands childminding services. My son started going there when he was about 9 months old and settled in very quickly. The setting has a family feel and Donnette and Nats are very welcoming and takes great care with the children they look after. They are kind and polite when interacting with the children and parents. Activities provided are well planned to foster development based on individual needs. My son really enjoyed his time there and we were sad to leave when we relocated.
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Ciske
on 06/07/2022
Safehands have looked after our daughter four days a week since she was 8 months old. We’re so happy to have a place for our son from February, too. I can’t recommend this setting enough. I have absolute confidence in the staff and I know my daughter receives all the love, cuddles and discipline that she needs. You can tell that Aunty genuinely loves the children and can work magic on the children's behaviour. They have the benefits of a small setting (two members of staff) in terms of consistency and bonding but they take great effort to create a structured activity program for their learning and development, too. They get healthy, balanced and interesting meals. They have independent play every day. My daughter’s behaviour is reasonably good for a 2 year old and she plays very well on her own at home. She comes home dancing and singing the songs she’s learned. I love it when I notice a makaton sign/song/word learned at nursery. Each morning she runs into the setting laughing and looking for the staff to cuddle. They’re really helping us to raise a happy, confident daughter and I can’t thank them enough.
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Helen
on 27/12/2021
We’ve had our daughter looked after by Donnette (Aunty) four days a week for over a year now. We’re so happy to now have a place for our baby boy for next year, too. I can’t recommend this setting enough. I have absolute confidence in Donnette and her other staff, Nat and I know when I leave my daughter there that she will get all the love, endless cuddles and also discipline that I would hope for her to get. You can tell that Donnette genuinely loves the children and she appears to be able to work magic on their behaviour. They have the benefits of a small setting in that it’s always the same two people looking after the children (great for consistency and bonding) but they take great effort to put on a structured activity program, too, for their development / learning. They get very healthy, balanced and interesting meals. They help them learn to play independently as well. My daughter’s behaviour is pretty good for a nearly 2 year old and she is always coming home singing and dancing to songs learnt at Safehands. I love it when I notice a Makaton sign/ word/ activity she’s learned there. She always runs into the setting in the morning laughing, looking for Aunty to give her a cuddle. They’re really helping us to raise a happy, confident daughter and I can’t thank them enough.
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Helen
on 22/11/2021
We were looking for a childminder for a short-term period and we couldn't have asked for better or for more from Safehands.
It is so evident they love children and they have so much enthusiasm and joyfulness that right from the beginning my daughter felt very comfortable and happy there. We also felt assured from the first visit that our daughter would not just be well looked after, but would be with individuals who really cared and who genuinely enjoy being around children and watching and helping them grow and develop.
As there were only 6 children maximum there at the same time, our daughter received lots of attention to allow her to develop and play. It also meant we also got a very personalised service, with text updates and photos throughout the day. This was particularly reassuring when our daughter first started as we could see how happy and engaged she was. We also got a detailed description (of how she had been, what they had done, what she ate, if she slept and how potty training was going etc) at the end of each day.
They do lots of activities with the children, including taking them to the park regularly, and in the summer putting up a paddling pool and doing puppet shows in the garden. Our daughter had a wonderful time there and looked forward to going.
The reason our daughter left their care was based purely on location (her new nursery is the road behind our house and she had been on the waiting list). If Safehands had been equidistant, we would have kept our daughter there instead. We were so sad she had to leave, and she has asked lots of times since when she will see them again. That alone is testament to how happy she had been there. I would highly recommend Safehands to everyone.
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Samantha
on 18/08/2021
Response by
DD's Forest Hill
on 18/08/2021:
Thank you Samantha for your kind words.
It was a real pleasure to have your little angel in the setting and to work with your family. Thank you for trusting us with her care.
She will be greatly missed by us all.
I wish her the best of luck in her new setting.
Our door is always open to you all.
Thanks again
Safehands
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This profile was last updated on 19th January 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.
