Karen P
Childminder in Luton
Usually responds within 24 hours
Female Member since Oct 2016 Last Updated Mar 2024 Last Login 17 Apr 2024
My Summary
About Me
AT PRESENT I HAVE NO AVAILABLE SPACES AND I AM NOT ACCEPTING WAITLIST REQUESTS UNTIL 2025.
I am an Ofsted Registered Childminder, rated Outstanding at my last inspection (May 2023). I have an NCFE CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification and I am a Forest Childcare Provider and Early Years Eco Scheme setting in the Bushmead area of Luton. I offer a loving 'home from home' setting for all children in my care.
I have cared for children aged from 9 weeks old to 12 years and I have 2 children of my own. However the setting is available for EYFS children only and I am not available for pickup or drop offs to other settings or for holiday cover only.
As a member of the Forest Childcare Asqsociation, I am committed to ensuring minded children spend lots of time outdoors, all year round. We enjoy spending time on weekly outings to woodland areas, nature reserves, lakes, Whipsnade Zoo, Mead Open Farm and local parks. I encourage my minded children to jump in puddles, collect 'treasure', enjoy 'weather' walks, look for minibeasts, climb trees, roll down hills, to explore and investigate, and appreciate the great outdoors and connect with nature and the setting embeds and embraces environmental responsibility. Wellies and puddle suits are an absolute must at my setting!
When we are at home, I offer a balance of child led and adult led activities which cater for all ages and stages of development, promoting a language rich approach and the children's interests, celebrating their abilities and nurturing their development. These include messy play, creative play, imaginative play, baking, games, planting and growing, sharing books, singing and dancing, yoga and much more to ensure the children in my care have a fun and stimulating time. I am a firm believer that a child learns through play and ensure they are given lots of opportunities to do this. I have lots of age-appropriate resources. I also have an enclosed garden complete with mud kitchen, slide, ride on toys and other play equipment. We also go on outings to the library, soft play, gardening club, stay-and-play groups and visit local towns, often enjoying babyccinos in a café.
I am committed to every child in my setting feeling valued and important and I promote the importance of positively working in partnership with parents and carers to ensure the best possible outcomes for every child.
I have memberships for ZSL Whipsnade, Mead Open Farm, National Trust, English Heritage and the Forest Childcare Association for our regular outings.
All children have healthy, balanced and nutritious meals in my setting.
I have a cat who is child friendly, fully vaccinated and receives regular worm and flea treatments.
My Experience
I have professionally cared for many children aged from babies under a year to 12 years and I have 2 children of my own and I also have experience of dealing with children with hearing impairment, visual impairment and learning difficulties.
I am a member of PACEY and The Early Years Alliance.
My Qualifications
- NCFE CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator
- Luton Early Years Eco Scheme accreditation
- Member of the Early Years Professional Development Programme (2023-2024)
- NDCS ‘Together, we can implement effective transition for deaf children’
- NDCS ‘Together, we can improve language and communication’
- NDCS 'Together, we can be ready for parents as partners'
- DfE Modules 1-4 (new for 2023): Child Development and the EYFS, Brain Development, PSED Development and Supporting Language Development
- Home Office Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP)
- Community Dental Services: Oral Health in Early Years
- Home Office FGM: Recognising/Preventing FGM V1.3
- PACEY Level 2 Basic Food Hygiene
- Virtual College Prevent Covid-19
- Childcare.co.uk Covid-19 Risk Assessment
- PACEY Supporting Children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
- PACEY Supporting children's emotional wellbeing
- PACEY Delivering the EYFS
- PACEY Introduction to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder
- EduCare Online Safety Level 2
- EduCare Promoting Positive Behaviour
- EduCare Supporting Early Language Development
- EduCare Improving Children's Learning Through Play
- PACEY Raising Developmental Concerns with Parents
- Makaton
- Childcare.co.uk Characteristics of Effective Learning
- Childcare.co.uk Schemas
- Tubes of Life and Safe at Home Workshop
- Childcare.co.uk Working with Parents
- PACEY Schemas
- Forest Childcare Provider
- PACEY Expectations of Behaviour
- PACEY Effective Partnership Working with Fathers
My Availability
I do not currently have any early years spaces available until 2025 and currently will only have TERM TIME ONLY places.
Business hours are 0800-1700 Monday to Thursday, minimum of 8 hours per session, 2 days per week required.
I do not provide school or nursery drop off/collection or holiday cover only.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Morning | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Afternoon | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| After School | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Evening | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 15/11/2023 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £6.00 per hour
Rate £6.00ph. I am registered to receive Tax Free childcare payments and 2 year old funded hours only from April 2024 and 9mo to 2 year old funded hours from September 2024. Subject to availability.
I do not offer 3-4 year old funded hours.
My Local Schools
This childminder has not yet informed us whether or not they provide any drop off or pick up services at local schools.
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
- First Aid Certificate (added 12/01/2021)
- First Aid Certificate (added 12/10/2016)
- Training Certificate: Safeguarding Certificate (added 12/01/2021)
- DBS Check (added 12/10/2016)
- Ofsted Certificate (added 12/10/2016)
Reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Karen P. Please note that reviews represent the subjective opinions of other Childcare.co.uk users 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.
My little girl started with Karen in June 2021 when she was 13 months old. After looking for the right person for a while, I was starting to lose hope until I found Karen. After a few meetings in the park and for walks, I knew Karen was the right person.
Karen takes the children out on regular trips to national trust parks, farms, the zoo and I’m updated at regular points during the day with photos and messages about how she is doing. Activities Karen prepares for the children in her care are educational and ensure the children are continuously learning and developing in their skills.
Karen sends regular newsletters and updates with what activities the children will participate in during the upcoming term, information about any local events and links to activities we can do in our home setting to enhance early learning. Every six months, I am sent a curriculum assessment checkpoint based on A’s skills at that time. These are extremely useful in understanding where she sits developmentally and to ensure she is hitting all her milestones, which I would be completely unaware of otherwise.
A was with Karen for over 2 years, we were all very sad to leave Karen’s setting when she started pre-school, but so happy baby 2 will be joining Karen’s setting in the next couple of months. The care Karen shows the children is clear to see, A runs into her setting every time she attends! I’d recommend Karen wholeheartedly.
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Lexi started with Karen when she was 11 months old. Prior to her starting, we met up for lots of local walks so that Lexi could build a relationship with Karen, and also for me to get to know the person I will be leaving my daughter with each day.
Karen is just amazing, or should I say, “outstanding”! Her house is perfect for the little ones, with good quality resources both indoors and outside. Lexi adores Karen’s own children who are also fantastic with the little ones.
They are always off out on trips to local parks and museums, the farm, the zoo or down to Costa for a cheeky babychino!
Leaving your precious child in the care of someone else each day is a huge thing and I cannot recommend Karen enough. She keeps me up to date all day, sending lots of photos and updates. Her policies and procedures are clear and updated accordingly.
Lexi absolutely loves “Karen’s house” and we would highly recommend!
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We chose Karen as our childminder whilst still pregnant with our first in 2018. She was everything we had hoped for and more! Karen took her time getting to know our daughter and our family the weeks leading up to her stating when I returned to work.
Karen is a fantastic communicator and put my mind at ease regularly when I had mum guilt for returning to work. She kept up to date on and app and would regularly send photos. The experiences she provided my daughter with over the time she spent with Karen she still speaks about today, her favourite being the zoo.
Karen’s setting is beautiful, well equipped and accessible for all. She has good routines with the children and activities were relevant to their interests, needs and for the wider world.
I couldn’t have asked for a better childminder for my daughter. I am still in contact with Karen regularly (now my daughters at nursery) and meet up with her and her lovely children. My daughter has fond, core memories of her time with Karen. They were special and important.
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We found Karen on this website and had arranged to meet her for the first time when my mum passed away.
My daughter was only 7 months old and the chaos of all of that was overwhelming. The understanding, support and kindness Karen showed me through rearranging our appointment before we had even met was an overwhelming show of who she is. And that was before we saw her with our daughter.
She looks after ellie as if she is one of her own. I know no matter what ellie has a second home there. She is taught, loved, looked after and kept in check, gently and with love, if needed. Exactly what we wanted
Karen sends us lots of pics of their adventures and keeps us updated through WhatsApp and an app. Ellie has starting school soon and has been with Karen from 10 months old. She will stay with her during school holidays.
Ellie has also made a ton of friends there, with Karen's own 2 lovely children who we bump into around the area and who beam and wave to us, and with the other mindees. We often hear lots of stories about her friends there.
We feel so lucky we found her. She is part of our family as ellie is part of hers.
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I returned to work in January 2019, after a year on maternity leave. Before having my daughter, I hadn’t ever considered childcare and the logistics of finding someone you trust to look after your most precious thing, as you would!
I visited a couple of nursery settings and felt they weren’t for us - I decided a childminder would be the best option. Thanks to fate, I came across Karen’s profile and the rest is history! I spoke to Karen over the phone, before visiting her and speaking about our requirements... From the very first visit, I knew she was the right person to care for and nurture my daughter! Her house is strongly geared towards play and learning and her garden is fab for the little ones! Karen’s family are also amazing - Poppy adores her two children (and husband!), along with the family cat and dog!
I can’t even describe how much Poppy has learnt from Karen and I definitely couldn’t have asked for a better childminder!
Karen uses an app to update me on Poppy’s day and also sends pictures and regular updates. Her policies are also very clear, professional and align with my values and requirements.
The other minded children are wonderful too and I’m always happy that Poppy has so much fun with them!
Karen’s home cooked meals are excellent and although Poppy is a stubborn eater for me, I know that she is always well fed at Karen’s!
Pre Coronavirus, Poppy enjoyed regular outings to the zoo, libraries, soft play etc and I love that she had those opportunities! Since lockdown, Karen has managed to make staying at home, super fun and educational for all the children - water play and den building are particular favourites of Poppy’s!
I’m genuinely so pleased to have met Karen and for her to have played such a big part in the clever little girl, my daughter is growing up to be! She’s also provided me with valuable help and support, which I am very grateful for!
Poppy calls her “My Karen” and I think that says it all!
Thank you, Karen!
Gemma
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