Beautiful Beginnings
Childminder in Bristol
5.0
My Summary
Making Education Fun Since 2001 (In Hengrove)
About Me
BEAUTIFUL BEGINNINGS CHILDCARE
A small, nurturing childcare setting in Hengrove for babies and young children aged 9 months–3 years
Open Monday - Friday, 8am–6pm Term Time Only
30 funded hours accepted for eligible working parents
A Little About Us
My name is Claire, I am 49 and live in Hengrove. I have dedicated much of my life to working with children and supporting them to feel happy, safe, confident and secure during their important early years.
I hold a Level 3 qualification in Childcare, a PGCE Certificate in Education, as well as qualifications in Psychology and Science. I have experience working with children of different ages, backgrounds and abilities, including children with additional and special educational needs. I have also been a mum for the past 11 years.
I am passionate about creating a home-from-home environment where children receive plenty of individual attention while having exciting opportunities to play, explore, learn and make friends.
Meet Our Team
I currently work alongside two lovely assistants, Kacey and Ellie. We are a cheerful, caring and enthusiastic team who genuinely enjoy spending time with young children.
Kacey joined us nine months ago and is currently continuing her training with us. She has successfully completed her Level 2 Childcare qualification, safeguarding training and first aid.
Ellie joined us in April and holds qualifications in both nannying and Level 2 Childcare. She brings around 10 years’ experience of caring for young children in nurseries and family homes.
Kacey and Ellie may also be available to families who require babysitting or childcare during our term-time holidays, subject to individual arrangements and availability.
Our Approach
At Beautiful Beginnings, children are at the heart of everything we do.
We believe that young children learn best when they feel safe, loved, valued and free to explore. We work hard to build warm and trusting relationships with every child and to support secure attachments during these incredibly important early years.
Our approach is predominantly child-led and play-based, allowing children to make choices, follow their interests and develop independence.
We complement this with carefully planned adult-led activities linked to the seasons, different cultures and faiths, celebrations and the world around us.
Children can enjoy:
• Messy and sensory play
• Singing, dancing and music
• Arts and crafts
• Cooking and baking
• Gardening and growing
• Educational books and toys
• Park visits and picnics
• Soft play
• Local outings and sightseeing
• Children’s groups and community activities
• Opportunities to socialise and make new friends
We may also meet with other Ofsted-registered childminders, giving children further opportunities to socialise, share experiences and enjoy different activities.
Lots of Outdoor Play
We are particularly proud of our outdoor provision.
Children have access to three different garden areas, including a grass play area, an allotment and a messy-play/woodland-inspired area with Montessori-style open-ended and loose-parts resources.
Outdoor play is an important part of our day, giving children opportunities to explore nature, develop their physical skills, get messy and use their imaginations.
Families who prefer an outdoor sleeping approach can also discuss supervised outdoor naps with us.
Learning & Development
We support children’s development across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), including communication and language, physical development, literacy, early mathematics, creativity, and personal, social and emotional development.
Parents and carers are an important part of this process.
We keep families involved through daily conversations, an online family learning feed, photographs, termly early-years assessments and newsletters, so you can see how your child is progressing and share their achievements with us.
Our Hours & Funded Places
We currently care for children from approximately 9 months to 3 years old.
Our aim is for children to move on to nursery or preschool around the term nearest their third birthday, helping them make a positive transition into a larger learning environment.
There is an additional charge of £5.00 per week, towards extras such as outings, petrol and messy-play resources.
Come and Meet Us
Choosing childcare is a big decision, and we want parents to feel completely comfortable about where their little one will spend their time.
We would be delighted to welcome you for a visit, show you around our setting and introduce you to our team.
If you would like to find out more about Beautiful Beginnings, discuss availability or arrange a visit, please get in touch.
We look forward to welcoming you and your little ones.
My Experience
24 years experience in educating and entertaining children.
My Qualifications
BSc Science and Psychology Honors Degree
PGCE in Education
I am an Ofsted registered childminder and Qualified School teacher with 24 years of experience.
I have completed a Paediatric first aid course.
I am up to date with safe guarding training.
I have risk assessments for the setting and updated policies and procedures that are shared with all parents.
My Availability
Monday - Friday / 8-6.00pm
Accepting 30 hours of free funding.
No excessive hidden fees
Children bring their own food, clothing, nappies and creams.
My Fees
- Childminding from £10.00 per hour
Mondays - Fridays
Free 30 hours government funded child care
8-6:00pm
No excessive hidden fees
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.
This member has chosen not to display their Ofsted inspection ratings on their profile. We recommend you check their current registration status and read their latest inspection report before using them.
My Documents
- DBS Check (issued 12/03/2025)
- Ofsted Certificate (added 11/06/2024)
- Other (added 21/08/2026)
- Exam Certificate: Level 3 Chilcare Qualification (added 31/03/2025)
- First Aid Certificate (added 31/03/2025)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Parents say
Parents consistently praise the caring, happy environment where children thrive and grow in confidence. The setting offers varied activities including trips, outdoor play, and gardening, with children forming strong bonds. Communication is excellent through daily updates, and the childminder demonstrates flexibility with scheduling when needed.
Summary generated by AI from the text of recent member reviews
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Beautiful Beginnings. 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.
Our son has been with Claire for 10 months now. He is so happy there, always arriving with a big smile on his face in the morning! It's clear that Claire and her team provide a really caring and happy environment, tending to the children's individual needs. From the daily updates and photos we can see that Robin and the other children have a lot of fun, with a variety of activities in the home and also on trips out to local parks, soft play, Ashton Court etc. There is a lovely garden divided into separate play areas for different activities, and Robin is always happy to see the rabbit!
As well as all the fun, Robin has developed so much since starting there. He is always coming home with new words and phrases, and has grown in confidence massively.
Claire maintains good communication with parents via WhatsApp for admin updates etc and an app for daily updates. She is always quick to respond to queries and her and the team are always happy to chat about any questions at the end of the day, as well as being flexible with timings if needed.
We're very happy we chose Beautiful Beginnings and are very grateful for the wonderful service they provide!
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Frankie
on 10/07/2026
My son has been with Claire for 6 months now and we have been so pleased with the care he receives. He’s grown in confidence so much and it’s so heartwarming to see him reaching out for them in the morning at drop off. Even with the larger numbers than the average childminder setting, it still feels very intimate and personal and I love that my son gets to interact with more children.
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Lauren
on 01/07/2026
Since being looked after by claire by daughter has gone from being quiet and anxious to very confident and outgoing . She absolutely loves going to claire and tells me how much fun it is and about all her friends there. She especially loves the trips to the softplay etc. Claire also provides daily updates on what they have done throughout the day which is excellent.
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AbbieJad
on 16/04/2024
We couldn’t have been happier with the care our then two year old daughter received from Claire. She really enjoyed her days with Claire and the range of activities they did was fantastic. She’s a lovely lady, and I would definitely highly recommend her.
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Rebecca
on 15/04/2024
We used Claire for over a year with our then 2year old. He was so happy at Claire where he tried new food, experience making things and growing flowers and veg.
We completely put out trust in Claire and she really delivered.
We also found Claire to be really flexible when we needed extra hours or changes in schedule.
Would reccomend 110%
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Kat
on 13/04/2024
My daughter attended the setting for nearly 2 years. Claire provided a very happy environment with a variation of play indoor and out. Growing veg and feeding the rabbits was a personal favourite of our daughters. Claire provided amazing balanced meals and updates that provided insight into our daughter’s progression and growth. I would highly recommend Claire and her setting to those who are looking for childcare, our daughter was incredibly happy there and formed a fantastic relationship with Claire herself and the other children.
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AFSmith
on 11/04/2024
My son has had 7 happy months in Claire’s childminding setting. He has been nurtured and encouraged to explore creativity through play. He has been closely supported in his potty training and encouraged to try new foods and learn to play well with others.
As a former teacher, Claire diligently follows the early years educational curriculum and has actively helped her charges reach important milestones and learn lots of new skills
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suz
on 17/03/2019
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This profile was last updated on 31st August 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.