Jackie
Childminder in Great Abington
My Summary
About Me
My name is Jackie, and I run Abington Playhouse Childcare, a warm, welcoming vegetarian and vegan childminding setting that offers children a true home-from-home experience.
Abington Playhouse is a small, nurturing environment where children receive plenty of individual attention. With two well-resourced playrooms, a private garden, and a covered outdoor play area exclusively for children, we offer free-flow play between indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the day.
I have spent my entire working life caring for and educating young children and am deeply passionate about giving every child the best possible start. My husband is my registered assistant, which allows children to build secure, familiar relationships with consistent care. Being a smaller setting means we can truly get to know each child and thoughtfully tailor activities to their individual interests and stage of development.
With over 37 years of experience, I plan engaging, play-based learning opportunities that support children’s emotional, social, and educational development. Abington Playhouse is very much my passion, and this is reflected in the lovely feedback I receive from families.
We are based in the beautiful village of Great Abington, surrounded by parks, woodlands, and local farms that we enjoy visiting on our walks. The setting is easily accessible from the A1307 and close to the A11 and A505, just 15 minutes from Cambridge. We are ideally located for families working at Granta Park (within walking distance), TWI, and the Babraham Institute.
My Experience
I am a highly experienced childcare professional, qualified as an NNEB Nursery Nurse in 1987, with a lifelong passion for caring for babies and young children. For over 38 years, I have supported families in the UK and abroad as a nanny, nursery practitioner, and international nanny, building strong, trusting relationships and providing gentle, responsive care.
In 2004, my husband and I became registered childminders, creating a welcoming, home-from-home childcare setting in central Cambridge. Our setting quickly became well-established and respected, and we were proud to also support childcare students from Cambridge Regional College, helping to shape the next generation of early years professionals.
Families can be reassured that the setting was graded Good by Ofsted in June 2023, reflecting my commitment to high standards of care, safety, and child-centered practice. I pride myself on offering individual attention, consistent routines, and open communication with parents, so families feel supported every step of the way.
My Qualifications
NNEB (CACHE Level 3)
A level child psychology
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention trained
Pediatric first aid
Enhanced DBS
Child Protection Level 3
Trained and experienced in use of Flocare Enteral feeding
My Availability
Fully booked but full time spaces available from early Summer 2026. Register your interest for September now to avoid disappointment
My Fees
- Childminding from £7.00 per hour
Abington Playhouse offer's 15/30 hours free childcare to all eligible parents with children aged 9+ months of age on any of our vacant spaces.
We have no top up charges or enhancement charges, the only voluntary additional charge is for any home cooked meals we provide which is £3.00 per day.
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
- Ofsted Certificate (added 18/06/2021)
- First Aid Certificate: First aid 2023 (added 15/10/2023)
- Inspection Report (added 15/10/2023)
- Exam Certificate (added 18/06/2021)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Jackie. 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.
Jackie is an amazing childminder, she is the most attentive, warm and kindest people I know. The biggest worry going back to work is who to trust with your child is such a scary thought however, I can whole heartily say that I will be sad the sad my child no longer goes to Jackie.
Jackie also makes some delicious home made food, and will send the recipe over which really helps with introducing new foods as my child went from a baby to a toddler.
In the time my child has been with Jackie, she has never had a day off sick. She is consistent, professional and one of the best. You can tell this by how much the children all love her and no tears at handover.
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by
Danielle
on 08/01/2026
We contacted Jackie looking for a childcare place for our one year old at short notice, having been let down by a local nursery. We are so glad we did! Charlotte has been going to Jackie's for a year now and we have watched her grow into a confident and fun loving 2 year old. She also really loves Jackie's husband Kevin. We really like the small home from home environment that they are building. There's never too many children on any given day and they really take the time to bond and work with each child. Communication is always clear and easy and overall we can't fault them or recommend them enough! If you are looking for a local childminder I would recommend Jackie 100%.
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by
kara
on 20/12/2022
Response by
Jackie
on 31/12/2022:
Thank you for such kind words. We always strive to improve our setting and to know how much Charlotte has enjoyed the new resources provided to stimulate her learning is a reward to us. Charlotte is such a happy, loving, confident child always trying new experiences and leading the way in role play, following routines, art and most definitely letting me know exactly what she wants and when she is not happy with me (a particular disappointment to her is cream cheese on a rice cake when she knows sweet potato humus is in the fridge!). Charlotte gets on with everyone and is a huge part of our setting, she will be greatly missed and very fondly remembered when she moves on to nursery. It is, and for a short while yet, an absolute joy to have Charlotte with us and we are greatfull you choose us as the lucky family to work with you all.
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This profile was last updated on 20th 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.
