Crowley

Very Friendly & Professional

I found Sharon during covid times and I have to say she was the only childminder who took an interest at the time due to uncertain situations. As soon as we met with her she was extremely welcoming and very friendly. I love the fact she takes the children out and does very fun activities with the kids. My boy absolutely loves going to her twice a week and asks for her when she is not around . I strongly recommend Sharon to anyone.

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by Rebecca on 22/06/2022

Outstanding care provider

I have a background in Teaching and Nannying and had an idea of what a childminders was like. I also was strongly recommended Sharon. However she has by far exceeded all of our expectations and the care and support she had given my daughter is second to none.
She offers a home away from home and is always coming up with creative ideas to engage and challenge all the children in her care. Her nutritious meals that she cooks from scratch always amazes me. Then with daily updates on my child’s day I always feel well informed and love hearing about the fun she has had.
I now look forward to my son beginning his journey with Sharon next year. Safe in the knowledge that he will be well looked after by someone who is professional, supportive and really cares.

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by CFW on 21/06/2022

Home away from home

I met Sharon just over 5 years ago when I was looking for a childminder for my (then) 9 month old daughter. Returning back to full time work and being a first time parent, my husband and I were both extremely anxious about leaving our child in care. From the moment that we met with Sharon in her home, we knew it was the right place for our daughter. Sharon is caring, supportive and extremely creative, filling the children’s day with purposeful and fun activities so that they can grow and develop. Her home is truly a home away from home. My son is now with Sharon and we love receiving daily updates with pictures on what he’s been up to. We also have a diary that Sharon provides details of his day, what he’s eaten, times slept etc. Both my kids love Sharon, my son wakes up daily excited for another day at Sharon’s! I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Sharon to anyone and we will miss her when my son moves on to school.

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by SamW on 20/06/2022

All you could possibly want from a childminder!

When I had to return to work I was dreading leaving my son (as we all do) but as soon as I met Sharon I felt more relaxed!
Her home is a beautiful clean environment filled with love!
Sharon is amazing, she does activities all the time, water play, dress up, painting, drawing and she is great at helping the children learn shapes, colours, numbers ect.
I get sent pictures daily of My son happily playing and this is lovely as it puts your mind at ease knowing he is so well looked after.
My son was shy when he first started going to Sharon’s but now is confident and happy to walk in and enjoy his day!
I can’t recommend her enough!

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by Kirsty on 20/06/2022

Mary Poppins!

I'm so thrilled that we found Sharon to be our daughter's childminder. She has been fantastic these last four years and has truly treated Chloe like one of her family. Trusting someone to keep your child safe, happy and healthy is a huge thing but not once have I ever questioned Sharon's abilities to do so for Chloe. Through covid times she was thorough and professional and took all necessary measures to provide a suitable (yet continuosly stimulating) environment for the children she looked after.
I will always be thankful to Sharon and her family for helping Chloe to develop and thrive in their home and I will miss our drop off and pick up chats greatly when she's off to school in September!

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by Mandie on 19/06/2022

Amazing

We first contacted Sharon after a terrible experience with a different childminder. Having looked at various different child care options, we felt instantly comfortable with Sharon after our first visit. Our child Fin quickly settled with her. Fin had previously struggled with naps and Sharon worked with us and we quickly found a solution to this.

Sharons communication was excellent and we enjoyed seeing the daily pics of fin playing. Sharon has got a lovely setting and lots of different activities and toys for the children to play and learn with. Her house isn’t chaotic like some childminders we visited and is a nice calm environment for children.

Sharon has totally restored our faith in Childminder’s and we can’t thank her enough for doing such a wonderful job looking after our son.

Sadly we have had to find new childcare as we have moved away to a different area, but we would highly recommend Sharon to any parents looking for childcare for their children.

Thank you again x

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by Gemma on 07/08/2019

Outstanding - Highly recommend Sharon

Like any new parents who suddenly realise they need a child-minder, we were extremely naïve and very apprehensive about the whole situation. I still look back now and shudder at what could have happened had we not found Sharon. We visited a number of child-minders with no real understanding of what to look out for. Take our advice and do not engage with anyone who is not Ofsted rated as “excellent”. You might have to pay a small amount more but you will absolutely not regret it.

The minute we met Sharon we knew that she was far and above so much more experienced, organised and caring than many others we had met. Her house reflected her Ofsted rating, and was clean, tidy and clearly set up as a safe environment for children. Sharon has something about her and as soon as you meet with her, you instantly relax and know that this is right for your child. She calmly and professionally takes you through the process and what she offers, which being inexperienced, was invaluable. She has a lovely family home with children of her own which is an added bonus and extra playmates for our daughter.

Our daughter Rosie is now 2 ½ years old and she has been with Sharon of c. 1yr. I can’t even begin to tell you how well she has developed over this time. Sharon provides a well-structured development plan littered with loads of creative play initiatives, including crafts, days out, songs, games, music and so much more. As Rosie is now getting older, Sharon has introduced Phonics which Rosie can’t get enough of. She comes away full of excitement with stories about her day. She loves to show us what she has learnt and so proud of her achievements.

Sharon documents and provides a daily record of Rosie’s activities. This includes Rosie’s mood, feelings, how she interacted with other children, what she did, how long she slept for, what she ate and how much. We love to read about her day and we are amazed at the diversity of activities Sharon provides. On the odd occasion we receive photos of Rosie during her play which is another added benefit; especially at the beginning, as it helps calm any anxiety you may have.

Sharon and her family are a big part of Rosie’s childhood and will have a lasting effect on her future. I would be happy to say that Sharon is like extended family and has provided an environment we were just not able replicate. There is only once downside – how are we ever going to tell Rosie she can’t go anymore! We are having another child and logistically it won’t be possible for Rosie to continue. However – as soon as we are able to, we will be looking to once again engage Sharon’s services.

Without any hesitations we would highly recommend Sharon to any parents who require child-minder services.

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by David on 29/03/2017

Outstanding Childminder.

Sharon is a lovely and caring childminder. From day 1 of looking after my son she has cared for him as if he were an extension to her own family. He's a shy boy but she has nurtured him in a way that he is slowly but surely gaining so much confidence.
She keeps you reassured by sending you messages of your child participating in certain activities or if they do something of some significance to their development.
Her own children are lovely and have a great rapport with the children she looks after.
She feeds the children that she cares for very nutritious and balanced meals and snacks throughout the day and she keeps them entertained and stimulated with various activities and groups.
Therefore, it saddens me that my son will no longer be with Sharon because she is truly lovely. Honestly if it weren't for personal circumstances my son would be remaining in her care right up until he reached school age, as it is, my loss will be someone else's gain. Cannot fault her.
Thank you in advance Sharon.

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by Parent on 31/01/2017

Everything you could hope for in a childminder

When I initially started looking for childcare, my first feeling was towards a nursery, but after looking around a few I struggled with the rigid times, the amount of personal attention and the potential high staff turnover. I decided to look around a few childminders before deciding... As soon as I arrived at Sharon's I instantly had a good feeling. Her house is a lovely, warm family home - it doesn't feel like a 'business premises' like some of the others I'd visited. Since that first visit and deciding that she was the childminder for us, she has far exceeded our expectations.
Sharon does a wide array of activities with the children, from messy play, play groups, baking, painting, excursions out and about to all sorts of other activities that I would never have even thought of doing. Along with the daily diary she fills in for us to take home (and eventually keep), which covers all the essentail info like what he's eaten, how much sleep, nappies etc, Sharon often sends us pictures or little video's of Jack's adventures - Playing dress-up, painting or the first time he climbed the slide on his own. We love these! Receiving those while I'm at work not only puts a big smile on my face but also makes me feel involved and reassured he's having a great time.

Sharons children have become surrogate big brother and sister to Jack. Often I'll come to pick Jack up at the end of the day to find him giving big hugs to one of them, or engrossed in a game of tag. It's plain to see that being around older children (even if it's just a few hours after school) as well as other toddlers has done his development a lot of good too.

I cannot speak highly or recommend Sharon enough, my little boy absolutely adores her (and her children) and she's been a pleasure to deal with, we're very sorry to leave her and her lovely family behind.

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by Parent on 26/01/2014

Sharon has become a family friend!!!

I was very apprehensive and anxious when initially looking for a child minder. My daughter Lilia was just about to turn 2 yrs old and previously been looked after by my sister for the past year. How was I going to find someone who would love Lilia as much as my sister?

Then I met Sharon, who was the first of 6 child minders that I arranged to meet. The minute I met Sharon I knew I wanted her to look after Lilia. She is so knowledgeable about children's development and even though I am a Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist who has worked with children for over 15yrs, I have asked her for advice on numerous occasions. Because she was a nursery manager she has a wealth of experience to call upon. Sharon follows the foundation stage curriculum and Lilia has completed so many brilliant creative activities. I have received homemade mother's day card, valentines biscuits, plants to grow in the garden, and many homemade cakes. Sharon also makes lovely, healthy home cooked meals which my daughter enjoyed. Everyday I would read in her link book, what Lilia had eaten, how long she had slept, what she liked playing with, and any funny anecdotes. As a part time working mum it was lovely to read and when we got home I would read it to my daughter so we could talk about her day together.

The most important thing is that Sharon and her family made my daughter and extended member of their family. If Lilia was a bit unwell, or tired or just in one of those moods I knew Sharon would instinctively give her cuddles on the sofa which is so important when you are worrying at work.

I had the privilege of Sharon caring and looking after my daughter for a year and the only reason she is not looking after her now is because I am currently on maternity leave for the next year with my son. Without any hesitation I can highly recommend Sharon and her family. Every morning my daughter was keen to go to Sharon's and often still talks about Sharon and her friends (two other children who were also looked after by Sharon). I'm desperately hoping that in a year's time she will have a space to look after my son.

Jo Hickey
February 2013

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by Parent on 25/04/2013