Elaine
Childminder in Milton Keynes
5.0
My Summary
Ofsted Outstanding January 2024
About Me
My name is Elaine and I am an Ofsted-registered childminder based in Broughton, Milton Keynes. I am very proud to have been graded Outstanding by Ofsted and provide a warm, welcoming and nurturing home-from-home environment where children feel happy, safe and secure.
I live with my husband and we have two adult children. Family is very important to us, and we enjoy spending time with our children, extended family and friends. We have lived in the local area for 20 years and know Broughton and the surrounding community very well.
I enjoy giving the children opportunities to explore their local community and experience the world around them. We also have a local allotment where we grow our own fruit and vegetables, which provides wonderful opportunities for children to learn where food comes from, discover nature, experience the changing seasons and enjoy being outdoors.
I warmly welcome children and families from all backgrounds and provide an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome, respected and valued. I encourage children to celebrate what makes us all unique while developing kindness and respect for others.
I am passionate about giving children a happy and positive start in life. My aim is to provide a caring and stimulating environment with plenty of opportunities to play, explore, learn and develop at their own individual pace, while feeling secure, valued and very much at home.
My Experience
I have over 20 years of childcare experience and throughout my childminding career have consistently been graded Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, with no complaints.
I have cared for children from 3 months to 11 years, giving me extensive experience across a wide range of ages and developmental stages. I now specialise in providing high-quality care and early education for children within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
My approach is professional, nurturing and child-centred. I provide a safe, stimulating home-from-home environment where every child is valued as an individual. By getting to know each child’s personality, interests and needs, I can provide meaningful experiences that encourage them to learn, explore and develop at their own pace.
Learning is naturally incorporated into everyday play, activities, outings and experiences, supporting all seven areas of the EYFS. I carefully follow each child’s development and use their interests and achievements to support the next steps in their individual learning journey, while encouraging confidence, independence and a genuine love of learning.
As children approach school age, I focus on giving them the skills and confidence needed for a happy and successful transition to school. Being school ready is about much more than academic ability; it is about developing independence, communication, curiosity, resilience and positive relationships, giving children strong foundations for the next stage of their journey.
My Qualifications
I am committed to maintaining high professional standards and regularly undertake training, webinars and continued professional development to ensure my knowledge and practice remain current and up to date.
My core qualifications and training include:
• CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Childminding Practice
• Current Paediatric First Aid
• Safeguarding and Child Protection Training
Over the years, I have completed a wide range of additional training covering all aspects of early years care, learning and development, health, safety and wellbeing.
I maintain a comprehensive professional development folder containing my training records and certificates, which families are very welcome to view when visiting my setting.
Ongoing professional development is an important part of my practice and enables me to continually refresh my knowledge, develop my skills and provide high-quality care and learning experiences for every child.
My Availability
Open Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm
My Fees
- Childminding from £8.00 per hour
My childcare fee is £8.00 per hour, and I accept eligible government-funded childcare hours.
A separate care package applies to cover meals and snacks, nappies and wipes where required, and other non-food consumables.
All fees, funded hours and care package costs are discussed and agreed with families before a childcare place begins, ensuring everything is clear and transparent from the outset.
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
This member has provided us with electronic copies of the following documents. These copies are held on file unless specified as deleted. The documents have been certified by the member as being true and accurate. We recommend you ask to see original copies of the documents before you hire them in order verify the true accuracy for yourself. Find out more about checks & references.
- Ofsted Certificate (added 10/04/2020)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Parents say
Families consistently praise this childminder's warm, home-from-home environment where children feel secure, loved and part of an extended family. Highlights include nutritious home-cooked meals, detailed daily diaries, strong developmental progress, and excellent communication with parents. She is repeatedly described as going above and beyond, making transitions and preschool preparation seamless.
Summary generated by AI from the text of recent member reviews
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Elaine. 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.
As parents it is a horrible time when you are choosing who to trust with your child...... with a background in safeguarding, me and my partner struggled, but then we found Elaine!!!
Our daughter started with Elaine when she was just over a year old and is only moving on as she is now heading to school, not that anyone is ready to not have Elaine in our world. Elaine has not only been such an incredible child minder but also someone who supports family and provides knowledgable advice in every phase of our daughters development.
Elaine has not only helped our daugther to recognise and understand numbers, letters, sorting, colours etc, but has also helped her develop social skills, turn taking and how to be a part of something. Se has taken the children out to parks, vegetable picking at her allotment and to see so much in the local community. All of the care she provides is from her own home which is always immaculate and ready for the children each morning with different activities and focus throughout the year.
Elaine provides breakfast and a cooked lunch which has opened doors for my daughter to try new foods, and frequently made me and my partner a bit jealous that we were not invited! Elaine has also been so reassuring when it comes to our daughters nut allergy, and has put so much in place to make her safety a priority.
Overall I would recommend Elaine to anyone needing a child minder, she works in unison with the parents and family; she demonstrates such a genuine love and care for the children with her that she does not feel like a childminder but a part of your family. She is quite simply amazing!!!
-
Overall
-
Setting
-
Cleanliness
-
Food
-
Communication
by
Natalie
on 02/09/2026
My daughter went to Elaine at just 5 and a half months old which is a scary thought as a mother. All I can say is that it was the best decision Elaine helped with settling in so much she took time to bond with my daughter, understand how I felt, work out as a family how she could help and really made that period and transition flawless for everybody.
Since then she has been part of the family my daughter who is now 2 and has only left to attend the preschool I work in, has developed beyond expectations of her age, she made a wonderful bond with Elaine’s family and the children in the setting!
Elaine make wonderful, healthy nutritious meals and was a huge factor in our weaning journey and now my daughter will eat pretty much anything and is always willing to try new things!
Elaine’s setting is a home from home a comfortable enriched environment for children to learn.
All Elaine’s family are warm and welcoming!
Elaine’s learning approach is amazing she really taps into their interests and enables children to become independent learners. Tracking development and communication is perfect!
I will forever recommend Elaine to anybody looking for that personal touch of somebody who will always have your child’s best Interest at heart and will help with anything she can!
And I will forever thank Elaine for her input in my baby’s life and will stay in touch forever!
-
Overall
-
Setting
-
Cleanliness
-
Food
-
Communication
by
Danielle
on 10/06/2026
We will be forever grateful to Elaine for the incredible care, support, and dedication she has shown our family. From the very first day she welcomed our son into her setting, she not only helped him settle in but also supported us as parents through the transition. Her constant reassurance, advice, and genuine care made a world of difference.
Elaine always went above and beyond to ensure our son felt comfortable, happy, and secure. He truly felt like he was spending time with extended family, and that gave us enormous peace of mind. Her warm and nurturing approach created an environment where he could thrive.
The progress our son has made during his time with Elaine has been remarkable. She has been incredibly attentive to his individual needs and development, always taking the time to support and encourage him. The effort she puts into helping children learn and grow is evident in everything she does.
We particularly appreciated the healthy and delicious meals she provided, the thorough daily diaries and communication, and the wide variety of books, toys, and activities available. The diverse learning opportunities and experiences she offered were invaluable and played a significant role in preparing our son for school.
As our son moves on to his next chapter, we are confident he will continue to flourish, and much of that confidence comes from the strong foundation Elaine has helped build. Her dedication, patience, and passion for childcare have had a lasting impact on our son and our family.
Thank you, Elaine, for everything you have done. We wholeheartedly recommend you to any family looking for a loving, supportive, and exceptional childminding environment.
-
Overall
-
Setting
-
Cleanliness
-
Food
-
Communication
by
Adela
on 03/06/2026
Elaine provides a warm and welcoming home from home, our little boy has been with her since he was 9 months old and has been happy and settled since day 1.
Elaine takes the time to get to know your little one (and you) and it really feels as though my little boy is part of an extended family. She has a gentle, kind and attentive approach.
The progress my little boy has made in Elaine’s setting has been amazing, and you can see that he thoroughly enjoys every day with his friends.
Elaine provides delicious homemade meals and snacks, since being with Elaine there’s not much that my son won’t eat!
Elaine is supportive of all development checks and provides her own comprehensive reports to take with you, which are highly valuable.
We would highly recommend Elaine to anyone looking for a childminder, she provides an outstanding level of care and we feel so lucky to have found her!
-
Overall
-
Setting
-
Cleanliness
-
Food
-
Communication
by
Ellie
on 02/06/2026
Elaine has been an absolute blessing, and we cannot recommend her highly enough. In just four short months, our two-year-old daughter made remarkable strides in her development. She learned to count to ten, share with others, and express herself more effectively with a growing vocabulary.
Elaine's warmth and professionalism provided a constant source of comfort, creating a second home where our daughter felt comfortable and happy.
Each day, she offered a detailed breakdown of activities, from meals and playtime to how well our daughter slept. The daily pictures and videos she sent were truly the highlight of my day.
Now that our daughter has started preschool, we see just how much Elaine's care and preparation have positively impacted her transition. We are incredibly grateful for the strong foundation Elaine helped build, and for that, we will always be thankful.
-
Overall
-
Setting
-
Cleanliness
-
Food
-
Communication
by
Anita
on 16/09/2024
Our son started with Elaine at around 19 months old. Being a covid baby and never being cared for by anyone else it felt like it was going to be so hard getting him settled. Elaine goes above and beyond her duties of a childminder, she made us feel at ease in the early days when he was finding it hard to settle and she never gave up. Fast forward to our son turning 3, he walks into Elaines home like its his own, his confidence and development since being in Elaines care has thrived. Seeing him interact in social settings now and everything he learned in Elaines care - we are so grateful.
Daily diaries were always something I looked forward to hearing about what he had got up to that day what nutritious and delicious food he had ate. Even down to the stories they had at story time the detail Elaine would give is amazing.
Elaine really does welcome each child to become part of her extended family, my son has now seamlessly transitioned into preschool which I can honestly say is all thanks to Elaine being that stepping stone and a huge part of his early years journey.
Thank you so much Elaine, and for anyone considering a childminder I cannot express how highly I would recommend Elaine.
-
Overall
-
Setting
-
Cleanliness
-
Food
-
Communication
by
Lily
on 11/01/2024
Elaine has looked after our son since he was 10 months old and he is now 3. He will be starting pre school full time meaning our time with Elaine is sadly coming to an end in December.
Elaine is caring, committed and all round amazing. She made our son feel happy, safe and we never incurred any issues.
We have created an amazing relationship with Elaine and hope to use her again when our daughter has arrived.
Elaine offers breakfast, snacks and a cooked meal everyday which is amazing as she is the only childminder in the area I know that offers that! She also included nappies and wipes when our son was still in nappies. That is all included in her hourly rate which is so handy and helpful.
If Elaine has ever had any concerns with our sons development she would always sit down and have a conversation with us so we can have full understanding.
Elaine sends a daily diary everyday at the end of the day with a break down of their routine, including what they have eaten that day, what activities they have been up to! Even down to their toilet routine which is really helpful
Elaine’s house is well kept, very clean and inviting which multitudes of activity’s and toys for the children to play with.
-
Overall
-
Setting
-
Cleanliness
-
Food
-
Communication
by
Charlie
on 09/11/2023
Elaine has been absolutely amazing. Looked after our little boy from 9 months old to 3 1/2 years. The care he received was second to none. He absolutely loved going to Elaine's and settled in really quickly. Felt like a member of the family. Great routine, healthy tasty meals and a good mix of activities. Would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a childminder. Thank you so much.
-
Overall
-
Setting
-
Cleanliness
-
Food
-
Communication
by
Jazz
on 25/05/2022
My eldest daughter has been with Elaine from age 4 to age 11 and my youngest from eight months who is now 2 1/2. Elaine is one of the most kind caring woman I have ever met and my children absolutely love being with her.
-
Overall
-
Setting
-
Cleanliness
-
Food
-
Communication
by
Parent
on 28/05/2019
You must be a registered parent and logged in to leave a review.
If you don't have an account then Register Free now.
This profile was last updated on 6th October 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.