Frances Smedley
Childminder in London (also available for babysitting)
5.0
My Summary
About Me
I live in a family house, very near Hampstead Heath. I live with 19 year old son. My house has a garden which provides space for children to enjoy outdoor activities, and further their development of all areas of learning. I plan and deliver a range of educational learning experiences, offering fun, stimulating activities.
I have been childminding for 18 Years, and have experience of caring for, and nurturing babies to toddlers.
I use all the local resources which are excellent for children under 5 Years, including the Zoo, Camden Sq, the libraries for rhyme time and the Hampstead Heath Clock Club.
The children who are, and have been in my care thrive in a small intimate group where the care is personalized for each individual child's needs, this enables each child to develop confidence and self esteem.
I work together with parents, with daily diaries sharing information, which is important for the development of the child.
I follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, my practice follows all heath and safety guidelines, and i have up to date first aid.
My Experience
my last inspection with Ofsted was a good. i have good working relations with parents, and families are made to feel welcome. i have lots of experience with babies and toddlers. I plan for each individual childs needs, by observing and planning their next stage of development, and implement the EYFS framework. I provide a full and part time service. i have recently become nvq 3 qualified, and i attend regular courses through camden to keep me up to date. and refreshed. At the moment i'm studying for an NVQ 4 in early years practice.
My Qualifications
I have a NVQ level 3
A up to date first aid
safeguarding
food hygiene and I keep up to date with training.
My Availability
My Fees
- Babysitting from £19.00 per hour
- Childminding from £13.00 per hour
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
- UK Driving Licence [DELETED] (added 02/08/2023)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Parents say
This childminding setting receives outstanding praise for its warm, nurturing environment and dedicated team. Parents highlight the excellent communication, structured activities, and individual attention that help children thrive and develop confidence. The safe indoor and outdoor spaces, combined with regular outings, create an ideal setting for early years care.
Summary generated by AI from the text of recent member reviews
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for frances smedley. 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.
I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about Frances and her team.
We had our daughter in Frances’s child minding setting from 12-18 months (after which we moved abroad, otherwise she would have stayed much longer!). We were extremely wary to leave our baby with a caretaker for the first time, but Frances made the transition incredibly smooth and planned the settling-in carefully so we did not feel rushed.
Frances and her team curate a stimulating and nurturing environment for babies and toddlers - both inside Frances’s home and at daily outings to the clock club and local playgroups. The intimacy of Frances’s setting allows the children to have individual focus and attention, while also benefiting from socializing with others. Each member of the team - Frances, Nancy, Sian, Julia (to call out a few!) - has a genuine passion for childcare. They provide a perfect combination of constructive learning and gentle support.
I had a particularly difficult time transitioning back to work after spending every second of the first year with my baby. Frances was always communicative and sent regular updates regarding our daughter’s development - it made all the difference knowing she was in safe hands. Though our daughter initially struggled being away from us, we witnessed her transform, gain confidence and thrive under Frances’s care.
We are incredibly grateful to Frances and her team !!!
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Mae
on 15/05/2026
We cannot recommend Frances highly enough! Our daughter started with her at just 9 months old and absolutely thrived in her care — growing in confidence daily and always excited to go to ‘school’ to see her carers and friends. Frances runs a warm, nurturing, and wonderfully structured home nursery environment, and her patience, creativity, and genuine love for the children in her care is evident.
Frances is honest, reliable, professional, caring, and we feel so lucky to have found her and look forward to sending our youngest daughter to her in the next few months. 🌟
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Jess
on 11/05/2026
Frances went above and beyond helping us navigate having childcare in London while visiting from another country. She assist in transportation and was very flexible to assist with our hectic schedule while on vacation.
She was astounding with my son and was very affordable, communicative, and professional! Would recommend.
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Evan
on 03/12/2024
Our son was with Frances between the ages of 11 months and 13 months before we made the decision to move abroad. We would have taken her if we could! Frances' team is incredibly caring and loving, and went out of their way to ensure we felt comfortable during a very unsettling time with my return to work and the subsequent move. The setting is unparalleled, with fab outdoor space and lots of resources, plus proximity to Hampstead Heath and other outdoor spaces. Our son really enjoyed it there and his development was noticeable particularly in terms of his speech and his comfort with other adults and children. Couldn't recommend this setting more and would be happy to answer any further questions anyone has.
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Lauren
on 03/12/2024
Both of my children have attended Frances’ setting; my son between 1-4, and my daughter started at 7 months old and still attends. They love Frances and her team, and always tell me what they have done during the day & who they have played with. We all enjoy looking through the supplied photos at the end of the day.
The setting is perfect both inside and outside, very safe and secure and filled with plenty of activities for the children to engage with when not on an outing and with opportunities to develop.
Frances and her team really care for the children and over the years have provided brilliant advice, support and recommendations. I absolutely recommend her as a childminder. Thank you all :)
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K_Tymms
on 04/09/2024
Our son was with Frances from age 1 to reception and he absolutely florished under her care. Frances gets to know the children very well and has excellent observation skills, noticing when children develop or struggle and giving feedback as appropriate. Our son loved attending (and still is cared for by Frances on occasion if we get caught short!) It’s not just Frances but her team who are brilliant. Nancy and Julia especially are superb! We highly recommend Frances, who always kept our son safe and helped him learn and develop.
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Papa123
on 02/09/2024
My daughter was with Frances for the past few years. It was a wonderful, homely and safe setting. My daughter flourished under Frances’ watch and her rapid development was impressive. She was always happy to attend the setting and eager to tell me about all the activities she had completed. It was also lovely to receive pictures of my daughter throughout the day engaging in activities/play and seeing how happy and content she was.
My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her time with Frances and her team and she was incredibly sad when she had to leave. We were very lucky to find such a brilliant setting. I highly recommend Frances and her team to anyone looking for exceptional childcare.
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Reem
on 14/02/2023
Being new to London, I didn’t know what a Childminder was. Frances and her whole team is the best thing that happened to my son and family.
They have created a playful, educational, patient, nurturing, dynamic and fun environment.
From ‘in house’ activities such as painting, cooking, singing, dancing to going out trips to the zoo, farm, heath, my son was always happy and smiling at pick up.
As a parent I always valued the excellent level of communication and support.
My son was always learning new things in the best way possible.
I could not recommend enough!
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violeta
on 14/12/2022
Our daughter started at Frances when she was 14 months old. The first week was tough because of the Covid restrictions I could not stay for the settling and our daughter was really used to being with us at home. Frances was really flexible and found ways to help her with the settling. After 7 days, she was really happy to go to Frances in the morning and before long, she was not even saying goodbye, entering the house with confidence to go and meet her friends and participate to the morning songs. She has been very happy at Frances enjoying many trips to the zoo, Hampstead Heath, the one o'clock club and the lovely garden with different activites and lots of cooking. We found Frances and her team provided the best care and environment for your daughter with the right size for her to socialise and get exposed to different children and carers. I would highly recommend Frances as she is listening to the parents, providing advice and focusing on the development of the children. We will miss her and her assistants very much as we move to a new country.
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Emilie
on 03/08/2021
My daughter was with Frances & her wonderful team for 1.5yrs, and the care she received was second to none! We were very nervous at first, given the range of childcare services out there, but when we visited Frances' setting, we knew this was for us. It has the perfect balance between nursery and nanny. Your child will flourish within Frances' home environment which is less formal than a nursery or creche, but benefits from the larger number of kids who attend to let your child socialise with kids of all ages. Plus the outings the kids get to go on each day is fantastic. My daughter loved all her adventures in Hampstead Heath / the farm / zoo / clock club and many more. We have moved away for family reasons, and honestly the childcare at Frances' house is irreplaceable! We will forever remember our wonderful experience and can't thank the team enough for giving our daughter the best possible start in her educational journey!
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Clara
on 07/07/2021
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This profile was last updated on 19th May 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.