Amanda has been absolutely fantastic for my child. They started going around when they turned 1, and almost 2 years later we are so glad to have made that decision. It has helped our little one blossom and he loves spending time with Amanda and the other children, they are always happy to see each other.

Amanda is both sensible and kind, and takes the time to get to know all of the children in her care really well, adapting the activities to their needs. When we were recently at a playgroup, he chose to go to Amanda for a cuddle when he was feeling tired, which I think is a marker of how happy he is with her.

The children go out every day to the park, woodlands and playgroups as well as adventures further afield such as the discovery story centre in Stratford or even Buckingham palace. They regularly go to places like the library and will sometimes go to Lidl to get ingredients for a recipe they are making together. We really like that Amanda is a Forest Childcare Practitioner, and she helps the children develop a love of being outside and in nature.

Her activities and preparation are amazing, much better than many nurseries I have come across even. The activities are always carefully thought through including a good mix of free and creative play, along with specific activities to build skills (eg fine motor skills, playdough to build finger strength for writing, practising with safe scissors etc). She rotates the toys according to the children's interests and needs, for example items to practice going to the dentist, opticians or doctors before a child has an appointment. We would recommend her for both older/preschool children as well as younger children.

She has regular, consistent routines that the children know and respond to well. When needed, her approach to discipline/correction is firm but fair and always kind. The food she provides is varied and healthy and means we don't need to worry about providing a packed lunch. She provides pictures and an update message every day, and regularly passes of community news and local authority parent communications too.

We would highly recommend Amanda, I feel that my little one sees her as part of the extended family and I am glad we chose this option instead of a nursery where it felt like he could be just another child in a crowd.

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