Kate Gilheaney
Childminder in London: Bromley
5.0
My Summary
Experienced "Good" Childminder
About Me
Hello I am an Ofsted registered childminder.
I live in Bickley (near the station) with my two daughters (21 & 17). We have a dedicated playroom and garden/allotment fully equipped with outdoor toys. We enjoy visiting farms and parks, soft play and doing crafts and baking etc. We have trips and outings according to our planners, E.G to the Fire station and Police Station. We have visits from the Mini beast man and lots of other exciting outings and visits. Pumpkin picking, Christmas outings to Ruxley, Trips to Museums and Historic houses, to name but a few.
I am a childminder because I enjoy it and the children we mind become an extension of our family. All of my mindees are happy and confident and feel loved and completely at home. We concentrate on the child's happiness and mental well being above all else. We like to play and learn through play and fun experiences. I also have a Pre school for the older children, just up the road on Bromley Common, this was due to so many parents wanting to stay with me once their child became Pre school age. So I've worked on being able to deliver this specific provision as well.
My Experience
I have been a registered childminder since August 2008 and have been minding children every day since.
I am an experienced parent in the first instance and having used a childminder myself (whilst working pre 2008) I know how it feels to leave your most precious child with someone else.
I have minded babies from 8 weeks to 2 & 3 year olds and children from 5 - 8 after school.
I am constantly updating myself with learning and childcare matters and see my development as continuous, so that I can provide an outstanding service to my families and children.
I have also been a church Sunday School leader, parent helper at school (PTA, reading with the class & generally helping out at school) and also a helper (when my daughter was little) at Rainbows & Brownies.
I also run a Pre School setting which we get to enjoy as well. We join in with all their planned activities and have the advantage of being able to get a change of scene.
My Qualifications
I have completed and passed;
CACHE Introduction to Childcare course
Paedeatric First Aid
Self Evaluation
Early Years Foundation Stage training
NVQ 3 in childcare and childen's development
Child Protection - essential safeguarding training for children at risk of abuse
Early Years Foundation Stage update
Speech and Language in early years
Food Hygiene
I am of course Ofsted registered
I have 'A'levels in English, French & Government & Politics
My Availability
My working hours are 7.30am - 6pm Mon - Thurs. I DO NOT WORK FRIDAYS
** PLEASE NOTE I ONLY TAKE CHILDREN FOR 3 FULL DAYS MINIMUM **
Over the years I have found children take a long time to settle on anything less and it's stressful for the child concerned and for the children already in my care.
**I DO NOT DO PRIMARY SCHOOL OR PRE SCHOOL DROP OFF'S OR PICK UPS **
My Fees
- Childminding from £8.50 per hour
My fees are £8.50 per hour inclusive of all meals, snacks, drinks etc for fully weened children (no other hidden costs)
The fees also include entrances to soft play, toddler groups, outings (zoos, farms adventure parks.
I do accept the new 15 hours Funding for 9 month olds, 2 year olds and the Universal and Additional 15 & 30 hours for 3 year olds and will accept the funding for 9 month olds once it is rolled out.
There is parking available outside my house Bickley station is 10 min walk.
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
- DBS Check (added 20/04/2020)
- Ofsted Certificate (added 20/04/2020)
- Inspection Report: Ofsted July 2023 (added 17/08/2023)
- Inspection Report: Ofsted Inspection Outstanding 2017 (added 20/04/2020)
- First Aid Certificate: Paediatric 1st Aid (added 20/04/2020)
- Exam Certificate: NVQ Level 3 child care, learning and development (added 20/04/2020)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Parents say
The childminder provides exceptional care in a nurturing home environment. Children enjoy varied activities, healthy meals, and educational outings. Parents praise the warm atmosphere, structured learning, and visible progress in their children's development. The setting is highly recommended for its trustworthy, caring approach to childcare.
Summary generated by AI from the text of recent member reviews
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Kate Gilheaney. 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.
Our daughter has been with Kate since mid December and she is loving it! It truly is a home from home setting with all the love and warmth you want your children to have whilst you’re at work. Our daughter settled in really quickly and has already progressed so much. Couldn’t be happier with our choice of childminder - we know she is well cared for, well fed with healthy nutritious meals and actively encouraged in her development. The best!
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by
Eleanor
on 09/02/2026
Response by
Kate Gilheaney
on 09/02/2026:
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely review. It's an absolute pleasure and privalige to work with and for familes and children like yours. The staff will be delighted to read how happy you are, thank you for taking the time. It's always so nice to hear these things. xx
Kate and her team are, quite simply, amazing. They provide an exceptional standard of care, combining high-quality provision with a truly nurturing heart.
Returning to work after maternity leave felt like such a daunting hurdle for both me and my son, but the team’s reassuring presence and professional expertise gave me instant peace of mind. My son has been with them for nearly a year now, and it has been a joy to watch him flourish both socially and developmentally.
Why We Love It:
Curious Minds: The team excels at delivering a well-structured educational programme. Their monthly rotation of topics keeps the children engaged, curious, and excited to learn.
Healthy & Happy: The nutritional standard of the home cooked meals is outstanding. It’s so comforting to know my son eats like a King every day - their well being is clearly the top priority.
Trustworthy & Kind: For any parent feeling that natural apprehension about childcare, I cannot recommend Kate and her team highly enough. They provide a trustworthy, enriching, and loving environment.
Choosing Kate was the best decision we could have made; you won't regret it for a second.
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by
Ellen
on 08/02/2026
Response by
Kate Gilheaney
on 09/02/2026:
Hi Ellen thank you so much for your wonderful review. It’s an absolute privilege and pleasure to look after your family and we are so lucky to work with such lovely people. The team are so delighted to hear the feedback, thank you so much. X
Over a year ago, I reached out to Kate when I found out I was pregnant with my third child — a complete surprise, and much sooner than we had expected. With my second child only 18 months old at the time, we suddenly needed childcare for two little ones, and quickly.
Having used a mainstream nursery for years with my son (now 6) and daughter, I knew exactly what I didn’t want to compromise on. Making the decision to leave them was incredibly hard — they had been such a big part of our lives.
When I came across Kate, it honestly felt too good to be true: a childminder who looks after babies, toddlers and preschoolers, provides hot meals, organises trips, and is genuinely affordable.
We’ve now been with Kate for four months, and I truly wish we had found her sooner. I cannot begin to describe the amount of effort, organisation and care she puts into making each day — and each month — exciting, nurturing and educational for the children.
From fantastic activities to educational outings, and not to mention the annual nativity (which was absolutely adorable!), it’s clear how much thought and love goes into everything she does.
If you’re considering Kate… this is your sign to choose her now.
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by
Yasmin
on 30/01/2026
Response by
Kate Gilheaney
on 09/02/2026:
Ahhh what a lovely review to read. Thank you so much. It is an absolute pleasure and privalige to work with such lovely families and children. It's so nice to know you are happy and the children are too. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts, I know the girls will be delighted to read this. Thank you xx
Words can’t express our gratitude to Kate and her team.
After a really bad experience with a previous nursery we were so worried about everything and wasn’t sure how we could restore our trust in childcare until we met Kate!
From the moment we were welcomed into her beautiful home we knew we had to make this work for our daughter. So personable, hardworking, normal and confident in what she has to offer.
The care, environment and organisation was so apparent with lots of happy children.
The monthly plans for learning, activities, outings and development are so well put together with a clear structure. We know our daughter is safe - what more could we ask for.
Most importantly we know we made the right decision because our daughter is shining with confidence and developing weekly, comes home with a smile and visually looks cared for.
We wholeheartedly recommend Kate to any parent looking for a truly wonderful place for their child.
Thank you x
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by
Robyn
on 29/01/2026
Response by
Kate Gilheaney
on 29/01/2026:
That's made me a bit tearful! Thank you Robyn, we are so lucky when we get to work with such kind and appreciative families. I know you had concerns given your previous eperiences, so I'm delighted we've been able to give you back faith in there being good places and good people. It's an absolute pleasure to look after your wonderful daughter and to work with your family. Thank you so much, I will be sharing with the team, who will also be thrilled with this review. Thank you! x
We have tried a few different childcare options with our children over the years but nothing comes close to the experience we have had with Kate in her home and at the Hut.
Her setting, staff and herself are amazing, welcoming, kind, caring. I can say that my daughter loves coming to see Kate and the team, and from a development perspective she is much more confident than my other children at this age!
She goes above and beyond.
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by
Poppy123
on 28/01/2026
Response by
Kate Gilheaney
on 28/01/2026:
Ahhh how lovely to hear this. Thank you so much. We are so lucky to be able to work with such lovely families and be treated so wonderfully by you all. Thank you so much for these lovely words. I shall share with the team. It's so nice to hear you are pleased. Thank you for going to the trouble to write this lovely review. Kate & team x
Just had a very emotional goodbye to the Kate, due to moving away from the area. 🥺❤️ I wanted to just do a post to anyone looking for a childminder in the Bickley, Bromley or Chislehurst area. I moved to Chislehurst 3 years ago not knowing anyone or having any family here, so natural was very nervous about looking at childminders/ nursery’s and not being able to get any recommendations. I found Kate through Child Care.com and oh my goodness. She has been an absolute dream. A home from home setting and my daughter had grown into such a funny, chatty and lovely character. I honestly believe that’s due to Kate and her wonderful team. I cannot recommend her enough. The only sad thing about moving is not being able to bring Kate with us 💔
I can’t thank you enough Kate! We will stay in touch!
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Brogan
on 23/01/2025
Response by
Kate Gilheaney
on 24/01/2025:
Awwww, Brogan, thank you so much for such a lovely review/tribute. Working with beautiful families, like yours, makes my job an absolute pleasure. Thank you for all your support always and for being such a joy to open the door to every day. We will really miss you all. We will definitely stay in touch 🥰 xxx
Kate has been looking after my older child at her pre school setting for a year and a half now, and he loves it!
As a result She has just started looking after my youngest at her home too. He loves spending time with Kate and her team, he gets stuck in to a real variety of activities and seems to eat like a king! Despite having a food intolerance, he still gets super varied and healthy meals. I always get regular updates on what he gets up to throughout the day and he has settled really quickly! Thank you Kate x
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by
HC1
on 03/07/2023
Response by
Kate Gilheaney
on 03/07/2023:
Thank you so much! What lovely feedback. I've loved having both of your boys and super excited for the littlest to be starting with me and moving onto The Wonder Years Bromley, our other Pre School setting, when he's ready. A pleasure to have them. Thank you. x
I don’t know where to start… I love Kate, Amy and the team at Wonder years. My little girl loves it there and I genuinely feel that they care so much for her too.
The creativity, the space, the food and the family feel is more than I could’ve asked for.
My little one is 20 months old and has been coming to Wonder years for the last 4 months and I notice weekly that she’s learning new things that we haven’t done at home, so all credit to Kate and Co.! Thank you!! It must be exhausting looking after so many kids and always keeping that energy up!
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by
Char
on 05/07/2021
Response by
Kate Gilheaney
on 06/07/2021:
Awwww thank you so much for the lovely feedback. It's a pleasure and a privilege to work with such wonderdul children and families, I never forget how much I love this job and the fact that parents are happy with what we are doing just boosts us to be more creative and think of more exciting things to do. Working with families, such as yours, is my favourite part of this job. Thank you so much :)
My boys spend a lot of time with Kate at her lovely pre-school. She is outgoing, bubbly, creative, enthusiastic, professional and enriches my children’s lives no end. I just cannot recommend her highly enough.
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Maeve
on 29/06/2021
Kate and her team have looked after my daughter since she was a very young toddler. I was, of course, very nervous about returning to work after maternity leave and wanted to ensure my daughter (who'd only just turned 1) was spending her days in a nurturing, friendly and safe environment. I knew from the moment I met Kate that her set-up was exactly the right environment I wanted for my daughter and that she would be very happy there. What makes Kate stand out from the crowd is her willingness to provide a range of developmental activities and experiences for the children in her care. Our daughter has also benefitted from positive interaction with a variety of children of a variety of pre-school ages. She was always excited about going to Kate's, which goes to show what a top notch set-up this is. Thank you, Kate.
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by
juno27
on 15/07/2020
Response by
Kate Gilheaney
on 20/07/2020:
Thank you so much, what a lovely review. It's been a pleasure to be on this journey with you all. Thank you for the opportunity. I've really enjoyed watching her grow in confidence and seeing her personality bloom. :)
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This profile was last updated on 9th 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.
