Little Gems
Childminder in St Albans
5.0
My Summary
Childhood Isnt Something To Be Rushed
About Me
Hi, my name is Gemma, and I am an Ofsted-registered childminder and the owner of Little Gems Childcare. I hold an NVQ Level 3 qualification in Early Years Childcare & Education, alongside qualifications in Children and Young People’s Mental Health.
I am passionate about providing a nurturing, holistic and child-led environment where children feel emotionally secure, valued and supported to thrive at their own pace. I strongly believe that emotional wellbeing forms the foundation for confidence, learning, development and positive relationships.
Little Gems offers a calm, home-from-home environment where children are given the time and freedom to explore, create, build confidence and learn through meaningful play. Our days include real-life experiences, sensory-rich activities and plenty of opportunities to get out and explore, with outings to places such as farms, parks, woodland areas, soft play and our local community. Experiences are shaped around the children’s individual interests, needs, ages and stages of development rather than following a one size fits all approach.
My focus is on supporting the whole child, emotionally, socially, physically and developmentally, while building strong, trusting relationships with both children and their families. I believe every child deserves to feel safe, heard, understood and celebrated for exactly who they are.
I live with my two children in our family home in the AL1 area of St Albans, within walking distance of St Albans City station and close to local schools and amenities.
My Experience
I have over 22 years of experience working in childcare, caring for children from birth through to 14 years old across a variety of early years, school and home-based settings.
My experience includes:
• 5 years working within a nursery setting
• 7 years working as a nanny, including caring for twins and supporting children with a range of additional needs, including autism and ADHD
• Working within an Early Years Reception class at a local school, supporting both mainstream and SEN children
• 6 years working as a childminding assistant
• Running my own childminding setting, Little Gems Childcare, for the past 4 years
Over the course of my career, and through my own experience as a mother of two, I have gained a deep understanding that every child is completely individual, with their own personality, needs, emotions and pace of development.
Both my professional experience and my journey as a parent have shaped the way I care for children today. I provide nurturing, adaptable and individualised care, meeting children where they are developmentally while giving them the time, encouragement and emotional security they need to grow in confidence and thrive.
My Qualifications
• NVQ Level 3 in Early Years Childcare & Education
• Level 3 Designated Safeguarding Lead
• TQUK Level 2 in Understanding Children & Young People’s Mental Health
• 12 hour Paediatric First Aid
• Food Safety & Hygiene Level 1 & 2
• Enhanced DBS Check
My Availability
Available for childcare Monday- Friday
Please don’t hesitate to contact me for further information along with your childcare needs and requirements.
My Fees
- Childminding from £9.50 per hour
Please contact me for further information
My Local Schools
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Camp Primary and Nursery School
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
- Ofsted Certificate (added 07/11/2022)
- DBS Check (added 29/10/2022)
- Training Certificate: Level 2 food hygiene and safety for catering (added 14/02/2026)
- Training Certificate: Level 1 Food Hygiene and Safety (added 27/11/2025)
- Training Certificate: Designated Safeguarding Lead (Level 3) (added 27/11/2025)
- First Aid Certificate: 12 hour Level 3 Paediatric First Aid (added 27/11/2025)
- First Aid Certificate: 12 hour Level 3 Paediatric First Aid (added 07/12/2022)
- Exam Certificate: TQUK Level 2 in Understanding Children & Young Peoples Menral Health (added 29/10/2022)
- Training Certificate: Level 3 Safeguarding (added 29/10/2022)
- Training Certificate: Food Safety & Hygiene (added 29/10/2022)
- Exam Certificate: Advanced Apprenticeship NVQ Level 3 in Early Years & Education (added 29/10/2022)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Little Gems . 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.
My daughter has been with Gemma since April 2026 and is thriving. She started at 11 months and her eating and physical development has really come on since being with Gemma.
The best thing about Gemma is she really loves the children she cares for and they are so well nurtured in her setting.
Gemma takes her out on lots of different outings and structures the days at home really well to ensure they are getting lots of different types of stimulation and development opportunities.
Plus her communication is excellent - seeing her updates pop up on my phone whilst I’m at work with lots of gorgeous photos helps me feel much better about being back at work.
I couldn’t recommend her more
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by
Victoria
on 27/08/2026
Gemma has been looking after my daughter since she was 1 years old, she’s now 3 years old and her development has outshined my expectations since she started with Gemma. Not only do I find Gemma very easy to communicate with she’s very flexible and always happy to help. Couldn’t recommend her more!
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by
Sandra
on 26/08/2026
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This profile was last updated on 15th September 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.