GemmaW's Reviews
Childminder
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Average Rating:
(5 from 11 reviews)
Gemma has looked after our son from when he was 9 months old until just before his 3rd birthday. He absolutely loves his days with Gemma, skips in happily through her door every morning and adores her and will often ask when his next "Gemma day" is going to be and is always happy and excited to see her. We always feel at ease when he is with Gemma and know that he is so well cared for. Gemma does her absolute best to provide him with a structured day, so that he is always engaged and learning and we feel lucky that as a qualified teacher, she knows exactly how to teach children and help them achieve their potential! He knows all his shapes, numbers, letters, phonics and she has even been teaching him the basics of writing and how to hold a pen etc, so that he is pre-school ready, which is a huge relief and she has spent so much dedicated time with him to help his learning, that a nursery are just not able to offer, which we feel so grateful for. Gemma is always on hand and listen if we have any queries about anything and she is so organised and proactive and we feel so confident in her assessment of his abilities and learning. She also takes time to make sure to take the children out to groups and activities, which we love and he has developed some lovely friendships with other children in the setting. We really couldn't have asked for a better childminder for our son and he will miss her terribly when he goes to pre-school! Thank you so much Gemma, you really are brilliant at what you do :)
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Gemma has looked after Ella for 2 years and she is a very happy little girl. She treats Gemma’s home like her own and genuinely loves her so much. As a working mum it is so important that we know that Ella is safe, happy and well cared for. Gemma regularly takes her out to play groups, parks etc. Ella loves playing in the garden and playroom, all of which are perfectly catered for the children. It is clear Gemma comes from a teaching background as Ella has flourished learning the alphabet, phonetics, shapes , writing and is working hard to help develop Ella’s social confidence which suffered during lockdown. Gemma is so knowledgeable about children and regularly gives me great advice if I am unsure about something. The most important thing is that Ella is happy and everything else is a huge bonus! Thanks Gemma for all your hard work, Ella's going to miss you when she goes to school 😀
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Gemma has been looking after our 2.5 year old son for four days a week since he was six months old, and we feel so immensely lucky to have found her. I was incredibly nervous about having to return to work relatively soon after his birth and visiting the local nursery left me feeling unenthused and a bit low. I'd never really considered a childminder, but when I met Gemma we were instantly impressed with her setting. Not only is the family home beautifully presented and clean, but it has been so thoughtfully configured to take her career into account - with the most wonderfully engaging playroom and fun garden. But these facilities only scratch the surface of everything Gemma has to offer. She is one of those rare gems who is not only naturally caring and truly generous with her affection, but does so whilst maintaining complete control and tirelessly teaching little people kindness, sharing and good behaviour. Her teaching background is an absolute bonus and we feel as though our little boy has learnt so much from her array of lessons that take into account literacy, numeracy, arts and crafts and the great outdoors. Knowing our son is in a 'home-like' setting with the same person every day gives us complete confidence in his safety and happiness. We are grateful to the whole family for treating him with so much love and respect, giving him the most wonderful foundation to build on.
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Our daughter has been going to Gemma’s now for 2 years and I’m sad that we’re having to leave such a wonderful setting. We definitely struck gold finding Gemma to care for our daughter when I went back to work. I felt so torn leaving sophia age 1 and we had an awful experience before we met Gemma with a different childminder but as soon as we had our first meeting I knew Gemma was the one for us!! Her home is beautiful and her family is so welcoming that Sophia has always felt so comfortable being there. Gemma’s own 2 boys are so polite and kind to the children in her care, Sophia absolutely loves them and talk of ‘the boys’ so fondly. Gemma is kind, compassionate, extremely caring and really nurtures a child’s personality. Sophia is quiet and shy sometimes and I never wanted her to be overly pushed into a situation where she felt uncomfortable, Gemma has always let her go at her own pace and we have a very happy and confident girl nowadays. The activities that Sophia has done over the last 2 years have been great, she comes home having learnt new skills all the time. At the moment they are learning there alphabet and with Gemmas teaching background we honestly couldn’t ask for a better person to be guiding our daughter before she starts pre school. I could not recommend Gemma enough, she really is fantastic, anyone who manages to get a place at Gemma’s is so lucky
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As a full time working mum, there is an element of guilt you feel when you are unable to 100% devote your time to your child, so when you find someone who can genuinely ease that guilt and who can offer your child a home from home environment you feel it is only right that everyone should know how credible they are. Gemma is exactly that, if you are looking for a childminder, who like me, you want to feel assured that your child is happy and safe when you cannot be with them then look no further.
Gemma is trustworthy, personable, reliable and my personal observation is that the children not only like and enjoy her company but they also respect and listen to her as well.
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My youngest daughter has been with Gemma for 2 years and it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to her in January as Edith moves on to her preschool placement.
I would not (and have not) hesitated to recommend Gemma to anyone. Coming from a teaching background Gemma understands the pulls and strains of my job and has been flexible and accommodating every step of the way. My confidence in her and the care and devotion she has to my daughter has allowed me to be focused at work, taking a huge pressure off me.
Edith settled straight away with Gemma and talks of her and 'the Boys' constantly. She has made great friends with her other charges as well as her own two lovely boys. Edith is a part of their family, this is clear in the way Gemma talks about them and the continuing care she has over their physical and emotional well being. Wanting to know the details of their night sleep, wellness and exciting news from the weekend - Gemma will often change plans and shape her days around the children's needs.
As a trained teacher Gemma is highly capable of delivering the EYFS Edith's progress and development have been excellent. Not only is there a great deal of 1-1 developmental support, but socialising as well. Gemma often has playdate sessions with other childminders where children of a similar age can engage in either a specific activity related to the week’s theme (painting/ sticking/ water play) or another supervised physical/ musical activity. Gemma always has a theme or topic that she is working on with the children, encouraging them to bring in items from home to share with the other children on the topic. During her build-up to preschool Gemma has worked with Edith on her letters, counting, and fine motor skills ensuring a smooth transition.
Gemma always prioritises the safety of the children in her care, this is evident through her food safety (cutting grapes and crackers) sun protection and reporting all scrapes and bumps. Gemma is diligent in her safeguarding assessment of the children, noting any bruises from bumps which may have happened over the weekend, etc. and assessing the appropriateness of the speech and language of the children.
Gemma is never frazzled, shouty or stressed. She is calm, in control and nurturing. She takes delight in the children's progress and cares for them as if they were her own. If you have the opportunity to have your child in her care- take it!
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Gemma has been my sons childminder for the past two years. My son is my first child and I was so nervous when I had to return to work. From the beginning Gemma was welcoming and extremely supportive. Gemma detected my nervousness and offered more settling in meetings for my son if I thought needed, however my son was so happy after the second visit I knew I had chosen the correct childminder.
My son enjoys spending time with Gemma, she has a fantastic facilities and a wonder family to match. Gemma's boys are older and my son looks up to them, and they are great little role models for him.
Gemma always provides detailed reports each term which help me understand my sons learning progression. She does fun actives and makes sure that my son has interaction with other children.
Gemma is very caring, supportive and attentive to my son, and for this I will always be grateful as she has given him a great start to building his confidence and independence in life.
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I was fortunate enough to have my daughter looked after by Gemma from 10 months old until she was 3.
I have known Gemma both personally as a friend and as an ex colleague when we used to teach together many years ago. Having seen her professionalism at work and then watching her raise her boys whom I have known since they were little I was confident my daughter was going to be looked after well and she certainly was.
Gemma not only took great care of her she made her feel like part of the family.
My daughter blossomed from a shy little baby to a confident and caring well rounded little girl.
She always looked forward to going to see Gemma and all of the children in her care .
Gemma always gave me regular feedback on how she was doing and progressing and is extremely professional and enjoys her job. She takes the children to playgroups and music classes to enhance their learning and also creates a stimulating environment at home that the children all enjoy. Gemma has helped my daughter enormously in her first few years of life and I would not hesitate to recommend her.
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Gemma is so lovely and provides the most wonderful setting for the children in her care. I first used Gemma back in 2013 after having my first child and she has since looked after our son, and currently looks after our youngest daughter. Gemma helped the children quickly settle with her and provides a true home from home within her family. Not only does she provide excellent care but also supports them in their overall development. She provides a good balance of activities at home with a wide range of toys and arts and crafts, and also goes to parks, playgroups, soft play etc. We receive thorough and honest feedback as to how the children have been, including lovely photos that capture moments in their day! Gemma is always friendly and approachable and I can not recommend her highly enough. Thank you Gemma, I don't know what we'd do without you!
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Gemma has been childminding my son from the age of 11 months and I highly recommend her care. I initially looked at nurseries but didn't find exactly what I wanted for my son. I went to a talk by a group of local childminders and learned that childminders can give very high quality care in a home environment. They are also are more flexible in their days and with the children's development than in a nursery setting. It was by chance that a friend mentioned Gemma's name to me so I went to visit her. On arriving this was the only occasion he ever felt comfortable and intrigued enough to leave me from all our visits to various childcare providers. It was immediately apparent that he felt at ease and would thoroughly enjoy himself with Gemma. The move back to work has been very smooth and I never worry about him during my day which puts me at ease. The online diaries are also brilliant for keeping me updated about what he has been up to so I don't feel I miss out. We always look through the pictures together and he enjoys 'telling' me about his day too.
More importantly he is always very excited to go to Gemma's house and see her lovely welcoming family. You hear horror stories about dropping crying children off at childcare, but we have never had that and he thoroughly enjoys the activities that Gemma provides and I seen him blossom in her care. Gemma was teacher which also gives me confidence that she knows how children develop and how best to nurture their learning and character.
She is an absolute gem!
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