Downtoearthchildmind
Childminder in Canterbury
Usually responds within 5 minutes
Female Member since Jul 2022 Last Updated Mar 2025 Last Login 12 May 2025
My Summary
Small Homely Setting With Full Outdoor Access Run By An Early Years Practitioner. Accepting Funding
About Me
A term time setting open 8am-5pm Monday - Friday. A rare space has become available from the 22nd of April with a further opening in September.
Having worked in a variety of early years settings since 2010 and gaining many relevant qualifications including a foundation degree in Early Childhood Studies I chose to become a childminder to be able to cater more closely for each individual child. I opened my doors as a childminder in September 2022 and absolutely adore the family feeling the children have created. The setting is a cosy home environment with free flow access to an exciting garden for up to 4 children age 3 and under.
I love working with children, learning about what each child is interested in and helping them enjoy and learn from the world around them. I believe children are born ready to learn and they do that in their own ways and at their own pace. I love providing resources that children can freely explore while finding opportunities to further their knowledge. Whether that is a social moment learning to share and play with children of different ages, or help to count and make patterns with items they have found, there are opportunities all around and resources are provided based on what each child is interested in.
The downstairs of my home is open plan for the children to freely enjoy access indoors and to the garden through large patio doors. The dining room provides an area for messy play and crafts, the living room has easy access to a wide selection of resources with direct access to a purposefully designed secure garden with a variety of areas including a mud kitchen, sand, rock climbing, a swing and a slide. I use the garden all year round like an extension on my house with lots of fruit and herbs that the children enjoy learning about.
I believe that caring for animals teaches many skills to young children. We have 4 pet chickens in a separate garden out the back of the house, the children were so interested when they hatched and have great fun taking leftover snacks out to them. We also have 4 very friendly cats who we adopted when my youngest son was 6 months old, they have always lived around young children and will pop in to say hi and have a little stroke before wandering off to their favourite hidden places.
Full day fee £60.00 9am-5pm.
Fully funded spaces available 9am - 4:30pm with a longer day available for £4.00 per additional half hour. Voluntary consumables fee of £4.50 per day to cover snacks, outings, special crafts, nappies and wipes or bring your own consumables.
Cold packed lunch provided from home.
My Experience
With over 15 years experience within the early years sector I have cared for children as an early years practitioner, classroom assistant, babysitter and nanny, as well as having two of my own children and two step sons. Working as a childminder allows me to spend more quality time with a small group of children and create an environment where I am flexible for each child's individual needs.
My Qualifications
Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies (Level 5)
Level 3 Childcare
Level 2 Managing Children's Behaviour
Paediatric First Aid
Food and Hygiene Certificate
Health and Safety Certificate
Safeguarding Courses
Full Enhanced DBS Check
Clean Driving Licence
My Availability
Spaces available from April 2025 and September 2025
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Morning | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Afternoon | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| After School | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Evening | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 02/02/2025 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £6.67 per hour
Daily fee
Tax free childcare
Fully government funded places available
My Local Schools
- I provide pick ups at The Canterbury Primary School
My Documents
- Ofsted Certificate (added 07/05/2023)
- DBS Check (added 22/09/2022)
- Training Certificate: Food and Hygeine (added 26/08/2022)
- First Aid Certificate: Paediatric First Aid (added 26/08/2022)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Parents say
This childminder is highly praised for providing an exceptional, nurturing environment. Parents appreciate the attentive care, outdoor activities, and focus on learning through play. Children reportedly thrive, developing confidence and enjoying the homely atmosphere. The setting offers a great routine, frequent outings, and keeps parents informed through a user-friendly app, making it a top choice for families.
Summary generated by AI from the text of recent member reviews
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for DownToEarthChildmind. 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 sincerely cannot recommend DownToEarthChildmind enough. My daughter’s confidence has grown exponentially since starting there and she doesn’t want to leave most days!
Nicola is so attentive, kind, positive and patient with the children and does so much to create a nurturing and wholesome environment for them. She has a wonderful set up both indoors and outdoors and encourages fun, messy and safe play.
They have a great daily routine and make the most of each day, with frequent day trips, walks and explorations.
The setting is just so wonderful and my daughter has benefited in countless ways from it. One of the best decisions we’ve made is choosing DownToEarth!
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by
CLH
on 09/04/2025
My son absolutely loves going to Nicolas to be with his friends and see her. He really listens, engages and thrives here. His favourite part is the garden it has everything a child could need or want from slide and swings to mud pit, sand pit and water play etc. He also loves the messy play area that Nicola changes regularly to keep their imaginations going and the freedom to paint, colour and stick. I feel confident and comfortable when my son is in her care, the app that Nicola uses is brilliant it really keeps me in the loop to what he has eaten, toilet breaks and if anything is needed to know. The food choices for snacks are very good and he is willing to try new things which he wouldn't try at home.
Handovers are quick but thorough which is perfect. I 100% recommend Nicola and her family home 🤩
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Charlott
on 01/04/2025
I couldn’t be more pleased with DownToEarthChildmind! My child has been with them from 2022 to 2024, and it has been an incredible experience.
The approach to children’s care is so compassionate and thoughtful, and it’s clear they genuinely care about the well-being and growth of every child. From day one, I’ve felt confident and comfortable knowing my child is in such a nurturing environment.The personalized attention, warmth, and respect they show to children make all the difference. It’s not just about care, it’s about creating an atmosphere where kids can flourish. I’m beyond grateful for everything DownToEarthChildmind has done for my family!
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Alina
on 31/03/2025
We have relocated from London to Canterbury recently with our twenty month old son, Brody. One of the most nerve-wracking parts of that move has been "will we find a setting perfect for Brody". Our son is absolutely nature mad, loves animals and is a real sensory seeker. For this reason, we wanted to find a setting that had a real focus on being outdoors, getting mucky and having lots of fun. We wanted to find a space where this could be off-set with the feeling of a "home from home" and offer the kind of comforts that Brody loves most. We viewed lots of settings but what Nicola provides at Down to Earth could not be more perfect.
Down to Earth places a clear focus on learning through play with lots of focus on time spent outdoors in nature. Brody absolutely loves it here. He has settled remarkably quickly and now understands Down to Earth as part of his daily routine. Down to Earth provide updates on absolutely everything you could think of via a secure app including photos, comments, videos, incident reports in the event of any accidents, notes relating to the administering of medication (if required). It is so polished, professional and easy to use which certainly helps keep anxious parents' minds at rest!
When we pick Brody up he is just beaming from ear to ear. You can tell he is genuinely delighted to have spent his time in this space and that is the most heartwarming thing. You can sometimes hear him laughing on the way to the door!
Down to Earth is something truly unique and special and I could not be more thrilled with the decision we've made and the outstanding service that Nicola provides.
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by
HSFamily
on 25/09/2023
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This profile 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.
