Frances Keays Smith's Reviews

We can’t thank you enough :)

Our little boy joined Frances when I returned to work just before his 1st birthday and he has absolutely loved every minute. Frances is very attentive and he has thrived in a home from home setting with lots of organised activities as well as free play both inside and outside. He has always run in and come out with a beaming smile. His speech has come on brilliantly and he often eats better there than he does at home! We love to receive updates about his day and pictures of him having fun with his friends. We are so grateful for the last 2 years and we have already reserved a space for our second child!

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by Danielle on 23/09/2024

The best childminder you could ask for

We couldn't recommend francess enough. She goes above and beyond. Our little boy is a little bit reserved and takes a while to settle with people but with francess she couldnt do enough to help with this. He really loved seeing her she was amazing with his little ways and totally understood him took her time to help him and was overall amazing with all she done with him. The days were filled with fun and his development really came on. She is such a lovely lady and each day i left i felt happy that he was in good hands. I would highly recommend francess to anyone shes totally amazing

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by Kirstie on 29/08/2024

Response by Frances Keays Smith on 29/08/2024:

Oh Kirstie thank you so much! It has been my pleasure. He is such a wonderful boy! Xx

A personal home from home setting

As a family we can’t praise Frances highly enough for her care in looking after both of our children. We started childcare with our eldest who is now 7, and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending her to anyone.
Both our children have thrived in Frances’s setting, and most importantly have always been very content and always happy, which as a parent is very comforting particularly when they are young. Frances offers a home from home style setting where we always felt our children had a 1:1 experience, and has always spent the time and effort in those early days settling them in as a priority, to the point both my girls were walking in with nothing more than a smile. We felt that was especially important in the younger years which has given our children the best start in life and the confidence to move on to nursery and subsequently school.
Thank you Frances for all you have done in supporting us as a family, and you will be missed by us all! x x x

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by Katy on 19/01/2024

Response by Frances Keays Smith on 19/01/2024:

Thank you so much! You have been wonderful clients and I have enjoyed looking after your lovely girls enormously! Wishing you the very best of luck for the future. Xxx

The best decision we ever made!!

Being new to the whole idea of sending a child to a childminder after being at home with our older 2, this was very frightening. The minute I spoke to Frances I was put at ease! Lu has always been settled with Frances, from day 1 he warmed to her and the rest has been history. I couldn’t have asked for someone more caring and loving to look after our baby whilst we were working. There was always good communication about things he had done during his day as well as a full handover at the end of the day. His progression with speech, knowledge of animals and numbers has been down to Frances hard work that she puts into the children in her care. The decision to send Lu to Frances everyday was hands down the best decision we have ever made! We can’t thank Frances enough for everything she has done for Lu and us as a busy working family!!

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by Emily on 06/01/2024

Brilliant Childminder

Our little boy started with Frances' childcare provision at the beginning of 2022 and she has been brilliant with him. He's so happy to go everyday, Frances provides wonderful feedback each day, she's knowledgeable and has built a great relationship with him, he loves being around the rabbits and cats - a home from home for little ones. It's been a breath of fresh air compared to our previous childcare experience with our first child. We really couldn't recommend Frances enough, I'm just disappointed we didn't fine her sooner!

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by Rebecca on 29/03/2022

Response by Frances Keays Smith on 29/03/2022:

Thank you so much for your wonderful review! Greatly appreciated!! He is an absolute pleasure to look after!! Xx

My child is so happy!

Chummy has been with Frances since he was 9 months old. When trying to decide on childcare as I returned back to work full-time, it was essential for us to have a childminder who favoured structure routine, but also focused on building him socially and developmentally as most of his week would be spent here. Chummy had suffered like all pandemic babies with a severe lack of interaction from outside our little family of three, since he was born. This had made him a little shyer than most babies. We were confident, that by going to a smaller setting (rather than a large nursery), and with Frances hands on approach, that his emotional needs would be met as he moved to interacting more and more with people. Over the last year, Chummy has absolutely excelled as a little human. Frances has done amazing work with him, and he surprises us everyday with new things that he has learnt in her settling. The one thing I notice most is how happy Chummy is, he loves being dropped off in the morning, and with most evenings its a struggle to get him back in the car! As a parent though, my needs are also being met. You always wonder what goes on in the day with your child, what they are doing, are they eating, have they pooped? Did they nap? You want to know as much as you can about their day so you don't miss a thing. Frances is amazing at sending reports, and has even structured the reports in a way I requested, so I can scan through and see the bits that I am most concerned about. There is loads of information in them and I feel that from these I can make confident decisions later in the day about Chummy's well-being. Also Frances is always helpful in discussing changes or trouble shooting problems Chummy might be facing (night waking, ages to go bed etc etc) but the best bit is when you are trying a solution, Frances walks hand in hand with you on those, and helps implement them. She really cares about the wellbeing of the children in her settling and that is a rarity. We are thrilled with Cheeky Monkeys and we are only sad that when he becomes older he will have to move on!

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by Ruth_c on 12/02/2022

Definitely recommend Frances for childcare?

We can't recommend Frances enough. Our daughter loves her days with Frances and her other friends there. She gets so excited just pulling up outside and can't wait to knock on the door to start her day!

Frances expertly helps the children settle in and then to make the most of every day with age and developmentally appropriate activities, indoors and outdoors. We have seen enormous development in our daughter's skills and confidence over the last 8 months.

Meals provided are healthy and homemade and the children are also encouraged and supported with their hygiene. Daily updates on what the children have been doing is great too and Frances is always keen to work with any individual requirements to meet the needs of the children.

I'm so pleased that my daughter can continue to enjoy her days with Frances for quite some time to come.

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by ELS3178 on 04/11/2020

Response by Frances Keays Smith on 04/11/2020:

Thanku so much for this wonderful review! Looking after your little girl is always such a pleasure! Do rewarding yo see her progress too.

Never have to worry, my daughter loves Frances 🌈

Frances is always welcoming, smiley and friendly. My daughter loves to go to Frances and has made some wonderful little friends; all of who play a massive part in her little world.
Frances responds to my daughter’s individual needs sensitively and with humour as well as keeping good communication. I feel very confident and reassured leaving her with Frances for 3 days a week which she manages very well at such a young age.
As I am a key worker, Frances has been incredible during lockdown; she been able to continue to offer an ongoing, flexible service that has been invaluable to us as a family.
I will be sorry to leave Frances’s childminding services as we branch out into the world of pre-school but I’m sure newcomers will settle and be just as happy with her as we have been.
Thank you Frances 🙏

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by HHart on 02/11/2020

Response by Frances Keays Smith on 02/11/2020:

Ah thanku so much! What a wonderful fun time we have had! It's been an absolute pleasure!

The best you can get

Our second son has been with Frances since he was around 18 months and he turns 3 today! I can't recommend her highly enough. We couldn't ask for more. It has been such a wonderful contrast from our experiences of childcare with our first child. We love it so much that we have delayed nursery to keep M with Frances for a bit longer.

M settled into the setting really quickly. We have never had tears or any reluctance going. M is always bouncing with enthusiasm and runs through the gate when he gets close. At times he has even been disappointed to be collected!! He clearly feels cared for and able to fully express himself when he is with Frances. He is such a happy, confident little boy and he spends the majority of his week with Frances so all credit to her.

As parents, we have been super grateful for Frances' amazing organisation and clear communication. We love the daily diary and hearing about his day in detail. We feel so reassured that he eats well and healthily, he sleeps well yet comes home nicely tired, he is always safe, and even comes home clean and tidy (not sure how she manages that miracle). He talks about his lovely friends so fondly and clearly learns so much through all the varied fun they have.

Frances has been particularly wonderful and professional through Covid. She has clear policies in place to keep her family safe, her business running and, of course, the children in her care and their families safe. We feel so grateful to have the chance to use a smaller setting with lower risk, not least because we know that Frances is 100% on the hygiene and very careful that parents do their own checks before sending kids in.

I wish we could have given our first son the same start that we've had for M with Frances.

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by Louisa on 02/11/2020

Response by Frances Keays Smith on 02/11/2020:

Thank you so much for this amazing review... I really appreciate this! It has been a fantastic experience for me too! M is a credit to you.

Grateful for Frances!

We brought our son to Frances at 8 months, and it's been the best possible setting for him. Frances built a great rapport with him from the start, and is very attentive to the settling-in phase. He has never cried at a drop-off or pickup - indeed, he is always smiling!

We love that he gets exposure to playing with other young children, and her setting has varied, safe spaces for them to play and explore. She must have every toy/baby item under the sun, which is great because he can get the stimulation suited to his ever-changing abilities without us having to buy new stuff all the time. They do arts and crafts, singing and music, sensory play, and plenty of outdoor play. He's also very comfortable with all kinds of pets, as a result of being exposed to her very well behaved cats. She creates a harmonious environment for them to play and interact, making a safe and supportive environment for developing social skills.

The food she provides is healthy and age-appropriate, and she manages to provide varied fresh food while avoiding allergens and sugar. I know she maintains good hygiene standards, because he has not gotten a cold since starting with her.

Frances's communication has always been straightforward and prompt, and we appreciate that she keep such high standards for her business. The daily updates provide all the essential information, and she provided extra updates when he was settling in so we could be confident his first days and weeks were going well. She has been able to be flexible with the occasional early start or late pickup, as well as extra days.

Thanks so much, Frances!

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by ZoeM on 02/11/2020

Response by Frances Keays Smith on 02/11/2020:

Thank you so much for such a wonderful review! I really appreciate it! Looking after Tristan is an absolute joy!

Amazing

In addition to our little girl (now 2) Frances also looks after our son (10 months) and has done for some months now.

We have seamless drop off/ pick ups even with two children which is nothing short of amazing. Both children are always excited to see Frances in a morning and it’s really made our life easy as parents knowing our children are so happy in her care.

Both children are well catered for according to their age appropriate needs. This spans all areas from education and adventure to food and social interaction with both other children and animals. All of these aspects (and many more) have had such a positive impact on both and children and indeed their relationship with each other.

I was delighted and amazed at the in-depth work frances puts into her observations of the children and planning of their care. It comes as no surprise she has been awarded ofstead outstanding twice.

We are sad to be leaving the area soon and only wish we could convince Frances to move to wales!

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by Anne Mar on 21/01/2020

Response by Frances Keays Smith on 21/01/2020:

Oh Anne, thanku do much for this lovely review. I have enjoyed every minute of looking after your wonderful children. I wish you all the very best of luck for the future in Wales!! Xx

Excellent

Frances has looked after both our boys from when they were 6 months old until 3 years old for the older boy Ben (who is now at pre-school) and Nick who is now 2 and is still with Frances.

Frances is a great combination of being both very professional whilst clearly being very caring with our children, and they have loved spending time with her and we can relax knowing they are being well looked after. She also focuses a lot on their developmental needs, not onerously, but just nicely so it is fun for them to learn and grow.

I would highly recommend Frances to any parent looking for brilliant childcare in Exmouth.

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by how2157 on 07/06/2019

Fantastic

Our little girl has been with Frances for 8 months, since she was 8 months old and throughly loves her days there. She is excited at drop off and happy at pick up.
Frances provides a huge range of activities which support learning and development as well as fun and gives healthy balanced meals.

I would highly recommend Frances as a childminder based on our experience, which has been nothing short of excellent.

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by Anne Mar on 03/06/2019

Excellent!

Frances is currently looking after our 2 year old son and she is absolutely fantastic.

I was very nervous about leaving my little boy as I work full time but from the very start Frances made me feel relaxed and at ease. Our little boy cannot wait to go in the mornings and has so much fun!

Frances provides a wide range of activities which are tailored to our sons needs and interests, for example, our little boy is currently obsessed with dinosaurs and regularly comes home full of excitement about the dino related activities he has done in the day. She provides a range of activities which cover all areas of the EYFS curriculum and he regularly comes home with beautiful drawings, painting and even cookery creations! Being a little boy he has tons of energy, he regularly goes to local parks, soft play areas and galevanting in the community with Frances, which we love!

Along with all of the brilliant activities he gets up to, Frances also provides a detailed daily diary which is so lovely to read to find out what he has been up to, it also means I know what he has eaten and how long he has slept everyday.

Our son is so happy, he bounces in each morning and comes out brimming with enthusiasm and talk at the end of the day. It is evident that Frances takes real care to nurture his personality and look after his individual needs. I couldn't imagine him being looked after by anyone else!

Thank you so much!
Charlotte and Rich :)

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by Parent on 11/12/2016

Fantastic

Frances looked after my son from 10 months until we sadly left the area when he was 18 months. Being my first child I was nervous but could not have felt more reassured by Frances - not to mention how happy Harry was to go there every day. He couldn't get in quick enough! Frances has a lovely family and her 2 children play with the others in Frances' care and build up a family type rapport with them. Had we not moved to Bristol Harry would still be with Frances now and we miss her very much! I could not recommend Frances highly enough. You will not find a better childminder in Exmouth. Thank you Frances x

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by Parent on 24/11/2015

Absolutely Perfect… 10 Stars!!

We were dreading finding a childminder for our daughter and were let down a week before starting with another care provider in the area. This turned out to be the best thing ever as we then found Frances using this childcare site! Jamie is so very happy and excited to get dropped off with Frances each day and it has been that way from day one. Jamie has come on a lot since starting when she was 9 months old and we feel a lot of this has been down to Frances time with her. We love reading her daily reports and finding out what she has been up to with her little friends! Knowing how hard it was for us to find someone we were happy to leave Jamie with, we could not recommend Frances enough she offers an extremely high level of childcare in a fun, friendly and welcoming family setting.

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by Parent on 25/09/2015

Recommendation

We first contacted Frances through recommendations of friends whilst looking for suitable childminders as I was due back to work from maternity. When we first met Frances she was very friendly, we brought our son to meet her at her house where she invited us in and got lots of toys our for Felix to keep him entertained. She was very informative about what she does and also showed us plenty of examples of previous children's development folders. We were very impressed with her organisation and clear interest of each of the child's growth and personal development.

Felix started childcare with Frances when he was just 9 months old in July 2013. He is now 29 months old and has really developed into a fantastic little man; we can thank Frances for many of his milestones such as speech which she has helped by encouraging him through play and interaction with other children, songs and games. Frances even made sure that all the children made something for their mummies on mother's day. Felix was very proud to give me his special gift.

We are also pleased that Frances takes all the children out and about as much as possible to enjoy the fresh air as well as trips to places such as Bicton Park, Sams Funhouse and Budleigh beach which we know our boy loves!

All the children get on really well in Frances care and we find Felix is always eager to get to Frances house as soon as the weekend is over!

Frances keeps a journal for each day Felix attends which lets us know what and how he has eaten, if he's been tired or had naps, how he's been with his toilet training and also generally his mood and what he has got up to in the day which provides a great read at the end of the day, to really feel like you know what your little ones been up to.

Overall we cannot fault Frances; she is informative, organised and committed and provides all reassurance that all parents need when leaving their children in the care of others, Thank you for everything you have done!

Felix's Mum and Dad x

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by Parent on 26/03/2015

Amazing...not enough stars!!

I left a review regarding our eldest daughters experience of being with Frances and since that review, we have gone on to have two more little girls who have also attended the setting. We are so pleased with ow comfortable all our girls have been with Frances and more recently, Isabella our eldest, has been diagnosed with Autism. The reports that Frances compiles for each child have played a key part in obtaining that diagnosis and we have all worked well to ensure that life for Isabella is made as easy as possible given her sensory issues. Our girls adore Frances and seeing how confident they all are have made life so much easier for me and my husband who is also a Royal Marine. Sadly (but also good for us!!) we are relocating back to Suffolk so our time with Frances will be coming to an end and we can only wish that we could take Frances with us!! Me and the girls will miss her very much :(

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by Parent on 05/12/2014

Excellent childcare provider

Our daughter Belle started being cared for by Frances at 8 months old. As you can imagine this was an
extremely stressful time, not only was I leaving my baby for the first
time but I was also starting a new job. Frances made the transition
for Belle and myself extremely easy and made a huge effort to make sure
she was happy and content. Our daughter thrived with Frances and
enjoyed the wide range of activities and day trips provided for her and
the other children. Frances followed our routine that we loosely had at
home and also managed Belles dietary requirements of a dairy free diet.
I could not praise Frances highly enough for the care she provided
Belle and we are very grateful to her.

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by HannahEd on 27/10/2014

Fantastic!!!

Our daughter has been looked after by Frances since she was 12 months old (now 19 months old) and we could not be happier with the care she receives. All the children in Frances' care are always happy and having fun, doing activities such as creating, cooking, playing in the garden, singing, taking trips to Bicton or playing with all the lovely toys in the playroom.

Jasmine comes home each day with a daily diary which tells us everything she has done in the day, how much she has slept, ate etc.

After visiting numerous different nurseries and childcare providers, the reason we chose a childminder over a nursery was so that it provided a home from home feeling for Jasmine and Frances' home provides just that. It is such a relief to go to work knowing Jasmine is somewhere she is happy, extremely well looked after and loves going (so much so she doesn't always want to leave!!!).

Frances provides outstanding childcare....I would (and have) recommend Frances to anyone x

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by Parent on 24/03/2013

A real angel

Our daughter Bella has been going to Frances now for 3/4 months (since she was 8 months) and I can honestly say that Bella is thriving in such a caring and stimulating environment. Frances has a fantastic home with plenty of lovely toys for children of all ages and its a pleasure to see Bella go and get stuck in! As my husband is in the marines and we have no family close to us, it was extremely important that we had a childminder who understood that and Frances certainly does.

Along with her assistant, Frances keeps a daily diary for each child which enables us to see what Bella has eaten, how many naps shes had and what she has done throughout the day. Such a great idea and it also enables you to add comments after each day.

The children do various activiites ie, trips out and all this is recorded in the diary. So happy are we with Bellas care, we have increased her days from 2 to 4 within months.

I would rate Frances higher then a "Good" but unfortunately there isn't that option on here!!

I would highly reccommend Frances and her assistant Robyn as they are gems :)))

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by Parent on 12/09/2011