Frances Smedley's 5 Star Reviews

Childminder

5 stars 5 out of 5
25 ratings

Showing only 5 star reviews

Below are the 5 star reviews for frances smedley. 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.

Frances went above and beyond helping us navigate having childcare in London while visiting from another country. She assist in transportation and was very flexible to assist with our hectic schedule while on vacation.
She was astounding with my son and was very affordable, communicative, and professional! Would recommend.

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by Avatar for Evan Evan on 03/12/2024

Our son was with Frances between the ages of 11 months and 13 months before we made the decision to move abroad. We would have taken her if we could! Frances' team is incredibly caring and loving, and went out of their way to ensure we felt comfortable during a very unsettling time with my return to work and the subsequent move. The setting is unparalleled, with fab outdoor space and lots of resources, plus proximity to Hampstead Heath and other outdoor spaces. Our son really enjoyed it there and his development was noticeable particularly in terms of his speech and his comfort with other adults and children. Couldn't recommend this setting more and would be happy to answer any further questions anyone has.

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by Avatar for Lauren Lauren on 03/12/2024

Both of my children have attended Frances’ setting; my son between 1-4, and my daughter started at 7 months old and still attends. They love Frances and her team, and always tell me what they have done during the day & who they have played with. We all enjoy looking through the supplied photos at the end of the day.

The setting is perfect both inside and outside, very safe and secure and filled with plenty of activities for the children to engage with when not on an outing and with opportunities to develop.

Frances and her team really care for the children and over the years have provided brilliant advice, support and recommendations. I absolutely recommend her as a childminder. Thank you all :)

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by Avatar for K_Tymms K_Tymms on 04/09/2024

Our son was with Frances from age 1 to reception and he absolutely florished under her care. Frances gets to know the children very well and has excellent observation skills, noticing when children develop or struggle and giving feedback as appropriate. Our son loved attending (and still is cared for by Frances on occasion if we get caught short!) It’s not just Frances but her team who are brilliant. Nancy and Julia especially are superb! We highly recommend Frances, who always kept our son safe and helped him learn and develop.

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by Avatar for Papa123 Papa123 on 02/09/2024

My daughter was with Frances for the past few years. It was a wonderful, homely and safe setting. My daughter flourished under Frances’ watch and her rapid development was impressive. She was always happy to attend the setting and eager to tell me about all the activities she had completed. It was also lovely to receive pictures of my daughter throughout the day engaging in activities/play and seeing how happy and content she was.

My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her time with Frances and her team and she was incredibly sad when she had to leave. We were very lucky to find such a brilliant setting. I highly recommend Frances and her team to anyone looking for exceptional childcare.

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by Avatar for Reem Reem on 14/02/2023

Being new to London, I didn’t know what a Childminder was. Frances and her whole team is the best thing that happened to my son and family.
They have created a playful, educational, patient, nurturing, dynamic and fun environment.
From ‘in house’ activities such as painting, cooking, singing, dancing to going out trips to the zoo, farm, heath, my son was always happy and smiling at pick up.
As a parent I always valued the excellent level of communication and support.
My son was always learning new things in the best way possible.
I could not recommend enough!

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by Avatar for violeta violeta on 14/12/2022

Our daughter started at Frances when she was 14 months old. The first week was tough because of the Covid restrictions I could not stay for the settling and our daughter was really used to being with us at home. Frances was really flexible and found ways to help her with the settling. After 7 days, she was really happy to go to Frances in the morning and before long, she was not even saying goodbye, entering the house with confidence to go and meet her friends and participate to the morning songs. She has been very happy at Frances enjoying many trips to the zoo, Hampstead Heath, the one o'clock club and the lovely garden with different activites and lots of cooking. We found Frances and her team provided the best care and environment for your daughter with the right size for her to socialise and get exposed to different children and carers. I would highly recommend Frances as she is listening to the parents, providing advice and focusing on the development of the children. We will miss her and her assistants very much as we move to a new country.

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by Avatar for Emilie Emilie on 03/08/2021

My daughter was with Frances & her wonderful team for 1.5yrs, and the care she received was second to none! We were very nervous at first, given the range of childcare services out there, but when we visited Frances' setting, we knew this was for us. It has the perfect balance between nursery and nanny. Your child will flourish within Frances' home environment which is less formal than a nursery or creche, but benefits from the larger number of kids who attend to let your child socialise with kids of all ages. Plus the outings the kids get to go on each day is fantastic. My daughter loved all her adventures in Hampstead Heath / the farm / zoo / clock club and many more. We have moved away for family reasons, and honestly the childcare at Frances' house is irreplaceable! We will forever remember our wonderful experience and can't thank the team enough for giving our daughter the best possible start in her educational journey!

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by Avatar for Clara Clara on 07/07/2021

Frances' place provides a nurturing, homely and creative environment that is safe and designed for babies, toddlers and young children. My son has been at Frances' since he was 11 months. He just moved to 'Big School'. He has been with her for three years, and it has been such a joy for all of us as a family to have Frances as a stable and reliable part of our lives. It has made a huge difference. She designs lots of creative activities, is right next to the park and 'clock club', and invests in each child's development and progress, with a general theme for each week, focusing on letters, colours, road safety etc. She has a small like-minded team to support her, 3 outstanding and dedicated staff members, and for parents this can mean a little more flexibility, as this extends what they can do, e.g. pick ups and extended hours. My son who is now 4 has lots of happy memories and says his favourite things was talking with his 2 friends. It is a great social, calm and creative space, well organised and well run.

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by Avatar for orly orly on 03/10/2020

Frances and her team worked with both my daughters from 2019-2020. Pick ups from school for my oldest one, and my little one enjoyed spending her days at Frances. So much so, that during the whole lockdown period all she would talk about would be returning to Frances house. Frances Frances Frances! The whole team would send videos and created a lovely community during this period - songs, letters/numbers of the day, stories. It was lovely to see the love and care the whole team pour into their job.
They really developed and thrived in this environment- and it was lovely to hear them talk about their friends. Thank you frances and team for such wonderful care.

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by Avatar for sharon sharon on 30/09/2020

My daughter was with Frances from the age of 18 months to almost 4 years and we couln't have been happier with our childcare arrangements. Frances is a warm and caring person with lots of creative ideas. We were always amazed at all the things she came up with and we now have a whole box of great artwork from all these years. Every few weeks Frances focuses on a different topic and there are books, songs, arts and crafts, baking etc on that topic.
As others here mentioned, the daily update in the report book is a great way to learn about your child's day and the portfolio and development report we got from time to time was superb. Frances deeply cares for the kids and tries to find different ways to support them. As my daughter's mother language is German, Frances thought of ways to make her more at ease with English and has been a tremendous help in bringing out the best in my daughter's development. We have now lived abroad for a while, but my daughter still talks a lot about Frances and her assistants and she misses her a lot. We all miss her!

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by Avatar for sunny82 sunny82 on 09/09/2019

My son has been with Frances and her assistants since he was 11 months old (now 19 months). As a first time Mum I was initially anxious about going back to work but Frances reassured me that everything would be okay. Starting gradually with just two hours, then building to three, five and then a full day really helped both me and my son with the transition. Now I don't even worry for a second after I hand over care to Frances. I know my son will have a great day with morning songs and actions, lots of themed activities, painting, storytime and also freedom to just play and run around. If he ever needs a cuddle Frances and her assistants are wonderful. My son always smiles when I mention their names. The daily reports and whatsapp group texts/photos also keep me up to date with his progress and genuinely demonstrates their interest in his development and wellbeing. It's wonderful to know he is being nurtured and loved surrounded by other children of varying ages (babies and toddlers).
Now that we are leaving London I will miss the support of Frances and her amazing team.

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by Avatar for Richella Richella on 19/06/2019

Frances provided a home from home for our daughter from the age of 14 months to 5 years when we moved away from the area. She was flexible, very reliable and provided a great start for our little girl’s schooling. We will all miss her!

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 08/09/2018

My son and daughter were in Frances’ care from 2014 and 2016 respectively.
Frances and her team are caring, warm and welcoming and once my kids settled in, they would happily just leave me on the doorstep and follow Frances into her home.
They both really enjoyed themselves and made friends with local kids who they later attended nursery with.
I believe daily activities, songs, games and routines helped prepare them for nursery.
I really enjoyed receiving written updates informing me about what my kids did on a particular day, as well as regular newsletters explaining upcoming themes and activities.
I particularly loved sampling some of the biscuits and muffins kids helped to make!

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 13/08/2018

Our son has had the best start with Frances. Sending our son to Frances was the best decision we made. We contemplated a nursery too but I’m so pleased we chose a childminder, the nurseries were quite overwhelming and our son seemed so ‘little’ (at just 7 months old)! This was the perfect balance and the care has been second to none.

When we first went to meet Frances, in her beautiful home, she was warm, friendly and welcoming and more importantly she listened to what we needed. As a new mum I was so anxious to leave my child with anyone but I knew from meeting Frances that she would care for our son the way any of our family would.

For the next two years our son attended Frances’ house three days a week and he was incredibly happy each day. He met lots of amazing friends and every day he would be entertained and encouraged by Frances and her incredible team of assistants. Every evening when we collected him they had detailed his day in a lovely diary book that included pictures, songs and core learning as well as his art/craft work. His speech, social skills and his all round confidence soared during his time there. He went from being a baby to a confident little boy!

Frances and her team are the most caring, nurturing and attentive team we could have wished for. Our son misses them so much and so do we!

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 22/05/2018

Our son, now 20 months, has been really enjoying his time with Frances. The environment she has created is very warm, where children learn together and seem to really like each others' company. We particularly liked the way in which, because she has employed some (excellent) assistants, there is a good sized group of kids: it makes Frances's home have the group feel of a mini nursery, coupled with the close attention and homeliness of a childminder. Our son loves the outdoor space, and the children spend lots of time outside every day, as well as regular trips to the Heath etc. The daily diary is a lovely thing to read at the end of each day, and we really appreciate knowing how he's been progressing. Frances herself has been extremely accomodating, going out of her way to help with our arrangements and needs.

We feel very lucky to have found Frances, and highly recommend her and her team!

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 14/09/2017

My daughter started with Frances Jan 2016 when she was 2 and a half and was in Frances care full time until she started school nurseryin Sept 2016. Whilst at school nursery Frances also provided the wrap around care with the nursery hours not be full time.

For me I liked that it felt like a mini nursery due to Frances having qualified help but in a relaxed home environment so the child is getting the benefits of a nursery but in a much nicer relaxed home environment.

She takes the children out regularly and each day has interesting activities planned.

I don't think my daughter would have started school nursery on such an excellent footing had it not been for Frances. Frances makes sure each day was educational but fun ! my daughter when she started school could do far more than her peers like her A,B,C's , numbers , shapes etc.

I would highly recommend Frances to other parents and carers - this I have done already !

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 21/07/2017

We came to Frances when we moved to London and didn't know anyone around. Our son (now 3.5 years old) has been with Frances full time since he was 22 months old.

Frances has looked after him with great care, while understanding his needs and providing a fun and caring environment. Our son has learnt so much kindness, politeness and good manners from her and has always loved going back to her every morning. Frances has guided him to achieve skills appropriate for his age, she also did a great job with teaching him numbers, alphabets, writing & phonetics to an greater extent than the nursery school does for the age.

Frances is extremely flexible, helpful and generous, which was key to us when we were juggling other responsibilities and commitments. She has been the best teacher and role model for our son so far and we now miss her influence on him as our son has started nursery.

I would highly recommend Frances!!

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by Avatar for sushma sushma on 19/07/2017

We came to Frances after a disappointing and frustrating experience with a different childminder. This naturally made us more cautious and nervous but as they say these things happen for a reason and now we’re so glad it did because meeting Frances was the best thing that could have happened.

Our daughter was with Frances full time from when she was 9 months old to 3.5years and absolutely adores her, her family and Nancy (Assistant) - It’s fair to say that she misses them a great deal.

Frances provides a fun, caring and stable environment, taking the children on outings, planning activities and ensuring lots of stimulation. Our daughter learnt so much both in terms skills but values too - kindness, manners and fairness and whenever we are complimented on her behaviour we give credit where it’s due which is with Frances.

For us, France’s calm nature, reliability, flexibility and general loveliness made it so much easier leaving our daughter in her care. It really was like leaving her with family.

Would we recommend Frances? 100% in fact, we’d say you’re exceptionally lucky if you get to work with her.

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 08/06/2016

My son has just finished almost 2 years of being looked after by Frances 3 days a week (since he was 11 months). He settled in really very quickly and has always absolutely loved his time there. He has thrived in her care and the environment she creates for the kids - we are going to miss her and Nancy (who helps on some days) a lot!

The facilities in Frances's home are really geared towards looking after little people, with a great play room in the garden and plenty of space for the kids to run around. The also often go to the Heath to play, either to the park for picnics, or to one of local kids activity centres.

I couldn't recommend Frances highly enough - you can be totally confident of leaving your children in her care.



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by Avatar for Rosanna Rosanna on 09/11/2015

Frances took care of our two boys aged 2 & 4, whilst we attended a meeting in London. Visiting from abroad with no family at hand we were in a dilemma about child care. Frances solved it splendidly and the boys had an absolute ball at her house. Both of them would love to return to her lovely house.
Thank you so much , Frances.

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by Avatar for MrsDunHi MrsDunHi on 17/05/2014

Frances has been an excellent childminder for our son as a baby and toddler. She has really got the measure of him and always seems pleased and excited when he reaches a new stage or masters a new skill. Her assistants have also always seemed very good. We are more than happy to recommend her highly.

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 17/03/2014

Frances has looked after our 3 years daughter since she was approx 14 months old, and she still continues to do so inbetween nursery term times etc.
Frances is such a lovely warm and caring person, and has been fantastic with our daughter:)

Frances always takes the children in her care to childrens clubs, where they have great childrens activities - our daughter is always picked up happy and tired from all of her play:))
I couldn't praise Frances highly enough for her childcare / parenting skills - she really is one in a million.

Frances always tries to be really flexible and accommodating, where different drop off and pick up times are required, and always goes above and beyond what's required.
Definitely grab a place with Frances for your child(ren), they couldn't be in more loving hands:)

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 12/11/2012

The contents of this review are no longer available as the reviewer's account has been deleted.

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 21/09/2012

Frances is like a lovely Mary Poppins person. The kids love her - they enjoy their days with her a lot.

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by Avatar for Parent Parent on 11/08/2010

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