Karen's Reviews

Childminder

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Average Rating: 5 stars (5 from 17 reviews)

Karen is an outstanding childminder. She looked after our 2 children from 5 months and 7 months old, and for 7 years. Karen provides a very caring and stimulating service, and her setting is spacious, clean, and full of resources to provide fun and education in a safe environment. We were very sad to have to leave and our children will always remember their time at Karen’s very fondly .

  • 5 stars Overall
  • 5 stars Setting
  • 5 stars Cleanliness
  • 5 stars Food
  • 5 stars Communication

by Avatar for Parent Parent about Avatar for Karen Karen on 10/04/2017

Karen has been looking after our son for almost 5 years. She has provided excellent care and support, ever since he was a baby, through many, many developmental milestones, and also played a huge role in his fantastic preparation for starting school. Because of the catchment area my son can only be looked after by Karen during school holidays now so it is even more obvious how much he loves the environment she has created. He is very happy at school and has made new friends but is always very excited to go back and looks forward to it, sometimes counting down days.

Karen organises a fantastic range of outings and activities for the children in her care and somehow manages to cater for all the ages. She follows EYFS and provides comprehensive diaries, reviews and ways of tracking your child's progress. She organises strong framework of routines whilst still recognising each child's individuality.

Another important point to mention is how incredibly reliable Karen has been in the last 5 years, she is very organised with her holidays and gives plenty of notice of time off.

It is always difficult to leave your child with someone else and it took me a long time to decide 5 years ago but I feel very fortunate having found someone like Karen to help with giving my son the best possible start in life.

  • 5 stars Overall
  • 5 stars Setting
  • 5 stars Cleanliness
  • 5 stars Food
  • 5 stars Communication

by Avatar for Parent Parent about Avatar for Karen Karen on 08/03/2016

Our two year old son has been looked after by Karen for over a year now and we cannot overstate how fantastic she is, nor how much our boy loves his time with her in her setting. He is happy, settled, supported and valued and I can honestly say that it feels like he has a second family! Karen keeps detailed records of all her children's progress and developments and she plans varied interesting and stimulating activities each and every week. We feel hugely thankful to have found Karen and can't believe our luck we have.

  • 5 stars Overall

by Avatar for Racy975 Racy975 about Avatar for Karen Karen on 28/10/2015

Karen has been minding our 3 year old since September 2013 and we are very happy with the care and attention she puts in. She provides a loving, secure home environment with a wide range of home cooked meals. Karen is a warm, caring, engaging individual, whose genuine love for children is reflected in her attitude and behaviour towards them.

Karen in very organised and has endeavored beyond her call of duty on numerous occasions. She completes the EYFS documentation to a very high standard and maintains contact with the pre-school. My daughter eagerly looks forward to the well planned activities like crafts, walks, storytime and especially making yummy cakes!

My daughter is extremely happy in Karen's setting and is evolving into a confident little girl.

We highly recommend Karen as a childminder.

  • 5 stars Overall

by Avatar for Parent Parent about Avatar for Karen Karen on 18/01/2014

Karen looked after my son for nine months between me returning to work and him starting full time school and I could not rate Karen high enough. My son settled in immediately and loved going to 'play' with Karen and although he had never been to a childminder before, I had no difficulties with my son settling in at all and that was due to Karen's caring, calm settling in time for him, where she invited him to come and play for a while before being left for the whole session which really helped. My son would occasionally not want to go to nursery but I never once had an occasion when he did not want to go to Karen's.
Not only did Karen care for my son really well, he also had fantastic fun going on fun, exciting, educational visits with her, as well as playing at her house. She also liaised with his keyworker at nursery school and so she could follow the same planning he was following at nursery, helping him retain continuity in what he was learning. Then, not only she told me what she had been doing with him, she also kept a detailed diary of notes and photos showing me what he had been doing, which I still have now.
Before my son had another change of starting school, she also arranged to take my son into the school once a week to read books in their library which also helped him settle and was something Karen organised herself in my son's best interest and something I was really grateful with.
I had never left a child of mine with a childminder before, but my son's time with Karen could not have gone more smoothly and if I ever did have another child, I would not hesitate for one second looking at her for childcare. We still see Karen at the school my children attend and my son will often talk fondly about his time with her which is lovely.
I think she would make a fantastic childminder for any family. She is reliable, caring, honest and everything you could ever seek to find in someone you are trusting your children with.

  • 5 stars Overall

by Avatar for Parent Parent about Avatar for Karen Karen on 13/01/2014

She has had a real calming good influence on my son after school. I love it that she often manages to fit in craft activities after school and before collection. One of my priorities in a childminder was finding someone who didn't let the children watch TV or play computer games on a regular basis (we all have enough of that at home!) My son also gives her great compliments to me "Mum, if only you could cook like Karen". She treats the children as nieces and nephews always remembering birthday, Christmas and Easter and this especially melts my heart.

  • 5 stars Overall

by Avatar for Parent Parent about Avatar for Karen Karen on 09/01/2014

Karen has looked after my 2 children for over 7 years while they have been at Elvetham Heath Primary School. We wanted our children to go to a childminder so that they could be cared for in a home environment and Karen provides an excellent level of care. Her outstanding rating is highly deserved.

Karen provides an excellent range of activities in term time taking into account the range of ages of the children. Karen also plans a variety of activities during the holidays which my children have enjoyed.

Karen provides a good variety of home cooked meals and this has really helped my children to be happy to try a variety of foods.

Karen is incredibly well organised and always keeps us updated with plans via a monthly newsletter which I look forward to receiving. She also provides monthly invoices in good time and a receipt each month. She is also keen to get our feedback as parents but also to get the children's views on what they enjoy and don't enjoy.

My children have enjoyed being with Karen and I would highly recommend her as a childminder.

  • 5 stars Overall

by Avatar for Parent Parent about Avatar for Karen Karen on 08/01/2014

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