I first met Estelle 3 years ago. I was looking for a childminder in the Blackheath / Lewisham area who could look after my daughter a few days a week when I went back to work part-time. Based on the experience of others I thought it was going to be a gargantuan task finding someone who would share the same values as me. Estelle was the first childminder that I met and now 3 years on I know that I was incredibly lucky to find her. Three years within the community, spending a lot of time in the local playgroups, I know that she is one in a million and I have yet to meet another childminder who shares the stringent standards that she sets for herself in terms of caring for the little ones under her supervision. Her dedication and organisation is second to none that I have met. I always say that the gods were looking down on us the day that I found her ad :)
My daughter spent two years with Estelle (from 9 months until nearly 3 years old) 2 or 3 days a week. She still spends the odd day with her when Estelle has a free space for her. It is a real treat for her and she loves returning to spend a day and see Estelle. I hope that when we get to schooling age that she will be at the local school so that she can spend a few afternoons a week with her in the future.
Estelle is kind and caring. She never raises her voice with the children. She is patient and loving with each one. She loves what she does and it shows. She understands that each child is unique and tailors their care accordingly to their needs. The fact that she is so organised makes for a nice streamlined day for the children and therefore a stress-free day. As a result the children are very settled and happy with her.
What are the values that we share?
- Stability. It is very important to provide a routine, a stable environment in which the children can find comfort. This is very apparent at Estelle’s.
- Love & caring. Estelle makes sure that each child feels cared for on a one-to-one level. She does this by making sure each child has some one-to-one attention. She is loving and caring and the children love her in return. She is also firm with them in a kind way and in return they always behave for her. A real Mary Poppins!
- A clean, tidy, organised home with well-defined play areas so that the children can circulate with ease and select which toys to play with each day.
- A great selection of toys and activities planned each day that allow the child to develop skills no matter what age. But more than that Estelle has an amazing imagination and sense of fun and comes up with all kinds of fun things for the kids to do on a daily basis. They embrace this and they are always playing and having fun in the house or in the garden.
- A lovely convivial spirit: no matter what age the children sit around the table doing activities together like they would in a family setting at home. My daughter still has wonderful relationships with the children that she spent time with there. There are at peace with one another. A lovely spirit reigns.
- The importance of song and music. The children learn lots of French songs while they are with her.
- The use of child-friendly soaps and wipes. Estelle washes a great stack of face cloths daily so that she can clean and dry the children’s faces and hands daily with them thus using less wipes and less harsh soaps that are found in the wipes that you can buy. This is the kind of detail that is just lovely.
- The importance of providing a balanced diet and offering healthy snacks like raisins and fruit. Estelle makes her food from scratch and does not use pre-made sauces etc... She keeps an eye on their daily salt & sugar intake.
- Estelle bakes with the children just like they would do in their own homes with their mum.

If you are thinking of placing your child with Estelle then I cannot recommend her highly enough. We have always been very happy with her and of course she has a big place in our family and in our little’s one life. After mummy & daddy, she is our little one’s closest person. This is still the case 6 months on after our little one has been at nursery 6 months. Additionally we wanted our little one to be in a French-speaking environment and this has worked out well for us. I think any child benefits from the exposure to a second language at this age.
The only difficulty can be getting a space! But trust me, it is worth waiting for or ideally let Estelle know early when you are wanting a space for so that she can let you know as soon as one comes free.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication