Dianeslittleexplorer's Reviews

Fantastic

We have known Diane for over 4 years now.

Diane looked after our first daughter from 9 months old for two days a week right up until she started nursery aged 4. She now looks after our second daughter 2 days a week and she is getting along just as well in Diane's setting as our first.

It was very daunting looking for a childminder with our first born as we had to completely trust who we were leaving her with. Diane was very understanding of this and we built a great rapport straight away.

Diane's house is very much a home from home for both of our girls and Diane very much feels like extended family. She also has two lovely kids of her own that get along brilliantly with both of ours.

She is highly organised, has great communication skills and we have always been very impressed with the way that she has accommodated any of our requests and kept us up to date with our childrens' progress.

It is without doubt that both of our girls have greatly benefited with their learning and development under Diane's care.

I highly recommend Diane as your new childminder.

Yours faithfully,

Lawrence and Ellie

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Lawrence about Dianeslittleexplorer on 06/05/2021

As perfect as you can get

Diane looked after our first child flawlessly and is currently looking after our second. When our daughter joined the family we had no doubts regarding who we wanted as our childminder. Diane is patient, kind, and provides a loving environment for our children. One of Diane’s key attributes would be how well she communicates. We receive an end of day summary via Whatsapp which includes not only basic information, but also lovely photographs and a summary of what our little one has been up to. This helps put into context what my 3 year old communicates to me about the day and allows me to feel connected despite having to work.

Throughout the pandemic Diane has kept up to date with all recommendations regarding keeping us and our children safe. She regularly updates her policies and practices ensuring that the children are able to socialize and play in a safe environment. We could not recommend Diane enough. Diane has always proven knowledgeable about child care in general and has always been receptive to our parenting philosophies, i.e. reusable nappies, extended rear facing, breastfeeding etc. As parents we would both highly rate and recommend Diane’s childminding services. However, even more important than our opinion is that of our children. Even my eldest who no longer attends Diane’s still raves about her. My youngest thoroughly enjoys going, and this to us, serves as the strongest evidence of how well nurtured they are with Diane. We are confident that you will love her just as much as we do!

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by theFlint about Dianeslittleexplorer on 06/05/2021

Excellent childcare!

Our daughter started with Diane when she had just turned one. The thought of sending your child to someone you barely know is very daunting especially when she wouldn’t be left with anyone but myself or my mum (not even my husband!) but Diane made us feel really at ease and our daughter took to her from day one. She loves going to Diane’s house and talks excitedly about what she has done each day. They do a variety of fun and engaging activities and we look forward to our son starting with Diane in the next couple of months. We totally trust Diane with our daughter and are really pleased we chose her 😊

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by JNG about Dianeslittleexplorer on 04/05/2021

Excellent Friendly Setting!

My little girl has been attending Diane’s Little Explorers for 2 years now and she has blossomed into a clever, confident child! I’d never used a childminder before this and was nervous about what to expect but Diane made us feel very welcome as though we’d known her for years! Now 2 years on, my little girl is bright, happy & can’t wait to go in the mornings! She brings home the most wonderful stories of her day and gladly shows us all the brilliant things she had made!
I’d definitely recommend this setting and I trust Diane implicitly with my child! A fabulous childminder who I feel loves my little girl almost as much as I do!

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Georgina about Dianeslittleexplorer on 25/10/2020

A wonderful and happy place

My little girl has been going to Diane for over a year now since she was 9 months old, and I can honestly say we could not have chosen a better childminder. My little one has been so settled since day one and always has a smile on her face at the beginning and end of every day. Diane's setting is lovely and homely and her own children are a credit to her as they love my girl as much as she loves them! My girl always tells me of all the fun she has and what she's been up to each day!

The care that Diane has for my little one is second to none and she is always encouraged to learn and explore. Diane has taken our lead with aspects that we want to teach our girl and we love getting daily updates and monthly breakdowns of how she's getting on.

I completely trust that my little one is in exceptional care and that all the learning and fun that Diane offers is excelling her development so much.

Thank you Diane!

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Ellie about Dianeslittleexplorer on 25/09/2018

Home from home

The search for a suitable childcare provider was a very daunting prospect for us as new parents, but finding Diane meant I was able to return to work after maternity leave, knowing my daughter was being well looked after in a caring, home from home environment.
Our daughter has been going to Diane's for almost 2 years and from day one she has been welcomed by Diane and her family, whom she adores.
Diane has a well structured routine for the children which helps them feel secure and comfortable in her care, and also encourages them to learn good habits, like taking shoes off and washing hands for example.
Diane has a very good understanding of child development and offers a huge variety of activities for the children throughout the year to encourage learning through play.
We get a daily diary of our daughter's activities and receive a Learning Journey every term, which enables us to see how she has progressed and what areas Diane will be working on next.
Our daughter always looks forward to her days with Diane, and often tells us about the fun activities she has been doing that day. We could not be happier with the professional service Diane provides, we would highly recommend her to any parents seeking a warm and happy environment for their child to flourish.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Parent about Dianeslittleexplorer on 24/09/2018

Amazing

Cody has been going to DIane since he was 8 months old. Cody loves Diane and all her family and is always full of smiles when he knows he is going to see them. Cody's care is first class and we are only looking for alternative care due to moving to a new town. I was so confident in cody's care that i was able to return to full time work. I get daily updates on how Cody is and Diane always goes above and beyond her duty. Thank you for giving me peace of mind and confidence. We will most definitely miss you all.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Communication

by Victoria about Dianeslittleexplorer on 23/09/2018

Brillant!!

Diane is a warm and loving person with an intrinsic understanding of the needs of children. The environment that she creates for children is clean, well presented, and well suited to children so as to keep them safe but also encourage their learning through play and exploration. Her approach towards children provides clear boundaries so that my little one feels safe but is also able to develop a sense of independence. Diane has proven to be invaluable in responding to our family’s needs. She proved knowledgable about breastmilk and its storage needs when we provided frozen breastmilk for our little one. She respects our no television rule, fulfils our desire to keep Marley rear facing in the car, and has patiently supported Marley in his potty learning.

One of Diane’s biggest strengths is her communication skills. She gives us detailed written accounts of our little one’s day which is supplemented with a photo journal to help keep track of our little one’s struggles and achievements. Our little one’s firm attachment to Diane, as evidenced by an unwillingness to come home on occasion, further proves the unparalleled level of care Diane provides to the little one’s she cares for. We feel that our little one has a second home at Diane’s and I don’t say that lightly. Diane is an amazing and caring childminder. We could not recommend her enough, and we are very grateful to have found her.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by theFlint about Dianeslittleexplorer on 22/06/2017

Wonderful Childcare

My 3 year old daughter Lily has been attending Diane's little explorers for over 2 years now. We are absolutely delighted with the level of childcare Diane provides for our child.

Lily has so much fun at Diane's and always wants to tell me about her day when she gets home and often chats about all her friends at Diane's and playgroup's they go to.

Diane has a lovely clean and welcoming home which made it an easy decision to leave my daughter in her care. Lily is very fond of her 2 children who are very well mannered and spend a lot of time playing with Lily.

Diane is very accommodating with everything we ask of her, she has Lily in the same routine as home and it works perfect. Diane has also supported Lily with her Milestones like Potty training.

Overall fantastic childminder.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication

by Parent about Dianeslittleexplorer on 09/05/2017

Fantastic childcare

My 18 month old daughter jenna has been going to diane's house for almost a year. Jenna always gets excited when we pull up outside dianes house in the morning and is always keen to get going and get in.

Diane is fun and Jenna is so busy going to play groups twice a week, playing in the garden or doing an activity like painting.

Diane keeps me up dated at times with pictures whilst I am at work and always shows me what jenna has been doing when I pick her up.

Jenna has settled into a routine with lunch and nap times at Diane's and is totally at ease in her clean and friendly house.

Diane's 2 children are so welcoming and often will play with jenna before or after school.

I am so happy to find a childminder that my daughter is so happy to go to week on week. I can see jenna's progress with termly updates when Diane sends me jenna's on-line folder which has details of all sorts of developments that diane observes whilst jenna is with her.

Much deserved 5 stars

• Overall

by Parent about Dianeslittleexplorer on 24/10/2015