Carol
Childminder in Orpington
Usually responds within 3 days
Female Member since Dec 2012 Last Updated Nov 2024 Last Login 17 Dec 2024
My Summary
Spaces Available
About Me
My name is Carol, I have been a registered childminder for 16 years and have been working/caring for children for the past 35 years. I have worked together with my daughter Katie who is 25, as my assistant for the last 7 years. I have been married to my husband Daren for over 30 years and have 3 children of my own. My two boys in their mid 30s & late 20s, who now have children of their own and my daughter Katie. I am a Nan to 5 grandchildren.
I have a large playroom, with a wide variety of toys for all ages, and a big enclosed garden, with plenty of play equipment. We enjoy painting, crafts, cooking, role play, and walking in the woodland area opposite. We’re very out and about and do daily outings to toddler groups, soft play and local play facility's as well as days out to local farms, play parks, country parks and nature trails. I am available for pickup and drop off from bright start Montessori.
My Experience
I have had 3 children of my own and have been a registered childminder for over 15 years. In that time I have cared for a large number of children from the ages of 4 months to 11 years from a variety of different cultures, religions and backgrounds. I have also looked after twins from the age of 9 months to 6 years. I have experience with children who are tube fed and also children who are deaf. We have references available from past and present families.
My Qualifications
Carol ~
- registered with an Ofsted regulated agency
- Level 3 diploma in Home-based Childcare
- Introduction to Childcare Practice
- Basic Food Hygiene
- Paediatric First Aid
- Safeguarding training
- Child Protection Awareness Program
- Phonological Awareness in the Early Years
- Makaton Level 1
- Risk Assesment for Early Years Providers
- The Early Years Foundation Stage Training
- prevent duty awareness
Katie~
-approved registered assistant
-paediatric first aid
-level 3 safeguarding
-level 3 extended diploma in health and social care at distinction, distinction, merit. ( with units such as developing effective communication skills, development through the life stages, caring for children and young people, safeguarding children and caring for individuals with additional needs)
- British sign language level 1
- core skills first aid with St. John ambulance
- level 2 Heath and safety in the workplace
-prevent duty awareness
- food hygiene
- 10 GCSEs A*- C
My Availability
Tues 8:00am-5:30pm
Weds 8:00am-5:30pm
Thurs 8:00am-5:30pm
Fri 8:00am-4:30pm
(can be flexible within these times, and can offer a 4pm-4:30pm drop home free of charge depending on location)
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Morning | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Afternoon | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| After School | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Evening | no | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 22/11/2024 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £7.50 per hour
POA
My Local Schools
This childminder has not yet informed us whether or not they provide any drop off or pick up services at local schools.
My Documents
- Childminding Agency Certificate (added 31/01/2023)
- UK Driving Licence (added 13/03/2018)
- DBS Check (added 13/03/2018)
Reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Carol. Please note that reviews represent the subjective opinions of other Childcare.co.uk users 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.
Both my children go to Carol and Katie. My eldest is almost 4 and has been with them since he was 1 year old, and my youngest has been with them since he was 4 months old.
It’s a tough journey finding childcare when you become a Mum. You love your children so much – they are your world, and you don’t really want to give them to anyone, but unfortunately some of us must work. Finding people who I felt 100% comfortable with caring for my babies was a real struggle for me. I am not exaggerating when I say I interviewed 9 childminders and looked around 5 nurseries (I have been told since that this was excessive), but as soon as I met with Carol and Katie in their home, saw the playroom, their garden and spoke with them on their approach to childcare it was a slam dunk! They are far superior to any other nursery or childminder I met.
They are truly amazing, and my boys love their days with them. Carol and Katie have become part of our extended family. The boys are not just a number to them, like children often are in larger nursery settings. The children get the emotional support and attention that is so important at this young age for their development. Since going to Carol and Katie, my boys have continued to grow into happy, confident, sociable, funny and smart little boys.
With my 2nd child, my circumstances changed and as a business owner I had to return to work part-time when my youngest was just 4 months old. Seeing how brilliant Carol and Katie had been with my eldest, I had no hesitation this time in booking my youngest in with them, even at such a young age – and no surprise – he loves it! In his recent 12month assessment which he did at 10months old we were told he is excelling, completing activities that are not even in the 12-month assessment, but in the next one. Testament to the nurturing, caring environment he experiences both at home and with Carol and Katie (home from home).
Their communication and regular photo updates are fantastic too – I just love seeing the boys’ happy smiley faces throughout my working day, while they are on some brilliant adventure, be it the Caterpillar Trail, a petting zoo, pumpkin picking, or just exploring the local woods and parks. The development reports they also provide are a great help in tracking how we can best support the boys as they grow. We honestly couldn’t ask for anything more from Carol and Katie, and we couldn’t imagine putting our babies with any other childminder. To say we highly recommend them is an understatement!
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We couldn’t recommend Carol and Katy enough, our boy has been with them for over a year now and we plan to send our second baby with them when she is older.
Our son’s confidence has improved so much in the year and he has developed significantly. He has made some lovely friends which he comes home telling us about. He always tells us about his day and how much fun he’s had. His face lights up each morning when he is greeted by Carol and Katy and is always talking about them when he is not there. It has made being working parents smooth and easy knowing how happy he is there.
They do lots of different activities and the children are always kept occupied which is great. We are even treated to some lovely crafts he comes home with!
They are very accommodating and helpful.
We are so lucky to have found Carol and Katy and anyone would be lucky to have their children looked after by them.
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Little one has been with Carol and Katie since she was 7 months old. She's always runs into her session and loves any extra time she gets to spend there.
She's now in preschool and Carol and Katie provid wraparound care. During school holidays, we'd book any available days they have as a treat for her.
The setting provides a good balance of different activities against the different developmental areas and track them while working with parents to address any concerns and ensure the children are progressing as expected or get the support needed.
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I just wanted to share how utterly fantastic Carol and Katie have been for us and our child. From the very first meeting, they took the time to understand our needs and provided us with peace of mind. They even recommended that we speak to other childminders and gave us their big book of recommendations and their approach to childminding, which was truly reassuring.
Our child had a settling-in session with Carol and Katie, and it didn't take long for him to become well-adjusted and start looking forward to spending time with them. Every time he comes back home, he has a smile on his face, which speaks volumes about the wonderful care he receives.
One of the things we really appreciate about Carol and Katie is their commitment to providing diverse experiences for our child. They take him to different places, engage him in various activities, and expose him to different events and cultures, which we believe is enriching his learning and development.
We also love the fact that Carol and Katie keep us updated with lots of lovely photos during the day, giving us insight into our child's day and how he's doing. They are also very accommodating and flexible with our routine and needs at home, which makes it so much easier for us as working parents.
Carol and Katie went above and beyond when we encountered trouble with our nursery. They were incredibly supportive and offered to take our child for additional days, providing us with peace of mind knowing he was in excellent care. Our child is always super excited each morning to head over to Carol and Katie's, which is a testament to the special bond they have formed with him.
We honestly can't recommend Carol and Katie enough! They have been exceptional childminders for our child, and we feel incredibly lucky to have them. If you're looking for a caring, nurturing, and enriching environment for your child, Carol and Katie are the best choice. Your child will be in safe hands and will thrive under their care!
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We are so grateful to have found Carol & Katie. They do a fantastic job with my son, he is always happy to see them. He has been with them for just under a year. It definitely puts my mind at ease leaving him with them. They do a lot of activities with him and they go to soft play, parks and many other places. I love seeing pictures of what they get up to in the day.
My eldest son was with them for a few months, before he joined a nursery. Even now he says he misses Carol and Katie, if they have availability we do try sending him a few times during half term/ nursery holidays.
They have a lovely clean and organised play room for the children. They are very approachable and go above and beyond in their roles. I highly recommend them!
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