Isabella's Reviews
Childminder
4.95 out of 5
Parents say
This childminder is highly praised for providing exceptional care in a nurturing, safe environment. Parents appreciate her knowledge, professionalism, and genuine love for children. She offers home-cooked meals, educational activities, and exposure to multiple languages. Communication with parents is excellent. Many reviewers consider her a second mother to their children and highly recommend her services.
Summary generated by AI from the text of most recent member reviews
Parent reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Isabella. 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.
We couldn’t recommend Isabella highly enough. Our son has been with her for over two years (since he was six months) and feel so lucky to have found her. As working parents, it’s been fantastic to have found someone so great with children, she’s been our child’s second mother.
It’s very rare to find someone who is so knowledgeable, nurturing and kind. Isabella has been a fountain of knowledge on so many things for us, from sleep to speech. She is so dedicated to her children and their growth, and spends to much time, care and energy to develop their skills. It’s so bespoke that we really notice the difference between our eldest going to a nursery and our youngest being in a more intimate environment with Isabella.
Isabella also cooks delicious Italian food, which is homemade every day. A big plus.
Not only that, Isabella is great at communicating. We get regular updates (written and photos) throughout the day and can reach out whenever we have a question or concern. Nothing is too much. On top of this, she’s also a good laugh. It’s a pleasure to see her twice a day.
We could go on and on, but the final thing to flag is that it’s amazing for our son to have exposure to other languages. The majority of children are of different nationalities and Isabella makes such an effort for all children to learn words/phrases from all of their respective languages. Our son now understands conversational Italian, as well as phrases in Spanish and French. It’s a great foundation educationally, but also building friendships and understanding of other cultures.
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Sophia
on 05/11/2024
Isabella took care of our two boys for about 2 and a half years. She was amazing! The boys were very happy, and even though they were little at the time they still remember her with love! Thanks to Bella’s amazing cooking they ate well as if they were eating at home. They absolutely loved her carbonara. Every time we eat carbonara nowadays they often compare it to Bella’s! Bella has always been very professional, reliable and passionate about her job - she genuinely loves what she does. And she was always striving to improve her space and to provide excellent facilities and resources for the children under her care.
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Xenia
on 16/10/2024
Bella was my eldest son’s first childminder from 6 months. She made our family feel wonderfully at ease and she cared for Atticus (‘Attino!’) with a big heart. She is incredibly organised and highly professional. It has been such a pleasure to continue our friendship with her despite our boys being older now. Lisa x
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Lisa
on 24/09/2024
Albie went to Bella when he was 4months and loved her until today even though he’s big boy now. I still play Bella’s voice at home because I want her to stay in his head 🤣Zia Bella.
She’s a second mama and even my husband one day said that he trusts Bella to take care of Albie more than his sisters .I highly recommend her and her food …she’s an Italian mama,the kids love her and she loves them too
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Karine
on 24/09/2024
We found Isabella through childcare.co.uk while searching for someone to care for our daughters, and from that moment, we knew we had struck gold.
Not only is Isabella incredibly knowledgeable and experienced with babies and young children, but she is also one of the most wonderful people you could ever meet. The love and care she shows for the children are truly genuine, and from the very start, she became a cherished part of our family.
Beyond her warmth and affection, Isabella is a strong and reliable person who has helped our daughters grow and thrive in ways we never imagined. Thanks to her, they have developed healthy eating habits, established solid sleep routines, improved their agility and coordination, and made remarkable progress in their language skills.
We feel truly blessed to have had Isabella in our lives and helping us raise our daughters. She will always hold a special place in our hearts and home.
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AfonsoM
on 24/09/2024
When looking for childcare arrangements for my son I wanted an environment that didn’t feel too overwhelming and big (like some nurseries), but also safe and clean. Isabella’s setting was the perfect combination of a sociable, safe and caring environment. I felt reassured that my son was being cared for and loved at the setting. Bella takes great care in creating a fun and educational space in her home. Every room in the house is set up to suit the children’s needs. The food she cooks is fresh and delicious. The children have a great menu every week. A priority for me was the spoken Italian element at the setting. I was very keen for him to be exposed to the Italian language as much as possible so this was also an added bonus. Our son loved being at the setting with the other children and felt very comfortable and safe.
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Miranda
on 07/03/2024
My son joined Bella’s care at 15th months having spent a few months at a different nursery. He enjoyed the nursery but it was busy, lots of turnover with staff and he was constantly sick. Bella’s felt like a home away from home and he instantly became part of the family. I felt comfortable and confident leaving him in Bella’s hands and I’ve never had to worry about how much she loves him, cares for him, helps him develop and eat well, sleep well and learn how to play and connect with others. We are going to miss Bella and her team and my son’s best friends as we move to a new area and would highly recommend her services to any other local parents.
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Beth
on 29/02/2024
Our son started with Bella just before his first birthday for four days a week. I was nervous about putting him into what felt like full-time care but Bella was so welcoming and understanding. He settled really quickly and she threw him a wonderful first birthday party (as she does for all the children every year) and he has never looked back. She really does provide a second home for the children, to the extent that she was also our first choice for overnight stays when we needed to travel. She provides photo updates throughout the day so you always know what the children are up to, and delicious home-cooked Italian food. Her home is dedicated wholly to the children - full of toys both indoors and outdoors - so it felt like a very comfortable transition from our home. The children always seem to be singing, practising their motor skills, reading and doing arts and crafts. Our son has now moved onto nursery and I think his confidence and ease at settling in there is also testament to Bella and her team's hard work. He is articulate, social and went in knowing his numbers, colours, how to communicate his needs etc. I am so pleased that we chose Bella's setting and we will miss the whole team so much as they really were an extended family to our family. Thank you, Bella!
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Camilla
on 23/01/2024
Our daughter started with Bella at 2yrs old and stayed until we moved out of the area a year later. During that time she thoroughly thrived-she made great friends with the other children learning to care for the younger ones and play with her peers. The setting is very gentle and caring and Bella and her assistants are so loving to the children and had strong bonds with the kids whilst ensuring a good routine and that boundaries are known. Our daughter loved the home cooked meals and can eat spaghetti with a fork better than 5 years I know! She also potty trained before she was 2.5 years old thanks to Bella’s support. Communication and expectations were very clear and we had comfort knowing that our daughter was safe and secure. We would recommend her setting to any parents seeking a warm and nurturing environment for their child.
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ldlb888
on 02/01/2024
I can not begin to describe how wonderful our time was with Bella. Our son started with her when he was seven months. She was so kind, gentle and caring with him, it felt like we were leaving him with a family member. He spent over a year with her, was weaned on her delicious food and walked under her care. We were sad to leave and always remember her fondly.
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Sam
on 09/11/2023
I had the pleasure of having my little girl be in Isabella’s care from around the age of 18 months until around 3.5 years old. Saying goodbye was very emotional for me as her setting became like another home for my daughter.
My daughter loved the food, the environment, and the supporting and caring nature that Isabella provided over those two years. To be honest, I wish I could have eaten her delicious meals every day too! My daughter also learned so much over that time period. She would speak to me about shapes, colors, numbers, and letters from very early on. She even picked up a few Italian words, which I found to be brilliant.
I never had a single concern leaving my child in Isabella’s care. As a single parent, I also appreciated that she worked with our whole family to make sure that communication and any important messages or milestones were spoken about throughout the week.
I recommend Isabella to anyone searching for childcare around Chiswick and am happy to do so here.
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SmithS
on 06/11/2023
My son went to Bella’s for a year when he was 1 and he loved it. Bella and her assistants were great with my son, they were always communicating very well and helped him develop nicely. They were doing various activities and were always going out when possible.
I honestly recommend her highly!
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LilyB
on 08/06/2023
My son started with Isabella at 14 months having had no chance to socialise outside of the family due to covid. He never looked back. He was so happy with her and her team that I enjoyed dropping him off and felt no guilt about being at work all day. She is so loving and attentive to all her children, finding enjoyment in all their little quirks. There is nothing she doesn’t see and know about them. I fully credit her with making my little boy into the loving and caring big brother that he is and also for helping potty train him before his little brother arrived. It was a wrench when my son left Isabella’s care but we go back and visit when we can.
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Jess
on 22/05/2023
My son went to Isabella's setting for over 1,5 year (from 1.5 years old to 3) during the pandemic, 4 days a week, full time. Isabella really treated him as her own child, giving him a lot of love, affection and care. He was always happy to go to Isabella and I could tell that he enjoyed his days there. Isabella's home was like his second home. Isabella's assistants were also extremely kind with him. The staff always stayed the same which allowed for a very stable setting/environment for my son. He learned both Italian and English whilst at Isabella's (which was perfect as he is half Italian).
Communication with Isabella was also excellent - on a daily basis, she would both send 10+ photos of him with comments on how everything was going to us by Whatsapp, plus additional information through the Kinderly app (on how much he had slept, was he had eaten and the activities they'd done).
Also, throughout the pandemic, Isabella was a massive help to us as she nearly never closed her setting (when all the other nurseries were constantly closing due to covid cases) thanks to impeccable hygiene/daily cleaning of her setting - which literally saved our lives!
Finally, the new house in which she has just moved in is spacious, very clean and has a good size garden for Chiswick - meaning that the children spend a lot of time playing outside.
I cannot recommend Isabella and her assistants enough.
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Fleur
on 21/02/2022
Our son started with Isabella almost a year ago at 10 months old. Isabella’s love for all children in her care and her passion for her career is obvious as soon as you meet her; she isn’t a childminder who switches off once the children have left her setting and this is clear from the messages we receive if our sons’s been unwell or asking after him in general.
We appreciate the fact that Isabella works with parents and is keen to have a follow through from home to her setting, be it with discipline, potty training and development in general. We are given a daily report and photos throughout the day, which is becoming even more appreciated by us as parents now that our son is talking as we can begin chatting with him once home about his day.
Being Ofsted registered, Isabella is also keen to keep children on track with development, and I believe her varied activities help with this. She periodically assesses them against developmental milestones, which has also given us a peace of mind.
Isabella is fun but also authoritative, we feel completely relaxed knowing our son is in safe and loving hands with her and we know he enjoys his days with Isabella and the other children in her care.
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Ztgrey
on 13/08/2020
My daughter was 9 months old when she joined Bella's setting.
"I'm afraid my daughter is very clingy, whingy and will not nap!" I explained, exasperated and desperate.
Bella smiled, and with confidence, she reassured me that this wouldn't be the case for long. And she was right! Since that first day, my daughter's progress and development has been nothing short of miraculous.
The level of care she gives is clear to see. My daughter adores her, and I'm not surprised with all the fun activities, learning, social outings and playgroups she attends. Bella's home is bright, clean and cosy and with meticulous attention to detail (including the freshly home cooked food on offer)
Bella is a natural; the bond she has with the children is heartwarming and she demonstrates such experience, competence and confidence. My husband even has a saying at home - "WWBD" (What Would Bella Do)
She's more than a childminder, she's fast become a very treasured person in our lives and I am so grateful to have found her!
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ChloePet
on 08/03/2019
I absolutely cannot recommend Bella enough! My son has been with her for about six months now and he has grown so much in himself, he is more confident, more inquisitive and more independent. He has successfully started potty training at 18 months with Bella’s help! Bella’s environment demonstrates her dedication to her career and the children she cares for; there are SO many toys and learning tools for the kids, her space is safe, clean, warm, friendly and fun and she is a brilliant Italian cook! Bella herself is nurturing, honest, understanding, fun and loving. She takes the kids to play groups, the park, soft play etc as well as playing at home. My sons face lights up when we arrive at her door and he goes to her with barely a grumble. I literally couldn’t ask for more from her. We are moving to Oxford in June and I’m absolutely gutted that we will no longer be able to work with Bella, but I know we’ll keep in touch.
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JessFord
on 28/02/2019
Our son took an immediate liking to Isabella and had a wonderful time under her care. She has a good setting and always takes the children outdoors and keeps them active, learning and exploring. She is also a fantastic cook preparing delicious homemade meals. Our son was saying 'Big yummy!' during all the meals. We would highly recommend Isabella!
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Parent
on 13/09/2018
Isabella has formed a personal connection with our son and he thoroughly enjoys spending time with her. Her environment is warm, fun and clean and she keeps the children well entertained all day long. Our son is starting school in September and we are very sad to not have him in Isabella's care as much going forward. We highly recommend Isabella to anyone looking for a wonderful childminder.
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Roxanne_
on 02/09/2018
Isabella is an incredibly talented childminder. My daughter who is close to two absolutely loves her ‘Bella’s house’ days! I was worried about her transition from our home to another and also about leaving her as she’s v attached but it has been seamless. Isabella quickly forged a very strong bond with her and she happily leaves me and sometimes even forgets to say bye in her rush to jump into Bella’s arms!!
We’re so appreciative of Isabella’s professionalism and genuine care for our daughter. She eats really delicious home cooked healthy food, sleeps and plays very well and attends many stimulating activities.
I couldn’t recommend Isabella’s services more highly.
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Audrey
on 09/08/2018
Isabella started working for our family in March 2016 as a daytime nanny (and occasional evening babysitter) for our (then 5-month old) son. She has been looking after him on a regular basis since then and he loves going to 'Bella's house'.
Isabella is professional, responsive to our requirements and trust-worthy. Her focus on our son’s development and safety is outstanding. She’s attentive to his needs, creative in her choice of activities for him and always has a smile on her face. She often gives us great tips on products we can buy (e.g. for teething and learning) and approaches we can try (e.g. to get him to sample new foods). We have a great relationship of knowledge-sharing and trust, and the level of care she provides is excellent.
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HappySa
on 07/08/2018
Isabella has been awesome with my baby boy who loved going to her place 2 times per week. She manages to have him doing his afternoon nap (which was not an easy thing) and kept him happy & entertained all day long. When he was with her (I did not have to ask for) she took the initiative to send me regular update and picture via WhatsApp as she knew I might be a bit stressed to leave him. She is also very organized and I would totally recommend her!
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on 06/08/2018
