Rachel

Our wonderful Rachel

I started my search for a childminder about 5 months before returning to work and happened across Rachel's details here online, we set up a meeting and from that very first encounter I just KNEW she was the one for me, and my only possible choice to look after my daughter when I went back to work. She took the time to answer my (very long list of) questions on all topics and I really felt a kinship, that we view this as a team effort, us the parents and her the childminder working together to ensure the very best start for my daughter.

She is a meticulous, warm hearted and very caring childminder. Her experience and knowledge in all areas of childcare I feel so lucky to have her as a resource to depend on, she is genuinely invested in my daughters wellbeing and we feel she is part of our family now!

Her home (the childcare setting) is a child's treasure trove, completely set up to cater for children developing and learning through so many varied experiences, from numeracy and literacy to arts and crafts to outdoor excursions in nature. I was impressed by her diligence in ensuring I understood all areas of the early years curriculum my child would follow, she is a consummate professional.

Rachel is incredible keeping us updated with my daughters progress, we get regular updates and even photos during the day of their super fun exploits - the adventures they have make me quite jealous to be at work!

My daughter is thriving under her care, and is very happy when she knows she is going to Rachel's house to play with her little friends. Having Rachel made my return to work much easier as I felt my daughter was in the best possible care situation. I thank my lucky stars for having found her and look forward to many more years of my daughter in her care.

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by StephH about Rachel on 08/10/2019

2nd Child - couldn't have chosen anyone else!

There is noone else I could have trusted my second child with! Initially, there was an issue with Rachel's availability and I felt like my world had turned upside down! My husband and I even discussed that I would delay my return to work til Rachel became available. Luckily, the stars were on my side and we worked out an arrangement.

Rachel is innately a warm hearted, gentle soul and has a wonderful way of nurturing and educating children. She is not a childminder because it suits her family needs, she is a childminder because it suits her personality.

My little boy is another clingy baby, and still tears up upon dropping him off, but Rachel has reassured me and sent me pictures that literally he is fine minutes later, as I am walking to the station. This shows that he does trust her and feels comfortable with her. And what is so warming is that at home, when he sees pictures of Rachel from when she used to look after my daughter, he kisses the card! You cannot get much more comfort than that!

Rachel is very organised, and chooses her activities carefully , which are fun and also educational. She has lived in the area for many years and is well informed of the local area and events. Recently, she took her group to a new park that has been built. Her playroom is also very tidy and clean but full of toys and activities. It is a bright setting and has easy access to her amazing garden.

She also teaches good manners and it is helpful that she is very polite and well mannered herself - so the children like to imitate and copy. She also is well informed of cultural events and even birthdays! She also takes into account very carefully the needs of each individual child, what they like to play with, what they can do together as a group. She is also conscious of working together with the parents, to ensure everyone is on the same page and we can work together in keeping updated of the child's developmental progress and how to best support the child together. An example of this is due to my son's being a late speaker, she asked for us to give a list of words that my son uses at home, both in English and our native language. This shows that she loves to support the child's development progress and not just looking after the child.

Rachel is also very good at giving advice about sleep patterns and eating habits. Her experience with a range of children helps this and find a routine that fits best with each child. She is also good at trying out different foods with the children - for example, even though I give packed lunches and snacks, she has found out my son loves chopping on celery - a food that he would never has tried at home!

My older child is now 8 and my son is just short of 2 years - we had maintained good contact over the years and has loved being updated with my 8 year old's progress. She shows that she really does care and it is not just a 'job' for her.

Thank you so much to Childcare.com for helping me find her 7 years ago!

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by Butterfl about Rachel on 07/10/2019

The best decision I made...

My daughter has been with Rachel since October 2012, and even though she attends part-time pre-school now, I have been reluctant to let Rachel go completely as I see what a positive influence she has been on my daughter and also I am secure with the amount of care, support and affection she gives to my daughter and other children that are in her care. They regularly go on outdoor activities to playgroups, visits to the library, Wisley Gardens, Saville Gardens, to the farm and fruit picking to name a few. My husband and I often talk about my daughter has this alternative life where she does so many things and love looking through her record books and her updates on Babydays – which is a brilliant online system of keeping up to date with their activities. Rachel also does so much with them when they are at home – baking, arts and crafts projects, and lots of toys that keep them entertained yet keeping with that learning element. Counting activities, learning letters and writing – everything is encompassed in their daily activities. Rachel is very organised and always thinks of new things to do with the children. She prepares a 'termly' newsletter with her ideas for the forthcoming weeks for the children and also invites us as parents to provide suggestions.

Some parents may be weary of a small setting that a childminder provides, but she has provided the best of both worlds. Rachel mixes well with other childminders and is well aware of the local area and has planned both outdoor and indoor activities with them so my daughter has lots of friends yet she provides that TLC that young children need. This has prepared my daughter very well for pre-school despite coming from a childminder setting.

Rachel is also very culturally aware and has planned activities for global festivals like Christmas, Diwali and Eid and it has been lots of fun getting involved and seeing the end results of new craft and music activities. She also was very accommodating when my daughter started with Rachel, learning some new words herself!

It was very difficult when I started work and Rachel provided lots of support and advice. She accommodated different hours so that my daughter would get settled in to this new life. My daughter was not a sleeper and Rachel would often talk with her about different sleeping habits whilst she was there which was very helpful! When my husband and I thought our daughter was ready for toilet training after going out with nappies over a few weekends, Rachel was happy to continue the process during the days our daughter was in her care when we asked and it all worked out successfully. These are the small things that make me so happy with having Rachel in our lives – she is an extension of the family. It was Rachel that recommended that we start our daughter with pre-school as she thought she was ready to start mixing with a bigger group with kids of her own age which shows she really does want the best for the children in her care. My daughter remains with her once a week and though the other children are younger than her, she still enjoys her day there and Rachel caters activities for her age and rotates activities for all of them. Rachel works very hard in noticing how each child is developing and encouraging them to learn new things and ‘come’ out of their comfort zone without forcing them and when they are ready. My daughter was petrified of the paint brush when she began them and now is a confident painter!

She also teaches and encourages good manners – I will never forget the day when my daughter used to say “excuse me” to all the boxes in the way!

A testament to Rachel’s wonderful-ness is how she keeps in touch with parents of children that were once in her care. She has even organised day outings to their houses or invited them round for playdates.

Rachel is not just a childminder – she has an innate wonderfulness for caring for kids and making them develop a great understanding of the world.

I don’t hesitate at all with recommending Rachel - she is amazing and will be sso very sad when my daughter stops going to her formally but will definitely keep in touch!

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by Butterfl about Rachel on 21/11/2014

Highly recommended childminder

Our daughter has been with Rachel since November 2010 and during this time I have had the opportunity to get to know Rachel and see her professionalism. Rachel has a unique ability to connect with young children whilst setting appropriate rules and boundaries. She cultivates an atmosphere of both learning and fun in her home. She has an incredible selection of toys and carefully rotates and improves them in a way that ensures variety and age-appropriateness. It is apparent that this is so much more than a job for Rachel, she has made childminding a career choice and her passion for it is obvious.


Our daughter has developed at an incredible pace over the last two and a half years and this has undoubtedly been impacted by Rachel’s commitment and consistency. Rachel works hard to ensure that she notices and encourages our daughter in the things that she enjoys as well as encouraging her in the things that she finds harder. Rachel works hard to introduce concepts such as ‘shopping’, ‘cooking’ and ‘the postman’ in a way that the children can relate to and is appropriate for their age. This has really enhanced our daughter's understanding of the world and aided her development. They have been on numerous trips to the farm, the beach and enjoy weekly trips to local toddler groups and places such as RHS Wisley Gardens.

Rachel has encouraged us to do things at home which benefit our daughter on her childminding days and help her to make connections, such as creating photo story books from our holiday, bringing home library books or encouraging her to take toys from home to Rachel’s. Our daughter has loved this and really enjoys talking about things that have happened.

Rachel gives me daily verbal updates on activities and progress, produces a photo-based folder which record the things she has been doing and asks for regular feedback.

Our daughter is always happy to go to Rachel’s house and is always happy when we pick her up. This speaks volumes about how content she is and gives us total peace of mind.

I have no hesitation in recommending Rachel to you.

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by Parent about Rachel on 25/07/2013

5 stars

The contents of this review are no longer available as the reviewer's account has been deleted.

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by Parent about Rachel on 01/08/2010