Kate's 5 Star Reviews

Truly amazing childcare!

We are so grateful to have found such amazing childcare. Kate, flavio, and natalia provide incredible support and care to our daughter. We can't fault them.

The mini nursery environment they've created is truly special, and it brings us so much joy to see Millie so happy. She is thriving.

Kate, Flavio, and Natalia showed such kindness and support during a recent hospital emergency, which was amazing. Their flexibility to have Millie at such short notice was invaluable. We can't express our appreciation enough. They went above and beyond to support us through such a difficult time.

When our daughter was in hospital, they sent thoughtful messages and were so supportive during such a challenging time.
We have been particularly thankful for the way they have encouraged Millie with her eating habits. Kate provides nutritious meals and gentle support, meaning that millie is now gaining weight and developing a love for food!

They regularly update us with messages and photos and have supported us through our application for funded hours and tax-free child care.

We are truly blessed to have found Flavio, Kate, and Natalia! Oh, and there, dog Bobby, is so gentle and loving. Millie loves him!

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by Sam on 27/01/2025

The best childminders

We feel incredibly lucky to have found Flavio, Kate, and Natalia – they are an amazing trio of childminders. From the very start, our son has been so happy there, and we’ve seen so much progress. When he first started, he wasn’t walking, but within weeks of being with them, he took his first steps!

One of the things that makes this family so special is that there are three childminders, rather than just one. This means there’s always someone to give the children the individual care they need, while also providing a fun and nurturing environment. We also love the fact that they have a gentle, lovely dog named Bobbi, and it just adds to the warm, homely atmosphere.

We never feel anxious leaving our son with them, because it’s obvious that Flavio, Kate, and Natalia love what they do. They truly treat the children like family, offering so much care, kindness, and attention. From the healthy homemade meals to the creative activities, everything they do is with the children’s well-being in mind. They celebrate each child’s uniqueness and always make sure the kids feel valued and loved.

One thing we really appreciate is how flexible and understanding they are. It’s clear that they genuinely want what’s best for the children and the parents, and that goes a long way in making us feel at ease. If our son could give a review, I’m sure he would say he loves being there! He started at just 12 months old, and even as a tiny one, he was asking to go back on weekends. He’s never once cried when we drop him off, and he always has a huge smile on his face when we pick him up. It’s so reassuring to see how much he enjoys his time there.

We can also see the effort they put in behind the scenes. Last year, we received a beautiful album filled with memories of our son’s time with them, and it made us so happy to see the love and care they put into every little detail. Because of this amazing care, we decided to delay his move to nursery for another year, so he can continue to thrive with them. The atmosphere there is like a mini-nursery, with three caring adults, which makes all the difference compared to a single childminder trying to manage many children at once.

Flavio, Kate, and Natalia are truly a wonderful team, and we feel so lucky to have them in our son's life. They are more than just childminders – they are a second family to him.

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by linamaca on 17/01/2025

All you could ask for and more!

A little backstory:
My daughter was 19 months when I signed her up to a private nursery. She was not happy at all, she used to cry and be unsettled at nursery, and at home too. She would scream in the car as soon as i turned down the road that the nursery was located on. Then we knew we had to change. And we found Kate and Flavio!

Everything changed, our daughter for the first time was happy to go into their house from the very first day when we went to view. They were so helpful in settling my daughter, and making her feel welcome. She absolutely loves Flavio and Kate, oh and Bobby🥰 She enjoys going in the morning, will happily walk on in and wave bye to me at the door, where before, i would have to weave her out of my arms and run out!

They prepare nourishing food, make very cute arts and crafts, go out on walks and visits to the local playgrounds, and have so many updates too!

We absolutely are so at ease with our daughter being in their care, we know that she is in good hands and is absolutely flooded with lots of love and care🥰 They are literally like a second family to us. The communication is incredible, any queries or questions are always answered, very flexible with hours and times too😇
I would 10000% recommend 🥰

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by Virag on 15/01/2025

A nourishing and playful nest for small kids

It was wonderful to see how easily our baby girl, at 10 months old, truly bonded with Flavio, Kate, and Natalia, and integrated herself into that group of little, great humans. She is very content, smiles often, and seems fulfilled from all the playing every time I pick her up. Seeing her so comfortable there and watching her learn a lot makes us happy and grateful. Initially, we were looking to bridge a 2-month gap until she could go to the nursery, but we are so happy with having her at Kate's that we've postponed her entry to the nursery for at least another year, until preparing for preschool becomes her next step.

Another thing that we really appreciate about Kate is the nutritious food she provides for the kids, which has also inspired us to cook more probiotic meals at home! And Flavio shows just how involved and deeply caring he is when he brings her out at the end of the day and excitedly tells us what she learned and did that day.

Altogether, we can warmly recommend this family as a wonderful place for a baby to nourish their curiosity, play a lot, eat healthy food, and learn how to be part of a group with other children. We feel privileged to have her there.

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by Cleophea on 14/01/2025

Response by Kate on 14/01/2025:

Cléo thank you so much for this wonderful review ❤️🙏🏻we are grateful for having your baby with us and for having you as our clients .
We will carry on doing our best in ensuring that your little girl , while with us , develops to her full potential ,healthy , in a happy and stimulating environment .
Thank you for your constant help and support ❤️
With warmest wishes
Kate, Flavio and Natalia

Everything you could hope for and more!

We would very, very strongly recommend Kate as a Childminder! The setup with her husband and daughter is brilliant in a lovely house. We contacted her through this website, had clear communication and arranged a time to visit. They have made a lovely child friendly space with a covered back garden and a great range of toys and activities. We received a very clear set of paperwork and are confident everything is done very carefully and properly. Kate has been brilliant making sure the new childcare hours are available with what sounds like a complicated system!

There is such warmth and care in the setting, you really feel like it is an extended family. Our daughter joined at 18 months when we relocated to the area. The small size of up to 9 children has been absolutely perfect; she loves her time there. She has made some really good friends and is very close to Kate and her family. Kate kindly shares details so that the parents can get together; the parents we now know are always full of praise and talking about how much the children love their time there too.

A real highlight is the food. Kate is very knowledgeable and makes a brilliant range of foods which are exactly what the children need and also delicious (apparently!). Our daughter has definitely seen the benefits of the diet and eating as a group helps them all to try things even when at home our daughter can be picky.

Our daughter has learnt about tidying up through her time with Kate - they clearly do a great job of making sure they tidy away after an activity and taking off their shoes and putting them by the door. They ensure that the children get the sleep that they need through the day and our daughter always comes home having had a good long nap.

They celebrate everyone's birthdays with a party and lots of singing. We are always delighted with the gifts and crafts which our daughter brings home, such as Christmas and Easter decorations and a card for mothers day. We often see photos of the activities with lots of painting and exploring out to the park when the weather allows.

We have very much appreciated the flexibility on specific hours. Week to week we do have slightly different pickup times as I occasionally work away, and we are able to let Kate know on a weekly basis and she has managed to accommodate. We have also done some shorter days and our daughter leaves having been well-fed and had lots of fun.

Our daughter is very happy and chatty and this has definitely been down to Kate and all of the love, care and fun she has at the setting. We are so so grateful and would very much recommend, it makes such a difference when you find a great Childminder like this - they really feel like an extension of our little family who also want the very best for our daughter! Thank you again Kate.

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by PeterR on 28/04/2024

The happiest children

My daughter has been with Kate since she was 10 months old and has hit so many important milestones with them. Testament to that is that she can now RUN into their house every morning (which she always does) and loves saying their names out loud! Especially Bobby the dog.
As well as providing an extremely engaging environment for the children (regular park trips, a range of outdoor activities in their garden, painting, drawing etc) they also offer some flexibility. Sometimes I have required emergency extra hours and it has been an enormous help to our family to know my daughter is happy and safe.
The food offered is extremely nutritious and the whole family takes enormous pride in what they feed the children. My daughter eats a variety of healthy foods and is very full and happy at the end of the day!
The Tot LOT Club allows parents to use tax free credit and funded hours.
We feel so happy and lucky to have found them!

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by Rachel on 01/11/2023

Best childminder who truly cares

My daughter has been in care with Kate for over a year and we couldn't be more happy! My daughter's start was not easy, she was very shy and scared of grown-up due to several doctor appointments she had to go through which must have traumatised her. Kate was very patient and calm and found the best way to settle her in. I love that the facility is more like a mini-nursery, always loads of other kids to play with. Flavio and Natalia are also brilliant and the whole family is truly caring, always concerned if the kids have caught an illness or behave different than usual as if it were their own children. I absolutely love the passion of Kate to provide healthy meals to the kids, my daughter loves her soups! The activities are well thought through and we spotted more than once that my daughter came home and she done something new, from counting to nursery rhymes or knowing new word. Couldn't recommend more! If you are after someone who puts her full heart into the job you are at the right place here!

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by Andrea on 26/06/2023

Response by Kate on 26/06/2023:

Hi Andrea
Flavio has just read your review to us and it has made us very emotional …
Thank you so much for all kind words 🙏🏻❤️
It was an honour and joy to be a part of Marlowes life for a year during which time we witnessed her growing and developing , learning new things and overcoming her insecurities and getting stronger in all sense of it .
Her big smile is always the best reward 😁 which will be missed by us and by her little friends .
We wish you all a happy and smooth transition to nursery 🙏🏻🌸☀️
and thank you for all your support and help throughout this year❤️

With warmest wishes

Kate , Flávio, Natalia ( and Bobby )

A family more than a carer

A simple comment would not be adequate to pay back Kate,Flavio and Natalia ! We are ever so grateful for the excellent service they did!!!!

But I hope this small commentary would be useful for working parents like us who become very stressful when finding a child carer !!

I cannot think about someone else who could be more caring and responsible than Kate!!!!

This entire family is Extremely kind, loving and caring towards all the kids they nurse . My child still loves them so much !! And Bobby too!!!
Also it is more than just a day care -,it is a mini nursery. They conduct similar activities which are well organised and structured -so it is a mini nursery and my kid improved remarkably while being there.

When we arrived to UK from Sri Lanka , we were utterly helpless as working parents and my kid was just 1 and half years who was extremely shy and strongly attached only to us!!!! We still can remember the fears we had to leave her with a stranger . But surprisingly she was VERY HAPPY from the very first day onwards and Kate used to give her the warmth and love like a mother for nearly 2 years ! She even keep her closer to her while she is asleep as she was so timid and looked lots of attention! Honestly sometimes I think that Kate is more concerned about my kid’s development and training more than us!

Kate had a very nice way of reassuring us while we are at work and even used to send us regular updates which helped to drive our days at work!! She sometimes came out of the box and gave a helping hand very kindly to keep her there in special circumstances when myself and my husband were both sick!
Simply having her nearby was the BIGGEST relief we ever had !! And it eased out our short stay in UK!!
Kate ,Flavio and Natalia is a VERY EFFICIENT AND A RESPONSIBLE TEAM THAT YOH CAN RELY ON without any doubt!!!

They were indeed a family more than child minders!!
Best wishes
From Samudu and Tharanga
And love from Nichole

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by Samudu on 30/12/2022

A genuinely lovely childminder!

A year ago, we decided to send our 2 year old son to Kate when his nursery suddenly closed. Kate was a godsend to us as both of us wanted a caring childminder for our son at flexible hours given both of us leave for work by 7 am. Kate and her family have never failed us. Kate with her husband Flavio and daughter Natalia are doing an exceptional job caring for the little children at the Tot Lot Club. Our son grew up almost a year with them, and he loves them!
Being super busy working in the hospital, we often need to be at work by 7:15 am. We get our 2 year old son ready by 6:30 am which to a small child can be super annoying, but our son after starting at Kate’s place soon began to show how keen he is to go to Kate’s place at such an early hour of the day, which tells a whole lot about how he enjoys his time at the Tot Lot Club! Before Kate, he would despise going to nursery or the previous childminder, but this stark change when he started with Kate amazed us! Children absolutely respond well when they receive candid affection and kindness from heart instead of perfunctory superficial courtesy, and this we feel is the difference that made our son fall in love with Kate, Flavio and Natalia who are genuinely kindhearted lovely people!
We also feel our son gained a lot of social skills at Kate’s place and after being at the Tot Lot Club, he is now a very happy and friendly child who easily makes friends.
Our son loves Flavio! Almost everyday on our way home from Kate’s place, he adorably says how Flavio read to him and played with him. Kate provides great food that our son enjoys, and her daily menu is ever so healthy. The entire atmosphere at Kate’s place is super child friendly and all of them are extremely professional.

Since we are moving houses, we sadly have to leave Kate, but we hope that our (now 3 years old) son will hopefully remember the precious times he had with them! Kate had made sure that we have received a whole lot of happy memories of our son at the Tot Lot Club everyday as she never forgets to send us photos with daily updates.

If you want your little one to be looked after well with love, kindness and affection by a truly professional childminder, Kate and her loving family will always be recommended by us.

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by Malaka on 27/11/2022

Fantastic childminder

Our son has loved his experience at the Tot Lot Club. Kate and Natalia are very caring and provided us with lots of updates. We really appreciated the hard work they put in to make our son feel settled, especially as it was his first experience being looked after away from home. They even got Toby to fall asleep without his dummy!

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by Lizzie P on 01/08/2022

Very enjoyable and caring experience for our kid

Our daughter spent last year at Tot Lot Club. We had poor experience with childminders before, so were a bit anxious at start. But, what a sea change this was! Our daughter spent very good time with Kate, Flavio and Natalia, not forgetting their lovely dog Bobby. She made friends, enjoyed nutritious home made food, and had tons to things to do. To their credit, they were able to provide reliable childcare throughout very difficult year. Communication has been exceptional too all the time. We will recommend them to anyone without reservations!

Ashish & Mayanka

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by Ashish on 30/08/2021

Very reliable and caring, our daughter loves it!

Our 8-year old daughter joined Tot Lot Club at the beginning of this school year, we had never used a child minder before so didn't know what to expect. Kate, Natalie and Flavio are very welcoming and accommodating. Our daughter really enjoys spending time at their house, she is kept active and entertained. The food is high quality and healthy, and Bobby the pet dog is a big hit! We find their service very reliable and they are diligent with their communication. It is certainly a great experience and we will wholeheartedly recommend them.

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by Maria on 30/06/2021

Response by Kate on 01/07/2021:

Maria thank you so much for great comments .
Its our pleasure to look after your daughter - she is such an easy child ,always happy ,helpful, caring :0)
It was a wonderful, blessed year - thank you for being a big part of it :0)
Warm Regards
Kate ,Flavio and Natalia

Great childminder - I highly recommend

We used the Tot Lot Club Monday-Friday from November-December and March due to an unexpected issue with our previous childcare arrangements. Kate was very responsive and accommodating in sorting out full-time daycare and after-school care for us at the last minute and we can't thank her enough.

Our children (aged 1 and 6) really enjoyed their time for Kate, Natalia and Flavio. I was worried about the toddler not settling in well (as she'd not been to a childminder or nursery before and Covid meant I couldn't go in with her), but she had a lovely time from day one. They have lots of great toys and the kids enjoy interacting with each other. My 6 year old usually doesn't tell us anything about his day, but has mentioned Flavio's magic tricks and the cool toys he's played with on many occasions. We get good communication at the end of the day as to what the kids have been up to. And, as mentioned above, Kate is very on top of admin issues and resolves things very quickly.

We can highly recommend the Tot Lot Club, and the only reason we have stopped going is because of the personal circumstances (third lockdown, moving house and maternity leave).

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by Sarah on 02/06/2021

Response by Kate on 02/06/2021:

Sarah thank you so much 😘 We loved working with your children, they have always been well behaved and so kind towards others -they made our days brighter .I am sure they will give their little brother a great example to follow :).
We miss them a lot but it is very comforting to know they are so happy with all the changes - send warm hugs to them .Our door will always remain open to you .
All the best - keep healthy.
Kate, Flavio and Natalia

Excellent!

We enjoyed spending time with Kate, Flavio and Natalia. My daughter Naomi is looking forward to returning for more fun in September.

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by ewelina on 24/07/2020

My daughter is super happy with Kate and Flavio!

My daughter is going to be 5 in August and she has been going to Tot Lot Club since they opened, twice a week! :-) Kate and Flavio have been fantastic since meeting them. Sophie is really happy there and when lockdown started she made a point of going by their house for a social distance hello because she missed being there so much. Sophie plays and eats really well when at their care and Kate always lets me know how Sophie did and how she was afterwards once she has gone home. I could not recommend them enough and Sophie will definitely be back at Tot Lot when the schools are back and I am back at work.

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by tnovaes on 18/06/2020

Response by Kate on 14/07/2020:

Thank you so much for your review Tatiana .
It has been a pleasure to look after Sophie: always obedient , polite, well mannered, happy girl.
Thank you for your trust and support and we are all looking forward to seeing you again in September :0)
Kate, Natalia and Flavio