Allison has looked after our two sons part-time from 2015 until 2020 and we've had an excellent experience with her. We really recommend her!

Our elder son is quiet and sensitive and we'd previously tried to settle him into two different local nurseries without success. With Allison, he settled quickly and easily. Astonishingly, he didn't cry at all at drop-off, making my return to work so much more bearable for me too. He was able to trust Allison and bond with her straight away, as she is kind, caring, reliable, and consistent.

Our second son is an extrovert and has also really enjoyed his 'Allison days'. He comes home telling us exciting stories about toddler groups, the local library, Milton country park, doing crafts, baking crumbles, feeding ducks, and playing in the garden and log cabin. He got really excited and interested in a recent project, collecting food and other essentials to make a box for a food bank. He's made good friendships with the other children in the setting. We think it's a great combination of doing some things in a home environment, as well as going out and about every morning to meet more people in singing groups etc. Allison has taught both boys to behave well, e.g. sharing and taking turns, and being sensible and holding hands when walking around together.

Our sons have really loved all the seasonal aspects of what they've done with Allison (e.g. eating noodles and making masks for the Chinese New Year, doing crafts about chicks and eggs and baby animals in spring, walking through leaves and looking at spider webs in autumn, birthday celebrations...). We think this is a great way for small children to gain a sense of time and seasons, given that they don't understand months and other bigger measures of time.

Overall, we feel very fortunate to have found Allison. She's an excellent childminder who has the experience to get the best out of children with different personalities and interests. We feel our sons are developing very well, and we are very grateful for all that she has done for them.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Communication