Mary T P
Childminder in Hereford
Usually responds within 24 hours
Female Member since Jun 2013 Last Updated Dec 2024 Last Login 23 Dec 2024
My Summary
About Me
I have just had an Ofsted inspection in Aug 2022 and Ofsted judged me to be an "Outstanding”childminder again and I’m so proud of this judgement. My certificate is available for you to see on the Ofsted website. As an Early Years Educator and childminder I can take EEF funding for your child’s place here.
My husband and I live in a central location with access to the city but also with the countryside and river within a five minute walk. We have brought up 4 children, all have left home and are working away and our youngest daughter has now finished University. I enjoy it when our children are visiting us here in Herefordshire and we can all take advantage of our great garden space to share time together, bbq and listen to music or get out on the canoe. I love to cook and particularly enjoy using a different cook book each week. Over the years I must have baked hundreds of novelty birthday cakes, and cakes for other occasions, it’s a passion. We love to go to the gym and I like to take regular walks with the family and visit the theatre here. In the past year we have been discovering footpaths to waterfalls, along rivers and up many hills in this beautiful rural county and beyond. We have taken up canoeing now as the latest challenge and have redesigned our garden as our big project.
I have been a Brown Owl Brownie leader for 34 years and enjoy creating opportunities for the girls to gain badges, strengthen friendships and learn new skills. As a group we are confident singers and performers. Every 2 years I write and direct a gang show that the girls and parents participate in and fun is had by all with an Entertainers badge at the end as a reward. What a COVID year we had in 2020-2021 with no meetings in person but we held 15 months on Zoom Brownie meetings while sat in our own homes yet still gaining badges and doing plenty of activities including dance routines, origami, scavenger hunts, baking and news reports. Sept 2021 and at last we got back into our hall for our Brownie meetings, with activities , badges and singing and new girls joined us and created new friendships .
I have a strong interest in Early Years education, and children having the best start and have put this into use as a school Governor at a primary school and as a volunteer helper in the past.
My Experience
My experience started in Bristol where I trained at the Clifton Nursery Nurses College. I first worked as a live in nanny and later as a live out nanny, until I got married and had my own 4 children. 24 years ago I decided to use my experiences, knowledge and love of working with children to become a registered childminder. I have been working continually with families and sometimes have had 2 and 3 siblings from a family. My relationship with some families has started with babies of 5 months, when the mother has returned to work after maternity leave. Most of them have stayed until they go to school and it’s a real privilege to contribute to a child's development and to work with their family to achieve this. Many of these families stay in contact years after they have left me, with regular pictures, messages and phone calls from Bristol, Devon, Scotland and South Africa. It’s so lovely to hear from families and I heard recently about 3 of the children getting their places at University.
As a childminder I like to take opportunities to expand language skills with singing, action songs and games and discovering nature, and of course meeting the various bugs that are to be found under logs and the ducks that land on our roof . The best finds in our garden have been a frog, newt, and centipede causing much excitement! Everyone loves getting their hands into the soil to explore at my house and use the outside kitchen to serve delights of soup and pies at the childrens cafe which sometimes also becomes a place to make potions from various petals, leaves, feathers and a stone or two of course from around the garden. We have grown potatoes, courgettes, beans, tomatoes , sweetcorn, cucumber's and raspberries this year and the best bit is always the watering and then digging them up to eat later. We use reference books to recognise trees, wild flowers and birds and I have a vast supply of books, games and equipment for every age all neatly stored. Playmobil always seems to be a favourite toy as the children set up their own small world and enter into an adventure of their own and also the Brio train track. All of these activities are full of language opportunities for all ages and full of adventures. Singing and music is at the heart of my home with the piano for children to compose songs about various themes from “red tractor” song to “”it’s snowing today” song. Our “ good morning “song welcomes everyone when we are all together and the “tidy up “song is essential for motivating everyone to be helpful.
The new Government funded hours are available to use with a childminder as well as at a nursery and it seems the information is not very clear on this. If you prefer the educational home environment of a childminder, please ask if you would like to use your funded hours with me.
My last Ofsted inspection was in August 2022 and I was graded Outstanding again , I am thrilled with this. Ofsted said" Children make Outstanding levels of progress across the curriculum. Mary expertly monitors children’s progress and shares information about their achievements with parents on a daily basis” Ofsted heard from the parents and shared their experiences , “ Feedback from parents is overwhelmingly positive. Parents cannot speak highly enough of the nurturing environment and high quality care and education their children receive.” This latest report can be found by searching on the Ofsted website using my name and registration number.
My first aid certificate is renewed and the latest course was 14/5/24 and lasts 3 years.
I can provide a safe, healthy and happy environment with a large and safe garden in the centre of Hereford where everyone can reach their full potential and have a voice and be heard.
My Qualifications
NNEB I trained as a nursery nurse at Clifton Nursery nurses College, Bristol
First Aid certificate, renewed every 3 years.
Adult leaders warrant in Girlguiding, I have been running a Brownie unit for 34 years
My Availability
Please feel free to ring or email me to discuss my availability and your needs. I am also available to discuss other childcare options generally, as I know that finding and committing to childcare can be a worrying decision at times but i am here to support you in your decisions.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
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| Before School | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Morning | no | yes | no | yes | no | no | no |
| Afternoon | no | yes | no | yes | no | no | no |
| After School | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Evening | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 22/12/2024 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £5.30 per hour
I am happy to discuss the fees.
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 Ofsted Inspections
The inspection grades below have been obtained from the Ofsted website based upon the registration number the childminder has provided to us. You should verify this information yourself prior to using the childminder.
My Documents
- Ofsted Certificate (added 22/07/2023)
Reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Mary T P. 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.
I cannot recommend Mary highly enough and it is genuinely hard for words to do justice in describing how amazing she has been. We were so sad to move away and I can honestly say leaving Mary was the hardest part of moving- we haven’t found childcare yet (and probably never will!) which matches her compassion, commitment to the children and families she works with, fun and diligence.
From the very first phone call took all the time we needed to make sure it was a good fit and was always there to talk to about Evie’s wellbeing and development and answer any questions with her years of experience. Our daughter absolutely loves her, still asks after her and says she want to see Mary soon (she is 2yrs and we have lived away for 2months). In f act it was often hard to encourage her to leave Mary’s when picking her up!
Mary has strong values for the importance of family and community which is such a unique trait to have in childcare and something that felt very important and valued by us. From day one leave our daughter with Mary I felt comfortable and confident she was fine and never had any doubts that our daughter was having anything but fun, good learning opportunities, a good predictable routine and genuine care.
All the little touches Mary puts effort into doing makes such a massive impact on the families she works with means that Mary is not ‘just’ a childminder but more a family friend now. If you are looking for a child minder who goes above and beyond, provides a beautiful homely environment, cares deeply for children and clearly genuinely loves her job (and the children love her) then you have found the right one! 😊
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by
Lottie
about
Mary T P
on 19/11/2024
Response by
Mary T P
on 20/11/2024:
Lottie and family.
Thank you so much for your kind words about me, my home and my childminding environment. Having Evie your daughter and you as part of my Childminding group of families has been a delight as you brought smiles, song and Evie’s love of Owls and animals to share with us. I miss her chatter as she played with the little people of small world play and her creativity with her pictures. Her friends miss her a lot with 1 particular friend still talking about her even yesterday. Evie made a big impact with her friends while she was here and they giggled a lot together and loved being in the garden discovering bugs together, running and games of hide and seek and camping together in our tents and boxes.
I try to be a support to all my families through their child’s time with me being part of the team around your child who helps them develop and progress. I feel sad you have moved away but know this is not the end.
Mary
I don't know where to begin as there are just so many wonderful things about Mary.
My middle son was with Mary for two years (from 1.5 to 3.5). I feel ever so fortunate to have found her and the whole family were so sad to have to say goodbye but we had to relocate so it unfortunately had to be. I would have sent my youngest along to Mary's in a heartbeat had we stayed locally. This is not just a job for Mary, she really cares for the children and adapts so cleverly to their individual needs.
Mary welcomed us all into her house with open arms from day one. She became part of our family and very much welcomed us into hers. We met Mary's husband and some of her children over the two years and as expected they are all also very lovely.
Mary has a firm but gentle manner. The children are very clear with the boundaries and the daily routine. She has a very clever set up in her home and although she sets out activities she is very much guided by the children and what they would like to play with. The children were outside every day in her beautiful garden and being a keen gardener, Mary is also wonderful at teaching the children about nature.
Mary kept in contact via whatsapp which was very convenient and would send over photos of what they were up to each day. I could always message or call her with any questions and she would often send over helpful information, including for my eldest son who hadn't even been to her (we found her too late unfortunately for him) but she is just so thoughtful and always goes above and beyond. Mary would also write each day in Oscars book so we could see what he had been up to, naps etc and each year she writes the most detailed appraisal / summary of him.
It goes without saying that I highly recommend Mary, I feel incredibly lucky for the two years we had with her. She has become a friend and I will keep in touch as I think she does with many of the children she has cared for which says so much about her.
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by
Nikki
about
Mary T P
on 22/01/2024
Response by
Mary T P
on 22/01/2024:
Thank you for that beautiful and kind review Nikki. It was a delight and pleasure getting to know Oscar over the past 2 years but also getting to know all of your family and sharing thoughts and tips and hints not just on child development but on life as well. Oscar came to my door every week with a beaming smile and was always full of enthusiasm to play and was eager to
learn and be creative. He had amazing creative ideas on what to build with Lego or wooden structures in the garden and he would discuss where we could travel to in the big box that became a plane, train or magic carpet. We had a lot of adventures together and it makes me smile when I think of Oscar.
I miss you all and wish you all the best with the move but hope to meet again soon.
Mary x
Mary has been childminding our children since 2016. When the time came for us to seek a childminder we had no idea where to start, or what to look for. As soon as we met Mary we knew we had found the person to look after our children.
We have been extremely happy with the care that has been provided to our two children over this period. They both made such great progress whilst in Mary’s care. Mary’s home is always welcoming, clean and well organised and they both had great fun playing with all the toys available and taking part in the activities organised. Beyond all this though, it is Mary’s warm and friendly but no-nonsense approach which gave us absolute confidence that our children were in a safe and positive environment where they could develop. She provides a wide, fun range of activities including plenty of outdoor exercise. I know both of our children really enjoyed the activities they undertake outside in the garden.
Mary is a great communicator and has no trouble in gaining children’s confidence and therefore encouraging good behaviour and kindness and compassion to others, both skills which are important to us at home.
During Covid it was very clear that Mary spent time and effort to implement all of the expected measures and we never ever felt that the setting was unsafe or posed any risk to the children attending, Mary completes a diary detailing what our children have done each day. From this we had a complete picture of their whole day including what they had eaten, how long they had slept and all of their activities. Mary also shared photos during the day so whilst at work we received precious moments to make us feel comfortable.
Mary is also so much more than a childminder. It is clear that she really cares about what she does and is in a job that she is very very good at. When we had concerns about either of our children we knew we could discuss them with Mary and she would use her vast experience to guide and help us. For example when trying to decide when the right time to start potty training as no one tells you how to do it! Enter Mary who politely supported our wishes but guided us away from our mistakes!
I have asked my daughter, who is now six to describe Mary. Her response was, Mary is the best childminder in the world”. I asked our son, who is four the same question and he replied, I like playing with her toys and she is this good” (arms wide apart).
All in all we could not have been happier with the level of care our children received from Mary and I’m certain that being in such a positive and happy environment has helped them to develop into the confident and self assured children they are. We would absolutely (without hesitation) recommend Mary as a great, highly capable and reliable childminder.
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by
Zoe2511
about
Mary T P
on 29/03/2022
Response by
Mary T P
on 29/03/2022:
Zoe, it was a honour and privilege to be part of the care and support team around your children and being able to see them grow from babies to school age children and be part of their developmental journey. Through the last few years together we have experienced lots of changes in our families and in our lives with Covid especially having a huge impact but we supported each other and our wider family and friends and I’m so proud of how all of us worked together. Your 2 children and their 2 soft toys had many an adventure here with other fiends who they built lovely first friendships which was lovely to see, listen to their conversations and create happy times and memories. I have also many gorgeous memories from our time together that still make me smile for a long time. I look forward to hearing how the children progress through their school lives.
Thank you for all your kind words.
Mary xxxx
I don’t even know where to start with recommending Mary! She made the whole process so easy as a first time mum waving goodbye to her 9 month old for the first time returning to work. My daughter was immediately confident and happy in the cosy, safe, home environment, as was I.
My daughter completely blossomed being with Mary, there was never a time she didn’t come home having learnt something new and as a little girl who’s always needed a lot of stimulation and to constantly be learning, Mary always met her needs.
Mary’s family are all extremely welcoming not just to the children but to the parents too. Not only is she an amazing childminder but even more so she was just like a friend too! Always willing to give the best advice. They each had birthday cakes when it was their birthdays, they made all sorts of things and really made full use of the amazing, huge garden.
I was so upset to take my daughter out due to change of circumstances and very almost starting school but she and I still speak of Mary very fondly and I would never hesitate to send any of my children there. Thank you so much Mary!
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by
Emily
about
Mary T P
on 07/09/2021
Response by
Mary T P
on 08/09/2021:
Thank you Emily for your kind words. It was a joy caring for your daughter and having her here for 2 years, where she made lovely close friendships with those around her and they were like a little team learning together. Your child’s art work was fantastic and so detailed and she was always so keen to write everybody’s name as she perfected her writing skill. Her descriptive language was a joy to listen to and to be part of her conversation always brought a smile to my face. Forming a partnership with parents is hugely important so your child can get the best start and I’m pleased to hear that my childminding environment supported you all, not just your child. I know I will see you again very soon.
Mary
Mary is quite simply the best childminder I have ever come across or even heard of. We feel so lucky to have found her and she provided an outstanding environment for our son for two years. She provides a very warm, welcoming and nurturing environment in which he thrived. Mary planned engaging and exciting activities tailored to each child to support their interests based on the development goals. Every time I popped into her house I saw engaged, well behaved and very happy children. Her home is always clean and well equipped with a variety of toys and her garden is a generous size for the children to play and explore nature. Mary bakes, crafts, creates, explores the outside world, introduces phonics when the time is right, sings, plays the piano and so much more. It is a home from home and she is everything I would hope to be able to give my son, and so much more.
Mary is reliable and happy to be flexible when possible. Her house is a central location with large driveway making drop offs and pick ups a pleasant experience.
On our first visit I bumped into Mary's next door neighbour who told me that Mary was one in a million and we had been lucky to find her. Never has a truer word been said.
My son has now started school but he still loves visiting in the holidays and invites Mary to his school productions. She will always be a valued member of our extended family.
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