Carmen And Marta's Reviews
Childminder
5 out of 5
Parent reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Carmen and Marta. 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.
Our daughter started with Carmen and Marta as she turned 1. From the very first day she ran into their warm setting with a smile on her face and excited to make friends, learn and play.
She was lucky to be in a wonderful group or children who all became very close. The setting was a home from home but also somewhere she leant manners, refined her fine motor skills and found a passion for reading and language which far exceeded our expectations.
Carmen, Marta and their team go out of their way to create a compassionate, safe and disciplined environment that nurtures expression, learning and fun. Our daughter was set up brilliantly for pre-school and we can't recommend highly enough.
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Susie
on 14/10/2023
We couldn't have been happier to send our 1 year old boy to Carmen and Marta. It is such a loving, nurturing and stimulating environment. We were so nervous on the first day at drop off, and being a lockdown baby, we weren't sure how well our son would settle. Within the first few hours, after endless loving cuddles from his new aunties, he settled right in. He truly thrived there. The setting is the perfect size to enable little ones to form close bonds with playmates. The weekly range of activities are brilliant e.g. messy play, story time, singing, watching caterpillars grow into butterflies, playing in the lovely garden picking fruit, trips to the park, local fire station, garden centre, science museum and even Santa's grotto! The loving support from Carmen and Marta is truly incredible, and they supported my boy through some very big milestones e.g. potty training, a house move and the arrival of a new baby brother. My little boy moved onto preschool at aged 3, but we immediately signed our second child up for a place at Carmen and Marta's. I can't wait for his adventures there to begin in March 2024!
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Sophie
on 13/10/2023
We chose Carmen and Marta for our daughter because of the warmth that we immediately felt as soon as we met them. Not only are they incredibly professional, with regular reports and assessments via the Kinderly app, but they are incredibly loving women who nurture and educate our daughter.
We love the size of the setting, two childminders and 6 children, to us, is the perfect combination. Big enough for our daughter to socialise and have friends of all ages, but small enough that she is known incredibly well.
Carmen and Marta organise fantastic activities each day. Activities in the setting include painting, sticking, cutting, play doh, water play, muddy kitchen, loads of toys, themed activities eg for world book day, Halloween, Christmas, they even helped make pancakes on shrove Tuesday. They celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, divali, Australia Day, Earth day etc etc. Recently, they were lucky enough to ‘grow’ caterpillars and watch them turn into butterflies.
Important to us, is the children are out most days, they go to the park, the greengrocers etc and are so well-trained to walk safely. We didn’t have to teach our daughter safety, she knows she has to hold the pram or our hands when crossing the road as they have instilled this in her.
They are fantastic at mixed age groups. Our daughter started at 10 months and adored watching the older kids with their activities whilst she did age appropriate tasks. Now she is one of the older ones and helps the little ones or is taught to gently play or share with them.
We thoroughly recommend Carmen and Marta. In fact, we think they are so great we have signed our (as yet unborn) son up to start with them in a year’s time!
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Hester
on 22/07/2022
Our daughter could not be in better hands.
Our two-year-old daughter has been going there since she was 10 months old. She loves loves loves them! And we do too! Carmen and Marta give our daughter affection and love, and teach her so many things, like recently putting on her coat by herself!
Carmen and Marta have perfectly accompanied our daughter in all areas of her development, emotional, motor, sensory, language, cognitive, social, and physical.
The kids do lots of great creative and educational activities (drawing, painting, textures, stories, crafts, shapes, colours, every day there’s something new); and they do outdoor activities every day (weather permitting). Our daughter learns, plays, laughs, has fun with friends, discovers nature, all this in a safe, secure, joyful and loving environment.
We chat with Carmen and Marta every morning when we drop our daughter off, every evening when we pick her up. During the day, we receive great photos. If we have any questions, they are always very available, and they always keep us informed if our daughter has fever for instance.
We will remember for the rest of our lives the first day we left our daughter. We felt a sadness that we had never felt before. After a few days, we felt light as a feather knowing she was in such a loving and caring environment.
We recommend them highly and without reservation.
Johanna & Catlyne
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Johanna
on 18/03/2022
Our son has been going to Marta and Carmens for over 2 years and loves going. They keep the kids entertained with lovely creative and educational activities. It’s more than just a childminders as they make it feel like an extended family!
They have been really helpful and have been able accommodate any extra requests like one off drop offs to our home while I was heavily pregnant.
Would highly recommend!
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Gill
on 26/06/2020
My child has been attending the setting run by Marta and Carmen for a year now and he absolutely loves it. He looks forward to his day with them. Both Marta and Carmen are accommodating and look after him and other children with love and care.
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patrycja
on 28/01/2020
Our son has been with Carmen and Marta now for 9 months and we could not be happier. From when he started, the day before he turned one, Carmen and Marta completely put me at ease and made the transition back to work so much easier.
The care and love they give the children is clear to see and the creative work they do with them is fantastic and far beyond anything I could even think about doing. They plan the activities and outings around the calender year for example Chinese New year, valentine's day, easter etc.
We get regular updates throughout the day and are kept up to date of his development via kinderly (a specialist childcare app). They really have a special environment whereby the children get individual attention but in a setting with a number of others so that they learn social interaction from a young age.
Our son is always saying the names of his buddies at Carmen and Marta's house and wants to play with them even on weekends which highlights to us how happy he is in their care.
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Nicki
on 02/06/2019
I was very anxious about leaving my son in childcare, he had literally never been left with anyone for his first year of life, we had been joined at the hip! The thought of him being with a stranger was so daunting for me.
I visited a number of childcare providers and when I went to see Carmen and Marta and saw how warm and loving they were with my then 7 month old I felt like this would be a place where he would be loved in the same way he's loved at home.
Our son loves Carmen and Marta, even though he still cries when we drop him off the important thing I clearly observe each day is how happy he is when I pick him up - he's babbling away, running around, smiling and laughing which is an obvious indication that he is well looked after and having fun.
We get regular updates which give us peace of mind and I love seeing all the fun activities the children get up to. Carmen and Marta provide lots of different resources for the children to engage with including outdoor excursions. My son especially enjoys the craft days including painting.
If we have any concerns about our son we discuss them with Carmen and Marta and they have been so helpful and patient with my worries about my son's fussy eating. I absolutely love them!
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Camila
on 13/03/2019
My daughter has been with Carmen and Marta since I went back to work full time just after she turned 1.
They are both incredibly warm and lovely and our daughter has really bonded with them and enjoys going to the setting each day. They are confident, safe and have a lot of energy to keep the little ones entertained all day!
Going back to work is a stressful time and knowing that your child feels safe and secure is a huge weight off your shoulders. Carmen and Marta think up fun and educational activities and outings and they learn important skills while doing them to help their development. We are kept up to date via regular messages and photos which is lovely when you're at work.
If I ever have a question they are fast to respond on message and will always let us know if they have any concerns about our daughter.
I can't recommend them highly enough!
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Clea
on 07/03/2019
The care that Carmen and Marta provide is simply excellent. They have been taking care of our daughter since she was just four months old and we feel very lucky to have them as our childminders. They are warm, kind, patient, and loving and we really feel as though we are leaving our daughter with family members while we go to work. Now that she is older our little one is making the most of all of the lovely activities that Carmen and Marta do with the children - painting, crafts, playing in the garden, trips to the park and library, story time, singing songs etc. They put a lot of effort in to planning activities for the children and every day we know that she has been stimulated and well taken care of. We love receiving photographs of her during the day and know that if there is ever anything wrong Carmen and Marta will contact us immediately. We highly recommend Carmen and Marta!
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Parent
on 11/11/2018
It is an absolute joy to see my one year old son’s face light up when he sees Carmen and Marta in the morning.
Returning back to work is such an anxious time but knowing that our son is in such a warm and loving environment has made the made the transition so much easier.
My Husband and I look forward to our photos and updates of all the fun and educational activities going on throughout the day.
Our son has settled in so well and it really truly feels like a little family.
We just couldn’t recommend Marta and Carmen highly enough.
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Willow
on 16/05/2018
Marta and Carmen have been looking after our daughter for a few months now. They are fantastic and real lifesavers. Our daughter runs to their arms every morning and clearly loves them like family. They offer a loving, home environment with lots of games and outings as well to keep the children entertained.
They keep you informed about everything and are extremely flexible and helpful. We could not ask for better childminders and trust them totally. They have all the correct paperwork and keep up to date on all necessary qualifications to ensure the children are totally safe at all times.
These two ladies are truly fantastic.
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Colin
on 24/12/2017
Our son has been with Marta for the past 6 months from the age of 9 months old. They provide a loving, caring and fun environment for the children. A homely environment we were looking for! The return back to work was an anxious time for me but knowing that he was happy and settled in their care made things a lot easier.
Marta and Carmen are very passionate about their jobs, arranging lots of fun, educational and engaging activities for the children. They have carefully documented all of my son’s milestones and regularly keep us updated with messages and photos of the activities he has been involved with.
In addition having two childminders working together is as bonus as it provides added flexibility around pick up/drop if times and ensures the children get a good amount of attention.
We highly recommend Marta and Carmen!
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rathisam
on 30/08/2017
We have left our daughter with Marta and Carmen since she was 7-8 months old- she is no almost 2. Obviously we were nervous doing so but they are warm, reassuring and keep in contact so you know your wee one is safe and happy.
I cannot fault these ladies on anything and our daughter adores them like family, as do we. They are easy to communicate with and they really listen to your and your child's needs. We honestly don't worry about our daughter at all when she's with them and we trust them implicity.
They do fun educational activities with the kids and maintain a good routine for them in an environment that is very homely.
Especially good points: there are two childminders so we have never had an issue with them being unavailable. They are flexible and friendly. They are excellent at what they do and are very safety conscious.
My husband and I are very happy to be contacted via the ladies if anyone wants a more detailed recommendation.
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Parent
on 02/08/2017
Our three-year-old boy has been looked-after by Marta and her colleague Carmen for over a year. During this formative time they have provided excellent care and support for our son in a safe and familial environment. They are highly organised and provide us with regular feedback about our son’s development and photos of the stimulating activities that they do together. He has thrived in their company and playing with the other children - his three best friends – and we’ve been delighted to see his social skills and communication come on so well. We look forward to his enthusiastic verbal (and gestural) reports each evening. As our son is half-Spanish, we are especially happy that Marta and Carmen can speak Spanish with him often, so that it’s a consistent aspect of his bilingual life. With their help and experience his transition through potty training also went very smoothly.
Above all Marta and Carmen clearly love our boy and he adores them – in fact we all do. This means lots of smiles and laughter all round and the certainty that he is receiving the best possible care and affection when we can’t be around. We cannot recommend them highly enough.
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on 10/02/2017
Marta and her colleague Carmen have been looking after our two year old son, Henry, for over a year now. They are naturally very kind, warm people, who love children, and have created a fun, safe environment at Marta's home, for the children to play and flourish. They do a fantastic job of keeping Henry safe, whilst teaching him how to eat on his own, about road safety and how to be well-behaved. Henry is also learning Spanish with them. They do a variety of activities during the week that engage Henry in new experiences. For example, dental hygienist came to visit them today to teach the children how to look after their teeth. Henry adores them, as do we. We recommend them highly.
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Eve
on 09/02/2017
My little boy has been with Marta and Carmen since 8 months as I had to return to work earlier than planned. It was the worst and most daunting time trying to find a 'best fit' scenario which would suit my precious baby and my fulltime working situation. Luckily, I found what is definitely the 'BEST FIT' for all of us. My words cannot do justice to the care they provide for him and us as both ladies are passionate about early childhood development,100% invested in my son and have made us feel like an extension of their families.
My baby has blossomed in their company and continues to do so through their carefully planned, inclusive developmental activities and learning opportunities, both indoor and outdoor taking into account the EYFS guidelines. He has been allowed to learn and develop at his own pace and been challenged appropriately. He has developed tenfold socially as he regularly interacts with other children. We also have the added bonus of him becoming familiar with Spanish!
The setting is welcoming, well equipped and safe and my little boy certainly is thriving in his second home.
They communicate through the use of a daily diary, photos and a learning journey as well as daily conversations(if necessary) so we are kept up to date and well informed about my son. However, over and above all of this, they love and care for him as their own which is what we wanted for him.
I recommend them whole heartedly and if your experience is anything like ours I guarentee that you will be 100% happy!
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on 20/08/2016
