Starlings Childcare's Reviews

The absolute best!

Maddie has been caring for our son for two and a half years, and we feel incredibly lucky to have found a space for him with her. She has been gentle, compassionate, thoughtful, and intelligent, always generous with her time and full of insight into what is going on with him. She is clearly an expert in early years development and uses this knowledge to facilitate an environment in which children can thrive. It has been amazing to be able to talk through our son’s various phases and stages with her, and she is always a calm and reassuring presence. She takes them on outings to the forest, beach, farms, National Trust gardens, playgrounds, etc., which makes the week varied and exciting for them. She provides a creative and healthy array of home-cooked meals and snacks, which is amazing! She also gets the children involved in cooking soups, scones, etc. They pay close attention to nature, and as well as frequent nature walks where they observe the local wildlife, they learn poems and songs that reflect the seasons. We honestly could not recommend Maddie enough; she is a wonderful childminder!

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by JamieP about Starlings Childcare on 22/10/2024

Fantastic Childcare

Maddie is such a great childminder, our son absolutely loves going to starlings! Maddie has cared for and taught our boy for over two years and she is nothing but consistently brilliant. They go on exciting trips out into nature, the beach, the city and its surroundings, always having fun and always learning about the world whilst picking up new skills along the way. We love the way that Maddie supports young children “going at their own pace” when out and about - encouraging fun observations of the world around them. When they are not outside they spend their time in Maddies lovely home, a safe and cozy environment with lots of things to do and learn from, be it creating art, focused play, baking, reading and gardening.
Our son always leaves his day at starlings with so much to say about how great his time was and Maddie has been excellent at supporting him deeply with his learning and also his emotions as he has grown over his time there. Maddie regularly reports to us on his progress, interests, his challenges and victories and we feel so connected to him when he is not with us through her brilliant communication. We feel lucky to have her as a childminder and our sons upbringing wouldn’t be the same without Maddie or his time at starlings.

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by Jack about Starlings Childcare on 18/10/2024

A truly special childminder and setting

Maddie really is the best person we could have asked for to look after our daughter. Whilst being super professional and well qualified, she is also warm, caring, gentle and creative, always going above and beyond for the children and families at Starlings.
The setting is exceptional, at Maddie’s welcoming family home with a dedicated and well equipped play room. Maddie is responsive to the changing needs and interests of the children, encouraging child-led play whilst introducing a range of activities for them to enjoy. She respectfully and gently supports them through transitions and milestones. They spend time outside everyday and learn to appreciate and respect nature, the world and others around them. Our daughter particularly enjoys how much her creativity is encouraged at Starlings with lots of arts and crafts activities freely available.
Maddie communicates really well with us, as well as with the children, and is a hugely positive influence in our daughter’s life. We will be really sad when the time comes for us to move on!

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by Hayley about Starlings Childcare on 18/10/2024

Wonderful Maddie!!

Our daughter could not have been more welcomed into starlings by Maddie and she loves her days there. Maddie is such a wonderful influence on her and she has so much fun playing out and about in nature with her friends. Maddie is so brilliant At focusing in on the children and helping them build on their skills whilst also allowing them to lead the day and their play. I would highly recommend Starlings and don’t believe we could have found a better fit for our family.

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by Jo Flowe about Starlings Childcare on 17/10/2024

We love Maddie!

Maddie is the perfect mix of professional and warm. Our little one loves spending her days with Maddie and her lovely family so much that Starlings is like a home from home. They do so many fun activities every day and we love that so many of them are outdoors and showing an appreciation of nature. Maddie is so sensitive to our little one’s needs and has taught her so much. Our little one couldn’t be happier at Starlings!

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by Grace about Starlings Childcare on 26/06/2020