Shellschildcare

My little one loves it with Shelly

Communication is always clear and Shelley is always available to contact. We receive updates through the Baby Days app and gorgeous photos are shared daily making me feel at peace and knowing my little one is safe.

She and Mike goes above and beyond making sure my little one is really looked after, my little one love it here making friends.


I can’t recommend Shelley and Mike enough for what they do.

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by Maize on 09/05/2025

Goes above and beyond!

My little girl started with Shelley, Mick and Abi 18 months ago and it's one of the best decisions I made.
Coco has a great time going there and I know she sees them as family. Every day there are plenty of pictures uploaded and I'm frequently surprised by all the amazing activities that they have been doing. Shelley sets up swimming pools, bouncy castles, outdoor crafts.
They play lots of games and activities. There is a daily fruit platter that all the kids share, which wouldn't be out of place in a 5 star hotel!
Coco really loves it there with them, she has all the fun of playing but I know she is also receiving love, support, development and praise. Coco is a lazy eater and everyday someone feeds and encourages her to make sure she has enough.
The whole family is on the ball with every detail.
Shelley is also really happy to accommodate if I need to alter pick up times due to work which is a huge relief. She was also a godsend navigating all the funding paperwork.
As I’m quite an anxious person when it comes to my daughter, I feel I have won the childminders jacket with shelley and her family.
Coco frequently mentions them as if they are part of her family, telling us kind things they have done with her. I know she loves it as she can't get up, dressed and out the door quick enough when she knows it's ' a shelley day'!
I have no reservation at all in recommending them should you want exceptional value for money, peace of mind and your child to have amazing fun whilst also learning good manners and behaviours.
On a final note, I have no idea how she does it but the house is always immaculate!!

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by Lucy on 08/05/2025

A* setting with a home from home feel

Shelleys childcare is a warm and nurturing environment. Both my little ones have been with Shelley for the last 2+ years. They have bent over backwards to accommodate us and the girls have learnt a lot. Communication is excellent and both my girls love going. Thank you Shelley, Abi and Mick for your care.
100% recommend if you're looking for a childminder.

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by Michelle on 08/05/2025

Home from home

I feel incredibly fortunate to have Shelley as a childminder to both my daughters. My eldest has been with Shelley since she was 11 months old and is now 4 and a half. As daunting as it can be finding someone to look after your children, right from the start Shelley, Mick and Abi created a warm, nurturing and safe environment.

Not only do they provide excellent care they also encourage learning through creative play and outdoor activities in their garden with thoughtful activities for children’s birthdays and celebrations throughout the year. Many of the children have also been with Shelley for the time my eldest has and she has formed some wonderful friendships.

Communication is always clear and Shelley is always available to contact. We receive updates through the Baby Days app and lovely photos are shared daily making us feel involved in their day to day experiences.

It’s plain to see that it’s not just a business for Shelley, Mick and Abi as they really go above and beyond and show care for all the children. It is a second home for us, my daughter often asks if she can go to Shelley’s on the weekend! I would highly recommend Shelley and her family.

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by charl27 on 08/05/2025

AVOID if you are new business - cancelled contract

Genuine honest review of our experience, particularly for new parents looking to sign their child up with Shelley and Mike for the first time, as they will not hesitate to cancel your contract if a better situation arises for them.

I visited Shelley and Mike a couple of months ago, liked their setting and signed a contract with them for my little boy to start later this year. We had paid a deposit to secure our space and felt relieved that our stressful childcare search was over.

Shelley has now unexpectedly cancelled our contact with no notice and no reason. I had to ask why it was cancelled and only then did I find out that they had now been asked to look after their Grandson, and also that another existing child had decided to change their days and hours.

This has, as you can imagine, left us in an awful situation of now frantically trying to find childcare at such a late stage, where almost everyone (reputable) is fully booked. It’s got to the point where if we can’t find anywhere else, I’ll be forced to leave my job.

Shelley claims it is due to them ‘prioritising continuity of care’ which I am all for and completely support, however, to be fair to all, they should be giving existing parents a deadline to let them know if they want days and times changed, only after which point they should then be signing contracts with new business, when they know they can commit to it. This would be a much fairer way to handle it all.

Currently, it is quite clear that they are signing up lots of new business so that they have financial backup, but if existing children want to change they will not hesitate to cancel a contract.

Before visiting, I had read a bad review about a contract being cancelled last minute, however I noted it was due to Shelley‘s family’s ill health and so I chose to overlook it as I feel that (although difficult for the parent involved) that is unfortunate and understandable. However sadly it seems that they will also just cancel a contract if a better situation arises for them than to honour your contract.

There’s really no point signing a contract because it doesn’t give you any security at all.

Would really advise that if you are looking to sign your child up with Shelley and Mike for the first time, to completely avoid if you want security in your childcare choice. If you are an existing parent then you should be fine.

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by Tegan on 14/04/2025

Couldn’t ask for a better childminder.

After deciding for this family to look after our daughter we have never looked back! The whole experience we/my daughter has had with them has been nothing less than we had hoped for. They truly have been amazing throughout, and it’s been so lovely to see how our daughter has grown a bond with this family. They have made going back to work just that but easier, knowing our daughter is happy and safe. Their communication is brilliant, they’re so accommodating & i love that they keep us updated throughout our daughters day through a safe & easy to use app. They upload pictures of our daughters day, she comes home with things made & the do lots of fun things for the children in their care setting. This family have the heart for this job and looking after children. I would absolutely recommend this family to anyone.

Thankyou so much for all you have done for us, we really appreciate it!

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by Brooke on 22/11/2023

Response by Shellschildcare on 22/11/2023:

Thank you Brooke and Rhys. It has been a pleasure to care for Darcie and watch her grow into such an adorable little girl. She will be missed. Wish you all the very best for the future. Xx

Excellent care

Shelley and her family made my daughter feel very welcome during her very short time at their setting. The settling mornings I arranged for the month prior to starting full time were brilliant with updates using the babydays app and WhatsApp. I cannot fault their care for her at all, and I even bumped into one of the family members in town who was happy to stop chat and make sure my daughter was okay! Shelley was always able to answer any questions on WhatsApp, so communication was great too!
Unfortunately due to ill health within Shelley’s setting, my daughters contract had to be terminated with immediate effect by them one evening. Which did leave me and my partner in a very awkward position as I hadn’t returned to work for more than 3 weeks, unable to take time off and my daughter was only 3 full weeks into full time care from them… the worry, stress and financial struggle to find alternative childcare that quickly, while being unable to get a refund from there setting until the end of the month; firstly really angered me (as a business they decided to terminate the contract immediately therefore they should have paid it back immediately), secondly put a strain on my families relationships as I was asking people to look after her all day, and thirdly really put a damper onto the wonderful pictures I received of my daughter having a great time in there setting.
Again I hope all good health to their family. Just a little disappointed in how they actioned the whole situation at the end as it we could have worked together and come up with a solution. And not what I needed when i spent months looking for childcare trying to put my daughter in the best care I could.
Thankfully received refund, found an emergency childminder to help out on a few days and now awaiting space at a new childminders!
Purely honest review.

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by Hollie on 29/09/2023

Response by Shellschildcare on 29/09/2023:

Thank you hollie

Luna was starting to settle in nicely and was a pleasure to care for, and we would of happily carried on caring for her.

When we signed you up we were very much looking forward to working with you all. I understand your disappointment at being given immediate notice however as soon as we found out that my husband had cancer and Ofsted were informed we were required to reduce our numbers immediately due to the fact that he would be having treatment and surgery. This is a legal requirement for adult child ratios. However I made this decision for my family the last couple of weeks our world turned upside down, whilst struggling to deal with ill health and the emotions that go with it.

We have tried to do the right thing for all of the children we care for. It was not personal and wish things could have been different. Unfortunately cancer doesn’t give you notice.

There is always two sides to a story, this is our honest review.

We wish you and your family all the best

Caring Childminder

Shells childcare has been taking care of our little one for the past 6/7 months and they have been caring giving us peace of mind each time they have been with him. Thank you for the care and love you put into your work

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by Zed on 11/02/2023

Brilliant and caring childminder

Shelley and her husband Mike have been looking after our 2 girls for the last 10 months. We could not be happier with the care that they have provided. From day one the girls have been so content and have felt very at home in their house. They always have plenty for the children to do and have a great garden with lots of play equipment. It is obvious that Shelley and Mike enjoy the kids company and as a result the kids are all very happy there. They put a lot of time and care into keeping the children entertained. The girls have developed in all aspects since they have been going to Shelley's including confidence and social skills. They have brought the girls to local parks, the beach and also celebrated their birthdays. They make them feel very special. The care that they have provided is way above anything that we could have hoped for. We are so happy that we choose Shellschildcare. We feel happy and contented whenever we drop the kids off knowing they are in safe hands.

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by Parent on 30/10/2015

Response by Shellschildcare on 20/11/2015:

Thank you Orla, you are a lovely family and the girls are a pleasure to care for, we have enjoyed watching them grow and develop in all areas. You are all welcome at our house any time, Mick loves all the technical conversations with Dan which goes way beyond me lol, and you have all become a part of the family.

Very Welcoming

My 2 year Daughter has just started with Shelley but is so happy and settled already.
She gets very excited when she knows she is going to Shelley's home.

My daughter has already shown signs of improvement in her talking and is becoming a lot more confident.

They offer such a wide range of activities to help with my daughter’s future development. I'm so happy to find somewhere for my daughter to feel so comfortable.

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by Parent on 07/10/2013

Response by Shellschildcare on 20/11/2015:

Thank you Sarah, I hope little one is enjoying school, I can't believe how quickly the time has gone.