Bearsprings's Reviews
Childminder
Below are the parent reviews for Bearsprings. Back to Bearsprings's profile
Average Rating:
(5 from 21 reviews)
Following a daunting challenge to find a child minder for our precious little boy Ryan, we knew instantly that we had found the right childcare after meeting both Ruby and Ursala.
Our son has attended Bearsprings since he was 1 in September 2018 and will leave to attend Primary school in September 2021. We feel so lucky to have found Bearsprings.
Both Ruby and Ursala are so nurturing and supportive and provide him with so much care, encouragement and positivity. He always comes home happy every day and is proud to show us
his drawings, craftwork and writing he has done that day.
The environment at Bearsprings is a happy and warm-hearted one. The children are taught to be kind, generous and tolerant towards each other. The amenities and the range of activities the children are involved in from a early age is excellent.
There is also a large garden which is part sheltered for the children to play and again has a range of activities for them to play with.
Ruby's background of being a former Primary school teacher is the perfect formula for any parent wanting their child to transition from nursery to school.
Bearsprings has helped our little 1 year baby develop into the confident and school ready almost 4 year old little man that that he is today.
We will be forever grateful for all the that Bearspring has done for us and our little boy and would recommend them without any hesitation.
Happy Child = Happy Parents!
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by
melody
about
Bearsprings
on 20/07/2021
Response by
Bearsprings
on 20/07/2021:
Dear Mel,
Thank you for your kind and sweet words.
We remember Ryan learning to walk and waving at you for the first time. He now talks freely about his interests and socialises well with his peers. He is always busy when he is here and enjoys everything he does, from messy play to writing his name and drawing detailed pictures of his mummy and daddy.
He is willing to try things he thinks he might not enjoy and definitely comes in with a 'can do' attitude.
We have enjoyed watching him grow into the imaginative school ready boy that he is now.
He has started eating foods and textures that he would not have liked previously and has flourished with the praise that he has received from his peers when he does so.
Ryan will play happily with everybody regardless of age and will always have a great time. He particularly loves jigsaws, imaginative role play and has performed in our Billy No Buzz production with confidence and enthusiasm.
Ryan takes great pride in what he does and we are also very proud of all his achievements. He really has made immense progress over the 3 years that he has attended Bearsprings. We wish him all the best for Reception and know that he will continue to make good progress.
Please stay in touch and we look forward to your visits over years to come.
Best wishes from both of us and happy children also = happy childminders!
My daughter joined Bearsprings when she was 1 1/2. The day my daughter and I arrived for a setting in day we both felt so relaxed and both Ruby and Ursala made what could have been a very stressful morning extremely loving and calm.
It is a very small group of children that attend Bearsprings. I felt reassured that the children were very looked after and not diluted in a larger setting.
Ruby and Ursala always made sure my daughters educational and emotional needs were met. Getting her school ready by teaching sounds and pre writing skills.
They would make sure the children also had a good understanding of emotional health by using different stories books or modelling and encourage the correct behaviour.
My daughter would happily skip into Bearsprings every morning with out even looking back. Always happy.
Bearsprings is a great setting with a wide range of role play toys educational toys abs fun things for the children to do. Celebrating all cultural events.
I was very confident that my daughter was in the best place everyday. The communication between setting at home was incredible too. Constantly keeping us updated on what the children are doing or giving next steps to help at home too.
I would highly recommend Bearsprings. We are so lucky to have found Ruby and Ursala because after being there so long I feel like they have become part of our family.
Even in lockdown they would send videos of stories and just making sure the children had some sort of normality. Above and beyond what was expected.
Thank you so much Ruby and Ursala. We will miss you incredibly but know you are always there if we need.
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by
Maureen
about
Bearsprings
on 15/07/2021
Response by
Bearsprings
on 17/07/2021:
Dear Maureen,
Thank you so much for your very kind and thoughtful review.
Your daughter changed from being a bubbly non-verbal one-and-a-half-year-old into an eloquently spoken four-and-a-half-year-old. She embraces everything she experiences with enthusiasm and loves being challenged. She is indeed school ready in every way and will make an excellent start, as she can already read and write simple sentences.
As one of our original children, your daughter bonded well with her peers and also treated us like family. We will miss her dearly and really enjoyed the day she recently visited us with her little sister.
We remember her always wanting to dress up for every celebration and role modelling songs and dances for all our performances. She would always come in with a smile and greet each child / adult individually. During lockdown you supported her at home and shared all her achievements with us through video calls and messages. This helped us to remain connected and there were no issues with resettling her when she returned.
Three and a half years have flown by and we have had loads of fun along the way. Her journey will now continue at school where we are confident, she will thrive and make new friends.
Best wishes and stay in touch.
Lots of love,
Ursala & Ruby xx
When I first visited Bearsprings with my daughter I knew that it would be the ideal setting for her and we immediately warmed to Ruby and Ursala. The setting is stimulating, with lots of activities and things going on to gain my daughter’s interest. Ruby and Ursala are so gentle and kind and were lovely with my daughter; she treated them like extended family. Couldn’t have wished for a better start for my daughter. We were so sorry to leave this setting following relocating outside of London but will stay in touch x
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by
LMH
about
Bearsprings
on 27/06/2021
Response by
Bearsprings
on 28/06/2021:
Thank you very much for writing this lovely review.
We also felt that your daughter was stimulated by the toys and activities on offer each day. She was always excited to role play with her friends and in particular loved learning new songs and dancing. Her enthusiasm reached a new level when we learnt some songs in Mandarin, for our Chinese New Year celebration. She also enjoys mark making in a variety of contexts, using a range of media, and is able to write her name with pride.
Your daughter started coming to Bearsprings just after her first birthday. Over the next two years and three months she blossomed from a toddler into a very talkative, inquisitive and strong-willed little girl 😊
We are confident that she will thrive at her new setting and look forward to staying in touch with your family for years to come.
We wish you all the best with your new life in your new home.
Take care,
Ursala & Ruby xx
My daughter has attended Bearsprings from Jun 2018 when she was 1 1/2 and will leave to attend school at the end of Summer 2021 after more than 3 years of full time care. I feel we have been blessed to find Ruby and Ursala. My daughter comes home happy every day from nursery, bringing stickers she is proud to have earned and wonderful examples of her drawing, craftwork and writing. She sings me songs she has learned, shows me her dancing, curtseying, zumba routines, and hopscotch. She loves her childminders so very much and they have really shaped the lovely person that she is. The atmosphere at Bearsprings is very happy and warm, the children behave very kindly towards each other; there is a consistent effort to role model and foster understanding, co-operation, tolerance and generosity to one another and it's a very peaceful and harmonious environment. I believe that Ruby and Ursala are a great team and they know my child inside out and I will be forever thankful from the bottom of my heart, for their work, their patience and their positive impact on our family.
The facilities are excellent, a wide range of toys and activities which are refreshed and swopped very regularly. There have been different themes on family, animals, space, and so on and the toys, activities, images on the walls, and books being read are changed to reflect that.
Behaviour is managed through lots and lots of positive encouragement and clear boundaries, and includes using a weather chart where the children's outlook is reflected, from stormy cloud to rainbow.
Food is a normal range of nutritious meals and fruit snacks
There are only a max of 6 children and large rooms (all dedicated to the nursery) and a large garden with a covered play area and again, a wide range of activities to do. In addition the children sometimes take sound walks and there have been some occasional trips when there are fewer children coming in.
Ruby was a primary school teacher prior to opening Bearsprings and so there is excellent preparation for the transition to start school and getting 'school ready'. Thanks for reading my review. Go for it, you won't regret this choice of setting.
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by
Kitty
about
Bearsprings
on 20/05/2021
Response by
Bearsprings
on 22/05/2021:
Dear Kitty,
Thank you so much for sharing your warm thoughts and opinions in this review. Both Ruby and I are very grateful to you for taking the time to do so.
Three years ago, we began an incredible journey together. With your support and involvement every step of the way, your daughter has gained all the skills and knowledge she needs (and beyond), in order to succeed at school. We have all had so much fun and laughter along the way and got to know each other extremely well.
We feel proud to say that your daughter comes in with a very positive ‘can do’ mindset each day. She enjoys challenging herself and has gained excellent personal and social skills through playing and learning with her peers. We are sure she will be able to confidently embrace any of the challenges of starting school and we know that she cannot wait to make new friends. We would like to wish her lots of happiness and look forward to staying in touch.
Thank you for being one of our pioneering families and for trusting us to take care of your most precious treasure. It goes without saying that we will miss your daughter dearly, but we are very excited for her to continue learning and growing in confidence as she progresses on to school.
With much love and best wishes,
Ursala & Ruby xx
My son had serious attachment issues, couldn't nap unless it was with me, would scream if anyone else even looked at him and I was still breastfeeding and we had tried different settings to which we eventually were told they couldn't help as he just wouldn't settle but Ruby and Ursala at Bearsprings were happy to give us a chance and make my little boy fit in and feel comfortable.
From the moment we walked in to have a look at the setting I felt like I was already part of the Bearsprings family. It was so clean and organised and the toys all looked so well taken care of. The main room is nice and big with such well used space and so bright and inviting. Lovely large garden for kids to play in too.
Ruby and Ursala knew how anxious I was about leaving Josh and they were so great at communicating throughout the day as well as putting my mind at ease so I could carry on with my day and know he was being loved and looked after. They are so kind and loving towards all the children while still being the most professional childminders I have come across so far. They go over and above to help where they can.
Joshua has made some great friends there and we are so sad to be leaving the setting but will be sending my second child there one day without a doubt and hope to maintain the lovely relationship we have built with the ladies at Bearsprings.
I honestly believe Joshua has benefited so much from having gone there and I can see how much they have helped him become the strong, kind and confident boy he is now. He learned so much while there and often came home telling me he wants to go to 'school' again.
We would just like to thank you all at Bearsprings for all you have done for us and would highly recommend anyone to send their little ones there.
x Sam
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by
Sam Fahy
about
Bearsprings
on 27/04/2020
Response by
Bearsprings
on 28/04/2020:
Dear Sam,
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts in so much detail. Joshua has indeed made profound progress in all areas since he started at Bearsprings (around 18 months ago).
He steadily grew in confidence and began exploring a variety of experiences in his play, supported by the positive relationships that all the adults around him nurtured. Joshua reached a milestone when he began to thrive on social play whilst exploring role play scenarios. He often loved dressing up as the Gruffalo and making tea for his friends in the Gruffalo tipi. Joshua also looked forward to setting up the obstacle course with his peers, outdoors, and participating with energy and enthusiasm. These are just a couple of examples of how Joshua became immersed and engaged in learning through play.
Thank you for trusting us and for being such supportive parents; in partnership we enabled Joshua to achieve his best possible outcomes.
We wish Joshua all the very best at nursery and know that he is ready to enjoy making new friends and to explore new activities and experiences. His friends at Bearsprings would love to hear from him and look forward to his visits.
Lots of love from,
Ruby & Ursala
Caeden has been spending two days a week with Ruby and Ursala since March and it's been an absolutely wonderful six months! They are the loveliest, kindest women and I knew Bearsprings was The One as soon as I met them. After a bad experience at another nursery we were worried Caeden would never settle into childcare but it's been a dream from the first day! His confidence has grown, he's made friends and he's even got a beanstalk growing in our garden that he planted at Bearsprings. We already had Caeden signed up to start another nursery in September which is the only reason he's leaving today. Otherwise we'd have stayed at Bearsprings forever! We're all heartbroken to be staying goodbye.
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by
Siobhan
about
Bearsprings
on 03/09/2019
Response by
Bearsprings
on 04/09/2019:
We are extremely happy for Caeden; he's made so much progress on many levels but most importantly he's developed his social skills and engages in play involving turn taking and sharing, with ease. He's developed many of his interests and is always smiling or singing alphabet rhymes or numbers songs when he's relaxing...Caeden can play with children slightly older and younger than him as well as those his age.
Good luck at nursery and we'd like to thank you for your very kind and beautiful message about Bearsprings.
My now 17 month old has been attending Bearsprings since she was 1 years old and loves it. The childminders helped her settle in with ease and now she walks in smiling and waves bye. The childrens area is very creative and so nicely laid out. There is lots of toys for them to play with and learn.
We are really happy with the friendly staff who are very helpful. My daughter loves playing with her firends and learning in a happy environment. So happy i found a childminder that both my daughter and I love.
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by
Rita
about
Bearsprings
on 07/12/2018
Response by
Bearsprings
on 07/12/2018:
We are overjoyed that your daughter is so happy here and plays so creatively with all her peers. Her communication skills are improving all the time and she is now confidently socialising with everyone.
Thank you for taking the time to review us.
The Bearsprings Team
I’m a grandmother of a little boy who usually finds it quite hard to seperate or warm up to any setting. When we visited Bearsprings, the warmth and welcome combined with the attractive and interesting learning environment made him relax and enjoy himself. He cried when it was time to go! This has never happened in any of our other visits. His happiness is both mine and his parents upmost priority, so Bearsprings is definately the right place for us!
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by
Parent
about
Bearsprings
on 28/03/2018
Response by
Bearsprings
on 08/04/2018:
Thank you very much for sharing your experience; we hope your grandson will continue to find his experiences here both happy and engaging.
I visited with my daughter who is 18 months old and my first impression was very positive.The childminders were extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the early years. They were also very welcoming, friendly and warm. The setting has been given much thought and is perfectly suited to a child of 18 months and upwards. Watching my daughter playing there and interacting with the adults, I felt comfortable that she was in safe hands and would be happy there if I was offered a place.
A lovely, clean and stimulating environment to be in!
Debbie
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by
Parent
about
Bearsprings
on 28/03/2018
Response by
Bearsprings
on 08/04/2018:
Hello Debbie,
Thank you for taking the time to write this review. We will be in touch soon regarding a place for your daughter, starting at Bearsprings in May. If there is anything else we can help you with in the meantime please don't hesitate to get in touch via email or phone.
I am so excited that I will have the opportunity to send my child to Bearsprings as I was a colleague of one of the childminders and know that she was rated Outstanding by OFSTED and was highly regarded amongst pupils, parents and all members of staff. Her daughter (the other childminder) did voluntary work in our school too and she was clearly very creatively gifted and all the children absolutely adored her! Therefore I know that I will be getting not only two loving, gentle, kind, caring and creative childminders looking after my child but it would be like he has his own personal teachers too. Even though I live about an hour away I will make the journey as I know it is worth every drop of petrol and every moment spent on the roads. I love the fact that it’s like a nursery in a house, so you get the best of both worlds - a homely setting with an academic twist, bursting with two very warm childminders which includes a teacher that has taught for about 30 years! Fab, wonderful, great! I can’t wait for my little one to start...he already loves it, just by visiting for half an hour. We are lucky to have got our little boy a place at Bearsprings.
In terms of the ratings:
I have seen the setting and how clean it is. I also know that they are brilliant at communicating with parents. In terms of food...I have every confidence in them as I know that they are very good healthy cooks, as they both lead very healthy lifestyles.
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by
Jess
about
Bearsprings
on 10/03/2018
Response by
Bearsprings
on 16/03/2018:
We are really looking forward to having your little boy at Bearsprings, after Easter, and hope he'll be extremely happy with us.
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