Dropping off our first child in the care of someone else so that I could return to work was emotional, nerve-wracking and slightly overwhelming. But from the very first day, Anja and Ryan made us feel totally at ease and confident that we’d made the right decision.

Ryan and Anja are genuinely one (two!) in a million. They’re kind, patient, fun, calm, genuine and trustworthy. No other words for it, they are outstanding childminders.

From around 13 months, we started my son at nursery two days a week and with Anja and Ryan for the other two days a week. It became very apparent pretty quickly which he preferred; when dropping off at nursery he would sit on the floor and sob. When dropping off with Anja and Ryan, he would stretch out his arms and go inside without a backwards glance (leaving me the one sobbing!) As such, after about 2 months, we took him out of nursery and started him with Anja and Ryan full time. Our son could not be happier with them, and he has progressed so much during his time at HGLA.

Ryan and Anja provide a variety of enrichment activities for the children each week, from playgroups with other childminders to home-crafts, story and song times, outdoor play in their large garden (trampoline, cats, water, swings, slides, Wendy house), and trips to Chessington Zoo, among other things. They send regular photo updates of our son, which is such a joy to see during the day. Furthermore, they complete a digital diary for him every day, which gives us a little insight into what he’s got up to that the photos haven’t shown.

My husband and I go to work confident in the knowledge that our son is well cared for, safe, learning and (best of all) happy. We now have another son and if we are still in London when my maternity leave is over, we won’t hesitate to send him to HGLA, too.

If you’re in the Putney/Wandsworth/Southfields area, don’t look anywhere else. You won’t regret it.

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• Communication