Amifa
Childminder in London: Lewisham
Usually responds within 3 hours
Female Member since Mar 2019 Last Updated Mar 2024 Last Login Mar 2024
My Summary
About Me
Accepting new children from Feb 2025 (sorry - I know it's ages away)
I provide an emotionally warm and exciting environment with regular deliveries of organic food and diverse books. I work with two lovely assistants.
I am a Cambridge University graduate mum with children who are aged 4 and 6. I am passionate about helping children fulfil their potential and explore the world safely and confidently. My strong interest in food and nutrition is matched by my love of reading, writing and education in general!
I have worked as a Teaching Assistant, supporting children with SEND and delivering specialised phonics sessions to small groups.
I do pick up and drop offs from Rathfern and Kilmorie Primary schools
My setting is in a great location: 5 minute walk from a park, Bellingham Children's Centre, Bellingham Station and softplay. 15 minute walk from Beckenham Place Park.
My full day rate (normal hours 8am to 6pm) includes nappies, wipes & food.
**Nutritious food to fuel your child and help establish a good relationship with food**
Tasty organic fruit and veg could tempt your child to eat more veg than usual. I provide home-cooked food on a daily basis. I enjoy cooking different styles of food, from leek and potato soup to Jollof rice. Of course, fish fingers and chips will appear on the menu some days! As a parent, I know how hard it can be to get the balance right: you want your child to eat healthy food that is crucial for their development, yet they are usually more interested in going back to their toys or only eating the sweeter things on their plate. I’m a firm believer in trying again an hour or so later if a child, for whatever reason, does not want to eat. Therefore, I do this whenever possible, especially for babies. The menu will vary from week to week, partly depending on our organic delivery and what you tell me your child likes to eat. I currently cater for children who are vegan and have intolerances to foods such as egg. Therefore, I am happy to cater to your child’s dietary requirements.
**Daily reading session to support children's language and communication**
I hope to inspire children to love books as much as I do. In my previous role as a teaching assistant the children loved my characterful reading so much that the teacher asked me to lead the daily story time. In my setting we have story time every day and a growing library of many diverse books for all ages. My household receives a monthly subscription box of books and educational posters and activities from Imagine Me Stories.
**Large garden to support children’s physical development and understanding of the world**
My garden is about 30 x 7meters with two purpose-built mounds that appear as exciting mountains for toddlers to safely conquer. There is also an in-ground trampoline, which means there’s never far to fall even after the biggest bounce. I have an outdoor tap and sink - especially useful for re-filling water toys, and washing hands just before we go back indoors. Children enjoy tinkering in the mud kitchen and it's so amazing to see how calm they become when we plant seeds and nurture plants. The large composite decking is most often used for wheeled toys and picnics.
My Experience
**Experience of the education sector to help get your child school-ready**
In addition to experience from having my own children and hosting playdates for children of family and friends, for two academic years, I enjoyed being a Teaching Assistant (TA). I mainly supported SEND children in mainstream primary schools on a 1:1 basis. Conditions included ADHD, ODD and autism. I have also been a general class TA, responsible for the daily class story time, and teaching phonics to small groups. I am trained in Read Write Inc phonics and have experience of teaching Jolly Phonics. I strongly support the EYFS guidance of teaching children how to learn and I am passionate about providing an enabling environment for each child’s imagination and curiosity to be nurtured.
My Qualifications
- NCFE Cache level 3 Award in Childcare
- Various industry leading training by my childminding agency
- Safeguarding training by Zen Educate, various schools and my childminding agency
- Prevent Duty
- Peadiatric first aid
- prevention of Female Genital Cutting
- Adverse childhood experience
My Availability
Accepting new children from Feb 2025 (sorry - I know it's ages away)
Updated March 2024
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Morning | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Afternoon | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| After School | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Evening | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 04/03/2024 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £7.85 per hour
*From 12 months old*
6 or more hours a day between 8am to 6pm - £7.85 an hour
Less than 6 hours a day - £8.50p/hr
After school care between 3 and 6pm - £25.50 a day
*For under 12 months old and/or babies that have not started walking*
6 or more hours a day between 8am to 6pm - £8.35 an hour
Less than 6 hours a day - £8.85p/hr
Please note, settling-in hours are very flexible according to your child's needs and are £8.85 p/hr.
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Minimum 15 hours a week, can be split over 3 days
Includes all food and resources. Some playgroups paid for separately
My Local Schools
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Kilmorie Primary School
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Rathfern Primary School
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Athelney Primary School
My Documents
- DBS Check (added 18/04/2021)
- Childminding Agency Certificate (added 18/04/2021)
- UK Driving Licence (added 18/04/2021)
Reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Amifa. Please note that reviews represent the subjective opinions of other Childcare.co.uk users 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 has had a wonderful.tume with Amifa and her team. They provide a warm, safe and creative environment that she was able to settle into from the get go. The close attention and loving care was exactly what she needed when starting at 14 months.
As parents we felt very relaxed and reassured, dropping her off and seeing how excited she was to go back each time.
Amifa's communication is really good and we were kept up to date with our childs development within the setting along side useful updates of practical day to day news, we love the photo updates too.
We couldn't have asked for a nicer first step for our daughter outside of our home.
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Amifa has been looking after our two children (6 and 3.5) since June and it's been an amazing experience so far. We've used a lot of different childcare over the years, and it's the first time they've ever been desperate to get out of the door and go there. When the answer to the question "Is today an Amifa day?" is no, they're very disappointed!
Amifa has been really flexible with our changing needs - from full days of care over the summer holidays to school pickups now the new term has started. As two full-time working (and often stressed!) parents, this is a godsend - I feel so much more relaxed knowing they are somewhere they're happy and safe, with someone so caring, kind, calm and fun. It helps that Amifa's own two young children are really friendly and welcoming, so they have all become good friends very quickly.
Amifa has a lovely, modern, very cool home and a huge (for London!) garden with loads of fantastic resources. It feels like a really fun, busy and creative environment. She also often takes them out to local parks and museums; they have a great time and it eases our guilt about not doing enough trips ourselves!
As a true early years expert, Amifa has also been really attentive to their development, using the learning journal in the tiney app to keep us updated on their activities and progress. She's a great communicator and also sends us lots of lovely photos which always brightens up a day at my desk!
We feel very lucky to have found her and wouldn't hesitate in recommending her to other families.
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My son started Amifa’s childcare setting from 9 months old. I was anxious about leaving him and returning to work but Amifa made the transition worry-free. We had a settling in period that went fantastic and since then I’ve not looked back.
She gives such a variety of delicious and nutritious food. There are times I can ask for the menu for the week and she provides it so I know what my son will be eating.
The communication is excellent and I cannot fault her. She’s also quite funny!
Her setting is very clean and there are loads of age appropriate toys to play with. Her garden is very big which is great for kids to explore!
My son is always excited when we arrive outside her home. We feel like family.
I would definitely recommend all parents to give her a phone call! You won’t regret it!
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My 2 year old toddler started with Amifa nearly a month ago now, and from the very first phone call I had with Amifa I knew she was the right childminder for my little one.
From meeting Amifa during the induction and settling in stages, I can see how passionate she is about looking after children. She's so welcoming, funny and full of vibrant energy.
Her home is warm, big and well equipped with amazing toys to keep the children happy & stimulated for hours!
I instantly felt part of her family, because she's so accommodating, understanding and down to earth.
She's also super professional & organised.
I love that she sends me pictures of what my daughter has done and what she's eaten (yummy, healthy dishes). That's so important for me to be updated, and it's like she knew that without asking me.
I highly recommend Amifa, and I can't thank her enough for sharing so much joy and adventure with my little girl.
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