Elliepop

Julie has helped our little girl to flourish

Our little girl went to Julie from 10 months to school age, and she has gone off to school not only ready, but happy and healthy. Julie has been a big part of that, ensuring that the children in her care prioritise kindness. Julie also takes the child’s lead in terms of what they are ready for, and when out little one showed an interest in reading she sought advice on how best to teach her early phonics, meaning she has been able to start some reading well before starting school.

Julie is also the only person who has ever got our little one to sleep in a cot during the day!

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by Sian on 03/09/2024

Wonderful childminder

Before taking my daughter to Julies I was so sad that I had to go back to work and leave her with someone else, but what a blessing it's actually been. Julie is so kind, calm and professional and my daughter's confidence and skillset has grown massively since she started going there. We're so sad to leave Julies setting but we're so thankful for the time that she has had there.

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by SJH on 31/01/2024

You will never find better for your child

I write this review today after my son has been going to Julie's for 7 years. I found Julie on this website when i needed someone to have him before and after school as he started in reception. 7 years later and the only reason we are stopping is he is off to secondary school.
Julie has provided the most loving, nurturing, safe and fun environment that we as a family could have asked for. She has listened and supported my son and myself through challenges at school, she has protected and encourage all his loves and hobbies and she made the environment a family away from home. The crafts they do and experiences she has given them even getting a letter back from the Queen.
I think of the day i met Julie as one of the luckiest days in both mine and my sons life- never could i have dreamed of someone that i would feel so confident leaving my child with so i could work and most importantly who gave my son some of his fondest memories and most fun times. She is an incredibly special lady & childminder.

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by Keri1986 on 16/06/2023

The BEST in the business!

I’m not too sure there are enough words to describe how incredible Julie is; she is simply one of life’s most amazing people. When we decided that we need to put our son into a childminder setting Julie from the off showed high levels of professionalism by inviting us round to her home which is her child care setting, ensured we saw her work as a childminder with other children and showed us her style of teaching and play. We was encouraged to look through her reviews and certificates to make sure that Julie was the right fit for us- to me this just shows that Julie puts the children and their needs first at all times. Once we had decided that it was a no brainer to start our son with Julie, she offered us some taster days so that our son could settle into the new environment before starting for 2 days a week.
From the off Julie made him feel welcome, and he settled into Julie’s care in no time. Each week there are different activities that they do including going out to local play groups. It is safe to say our son has thrived in the time he has been with Julie and we have noticed his speech has come on leaps and bounds and we have Julie to be forever grateful for assisting him with that. Potty/ toilet training also commenced whilst he was under Julie’s care and with her encouragement he has bypassed the potty and gone straight to being comfortable on the toilet. So many little examples I could use to explain how Julie has played such a pivotal role in making our son into the great little guy he is today.
My husband and I will be recommending Julie to everyone; even though it goes without saying she is probably the most in demand childminder around for miles. We will always be so grateful that Julie has been such a big part in our lives and has helped our son grow, we Thank-you from the bottom of our hearts.
Even now, our son will often mention Julie and her family alongside the other wonderful little ones she cares for and it just shows she has had such an impact on him.
You are one of life’s finest Julie! A big thankyou once again and for those considering a childminder in the Oakley and surrounding areas look no further- this lady is a gem x

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by Bex on 08/07/2022

World Class Childminder

Julie has been our childminder for four years and I cannot recommend her services more highly. Her setting in her home provides a style of care that suits our children and allows them to thrive as if they are part of the Family; our two are very happy here and adore Julie.

Our opinions are always considered and any developmental needs are discussed and shared with the progress of our children at heart. All requests are dealt with professionally and advice is given from experience. For example, when our children were potty training Julie advised how to best approach it and then continued discussed routines for consistency.

Julie plans meticulously with the individual needs of the child at the centre of her process; our children have learnt so much from reading and writing to personal care and social skills. Over the years our two have progressed so much in every conceivable way and this is documented through thorough assessment which has been shared with full transparency.

As a parent I have full peace of mind when I drop my children off as I know that they will be cared for, they will be fully engaged in brilliantly planned activities and they will of had a day full of laughter and fun. Communication is fantastic, we are told about everyday and will encourage our two to recap their day with activities such as, Autumn treasure hunts, Chinese New Year decoration and singing.

I cannot recommend Julie enough, she has truly made our lives better, giving us the peace of mind that our children are truly in a rewarding environment. For anyone looking for world class childcare look no further. Julie is passionate about the care, education and wellbeing of our children. I am under no illusion that we are extremely lucky to have her.

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by Lee on 20/01/2022

Look no further, Julie is amazing.

We’ve been with Julie for 4 years for our two boys and we couldn’t be happier, she is simply brilliant and we feel so lucky to have used her service.

Her love and affection for the children in her care is plain to see, and her passion and commitment to providing a safe, secure, stimulating and educational environment has made her feel like another member of our own family.

The seemingly limitless variety of ways she keeps the kids engaged in the chosen physical, educational or play time activities is impressive.

Both our boys have benefited from the smaller, more intimate / personal setting of in home-child care, with more 1-1 attention leading to their increased confidence, good social skills and grounding in the early years educational foundation areas.

Her experience, knowledge and familiarity with the government funding scheme has been a godsend and has taken a lot of pressure and stress off of us.

We can not say enough positive and complimentary things about the service Julie provides.

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by Kato on 05/11/2020

Highly recommended childminder

My children have been coming to Julie for over 4 years, both from the age of 12 months when I returned to work. I found Julie after visiting several childminders and immediately felt she was the most suitable to care for them based on how she interacted with the children in her care, the way her home and garden was set up for
the children, and the information and answers she gave me around caring for the children.

Both children settled in really well and were happy to be left from day one. I have always felt comfortable leaving the children with Julie knowing that they are happy and well cared for. The children rarely want to leave when they are collected and often ask to go to Julie’s on days when they are not due to attend. Julie provides a caring and welcoming homely environment where they feel they are visiting a friend or relative rather than being there simply to be looked after whilst I work.

Julie provides a wide range of activities for the children to engage with, as well as special activities to mark seasonal events. The children enjoy showing me and bringing home various crafts they have made. They particularly like giving us the special Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas gifts.

Julie updates us regularly on how they are doing and what activities they have been doing at the end of the day. For the first few years she filled in a diary for the children on what they had done, sleep, nappies and food. Now they are older I don’t have the need for this but we are still kept informed of what has happened each day. Julie will often send photos of what they have been doing which is lovely to see.

Julie completes a really detailed learning journal for each child which gives us a wonderful opportunity to see what our children have been doing during their time in her care, as well as keeping us aware of where they sit developmentally. Whilst my daughter was at pre-school Julie had a good relationship with the staff there so that
they could discuss any elements of her development as and when necessary.

Julie has on several occasions been able to help us out by providing childcare on additional days, swapping days when work commitments require, and often helped us by dropping one of the children home if the other is ill for example. The extra support is very much appreciated.

We have recommended Julie to friends, and would have no hesitation in doing so again.

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by Alexis on 13/07/2020

Truly Amazing Childminder!!

Could not think of anyone better to care for our son.
Finding a childminder that you trust and feel comfortable leaving your children with can be a very stressful anxious task but as soon as I met Julie all those worries instantly went away. We noticed so early on how much our sons development had come along being with Julie and the other children in her setting, to which he is still friends with now.

Julie is very accommodating with settling in sessions and will let you work them around you and your child/children for as little or long as you need. I instantly felt at ease when I first went to Julie’s setting, it’s very warm, welcoming and a genuine happy place.

It wasn’t long for our son to settle right in and feel extra safe and comfortable with Julie. He use to tell me
Julie is his best friend and enjoys her cuddles- which is just what I needed to hear to make all those anxious feelings that mums get go away.

The children have a variety of toys and activities to do but what stood out the most was the wonderful activities they have in the garden and how much the children can have outside as our son is happiest when outside with all that fresh air.

We could not have been happier with our choice of childcare, he is thriving having learnt so much from Julie.

I would consider Julie’s childcare kin to a preschool because of the care and attention she invests in children’s learning skills and education.

I know how hard it can be to find someone you want to look after, care for, teach and most importantly keep safe the most precious thing in your life and I can honestly say I found that in Julie and say with every ounce of confidence so will all parents who meet Julie.

**THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING JULIE WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL **

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by Hayley on 07/01/2020

Brilliant childminder

My Son Beau started being cared for by Julie in September 2013, Julie was the only childminder I visited whilst looking for childcare and I knew she was the right person for Beau. At 17 months old when he started Beau was extremely clingy to me so I knew it would be hard leaving him as he would get upset but Julie helped us both through this. Julie would send me updates throughout the day & photo's of Beau to keep my mind at ease and it wasn't long before Beau settled in to his new routine and started enjoying his time at Julie's setting.
I couldn't be happier with the care Beau received whilst in Julie's setting and the progress he made in his time there which was three years in total. Going from a very clingy baby to now a very confident, outgoing, friendly little boy.
Julie was always very welcoming & friendly. She was reliable & flexible with times.
In the setting there is a variety of different toys, indoor and outdoor. The children always have different activities to be doing and Julie is always thinking of new ways to help the children progress. Whilst in Julie's care Beau would attend toddler group regularly and would also go on farm visits, museum visits & swimming.
Overall I am so thankful I found Julie and I would highly recommend her to anyone. The level of care provided to Beau was outstanding and I really couldn't of asked for anymore from her.

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by chantal8 on 19/11/2019

Absolutely an 'Ofsted outstanding!'

My son has just started Year R, but prior to that, was looked after once a week by Julie for 3 years and had his last day with her back in August; what a sad day that was!

From the moment I met Julie and saw the surroundings she would be looking after my son in (her home), I knew I liked her- the house was kept very clean and organised and she was very welcoming and friendly!

My son had an absolute blast with Julie! He never worried about going to her house and I equally never worried either- a very important quality to have, when you are looking for someone who will be taking care of your precious one. She understood all of my sons needs and got his personality. Julie had lots of fun with him (and others), at the same time as creating a constructive way of learning and then even found time to create a huge folder of his development over the 3 years, including photos and drawings as well as filling in official developmental forms- just amazing! All very professional too.

Julie is a very thoughtful person and often did activities which revolved around my son's interests. She took him out and about and kept me updated throughout the day with photos via whatsapp- this was always lovely to receive as it gave me piece of my mind whilst I worked, that my son was having a fab day at the same time as learning lots!

Julie encouraged my son to try new foods and succeeded in some cases, too! I use to send my son to her house with a lunchbox of things (as he was a fussy eater) and nothing was too much trouble for her- if something needed heating, she would do it. Eventually he ate what Julie made though and loved it! Julie also supported me when I potty trained my son and encouraged him along the way- together we got it done in a very short space of time!

I could write for ages about how great Julie is, but to some her up- she is the most sweetest, kind, caring, thoughtful, fun, understanding and professional Childminder- a lovely lady- I would say I've gained a friend from my son being there! 😊

My husband and I cannot thank Julie enough for all that she did for our son and we will be forever grateful. She set him up for school perfectly and she should be very proud of all that she does. Amazing!

Thank you!!! xx

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by Patsy1 on 28/09/2019