Stephen
Childminder in St Albans
Usually responds within 24 hours
Male Member since Feb 2009 Last Updated Jul 2023 Last Login 03 Nov 2024
My Summary
About Me
From Mid September 2023, there may be up to 2 spaces available. It's probably best just to contact me to get an idea of what is available. Thank you.(Updated April 2023)
OfSTED graded as Outstanding (from 2008, through various inspections, the latest on 16 February 2022), I am accredited to accept the 2,3 and 4 Year-Old local authority funding and use the 30 Hours Government funding towards childcare .
I qualified as a registered childminder in November 2004 (and subsequently passed an NVQ Level 3 in Children’s Care, Learning & Development in 2009). Having a male – female partnership (my wife used to be a childminder, but has developed MS and is in a wheelchair) with regular, long-term assistants, gives the children a more balanced social environment from which we believe they can benefit. Most of all, I really enjoy my work and feel that this reflects in the setting.
This is a friendly, family-orientated childminding setting from a three-bedroom detached house in St Albans. It is set in a quiet cul-de-sac, close to local schools, shops and parks. It is shared with my two daughters, who are able (and registered) assistants, although both are currently at University. There is a fully enclosed garden, with plenty to occupy active minds and bodies. We have organised activities every day and get outside at least once a day (ideally for a good walk), though the interests and comments of the children sometimes lead us away from our plans to other directions!
The environment is friendly and fun, according to most of the parents and children!!
My Experience
I have an NVQ Level 3 in Children’s Care, Learning & Development. I have also passed the Introduction to Childminding Practice, the basic Child Protection courses and Designated Officer (latest course: May 2020), paediatric first aid (8 November 2020), food hygiene (August 2020) and have attended various training days, workshops and seminars. These include courses on Autism and the Autistic Spectrum, Allergies and Infant Feeding, as well as various Activity- and many child development-based courses.
My Qualifications
NVQ L3 in Children's Care, Learning and Developmen
Paediatric First Aid
The Revised EYFS
Safeguarding Children
Regional Forum on 2 yr Funding and Assessment
Food Safety in Catering (Level2 )
How To Create and Deliver 2 yr old Places
My Availability
I take children from aged 12 months upwards.
I offer funded places for 2, 3 and 4 year olds, as well as working with virtually all of the Childcare voucher companies.
I can drop off and collect from Prae Wood School, occasionally St Columba's, as well as some local nurseries.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Morning | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Afternoon | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| After School | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Evening | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 04/06/2024 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £8.00 per hour
Competitive! All meals included. There is a minimum charge for before- and after-school.
My Local Schools
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Prae Wood Primary School
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Killigrew Primary and Nursery School
My Ofsted Inspections
The inspection grades below have been obtained from the Ofsted website based upon the registration number the childminder has provided to us. You should verify this information yourself prior to using the childminder.
My Documents
- UK Passport (added 04/10/2022)
- Ofsted Certificate (added 20/04/2020)
Reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Stephen. 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 started at Stephen's in October 2021 at 11months old, and continues to attend 2 years later.
She has flourished, surrounded by children of all ages, and her confidence with other children and adults is phenomenal. The wraparound children are so kind and polite, and they are so thoughtful and caring of the younger ones, the all-day children love the school run, and all the activities!
Even on her first day, our daughter, Arty, returned babbling more than I'd ever heard her, and her speech and language has developed so well since that day. She tells us how much she loves all the children and adults, and that they're her friends.
Stephen and the assistants (all of them!) really get to know and love the kids, and focus on their likes and dislikes. And Stephen is very supportive if you have any issues and questions about learning to be a parent and tackling new challenges (sleep, behaviour, tooth-brushing, reading, moving, anything!) - he truly personalises the experience for all.
We love him and are happy we chose to deal with the cross-town schlep each day for the great childcare he provides.
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If you are lucky enough to secure a spot with Stephen, you will have struck gold. I genuinely think Stephen (with wife Jean and a few assistants) are probably the best childminders in the country and we are only leaving them because we are emigrating! But we are incredibly sad to be leaving them. Stephen embraces a respectful childminding approach, which we love. He’s fabulous with our twin daughters (currently aged 2.5 yrs). He encourages and supports their different talents, challenges them, encourages play and is phenomenally generous with the amount of arts and crafts that they do. He also goes above and beyond to be flexible if I need to change days, which is something that most other childminders and nurseries do not do!
I trusted him with the two most important things in the world to me, and this has paid back dividends. I cannot recommend Stephen (and Jean) enough! You will be very lucky if your child goes here. I hope we can stay in touch with them for many more years to come, even from Singapore!
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Both of my children attended Stephen's childminding services from the very first day he set it up with his wife Jean. I can't imagine anyone else being more dedicated and nurturing than him. The children always looked forward to going there and would always come back happy and full of excitement about what they did that day at their house. To this day I treasure some of the pieces of art and crafts they made together as well as lots of ideas I use myself at work being a primary teacher. Above all Stephen is an extremely responsible and reliable person that one could count on. The happiness and safety of the children is always at the front of his mind. I would recommend his services to anyone who is looking for a stimulating and caring environment for their children.
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Very lucky to have had Stephen (and his wife Jean) looking after my youngest from one year until starting school. They provide such a warm and caring environment. Stephen is kind, great at really getting down and playing with the children, and has the amazing ability to create a home environment that's calm, despite having several children in it!
Stephen will often take the children out on adventures (fire station, woods, the zoo, walks etc) and does lots of creative play too.
I've seen how he encourages older ones to show care and consideration towards little ones, and in doing so, creates a compassionate family environment for the children to thrive in.
Stephen and Jean are two very special people. We were so lucky to have had them in our son's life.
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This profile has been produced from information provided to us by the user. We have not verified or confirmed the accuracy of any of the information and members should undertake their own vigorous checks and references. Please ensure you read our Safety Advice and information on how to Check Childcare Provider Documents.
