Testimonials
Our daughter Savannah has been cared for by Amanda since September 2007 when she was 1 year old. Being first time parents, we were very nervous about leaving our daughter with someone we didn’t know.
We have to say from the moment we met Amanda we were put completely at ease, she is incredibly friendly and very open. Amanda’s home is impeccably clean and there is a large playroom stacked full of toys for all age ranges as well as huge amounts of toys in the garden. Savannah seemed very relaxed in the house as soon as we walked in.
In the early days, we used to ring/text Amanda quite a lot during the day jus to check that Savannah was ok (actually it was to calm our own nerves) and Amanda never mad us feel that we were intruding or bothering her.
Savannah had a number of health issues initially that had to be controlled by medicines. These instructions were just accepted and incorporated into the daily routine without full, putting our mind at ease that Savannah was truly being looked after as we would look after her ourselves.
Savannah seems to have flourished since she has been at Amanda’s (having previously been in a BUPA nursery) – she has gone from not even crawling or saying any words, to running around and talking to the level where she can ask for things and understands fully what is being said to her – she even tries to sing along to songs!
The daily diary tells us exactly what has happened during Savannah’s day – what she’s eaten, what activities have been done, how long her naps were, any funny incidents, new words, naughty moments etc.
The feedback given by Amanda is honest and she is very open to feedback from parents. ‘Naughty’ incidents are dealt with in a fair and appropriate way. The amount of activities Amanda does with the children is wonderful – show and tell, story time, library trips, farm visits, park visits, picnics, painting, drawing, toddler groups, singing, dancing etc.
Savannah is with Amanda 5 days a week and we feel completely at ease in leaving her in Amanda’s care. Indeed every day we have to chase Savannah round the house to convince her to come home with us after a fun filled day with Amanda!
In all the time Savannah has been with Amanda, there has not been one day where we have been greeted at the door with tears from Savannah, its always smiles and laughter which was not the case while Savannah was at a nursery.
In the 8 months Savannah has been with Amanda, she has only been ill once which through the winter months is again a credit to the level of care provided (and completely the opposite of the copious illnesses caught whilst she was in nursery). Amanda seems to treat each child in her care as she would one of her own.
We have absolutely no reservations whatsoever in recommending Amanda as a carer and fully intend to have Savannah remain in Amanda’s care for the foreseeable future.
Savannah’s Mummy & Daddy (Toni & Paul)
My daughter Jenna is 21 months now and has been cared for by Amanda since she turned a year old.
As soon as I walked into Amanda’s house, I knew that this was where I wanted Jenna to be looked after. I was amazed at the cleanliness and professionalism of Amanda and her house and thought the environment was absolutely fantastic for childminding, particularly the amazing toy room!
Jenna has always had an extreme fear of strangers and anyone outside her immediate family, and I was particularly anxious about her settling in anywhere on my return to work. However, from day one, Amanda was warm, caring, interactive and friendly with Jenna and this has no doubt helped her settle and gain confidence in herself.
Jenna has struck up an amazing bond with Amanda and thinks of her as her ‘Second Mummy!’ Amanda is not just a child-minder to Jenna: she plays with her, cares for her, comforts her when she’s tired and interacts with her. Amanda uses her mothers instinct with all the children and I have never felt anxious, worried or doubted the level of care Jenna has received.
It is also fantastic that Amanda has a 5 year old daughter, Jessica: Jenna absolutely adores her and gets so excited when you mention her name. They play together so nicely and it is wonderful to see Jenna have such a close bond with Jessica, as well as the other children in Amanda’s care. I have no doubt that they will be friends for a very long time.
Jenna has her shoes on ready in the morning to go to Amanda’s house even before I’m dressed and ready for work and it can be a struggle to get her out of Amanda’s house in the evening, as she always has such a fun time there. Amanda takes the children on days out to the farm, to the library, to the park, to a playgroup and to Tumble Time. All of these activities are fantastic for children and their development and Jenna has made so much progress with her speech, knowledge and motor skills since being with Amanda.
When Jenna is in Amanda’s house, they are still very active. There is show and tell time, painting, cooking, colouring, story-time, dancing time and singing time, all of which Jenna enjoys. The garden is also enchanting for children, with its ride-ons, slides, cars and activities and Jenna is a real outdoor bunny now! I am also really pleased that I get to know everything that Jenna does during the day with Amanda, e.g. what she plays with, when she slept, what she ate, how she behaved etc, as Amanda provides you with a contact book detailing all of this, which is great for keeping you updated and in case you are in a hurry picking up or dropping off.
All in all, I can honestly say that we made the absolute best decision in placing Jenna in Amanda’s care. Jenna is so happy there, loves the environment, loves the other children, loves Amanda to bits and will definitely be with her for a very long time!
Jenna's Mummy
I am pleased to write in support of Mrs Amanda Marvell who has been employed as our child minder since May this year.
Mrs Marvell has shown us a very professional service looking after our son Michael. She responds to him like a mother, allowing him the freedom to develop yet with the discipline that he requires when he needs it. Michael is always happy to go in to her house and has a big smile on his face when I pick him up in the evening. Even to the point that I can have difficulty in putting his coat on to leave. It has also been an advantage that her youngest daughter Jessica is just a little younger than Michael and is a great pleasure to see them playing together.
To summarise in once sentence, my wife and I made the right decision in placing Michael in her care.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. & Mrs Williams
Amanda Marvell has cared for my son Jude for over a year now, I cannot recommend her highly enough.
Her patience and level of child minding skills never ceases to amaze me, I am confident of his safety and happiness when he is in her care.
The other children in Amanda’s care also seem very happy; Jude has made some good friends there over the last year.
Amanda completes a contact book ‘every day’ detailing Jude’s behaviour (good and bad!), eating habits and sleep etc. This really helps me to stay close to Jude whilst I am at work. No-one else I know has this great additional service from their child minder/carers.
Amanda regularly organises activities with the children such as painting, play dough dancing etc. I love to read about Jude’s exploits during these activities!
If you would like to call for a verbal reference I can be contacted on the above number.
Yours sincerely,
Audrey Lenihan
My name is Brenda, mum to Winston who has just turned 2. He has been with Amanda for a year now. My mum took care of Winston until he was one and then had to leave to take care of other matters including her business. My husband and I were torn between taking him to a registered nursery or nanny/child minder. Being a full time working mum, the thought of enrolling him into a nursery appealed more to me in terms of pick up time at 6pm daily and the fact that there was always someone around 52 weeks to take care of him. But I was wrong as I realised those were not priority to me anymore. Just two weeks after enrolling him into nursery, he contracted conjunctivitis, bum infection, severe chest infection with cold/flu/cough and after 3 weeks of sleepless nights, it turned out he had a very “nasty, reddened” ear infection. That was it for me. My husband is not always around as he works outside the UK, so it took such a toll on me that I decided to look into available child minder lists through the Sutton Children’s Information Centre. I thought a home environment would be the best alternative for our son. I was interested in a few including Amanda. So we visited her on an agreed date and much to my amazement, it was a big, clean, non-smoking house with lots of toys, and we were very warmly received by Amanda and family. We were impressed with her experience and maturity. Instinctively, I knew there and then this was the place for our son. We arranged for our son to go for a couple of hours another day just to see how he would fare. The feedback was positive. Satisfied with this, we enrolled him. On reaching the house the first and subsequent days he just couldn’t wait to get out of my arms and into Amanda’s and meet his new friends – very reassuring and comforting for me as opposed to the nursery, you could tell there was something wrong but didn’t know what? For me, this was a huge relief.
Amanda only takes care of a few kids. This means she has more time for each and every child in her care and they are all so lovely. She is also up to date with Ofsted regulations and childminding training etc so you can rest assured that your ward is being well taken care of. She is a mother herself and sees instantly if your child is getting unwell or there are any concerns she feels you need to be aware of. She is caring, imaginative, and responsible and has a love of the outdoors – she organises all these interesting activities for the kids so that it’s not a case where your child is indoors all the time and sticks to the TV. I believe when you hire care for your family, you’ve just hired the most important person in your professional and personal life. Your child gets focused education, outings, and a tailored schedule geared specifically to their needs, which can be as flexible as it needs to be on any given day. Your child will get sick less. You also have a child expert who will love to talk about your child as much as you do and who knows many tips & tricks as well as great resources of the profession to pass on to you to help you in the great journey through childhood. Your provider is a person that can easily stay with your family for many years being a solid individual in your child’s life. Parents can go to work and feel comfortable. This is a fact to which all the parents will attest. It helps us alleviate any anxiety we might be feeling. Although a huge decision for us initially, it has been very worthwhile. If Winston, our main concern is content and happy, then problem solved. Amanda is kind, gentle, interactive and fun – basically someone who will love your child almost as much as you the parents do. I couldn’t ask for more.
What I have learnt through this is never to send any child under 3 to nursery just yet. I believe it has to be a gradual process for them as they are used to the home environment until they are old enough to proceed to nursery, where they can fit in better. But it’s a choice every parent has to make. So please feel free to give it a go. You do not get this many good and registered childminders all the time and most importantly the one to one attention and care. I know you will love it and so will your ward. If you would like to talk to me, please by all means contact Amanda for my number and I would love to answer any queries you may have.
My very best wishes.
Mrs Brenda sam-Antwi
My daughter Isabella has been going to Amanda since 21 May 2007 and it was the best choice of childcare I have made. Faced with the daunting prospect of finding childcare within a week of starting new employment, I found Amanda to be friendly, warm, welcoming and her home to be exceptionally clean and inviting to children.
I have observed the way that Amanda cares for my child and she genuinely loves Izzy and all the children, ensuring their safety at all times. The rapport she has formed with the kids often reassures me that she is dedicated to her role and uses her natural mothering instincts in order to look out for the wellbeing of each child in her care.
At no time when leaving Izzy in Amanda’s care, have I worried or felt concerned. Let me reassure you that you will see your child develop in leaps and bounds whilst with Amanda. When I registered Izzy with Amanda, Izzy was not walking, however within weeks of being with the other children and in an encouraging and fun environment, Izzy began walking and now she is starting to talk.
I also mark Amanda with her sense of fairness and business like approach which makes me trust her even more. She does things by the book and always explains the policies and procedures which influence any decision she makes. She is honest and upfront.
I also like the fact that Izzy has a notebook so that I know what sort of day she’s had and if she is ill, what medication was given and at what times as Amanda is very thorough and keeps me informed.
Despite recently leaving my job, given the level of care and love Izzy has received from Amanda and the children in her care, I’m still seeking ways in which Izzy can keep in touch as the continuity is important for her socialisation skills, development and interaction.
Like me, upon entering her home and meeting with her, I’m sure you will also conclude that Amanda Marvell is the ideal childminder for your child. I have seen nothing to prove otherwise.
At one point I may have been considered unrationally overprotective towards Izzy however Amanda has often reassured me and given me advice on various issues which she has learned from her childcare training and courses and has always been understanding.
Izzy loves going to Amanda’s and being with the children as she has so much fun and also learns a lot too. Amanda promotes each child’s creativity and enables them to learn so you will often get pictures that your child has drawn, or there will be different coloured theme days. Each day is so different and your child will be stimulated.
I would recommend Amanda to anyone seeking excellent childcare for their child.
Sam Elutilo
