Martine
Childminder in Lewisham Borough
Usually responds within 24 hours
Female Member since Jun 2014 Last Updated Aug 2023 Last Login Feb 2024
My Summary
About Me
When a ‘surprise’ pregnancy in 2014 meant that travelling 2 hours each way to a Dental Nurse role was no longer going to cut it, I became an Ofsted registered childminder in order to continue to earn a living whilst simultaneously raising my little nugget. At the time I was unable to find a high quality childcare solution that provided both the reassurance and flexibility I needed to confidently drop my baby off as required in order to make a dent in the Supermum’s Never Ending To-Do List, and Lord knows I wouldn’t have made it out the other side if it wasn’t for having such a strong, supportive, and trustworthy circle of friends and family willing (or occasionally forced) to bail me out during times of desperation. Knowing that not everyone is as fortunate, I created my service to help those without a reliable back up network by providing a high quality childcare service that looks after parent and child in equal measures; through the childcare services that I provide I aim to make the everyday battles that modern parenthood presents just that little bit easier for the families I work with.
I live in a spacious 2 bedroom apartment in Deptford that has a large communal roof terrace, as well as a number of good parks and open spaces within walking distance. Rachel McMillan Children's Centre (Ofsted rated 'Outstanding') is a 10min walk away along with a local leisure centre, library, and soft play facility that I make regular use of.
My Experience
I have been childminding now for 10 years since since having my daughter, and grew up with two younger siblings, one of which has Autism. My Mum has adopted four siblings now aged between 7-12 years, whose care I am also very involved in.
I have previously worked at The Albany Theatre in Deptford hosting events for local young people with a variety of disabilities.
My Qualifications
-PACEY CYPOP5
-Paediatric First Aid
-Intermediate Safeguarding
-Level 3 Food Safety and Hygiene
My Availability
My childminding service operates Monday to Friday 7am-7pm. This service is closed on Weekends and Bank Holidays.
The above may be negotiable depending on circumstances so please contact me to discuss your individual needs.
I also provide additional services outside of my home such as babysitting, evening/weekend/ ad-hoc/ special occasion childcare.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Morning | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Afternoon | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| After School | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Evening | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 30/08/2023 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £9.00 per hour
30+ hours per week £9/hr
Under 30 hours per week £9.50/hr
15 hours or under per week £10/hr
Wrap Around (before/after school or nursery) £10/hr
Ad hoc/ Special Arrangements: Price on request
PLEASE NOTE:
-A non-refundable deposit equivalent to 4 weeks fees is required to secure all placements, including those being reserved for future use. If you decide not to go ahead with the placement then this covers the cost of business loss whilst holding the space for your child. If you continue with the arrangement then this fee will then count as payment of the notice period when the childcare arrangement is terminated by either party.
-I accept payment via tax/UC credits, childcare vouchers, and other funded schemes.
-Minimum Weekly Contract £100 per week (not including adhoc/special arrangement contracts)
-Discounts (such as siblings etc) may be applied at my discretion so please contact me to discuss individual circumstances.
-Not Included in All Fees:
*Nursery/school fees
*Baby milk
*Nappies
*Medication/Suncream
My Local Schools
This childminder has not yet informed us whether or not they provide any drop off or pick up services at local schools.
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 14/11/2022)
- Ofsted Certificate (added 18/02/2021)
Reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Martine. 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.
I found Martine through the Childcare app and what I immediately liked about Martine was her open and honest approach, you can see that from her profile and it makes her stand out from others.
Theodore is my second, so I wasn’t massively nervous about the return to work, but wasn’t sure how we’d be able to juggle drop-off/pick-up with 2 kids. Choosing Martine felt like we’d have more flexibility than a traditional nursery setting.
Martine’s place is much cleaner and tidier than ours, but for Theodore it could be an extension of our home. It didn’t take long for him to start exploring his surroundings and Martine knows exactly how to engage him, to feel safe with her and comfortable. She also takes Theodore to lots of baby groups and local places that I would, so that familiarity helped with the transition.
Theodore is currently with Martine two days a week, he sometimes has other little ones to play with, that are in her care, but he is busy every day! Martine shares photos and updates across the day, so we can see him playing at the park, baby clubs etc. And we can see how much he has developed because of the attention and support Martine is giving him ♥️
When Theodore is older, we might move him to a nursery, but right now and the foreseeable, he is truly thriving and developing because Martine cares for him.
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My son Gene has been going to Martine since he was 10 months old. As a first time mum in lockdown, I was a bit nervous at first as he hadn’t really been around many people at all. Martine immediately put me at ease, and Gene took to her very quickly.
Gene is now 16 months old and he really loves his time with Martine. She takes him to soft play and play club, and engages him in drawing, reading and play while their at her setting too. I get updates of their activities during the day so I know he’s happy and content.
Martine and Gene have built a lovely bond, it’s so nice to see him laughing and having fun with her when I go to pick him up.
Gene is so confident now and loves being with, and meeting people. He’s very independent, he immediately runs off to play and explore when I take him to out to things.
I feel like I partly have Martine to thank for this security he feels.
I’d definitely recommend her!
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After a 16 years break here I am doing this new mom thing ..LOL , my plan was not to return to work after having bubba, but the reality of being a DHW was not a appealing as the TV show,so with just about a week before i had to return behind my desk...the panic of looking/finding great childcare for my Ryry left me with no edges.
Where do I even start ??? how am I going to know if its a right person for my LO and I ??? and let me not start on my mother sharing all those horrific story about Nursery and childminder.
Anyways i have decided to use the Childcare.co.uk App as per the advert and take it from there only 2 options really caught me eyes and Martine was at the top of the list with SHAMAZING review ...i was like this is too good to be true.
Anyways I made the call, book to have a visit with Martine , not expecting much to be honest ( please note that Ryry is highly selectively social , just like her mama lol ) .
Now as we arrived at Martine's i felt at ease straight away , she is really welcoming as warm , the kids that the were on the date were always welcoming :-) , her home is lovely and safe for the kids.
Ryry went on the sofa and got comfortable ( which she never does in a new/unfamiliar setting) , so we discussed about her availability, the ours that works for both of us , and the fact that Ryry has never been left with anyone apart form myself and her aunt.
before living Martine reach out to ryry to get acquainted and to my grand surprise...she went with open arms ( I shed a tear). We Had 2 "settling session " but my mind was made up from the time i had left her house on the 1st meeting.
Aryah settled in really nicely with the kids and Martine , she does have her fussy days , but that is only because she wants Matine's attention all to herself :-) and we cant blame her for that .I get daily pictures of her during the day , Martine's does great activities with the kids and also implement a healthy eating routine ( i mean my girl now loves rice cakes *yeahhh* ) she has also developed so much , it is juat so amazing to see her leaning and growing and being happy with her little circle of friends.
She absolutely adores Martine , every morning upon her arrival she gives Martine the biggest hugs ever ( even i don't get those type of hugs :-( lol ). Like all mom I was highly anxious about returning to work and leaving my little energetic bundle of joy to a complete stranger , but Martine made it easy and she is far from being a stranger to us , she really feel like family ( i mean i was out and about with Ryry on Saturday and we bumped into Martine , after a long 10 minutes hug this girl was ready to head home with Martine ) .
Like the title says ...who needs Mary poppings ??? NOT ME
Thank you Martine for being incredible .
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Like every mum I was nervous about going back to work , it was very daunting at first , but I came across martine so my child and I went to visit her at her home address. I was struck by a warm and welcoming environment Very clean, with visable safety measures in place , toys of all ages. With great spacing for the children to play. Martine sends me photos everyday of the children’s activities which makes me at ease whilst being at work every day full time. The meals are all healthly and all home cooked. if she does buy the children small snacks or treats she will message me before hand to see if I am happy for my child to eat it. She is a very active childminder who takes the children to parks, soft play, stay and play plus many more. My child has been there for almost 4 months now and everyday she is happy to go to Martine’s. She is every reliable and accommodating and I go to work feeling very comfortable knowing my child is very well looking after. They both get on very well and it’s so nice to see their bond grow on a daily basis. Thanks Martine. Your an amazing :)
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After coming to the end of my maternity I was so nervous about looking for Childminder’s. I viewed a few people but then finally come across Martine. My sons been with her since May and I honestly couldn’t recommend her enough.
His so much more confident now and has learnt so much since being with her. They both have such a lovely bond and my mind is at ease knowing his being looked after properly.
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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.
