Marlene
Childminder in Islington
5.0
My Summary
About Me
Hello, I'm a highly experienced OFSTED registered childminder and I offer a realiable and trustworthy childcare service with emphasis on fun and learning.
I am educated to degree level and I've dedicated my career to childcare. I love working with children and I'm passionate about Early Years education. I have been a registered childminder since 2000 and I have enjoyed many wonderful moments caring for all the children that have joined our extended family.
I live in a 3 bedroom house with a garden that has been adapted as a playroom, situated 5 minutes from Caledonion Road tube station, with my adult son. I have a little dog that is very good with the children.
I provide lots of fun and educational experiences to delight and inspire your child to become the best they can be and to complement the activities they enjoy with you at home.
I plan and structure our week with lots of opportunities for your child to enjoy themselves and develop and grow in a relaxed and friendly environment.
I have a wide range of toys and educational resources including a well stocked reading area, a home corner, games and puzzles, and every week I set up trays with activities that will engage your child and nurture their interests.
Outdoor play is crucial for children's development therefore, every week, your child will enjoy walks to the local parks and Forest School sessions in the local woods.
We also attend, every week, the local playgroups and story sessions in the library so your child has opportunity to mix with a bigger group of children and develop their social skills.
To enrich your child's experience in my setting, we frequently go to the London Zoo, Discover Story Centre, Kew Gardens, London Transport Museum, other Museums, farms and soft play centres.
I provide the children with a healthy diet of home cooked meals and introduce them to a variety of foods.
I use daily diaries to keep you informed about your child's day. I also use an online system called Babysdays where I put all the information related to the setting and your child including development trackers, permission forms and invoices.
Every week I send photos of your child having fun in the setting on WhatsApp and I make a profile book with photos and art work that is yours to keep when your child leaves the setting. Also parents can go on my social media to see the learning activities I provide, and to get a feel for the care and early learning experiences I offer.
I pick up from Sacred Heart Primary School, N7, and Thornhill School and local children's centres or nurseries.
I was graded Good on my last OFSTED inspection.
I'm member of Islington childminder's Network and PACEY. I'm police checked and First Aid trained.
My Experience
For the past 20 years I have looked afer children from babies to end of primary school, from all different ethnic backgrounds and different abilities, including learning difficulties and health problems.
I have a level 3 childcare qualification and I use the Early years Foundation Stage framework to help me provide the children with a learning experience that covers all areas of development and helps them grow into confident, happy children.
I'm happy to provide references from parents for whom I worked in the past and that I'm working for at the moment.
My Qualifications
BA (Hons) English and German
Childcare related qualifications:
- NVQ3 in Children's Care, Learning and Development.
- Paediatric First Aid, Level 3
- Early Years Safeguarding and Child Protection
- Food Safety, Level 2
- Health & Safety for Childcare Practitioners, Level 2
- SEND in the Early Years
- Quality assured by Islington Council Flexi network
- Register of Good Practice for Islington Council for Stories and Songs using props.
- Child Development, intermediate level
- Introducing Childminding Practice
I also attend Webinars, forums and the Childcare Expo to keep up with the latest developments in childcare.
I speak Portuguese and understand French and German.
My Availability
I am interviewing now for vacancies in January 2027 for children aged 0 to 5 years old.
I can also do school pick up from Sacred Heart Primary School.
My regular working hours are from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, but I'm available outside of these hours if necessary depending on the situation.
My Fees
- Childminding from £12.50 per hour
My fees depend on the hours and days required.
Please contact me for information on fees.
I accept funded children from 9 months to 3 years old.
I'm able to accept vouchers from several providers and I'm registered with Tax-Free Childcare.
My Local Schools
- I provide drop offs and pick ups at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary 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
This member has provided us with electronic copies of the following documents. These copies are held securely on file unless marked as removed. The documents have been certified by the member as being true and accurate. We recommend you ask to see original copies of the documents before you hire them in order verify the true accuracy for yourself. Find out more about checks & references.
- Enhanced DBS Check including Children's Barred List Issued 30/10/2013 Securely stored
- Ofsted Certificate Added 14/10/2018 Securely stored
- First Aid Certificate: Paediatric First Aid certificate Added 09/05/2021 Securely stored
- Inspection Report: OFSTED inspection certificate July 2019 Added 09/05/2021 Securely stored
Reviews
5 out of 5
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Marlene. Please note that reviews represent the subjective opinions of other Childcare.co.uk members 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 been at Marlene's since she was 8 months old and there was never a day when she was not excited to go. The setting is always very clean and with an impressive range of toys and educational activities (books, messy play, bread baking, butterfly garden, etc). Marlene creates a welcoming family environment and the children love to join in the daily activities, which fosters independence. Marlene gives us lots of feedback and tips on how to deal with upcoming challenges. With Marlene's encouragement and support our daughter completed her potty training shortly after she turned two. Marlene organises lots of indoor and outdoor activities in local parks, London Zoo, Transport Museum, and regularly joins play groups with other local childminders. We couldn't be happier!
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by
Henrique
on 15/05/2021
My daughter has been going to Marlene’s since she is 12 months old. She will start school next September. Our experience with Marlene has been excellent.
She provides a personalised approach, with several outdoor activities (museums, zoo, parks, children groups), and early education, in a very clean and safe environment. She has a lot of teaching materials (books interactive toys, etc), and she organises a lot of activities which allow the children to explore and understand their environment (they are currently waiting for caterpillars to hatch into butterflies). Over the last three years, my daughter was always happy to go to Marlene’s.
Highly recommended!
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Manuel
on 13/05/2021
Our 18 month old daughter has been with Marlene for the last 6 months and we couldn't be happier. Marlene provides a nurturing and homely setting, with an emphasis on fun as well as learning new skills. As new parents we were really nervous about leaving her but felt confident with Marlene's approach from day one. We get lots of feedback, photos and videos of how she is doing. She had lots of cuddles when needed and settled quickly into a great routine for nap time. We love that they do activities like baking and story time at home, as well as go out to groups and excursions. She has already been to several museums, London zoo many times, and many local parks. The children she looks after seem to stay for several years, and we can see why.
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by
Laura
on 12/12/2018
I found Marlene using this site a week before I was due to go back to work from maternity leave, and she quickly accomodated to my needs. Obviously, as a parent of a young baby, chosing the right person to look after your little one can be a difficult and daunting decision, and I definitely made the right one.
From the start, my son was given a settling in period and he adjusted to this environment extremely quickly. Her house is child safe, clean and is a great place for children to be. All the children she looks after love being in her company and she has a lovely husband and two children who my son adores. She is very active, taking the children on regular field trips and to the local children's centre. One of my worries was that my son wouldn't get the interaction with other babies like he would have done at nursery, but I soon realised this wasn't the case at all. I have been impressed at how quickly he has been developing and every week, he's picking up new things.
I was very impressed at her attention to detail. She keeps a journal and writes daily updates of what your child does, what they eat, nap times (and duration) with a summary of how they are getting on. This is reassuring as even though I'm not there during his day, I feel like I have a real insight into what has been going on.
Marlene is a kind and caring individual, who really loves and enjoys being a childminder. I would highly recommend her to anyone.
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by
Parent
on 01/07/2012
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This profile was last updated on 25th October 2026 and 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.