Marina5
Childminder in Hebburn
Usually responds within 1 hour
Female Member since Nov 2014 Last Updated Apr 2025 Last Login 12 May 2025
My Summary
Marina's Childminding
About Me
Hi, my name is Marina, and I live with my partner and our two daughters aged 12 and 15 years old.
In my setting, we love spending time outdoors, doing crafts, baking, going to forest school, and getting messy. All babies and children in my care are encouraged to follow their own interests and are fully supported throughout the day.
I have very successful settling inductions in place, which means babies and children coming here, settle very quickly, they flourish in the warm and caring, homely environment.
I know the thought of leaving your little one can be daunting, so it's important to get it right. I go to great lengths to support this transition and make it as easy as possible for everyone involved. There are opportunities for you to speak to me face to face via WhatsApp facetime, exchange messages, and have a virtual tour of my setting to put your mind at ease. At some point, you may also be invited to visit me at my home. This may take place in the garden. I also offer a visit to your home if that suits you and your family. We can discuss all your childcare requirements and I will speak to you at length about your child so that I know exactly what works for them regarding settling, meal times, naps and what they enjoy and are interested in. I use WhatsApp to share photos of our day, and every child has their own paper diary to record their daily activities. Familiies are always kept fully informed and never miss out on the fun and adventures their children experience at my setting.
We visit museums, libraries and parks, and sometimes soft play and play groups. This gives your child a wide range of experiences and lots of opportunities to socialise with others in a safe and secure environment.
I have a fantastic garden that has been designed to allow children to explore, learn, and develop at their own pace. I have a wide range of toys and resources available for the children to access independently. Activities are child led and focus on the child's interests and developmental requirements. I have recently been graded OUTSTANDING in all areas by Ofsted (February 2025.)
My Experience
I am a fully qualified Nursery Nurse with over 35 years of experience working with newborn babies and children up to 4 years old in a variety of settings. I have experience with twins and siblings of different ages.
I have been a nanny, children's holiday representative abroad, and have worked in education/council nurseries until finally becoming a childminder, which I absolutely love!
I continue to train weekly and keep up to date with all new legislation.
I have obtained a level 4 Advanced Practitioner for the Early Years qualification.
I have my paediatric first aid qualification, and I am part of the Forest School Association.
I have recently completed the Elklan communication friendly setting accreditation, and I am currently working towards the Hygge Accreditation.
My Qualifications
NNEB
Paediatric first aid
Food hygiene
Level 4 Advanced Practitioner
Communication friendly setting
My Availability
I have a waiting list at the moment as I am at full capacity. Feel free to get in touch to be added to my waiting list. I may have availability from April 2025. Many thanks.
All year round or term time only contracts are available. Fees include lunch, snacks, nappies, wipes, forest school, play group and music classes etc. Government funded spaces available (38 weeks of the year).
| 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 | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 23/04/2025 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £7.00 per hour
From £7 per hour
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
- DBS Check (added 06/07/2020)
- Ofsted Certificate (added 06/07/2020)
- Inspection Report (added 27/02/2025)
- First Aid Certificate (added 09/01/2023)
- First Aid Certificate: Paediatrician first aid certificate (added 06/07/2020)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Parents say
This childminder consistently receives glowing reviews from parents. Children thrive in her care, enjoying a wide range of activities and outings. Parents praise her dedication, expertise, and the warm, welcoming environment she provides. The childminder's efforts have resulted in significant developmental progress for the children, fostering social skills and creativity while offering a nurturing, family-like atmosphere.
Summary generated by AI from the text of recent member reviews
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for marina5. 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 little boy has been with Marina from 1 year old. We were very particular where to send him, and after a bad experience during the settling in sessions at a local nursery we contacted Marina (after extensive research). From when our boy met first met Marina we knew it was the best decision to change care settings. She allayed our fears from the outset and hand overs were always so easy as he was so excited to go. His development with Marina has been immense, she takes the time to support them every way she can. We class our boy as free range with Marina as they're always out and about on adventures. We travel 20 mins each way to Marina's as she's that good.
Don't think twice if you're considering Marina, she's classed as Outstanding by Oftsed for a reason but she goes above and beyond their requirements which is all for the benefit of the children.
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by
Richard
on 28/02/2025
Response by
marina5
on 28/02/2025:
Thank you for a lovely review, Richard. Free range is a great description, I love that! We've had so much fun these last 3 years.
My little girl has just left Marinas Chidminding to begin her adventure at nursery, My daughter has been with Marina since she has been just over 1 year old and I know I have so much I owe to Marina for all of the development and kindness my little girl now possesses because of Marina, with so much effort into every single day and every activity each day was filled with new opportunities to have a fun and creative day whilst making memories which last for a life time. I can not thank Marina and her family enough for taking care of Sienna as if she was part of the family and to be so focused on having fun and development made it a bonus 💕
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by
Amyr456
on 22/07/2023
My daughter is now almost 2 years old and has been going to Marina's since she was 7 months old. I feel that we have been so lucky to have had Marina as a childminder. My daughter has made huge amounts of progress thanks to Marina's expert care. She absolutely loves going to Marina's. She talks about Marina, her lovely family and the other mindees all of the time. I feel happy knowing I am leaving her in such a warm, welcoming and caring environment. My daughter loves all of the different activities that they do and delights at the different crafts they make and the visits they go on for example to play groups, cafes, the library, parks, farms and museums - the list goes on. She has benefited from lots of social interaction with other children. She looks forward to going to Marina's. Marina and her family go above and beyond to make sure that children enjoy being there. I am so pleased that I found Marina and I am really grateful for how my daughter has flourished in her care.
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by
Angela
on 09/05/2022
Response by
marina5
on 09/05/2022:
Thank you so much for a lovely review Angela. I feel equally as lucky to have such a supportive family in my setting x
We were nervous looking into childminders as we’d always relied upon family for childcare but I remember meeting Marina for the first time and I knew within two minutes of talking to her that she was the childminder for us. As well as being the most lovely, nurturing and dedicated person, Marina offered such stimulating activities and adventures which our daughter thrived on. Marina has a real gift for working with children and knows exactly what each child needs at their various stages of development. Creativity and outdoor learning in Marina’s care are second to none. The gorgeous things our daughter made and brought home will be treasured forever as well as the daily photos that Marina sent through WhatsApp of all the lovely experiences. Her garden is fantastic and set up with so much thought for early learning. In fact, all of Marina’s resources are so well thought out. Her meals looked delicious and put me to shame but gave me so many ideas! Marina’s family are also lovely and we are so grateful that our little girl got to spend so much quality time in her early life in such a warm, loving setting. Our little one is now at nursery but still talks of Marina and the lovely time she spent with her. Words can’t quite describe the amazing time that she had in her care. We’re so grateful to Marina and her lovely family. They were just perfect!
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by
Anne M
on 27/10/2020
Response by
marina5
on 27/10/2020:
Thank you for those lovely words! We all carry happy and treasured memories of our time together and always will😍
Thank you so much x
When my Daughter first started with Marina she was very shy and wouldn't interact with others very much which is why I chose a childminder rather than a nursery. However, whilst being with Marina her confidence to interact with others came on in leaps and bounds. She loved visiting local playgroups, forest schools and learning in a such fun environment. Marina's supportive and nurturing care has turned our little girl in to a much more independent child. my Daughter enjoyed the meals and snacks which were varied and healthy.
We enjoyed receiving the daily updates on Whats App as it really put our minds at ease as it can be daunting leaving your child in the care of someone else but knowing my daughter was in safe hands allowed me to go to work more at ease.
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by
Amie
on 23/01/2020
Response by
marina5
on 23/01/2020:
It's always so nice to hear about the positive impact my setting has on the children I look after.
Thank you for taking the time to write up a review Amie!
When we moved our daughter to Marina's, she was quite low in confidence. Within weeks she was a completely different child - so enthusiastic, happy and full of life. At a previous setting she would cling onto us and not let us leave, but with Marina she would just skip through the door, wave goodbye and be on her merry way.
The amount of activities and trips that our daughter has taken part in is astounding, with a lot of outdoor learning and valuable experiences such as forest school, playgroups, library visits and even visits to the centre of life and museums.
Marina really has become a crucial part of our lives and we couldn't recommend her enough.
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by
Liam
on 06/09/2017
Response by
marina5
on 06/09/2017:
Thanks so much for your review Liam. I'm sure you're aware of the huge part your girls play in our lives too.
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