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Janine Carol Martin


I'm an Ofsted Registered Childminder living on Sonora Fields in Sittingbourne. We are a warm, clean, home from home setting providing excellent nurturing care for you little ones whilst having fun. 

Welcome to Mini Caterpillars Childcare. We are a home from home setting with a huge variety of open ended resources for the chlidren to enjoy. We enjoy being out in the open and exploring new places as well as visiting our favourite places too. 

We meet up regularly with our friends at other childminder settings so that the children are making friends and socialising with other children their own age. 

We attend Forest School, dance classes and enjoy trips out to farms, country parks, woods, theatres, museums and anywhere that takes our fancy. 

We follow the children's interests and build our curriculum around this. 

Who to contact

Contact Name
Janine Martin
Contact Position
Childminder
Telephone
07377585423
E-mail
janinemartin77@outlook.com

Where to go

Address
21
Helidor Walk
Sittingbourne
Kent
Postcode
ME10 5AF

When is it on?

When is childcare available
Open All Year
Carescheme Age Range:
year(s), 0 month(s) to 11 year(s), month(s)
Opening Times
Opening Times
DayOpening TimeClosing Time
Monday 07:00 18:30
Tuesday 07:00 18:30
Wednesday 07:00 17:00
Thursday 07:00 18:30
Friday 07:00 18:30
Other Availability
Weekends available on request

Other Details

Table of costs
Table of costs
AmountCost Type
£6.00 Per hour
£10 Per overnight stay
ECD Type
Childminder
Offers pickups
Yes
Schools covered
Bobbing Village School
Details
I drop off and collect at Bobbing Village School. We walk from my home to the school and back
Cost(s)
Cost details
Snacks and drinks are included in our fees along with the classes we attend.
Total vacancies
0
Vacancies Details
We are currently full and have no spaces available until Sept 2024 at the earliest
Immediate vacancies?
No
Contact Provider for Vacancy Details?
Yes
Vacancy range
Vacancy Range
Start AgeEnd AgePlaces
6 months 11 years
Vacancy Information Last updated Date
16/09/2023
Facilities
Music, Literacy and Numeracy, Messy Play Area, Cookery, Toddler Groups, Toys/dolls, Dressing Up, Dance, Discussions / Talks, Outdoor Activities, Parent and Toddler Group, Parks/playgrounds, Water Play, Quiet Room, Games / Puzzles, Play Room, Visits and Outings, Garden, Walks, Arts And Crafts, Baby Group, Healthy Living, Reading, Refreshments, Books, Library - Baby Bounce and Rhyme Under 3's, Sign Language / Makaton, Kitchen, Library - Community Room, Library - Storytimes For Children Aged 2-4 Yrs, Songs, Library - Book Trolley, Sleeping Area, Library - Children's Library, Climbing Frame, Library Visits, Stories, Life Skills, Library - Storytimes For Children Aged 3-5 Yrs, Childminding Link Group, Library - Storytimes For Pre-School Children
Other facilities information
I am currently studying my Level 3 Early Years Qualification
Languages Spoken:
English
Wheelchair Access
No

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN
2565064
Link to latest ofsted inspection report 

30 Hours Extended Entitlement

30 Hours Partner Details (These are details of any other childcare provider(s) that this provider will work with to offer the 30 hours entitlement)

I am an eligible childminder and able to offer the 15 hours childcare for 2 year olds along with the 15/30 hours for 3 & 4 year olds. I can split funding with other settings if discussed. 

Support with Childcare Costs

Free for 2 (families with 2 year olds receiving additional forms of government support)?
Yes
Universal Entitlements
Yes
Working Parents Entitlement
Yes

Service status

Status
Open

Local Offer

Description

I provide support to young children who have special educational needs or disability. Please see below for my Local Offer.

Special Needs Support

How does the setting identify children with additional needs or SEND? 

Before your child starts at my setting, I ask you to complete an “All about me” form which gives us the opportunity to share information about your child, providing me with information on their learning and development, highlighting any strengths or areas in which they may need extra support. I will complete a baseline assessment when they first start, using the DfE Development Matters for guidance.

The completion of the Progress Check at 2 is a statutory assessment and can be taken to the Health Visitor developmental check. This may be a time when any delay in development can be discussed, and appropriate next steps identified.

If additional help is needed, I will provide support in the specific area of need, planning additional opportunities for your child to gain further experience to in the identified area. This would be written and shared with you through a plan of action.

 

How will I be informed / consulted about the ways in which my child is being supported? 

As a childminder, and therefore key person to your child, I will ensure a strong and positive relationship is built with you, your child and family. We will work together to establish which forms of communication work for you, making sure you feel involved in how your child is being supported, such as:

  • Daily informal chats.
  • Opportunities for meetings at your request throughout the year.
  • Detailed learning journeys which set out photos and observations of how your child is developing through the year.
  • Collaboration with you on any extra planning we put in place e.g. an action plan.

How will the setting adapt the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum for my child's needs? 

The EYFS is an education framework which allows childminders/key workers to plan for your “unique child”. I am always observing, assessing, and planning for your child in the three prime areas and four specific areas. To find out more regarding the EYFS please ask me for more information.

 

What teaching strategies does the setting use for children with additional needs or learning difficulties? 

As a childminder, I am in an amazing position to ensure that I can tailor activities to ensure your child gets the most learning from both planned activities and from help with routines in the home. I plan our days and activities to ensure all children are included, ensuring high wellbeing and involvement. The setting is very homely with access to a large garden. I use Development Matters and Birth to Five along with ongoing training to continue to improve, which provides a range of teaching strategies in all areas of learning.

What additional support does the setting provide for children with additional needs or SEND? 

We will seek advice and resources from other areas for any child that requires it, regardless of SEND, all children should have their interests and needs meet, regardless of their age or stage of development or however many or few additional needs they may have. We have children with autism in our setting, who still return to us during holiday club, as they feel safe, secure & understood within our setting because we learnt their needs as babies and pre-schoolers and we adapted our curriculum and learning opportunities as well as behavioural guidance, to suit their individual needs.

How will the setting monitor my child's progress and how will I be involved in this? 

We follow the EYFS and we keep evidence of the children's learning on their folders which are then sent onto primary school for their new teachers information, before being sent home to you. During their time here we also send home daily diary information and photos on our what's app chats and will discuss with parents at drop off and pick up times if there are any areas of concern or even just regular updates on what we are currently working on. Parents are encouraged to also discuss with us any concerns they may have and are also encouraged to use our whattsapp chats to update us with children's development and activities at home.

 

How do you ensure children with additional needs or SEND can be included in the same activities as other children, including trips? 

Any activities and trips are planned around the children in our setting, their needs & interests. We will seek any additional resources we may need to ensure all children can participate in everything we do.

 

How accessible is the building for children with mobility difficulties / wheelchair users? 

We use the front door to access the setting and wheelchair access can be obtained this way. We visit local parks, wildlife walks, shops, library and toddler groups and always consider access requirements for all children

How will you support my child's transition to a new setting or school? 

As mentioned above, we keep track of the children's learning in folders that will be sent on to their primary school. We follow the path to school readiness chart, which is also in their folders so their parents can follow it too. We check with local primary schools to ensure that we are helping the children become ready for school in all areas, this is not just in their educational learning but also ensuring they are as emotionally ready and prepared as they can be, by promoting self care and hygiene. Learning to spend time focusing on one thing at a time, participating in story time and music time, encouraging play with others to take turns. We focus on emotions and encourage talking about feelings / worries / experiences

How does the setting assess the overall effectiveness of its SEN provision and how can parents / carers take part in this evaluation? 

Open lines of communication between all involved with the children allow us to ensure every child's needs are being met, we also seek reviews from parents and send questionnaires about parents thoughts on the setting and any areas for improvement and/or excellence 

Who should I contact if I am considering registering for a place at the setting? 

Janine Martin through phone, whatsapp, text, social media

What arrangements does the setting have for feedback from parents / carers, including compliments and complaints? 

We have a policy for complaints procedure which all parents are given on joining, this clearly sets out all options for submitting any complaints. If any were ever made a record of these would be kept on file.

we regularly ask parents for feedback using reviews / questionnaires and we keep a folder for prospective parents to read these
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