Little Tinkers
Childminder in Lowestoft
Usually responds within 30 minutes
Female Member since Dec 2013 Last Updated Nov 2024 Last Login 23 Jan 2025
My Summary
About Me
Hello, my name is Paula, I am 56 years old but a big kid at heart. I have been an OFSTED Registered Childminder since April 1998. I have been married to my husband Paul for over 34+ years, and we have a 32 year old son, Sam. We have 2 Yorkshire Terriers called Daisy (3 1/2 years old ) and Poppy (1 1/2years old) I also care for my grand dog 2 days a week called Stede he is a Cockapoo (6 months old) they love the children and the children love them.
We live in Oulton Broad, close to many amenities, including bus routes and within walking distance of Oulton Broad North train station.
We had our Ofsted inspection on the 19th March 2019 and got graded Good, we had very positive feedback from the inspector so are very pleased with that judgement.
My Experience
I have an assistant, who works with me, this means the child adult ratio is much smaller.
There is a separate playroom, packed full of toys and resources to suit all ages. The children are free to choose which toys they want at any time. I trained as a Nursery Nurse and had several nannying jobs prior to having my son. I offer a home from home environment and value family input and encourage children to bring any item they need to help them settle into their new routine.
We regularly take the children out to different locations, such as Parks, Woods, Beaches, Fields, Shops, to get them exercise and fresh air and give them many new experiences as many times parents do not have the time to take their children out on a regular basis. We offer a fun time with many varied activities, We love getting messy whilst doing our art and craft, using paint, chalks, charcoal, glitter, and also spend time teaching the children the basics of baking. We have a name board where they have to find their name, each child is given the time needed and praised for their achievement, when they find the right one. We have helpers throughout the day, every child gets a turn, such as giving the juice and snacks out, getting items we may require, taking a younger child to get their shoes out of the box. These were some of the ideas parents suggested and we put into our setting and the children love them, they feel important and special.
We encourage our children to develop their own individuality through providing a secure, familiar environment in which to develop their interpersonal skills, and to become confident in their own abilities. We offer positive interaction and extensive support during the activities we provide. We encourage them to have a go at the activity for themselves; and ensure each child achieves a goal in the activity they participate in and receive praise for it. We actively promote high self-esteem making sure they are treated as individuals, valued and encouraged to develop to their full potential.
My Qualifications
I became an Accredited Childminder due to the pressure of my parents as they were not happy with the local play schools. This means that your 3 or 4 year old child is able to access their 15 hours of Government funding with me.
We currently have children in our setting that have Asthma, Autism and Food allergies. We have received specialist training to deal with these children's additional needs.
NNEB
Accredited childminder
Paediatric First Aid level 3
Safeguarding Children
FGM
Wrap training
Food Hygiene, with a 5 star rating from Waveney District Council
EYFS Training
Observation and Assessment
Play work Principles
Speech and Language
My Availability
I work from 7:30-17:30 Monday-Thursday
I currently pick up from Limes Academy
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Morning | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Afternoon | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| After School | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
| Evening | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Overnight | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Last Updated: 07/11/2024 | |||||||
My Fees
- Childminding from £5.00 per hour
I charge £5.00 per hour
£7.00 per hour unsociable hours before 8am and after 6pm
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 Driving Licence (added 11/01/2023)
- Ofsted Certificate (added 11/04/2020)
Reviews
5 out of 5
Latest reviews
Below are the latest reviews for Little Tinkers. 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.
Paula and Sue are just marvellous. My little boy Hayden loves it once he is there. Paula will send me a quick message during the day to reassure me that he is okay if he has been upset at drop off for any reason. Hayden is included in any activities that they do & he always sleeps well in the evening after his time during the week with Paula, Sue & the other children. Hayden mixes with children of various ages and I'm sure this is helping him in so many ways. Little Tinkers is a lovely setting, Paula has always made me feel at ease from the start. I would highly recommend Little Tinkers to any Mums or Dads looking for childcare options :0)
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by
sandz27
on 18/06/2019
Response by
Little Tinkers
on 09/07/2019:
Ah bless thankyou my dear, it has been adorable to see the special bond he has with another of our older boys, he is laugh is infectious and makes the job so worth while. He is gaining in confidence and he his speech is coming on leaps and bounds xx
I cannot begin to describe how amazing Paula and sue are at little tinkers. Our son was previously at another childminders and was very unhappy, we moved him to little tinkers in February and he settled in straight away and we couldn't believe how happy he was. he has thrived so much since being there and even though he was only 9 months when he started he has always been involved in every activity regardless of his age and absolutely loves going. Both ladies treat the children as their own which is lovely. Always very friendly and help out massive amounts with changing circumstances. Couldn't recommend highly enough!
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Overall
by
Zoe Batt
on 07/06/2019
Response by
Little Tinkers
on 09/07/2019:
We love having your little man, he is the funniest most adorable little man. He is always so happy and we cannot wait to see him grow and flourish and reach his full potential xx
I can’t even begin to describe how relieved I am to have come across Paula/Little Tinkers. I am new to the area and came online to search for childcare for my baby girl. Paula responded so quickly and soon arranged a viewing.
As every parent can tell you, it’s an emotional process ending maternity and beginning to think of someone caring for your child other than yourself or immediate family. However, I instantly felt comfortable and welcome at Little Tinkers! But not only that, I am confident they will care for my child as if they were their own. My baby girl went straight off to play and you could see how happy the other children were too.
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by
Nicole
on 10/05/2019
Response by
Little Tinkers
on 10/05/2019:
Ah bless thankyou so much, it was lovely to meet you all and we are looking forward to lots of fun times with Cece xx
So I have finally bitten the bullet and decided to message a few childminders in my area ready for when I go back to work... it has been so difficult for me but from the beginning Paula has been there to comfort me and make me feel at ease! When I met Paula and Sue both were so welcoming and I just loved the atmosphere. Both were so excited about what they do and I think that was clear in the activities provided and the smiles on the kiddies faces. Paula has offered a few coffee dates with me and my daughter and even an hour here and there to do my shopping just so I can transition into leaving her...im sure you'd agree this is exceptional service and slowly I am coming round to the idea of leaving her. Thank you both for making me feel so much more at ease ... Harper can't wait to start her days with you. X
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by
Parent
on 14/02/2018
This was my little boys first experience spending a considerable time away from mummy besides being with granny and grandad. I knew as soon as I walked in and met Paula and Sue that this was the perfect setting for my little boy. We had a successful visit, I was extremely happy and confident to have my little boy start the following week. I loved the set up as it felt like my little boy was taking his first steps into a nursery environment.
Looking forward to seeing him grow and learn and have fun with his new little friends at this setting.
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by
Parent
on 06/03/2016
Response by
Little Tinkers
on 07/03/2016:
Thank you Alison, he is settling in well and interacting beautifully with his little friends. You can see his confidence growing and we look forward to watching him flourish.
Having never used a child minder before. I messaged and was offered a time to go visit Paula in her home where she has built the most beautiful child care day room and has a fabulous assistant. My baby boy couldn't be happier x I was made to feel welcome and any questions I hAd was answered x I'm so very blessed to have been offered a place for my 14 month old baby in what I can only describe as a home from home. So caring and loving x I'm a very happy mummy flexible , knows what the child's needs , mixing well with other children defiantly the place to be ??
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Overall
by
Parent
on 22/09/2015
Response by
Little Tinkers
on 28/09/2015:
Thank you Natasha, we are so pleased to look after your little man, he is a real credit to you both. We are glad you are happy with our setting and the service we offer Paula xx
Was really worried about going to work and leaving my son with someone, didn't really know where to start with it all until I came across this website and Paula - all the information provided sounded brilliant so I emailed and heard back quickly. Arranged a visit so me and my son could meet her and her assistant and my son straight away started playing with others, which he does normally take a while to settle in new places. That's when I knew my son would be happy and enjoy it. Really surprised how many different activities they do and how much it benefits my son. I'm so happy I came across this website and more importantly I'm so glad I came across Paula. My little boy loves going and I know he is going to have a brilliant day so i don't have To worry or feel guilty about leaving him.
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by
cazzyp
on 03/02/2015
Response by
Little Tinkers
on 03/02/2015:
Ah thank you Carole, he is a real sweetheart and a credit to you both. We love having him, he fits in really well with our little group and loves playing with the other children.
I found Paula's profile on here and loved how much information was available. I sent a message and heard back really quickly and arranged a meeting. Paula was really welcoming and explained all the activities she does with the children. We went for a second visit so my partner could meet her and her assistant. My partner felt the same as me, Paula made us feel so comfortable. I knew straight away that I would be happy to leave my daughter with her. I was assured that it would be like home from home which put my mind at ease as my daughter is only 8 months.
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by
Parent
on 16/12/2014
Response by
Little Tinkers
on 20/12/2014:
Thank you Hannah for your kind words, it was lovely to meet you and your little cherub, even if she did bring a nice package with her. I am glad we made you all feel relaxed and confident in our ability to take such good care of your little girl. See you all soon Paula
I was looking for childcare for my son, so as you do i started searching the web & came across this site. I was looking at pre-schools first but as no availability looked at the childminder section to see what could be provided, for which i came upon Paula's full with information on everything from personal to childcare I found this very detailed and inviting. So i sent a msg to contact and got a reply straight away :) we then made arrangements so we could all meet and be introduced. I was quite anxious of meeting but when we arrived Paula invited us all in we were then also introduced to her assistant who helps look after the children to, they were both very welcoming and lovely :). The other children they were all playing happily my son soon joined in he seemed happy enough which was a sigh of relief for me . Talking to Paula she explained all the things they do and have available which all looked and sounded great so arranged times/days for him to go. We started off with a morning to settle him in but I needn't of worried because when he came home he was full of beans he had settled in lovely making cookies and being creative he'd had lots of fun he is now to go once a week when needed. I totally recommend Paula shes a very lovely/caring lady and am very pleased for my son to be learning with her :) .
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by
sassysam
on 02/03/2014
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