Play. Learn. Grow.

Services

Flexible Childcare

Perfect for families working shifts. Choose different days each week and we’ll adapt to your schedule, supporting doctors, nurses, police, and more.

School Drop Off & Pick Up

We provide safe drop-off and collection at Brunton Park Primary and Hazelwood. Get in touch if your child’s school isn’t listed.

Holiday

Care

Childcare that fits around school breaks. We offer fun, safe, and engaging care during holidays, giving parents peace of mind at work.

Home
Babysitting

Need an evening out? We provide trusted babysitting in your home, staying until late so you can relax knowing your child is safe.

Term-Time Childcare

Great for teachers. Pay for care during term time, then 25% over holidays to keep your place secured for the next school term.

Sofia Evens

Movement Instructor

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Darryl Smith

Language & Mathematics

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Mia Alexander

Nutrition Expert

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Our Approach

At Tots Are Us, we see ourselves as more than just a childcare provider – we’re an extension of your family. Every child in our care is valued, nurtured, and celebrated as an individual.

We believe that children learn best when they are happy, safe, and having fun. That’s why our days are filled with engaging activities that spark curiosity, encourage creativity, and build friendships. When children are enjoying themselves, they are naturally learning and developing important life skills.

Our team takes the time to get to know each child and their family, ensuring care is flexible, supportive, and personal. Whether it’s working around shift patterns, providing school runs, or offering extra support during the holidays, we’re here to make life easier for parents while giving children the best possible start.

We also invest in our staff, offering training, apprenticeships, and ongoing development. This means the care we provide is always of the highest quality — rooted in professional standards but delivered with the warmth and love of a family setting.

Sofia Evens

Movement Instructor

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Darryl Smith

Language & Mathematics

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Mia Alexander

Nutrition Expert

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Team

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

At Tots Are Us, our biggest strength is our people. Every member of our team is not only trained and qualified, but also passionate about creating a safe, nurturing, and fun environment where children thrive.

We believe children benefit most when they are surrounded by caring adults who feel like family — and that’s exactly the atmosphere we’ve built.

Founder

Claire Maskey

Claire began her childcare journey in 2012, moving from volunteering with children at her local church to establishing Tots Are Us. She is passionate about creating a nurturing, family-style setting and supporting the next generation of childcare professionals through apprenticeships and training.

Qualifications:

Early Years Level 3 & Level 5 (in progress)
NPQ Early Years Lead
SENCO Level 3
Paediatric First Aid & Safeguarding
Food Hygiene
Enhanced DBS

Deputy - Early Years Practitioner

Vikki Blackburn

Vikki brings over nine years of experience across both school and nursery settings. She is passionate about supporting every child to reach their full potential and is particularly dedicated to working with children with additional needs, ensuring an inclusive and supportive environment.

Qualifications:

Early Years Level 5 (in progress)
Level 4 Higher Level Teaching Assistant
Level 3 Children and Young People’s Workforce
Paediatric First Aid & Safeguarding
Enhanced DBS & Food Hygiene

Early Years Practitioner

Ellie Parkin

Ellie is a fully qualified Early Years Practitioner with experience working across a number of childcare settings before joining Tots Are Us. She is caring and passionate about supporting children’s learning and development, helping every child to reach their full potential. Ellie is also currently developing her knowledge of SEND to further support children’s individual needs.

Qualifications:

Level 3 Early Years Qualification
SEND Training (in progress)
Paediatric First Aid
Safeguarding
Enhanced DBS & Food Hygiene

Early Years Practitioner

Liam Graham

Liam brings over 12 years of experience working across various nursery settings throughout the North East, bringing a wealth of knowledge to his role at Tots Are Us. He is a fun and enthusiastic member of the team who enjoys creating positive experiences for the children while supporting their learning, development and confidence.

Qualifications:

Level 3 Early Years Qualification
SEND Training
Paediatric First Aid
Safeguarding
Enhanced DBS & Food Hygiene

Early Years Practitioner

Laura Malia

Laura brings a wealth of experience to Tots Are Us, having worked in a nursery for five years before completing her degree and working as a Social Worker for six years. She has since returned to Early Years and is a caring and nurturing member of the team who builds wonderful relationships with the children and supports their individual needs.

Qualifications:

Level 3 Early Years Qualification
Degree in Social Work
Paediatric First Aid
Safeguarding
Enhanced DBS & Food Hygiene

Early Years Practitioner

Hannah Blair

Hannah began her Early Years career as an apprentice with Tots Are Us before gaining valuable experience in another nursery setting and later returning to our team. She has experience supporting children with SEND and is passionate about meeting their individual needs. Hannah is currently developing her SEND knowledge and working towards her Level 5.

Qualifications:

Early Years Level 5 (in progress)
Level 3 Early Years Qualification
SEND Training (in progress)
Paediatric First Aid & Safeguarding
Enhanced DBS & Food Hygiene

Early Years Apprentice

Jaime Punton

Jaime is our Early Years apprentice and is currently working towards her Level 3 qualification. She discovered her love for working with children during her school work experience and has continued to develop her skills with us. Jaime is a bubbly and fun member of the team who builds wonderful relationships with the children and brings lots of energy to their day.

Qualifications:

Level 3 Early Years Qualification (in progress)
Paediatric First Aid
Safeguarding
Enhanced DBS
Food Hygiene

Early Years Apprentice

Ava Maskey

Ava is an Early Years apprentice and is currently working towards her Level 3 qualification. She is a patient and enthusiastic member of the team who forms wonderful bonds with the children. Ava particularly enjoys supporting children with SEND and has a caring and understanding approach, taking the time to support each child’s individual needs.

Qualifications:

Level 3 Early Years Qualification (in progress)
Paediatric First Aid
Safeguarding
Enhanced DBS
Food Hygiene

Early Years Apprentice

Abbi Yeaman

Abbi is an Early Years apprentice and is currently working towards her Level 3 qualification. She is a caring, happy and enthusiastic member of the team who brings lots of fun and positivity to the children’s day. Abbi loves making the little ones smile and enjoys creating a warm and happy environment where they can play, learn and grow.

Qualifications:

Level 3 Early Years Qualification (in progress)
Paediatric First Aid
Safeguarding
Enhanced DBS
Food Hygiene

Early Years Apprentice

Natasha Wilson

Natasha joined Tots Are Us as an apprentice and has quickly become a valued member of the team. She developed her passion for working with children during her college placements and continues to grow in confidence and experience, bringing enthusiasm and a positive attitude to the setting every day.

Qualifications:

Early Years Level 2
Paediatric First Aid & Safeguarding
Enhanced DBS & Food Hygiene

What Parents Think

"Claire and her team are outstanding care providers. We are met every morning with a friendly warm and professional manner. We have secure access to the "Baby's Days" app where we get regular updates and photos throughout the day, in addition to progress and developmental milestones. Tots Are Us follow a curriculum to engage children of all ages and create exciting activities that my son loves to take part in. We can tell how much our son loves spending time at Tots Are Us because he always has a beaming smile at the end of every day and is happy to be dropped off again. Claire and her team are invaluable to us as parents because we know our son is in a caring, nurturing environment and we can see his progress week in, week out! Thank you for all your hard work!"

Laura, Toby and Sophia's Mum

Get in Touch

10 Brenkley Way

Blezzard Business Park

Seaton Burn

NE13 6DS

07850 167 187

claire@tots-are-us.co.uk

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Join our mailing list for updates, availability, helpful tips, and a glimpse into life at our setting.

Pricing

This provides an overview of our current fees, funded childcare options and payment policies. Full terms and conditions will be provided within your childcare contract before your child's place begins.

Childcare Fees

Our current childcare fee is:

£6.50 per hour, per child

This rate applies to all non-government funded childcare hours. Your individual weekly fees will depend on your contracted days and hours of attendance.

The following are not included within our hourly fee:

Nappies
Wipes
Meals
Formula milk (where applicable)

A £1.00 daily sundries charge applies to cover items such as:

Sun cream
Craft materials
Hygiene products
Other consumable resources used throughout the day

Government Funded Childcare

We are registered to offer both:

15 Hours Funded Childcare
30 Hours Funded Childcare

Eligible families may choose to use their funded hours in one of two ways:

Term-Time Only - Funding is used during school terms only.
Stretched Funding - Funding is spread across the year to support families requiring childcare during school holidays.

Example

A family eligible for 30 funded hours per week may choose to use 20 hours per week across the year, allowing their entitlement to continue during holiday periods. Our nursery will monitor your funded hours and keep you informed of your remaining balance. Please note:

All funded hours must be used before the end of the relevant funding year.
Unused funded hours cannot be carried forward to the following year.
Funding cannot be backdated.

Parents are responsible for providing a valid government funding code before the start of each funding period. If a valid funding code is not received, or the code is found to be invalid, full childcare fees will be charged until funding has been confirmed.

Additional Activities & Outings

Throughout the year we organise a range of outings and experiences to enhance children's learning and development. Examples may include:

Local playgroups
Farms
Parks
Seasonal events
Community visits

Some outings may incur an additional cost. Where this applies:

Parents will always be informed in advance.
Any charges will be added to your weekly invoice.
Parents may choose for their child not to attend a particular outing by notifying the nursery in writing before the outing takes place.

Late Collection Charges

To ensure we maintain legal staffing ratios and fairly compensate staff who are required to remain after their scheduled shift, the following late collection charges apply.

Up to 30 minutes late:

£10 per child

More than 30 minutes late:

An additional £10 will be charged for every further 30-minute period (or part thereof).

In addition to the late collection fee, your normal contracted hourly childcare charge will also apply for the additional time your child remains at the nursery. If you know you are running late, please contact the nursery as soon as possible by telephone or text message.

Please note that notifying us does not remove the late collection charge, although exceptions may be considered at the discretion of the Nursery Manager in genuine emergency situations. Where late collections become frequent, we may ask you to review and amend your contracted collection time to better reflect your childcare requirements.

Fee Reviews

Our fees are reviewed annually. Should our fees change, parents will receive a minimum of four weeks' written notice before any increase takes effect.

Enquire Today

Services

Flexible Childcare

School Drop Off & Pick Up

Holiday

Care

Home Babysitting

Term-Time Childcare

Sofia Evens

Darryl Smith

Mia Alexander

Our Approach

Sofia Evens

Darryl Smith

Mia Alexander

Team

What Parents Think

Get in Touch

Stay Connected with Tots Are Us

Pricing

Home
Babysitting