Didsbury Childminding Services

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy days of fun and adventure in this home-from-home setting. They arrive happily and settle quickly, showing that they feel safe as they are greeted by the welcoming staff team. Children develop a love of reading and respect for books. They can be seen throughout the day looking at favourite books independently or having them read to them by the staff team. Babies develop the skills to turn pages by themselves and toddlers recall the next words in their favourite book. Older children verbalise their deeper knowledge of characters by, for example, being able to tell staff why the 'Big Bad Wolf' can blow down some houses and not others. Pre-school children rise to the challenge of learning about letter and the sounds they represent and how rhyming words always have the same sound at the end of the word.

Children benefit from regular outings in the local community and beyond. Trips out to parks, forest school and the library are a part of the regular routine. This helps children to become familiar with their local area. They develop road safety knowledge, and are exposed to experiences they might not otherwise have at such a young age. On more ambitious outings, children travel on public transport, explore cultural centres and even dine out at restaurants with staff. Children's health is well supported. They learn why it is important to brush their teeth and enjoy nutritious meals. Children benefit from a range of physical activities that develop their balance, coordination and spatial awareness.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Leaders have a precise and appropriate understanding of what children need to learn, and why. As a result, they have designed a curriculum which is strongly underpinned with a focus on communication and language development.
• Staff assess children soon after they start attending the nursery, to accurately identify children's level of development. Should additional support be needed, particularly in relation to communication, this is sought without delay.
• Staff help children to develop strategies to manage their own emotions in a positive manner. Additionally, they teach children to celebrate and recognise what makes each of them unique. Children are praised for their successes and for their resilience. This contributes to children becoming confident and considerate individuals.
• Staff read to children of all ages regularly throughout the day, introducing rich and varied vocabulary. They model speech very well and children hear and mirror their good pronunciation. Children's language development is a real strength. Babies babble along with songs. Toddlers begin to put together short sentences, use their friends' names, and identify colours. Pre-school children talk confidently in complex sentences. Children make rapid progress in their communication skills, and become fluent speakers.
• Overall, support for children to develop their independence is positive. Staff working with babies give them chances to challenge themselves and take appropriate risks. For example, babies persevere as they crawl to the top of a small slide. Older children choose the activities they take part in and manage their own hygiene practises well. However, in daily routines, such as mealtimes, the expectations of leaders do not always happen in practice. As a result, some children are not always able to build on their independence and self-care skills. For example, some children are not developing the ability to drink from open beakers or pour their own drinks.
• Parents say they value the quality communication they receive from the nursery about how their children are progressing. They know what their child is learning about and receive information on how to extend learning to home.
• Staff members speak positively about the supportive culture at the nursery. They explain how leaders check in with them every day to see how they are. Staff talk about the regular supervisions they receive and the focus on support for their well-being. Staff have a manageable workload and have access to the training and development they need, meaning they can can fulfil their job roles.
• Leaders have developed strong partnerships with the local schools. The qualified teachers at the nursery help children to learn the sounds that letters represent. Throughout the nursery, staff also introduce children to the specific foreign languages taught at local schools. This helps to prepare children for when their time comes to leave nursery and move on to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to consider how to better support children to develop their independence skills throughout the nursery day.