Little Explorers Barnoldswick

Yesterday we had our first official Ofsted inspection 🌳🌳🌳💖 We had two inspectors for quality assurance purposes due to the New Inspection Framework ✨️ They both expressed what a lovely day they had in our setting. We are absolutely thrilled with our feedback. It is nothing less than we absolutely deserve and work incredibly hard for. The children were all absolutely brilliant, as were the adults 🤪 The 'thing' I feel most proud of is that it was exactly the same type of day we have, day in, day out. Nothing pulled out of the bag, nothing extra and nothing fancy, just us doing what we do (in torrential rain) because we truly always do what's best for our children. We cannot wait to share our report with you all when it is published 🌳💖✨️

I am incredibly proud and grateful to be at the helm of Little Explorers with two of my favourite humans 💖💖💖 Thank you to all of our amazing families, it is an absolute privilege to be a part of your children's childhood 🌳🌳🌳💖

Spring has sprung 🌱🌻🌼🌷🪻

Couldn't have said it better myself 🌳💖

💪🏽 We Don’t Trash Our Competitors - We Focus on Children 💪🏽

** UPDATE - NURSERY CHAIN HAVE NOW REMOVED THE FAQ **

Not many of you know, but alongside Kayte’s House, Steve and I also run a design and marketing company.

So when I came across THE viral post yesterday about a particular chain nursery’s website, I’ll admit it raised an eyebrow - and for a moment, even sparked a little frustration. But that quickly turned into something else entirely… confidence!

Because in the marketing world, publicly criticising your competitors is rarely a sign of strength. In fact, it’s usually considered weak and unprofessional. If you’re confident in your brand and the service you provide, there’s no real need to trash others at all - unless, of course, you’re feeling a little uneasy about them.

What made this even more disappointing was that the information shared was misleading to parents and factually incorrect. And that does make you pause and ask: what’s really being said here?

The reason childminders across the country have felt so strongly about this is simple - we know it isn’t true.

We know the quality of care and education that childminders provide is of an incredibly high standard. We know the difference our settings make to children’s early development and school readiness. In fact, 98% of childminders are rated Good or Outstanding - the highest proportion in the sector - and we are inspected to the same standards as nurseries.

If the claims being made were accurate, that simply wouldn’t be the case.

At Kayte’s House, and in home-based settings everywhere, we are not driven by numbers. We are driven by children - by the individual needs, personalities and journeys of every single child who comes through our doors.

Our believe is that a one-size-fits-all model simply doesn’t work for any child. And one of the real strengths of childminding is that we can make thoughtful, honest decisions in each child’s best interests. If a child would benefit from a larger setting before starting school, we will say so, and we will support families to make that transition in good time.

But the reality is that many young children thrive in smaller, nurturing environments and are exceptionally well prepared for school because of it.

We know our children. We advocate for them. And we always put their needs ahead of our income - because we care deeply about the families who trust us with the most precious people in their lives.

Large nursery groups absolutely have their place, and I am not here to dismiss the wonderful work that happens in many of them. But suggesting that every child must be in a large group setting in order to be school-ready simply isn’t true. Children are individuals - and families must be trusted to make informed choices based on what is right for their child.

So to my fellow childminders who may be feeling disheartened - take comfort in knowing the strength of what you offer. Take pride in your home-from-home settings where children experience real childhoods full of joy, calm, curiosity and connection. Where they are known, valued, and supported to grow at their own pace. Where they are never “just a number”, but a cherished individual who leaves confident, resilient and ready for their next chapter.

I feel secure in what I do because I know that every child who has left Kayte’s House has been ready for school in their own unique way. I don’t need to diminish others to feel confident in my practice - and I trust parents to make the right choice for their families. Sometimes that choice is us. Sometimes it’s a nursery. And that’s exactly how it should be.

And finally, to our local nursery colleagues - I continue to value the respectful, collaborative relationships we share. I’m proud that we work alongside one another to support families and children, and that we bridge care thoughtfully and professionally.

At a time when the private early years sector is facing challenges from every angle, let’s continue to lift one another up, stand together, and keep our focus where it belongs: on children.

🌳🌳🌳❤️

🌿 A Little More From My Childminder Heart Today… 🌿

After writing yesterday’s post about the children I’ll be saying goodbye to in September, something else has been sitting heavy on my mind, something many childminders are feeling right now.

There are fewer and fewer of us left.

Every year, more childminders close their doors. Not because they don’t love the job, not because they don’t care, but because it’s becoming harder and harder to survive in a system that seems to be pushing us out in favour of school‑based nurseries.

And it breaks my heart.

Because childminding offers something completely unique, a home‑from‑home environment, small groups, deep attachment, real relationships, and the chance for children to grow wild and free in a space that feels like family.

But the support, funding, and recognition simply aren’t the same. We do the same training, the same safeguarding, the same professional development, often more — and we do so much of it in our own time, unpaid, because we care. Because the children deserve the very best of us.

Yet somehow, it feels like we’re becoming invisible.

And what saddens me most is the thought of babies, tiny nine‑month‑olds, being placed straight into school environments. Not because families want that, but because the system is shaping it that way. These little ones should be exploring gardens, climbing logs, splashing in puddles, snuggling into familiar arms, and learning through play that feels natural and unhurried.

They should be wild and free, not institutionalised before they’ve even had a chance to toddle.

Childminding isn’t just childcare. It’s relationships. It’s belonging. It’s continuity. It’s children growing up with the same adult who knows their cry, their laugh, their fears, their quirks, their favourite stories, and the exact way they like their banana sliced.

It’s family.

And as I prepare to say goodbye to three children this year, two I’ve loved since they were one, and one since they were two, I can’t help but wonder what the future of childminding will look like. How many more goodbyes we’ll say… not just to children, but to the profession itself.

To every childminder feeling this too, I see you.
To every family who chooses us, thank you.
And to every little one who has ever walked through my door — you are the reason I keep fighting for this profession.

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Hello, it is that time of year when we are rejigging our outdoor area 🌳💖 We are searching for milk crates, pots and pans, play food, utensils, storage tubs or baskets and we really need some wooden broom handles if anyone has any spare brooms 🤪 Please share or tag with anyone you think may be able to help us with some donations 🌳🌳🌳💖 Thank you for your support with this 🌳

Happy 6th Birthday to Little Explorers 🌳🌳🌳💖 Today marks six years since I opened the doors to Little Explorers for the first time, with absolutely no clue what the future held, my trusty green vision book, plenty of patience and my strong gut feeling!!! It's a privilege to be a part of such a special community. Thank you to all of our LE families and children past and present, we are what we are because you trust us with your most amazing little humans 🌳💖💫 Here's to the next 6 years 🤪 Disclaimer - there's no clear vision now, who knows what could happen 🤪🌳💖💫

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We hear this all the time...

“My toddler is so smart. They know their colors, numbers, and letters. I don’t want them to be bored and need to challenge them!"

Or from teachers: “How do I get my class to learn their letters and numbers?”

This is where our definition of intelligence quietly goes off course.

In early childhood, intelligence is often reduced to what is easiest to observe and measure. Labeling colors. Reciting sequences. Repeating symbols on command. These performances reflect exposure and repeated drills, not the kind of learning that actually reorganizes the brain.

The developing brain does not learn best through isolated facts. It learns through experience, movement, emotion, and problem solving.

Play is the mechanism through which this happens.

During play, multiple systems in the brain are activated at once. Sensory input, motor planning, emotional regulation, memory, and executive function are all working together.

When a child builds a structure and adjusts it after it collapses, negotiates roles in pretend play, or experiments with materials to test cause and effect, the brain is strengthening neural networks that support attention, flexibility, persistence, and reasoning.

These experiences drive synaptic growth and integration between brain regions. This is what allows learning to transfer later into reading comprehension, mathematical thinking, and self-directed problem solving.

Rote drills operate very differently.

When children are asked to memorize symbols or sequences without meaningful context, learning stays superficial. Information is stored in isolation, without the rich neural connections needed for retrieval or application. This is why children can identify letters yet struggle to read, or count fluently without understanding quantity, relationships, or patterns. Memorization creates performance. It does not build understanding.

Play, by contrast, creates meaning.

It embeds learning in the body. It engages emotion. It requires decision making, error correction, and sustained attention. This is the kind of learning the brain is biologically designed to do, especially in the early years when neural plasticity is at its peak.

Thank you to for this post and as always “spot on”!

We may be small but my gosh we are mighty 🌳🌳🌳💖 A HUGE thank you to all of our wonderful kind families and friends for their generous donations 💖💫 Some of us have paid a little trip to deliver our donations to Open Door in Colne this morning and have enjoyed delicious hot chocolates 🎅❤️ Wishing you all a Merry Christmas love Little Explorers 🎄💫

Christmas is such a joyful time for most of us, it can also come with so many challenges for lots of families and people. We are going to be collecting small children's gifts (between 7-11year old and teenager gifts are needed the most) to donate to Open Door to hopefully make some more children smile this Christmas 🎄💖 We are happy to collect 🎄💖 This is open to everyone we know and lastly thank you so much for all of your support 🎄🎄🎄💖 Let's get into the true spirit of Christmas and spread some Christmas cheer 🎄🎄🎄💖

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🥳Join us any time from 4:30pm. Complete a treasure hunt to win a prize! Join in with fun activities, play in the Reception classroom and ask our staff those all important questions you may have. 🥰 We can’t wait to meet you! Bring your family and friends, the more the merrier!
No booking needed.
We recommend a minimum of 30 mins to explore school and enjoy the activities🦉❤️