Kirsty's Little Munchkins

29/07/2026

CPD is really important to keep up to date with legislation and ensure you are offering the highest level of care whilst remaining within the law. I recently completed a 5 hour Safeguarding course that covers school age as well as early years children, keeping my knowledge up to date and relevant to the ever changing regulations.

17/07/2026

Yesterday we said goodbye to one of our little friends. It’s always a sad day as I get so attached to my mindees and their families, but we are all so proud of how he has grown over the last two years. We hope he has the very best time at school in September and will be catching up regularly as he only lives around the corner.

What a beautiful gift from his family, Mum makes handmade crochet clothes and gifts and I was so delighted to receive this beautiful flower which I will treasure and thoughtful card (and w**e!).

We had a beautiful day out to Lotherton Hall to see our favourites the Penguins!

In September we will be welcoming new friends, my places are now full.

07/07/2026

I am very pleased to now be able to share the result of my grading inspection, which was conducted on 2nd June 2026.

>> Link to the full report:
https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/17/2803061

I achieved a grade of Strong in all six areas of the new scorecard. The new grades do not map across from the old system. There is no direct comparison (despite what Google AI tells you!) therefore I have added a brief description and a link to the information at the end of this post.

Although ‘Strong’ isn’t a very exciting word it is an exacting standard to achieve. The new ‘expected’ grade is a high standard in itself. Strong standard shows excellence and consistency and I am very proud to have achieved this on my first inspection under the new framework.

My curriculum and teaching received high praise but what made me really proud was how complimentary the Inspector was of my mindees - she praised how they cared for their friends, their kindness and the strength of their relationships both with me and with one another. She also loved the broad opportunities offered by our allotment, gardening, and care of the animals including our dog Logan and pony Fayo.

The setting itself passed all safeguarding checks which are rigorously applied. The Inspector was also impressed that I have been accepted to study an Early Years Initial Teacher Training Level 6 course showing my commitment to continuing professional development and my focus on the best outcomes for the children.

Having worked as an SEN Teaching Assistant I was able to demonstrate in depth knowledge and practical application of inclusion.

I am very pleased that the Inspection reflected the time, effort and devotion I put into creating an inclusive, happy and nurturing environment for all my families.

What the new Ofsted grades tell you.

The ‘expected standard’ is just that – it means the school or other provider is doing everything that it should be doing, so you’ll see the green colour coding on the report card. It’s a high standard, to make sure your children are receiving everything they need and deserve.

Moving up the scale, ‘strong standard’ marks out excellent, consistent work that’s making a real difference for children and learners.

And finally, there’s ‘exceptional’. We only award this grade when we see practice that is among the very best nationally, which should be shared with other schools or providers to help them improve.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-ofsted-report-cards-and-grades

21/05/2026

🐛 Our caterpillars have grown so much! We have been checking them every day and they get bigger and bigger, today they have moved to the top of their enclosure so we are hoping they are about to turn into a chrysalis.
🧮 We have introduced some early maths such as positioning, shape, counting and measuring.
🌍 The children check how the caterpillars are growing daily and are enjoying learning how to care for living things, which links into ‘Understanding the World’.
🎨 We have also been making some lovely butterfly paintings and collages and reading the Hungry Caterpillar book of course!

19/05/2026

Less than 25% of children now read for pleasure. What a sad and terrifying thought. Reading has always been one of my greatest pleasures and one I love to share in my setting.

My son’s English teacher once looked at me with a sorrowful expression during Parents’ Night and asked me ‘And does he have access to ANY books at home?’

I took this quite badly, as I had by then written and published several books. In addition, my house was (and still is) full of what my beloved husband refers to as ‘MORE wretched books,’ before asking with a sorrowful expression of his own ‘Why do you need so many wretched books?’ and I answer something along the lines of ‘Why do you need so many wretched gadgets?’ and a ‘spirited’ argument ensues about how you can never have too many books/ gadgets and which were more useful/ important (books, obviously. Always books. Books can still be used in a power cut or in the event of some sort of apocalypse, assuming you have candles or daylight. Come the Rise of the Machines, he will regret his gadgets, whereas I will be out there smiting terminators with hefty copies of bonkbusters).

Despite the plethora of books covering every surface, for many years my son remained stubbornly resistant to them, to the point that I did often wonder if he actually could read (the jury is still out on my husband on this subject). Eventually though, one day he picked up a book that had piqued his interest. A few weeks later, he asked me to order him a book he had seen that he wanted to read, and immediately regretted this as I wept with maternal joy and attempted to clasp him to my bosom and express my pride that he had finally become aware of a world beyond Minecraft, Roblox and idiotic YouTube gamers. I was, apparently, being ‘a bit extra’ and ‘like, soooo embarrassing, Mother.’

A big part of his conversion from ‘reading is so boring’ to ‘maybe this could quite interesting’ was probably having books in the house- books of his own, books of mine, even the solitary book owned by my husband about how to build a car. Which he hasn’t read. Though he did look at the pictures.

However, a dreadful and sad fact is firstly the dramatic decline in the number of children reading for pleasure- less than 25% now. And that one in ten children in Glasgow own no books at all, and have no books at home (and I’m sure that figure is similar in other cities across the UK too). I can’t imagine a life, a world, without books, and it is utterly miserable how many children are missing out on the imagination, the worlds, the stories contained in those pages.

So today I visited the new HarperCollins warehouse site, to help with their partnership with The Children’s Book Project, to donate and distribute 20000 books to primary schools in underprivileged parts of Glasgow. Some are new books donated by HarperCollins and independent publishers, some are books people have kindly given at donation points in Asda stores, but the important thing is that these are not books for classrooms, or school libraries- these are books that children can choose themselves and take home and keep, and that will hopefully start to help them see that reading is not just a chore to be endured in school (and that was very much my own view of reading in school- I HATED it, but LOVED reading for myself outside of school- again though, I was lucky enough to live in a house filled with books).

I honestly think that the most important thing, no matter what career or industry a child wants to enter, is imagination. From putting men on the moon, to building sewers for sanitation and public health, from the first man realising a cave was a better prospect than being eaten by a sabre toothed tiger to skyscrapers thousands of feet high, everything we have, including my husband’s beloved gadgets, is down to someone having the imagination to think ‘I wonder what would happen if we did X or Y’. And the best thing to develop a child’s imagination is to read, to visit other worlds, other lives and other stories.

So it was amazing to be part of this today, and to hopefully have played a small role in fostering a love of reading, and a spark of imagination in future generations. And does anything really convey the glossy, high glamour world of publishing like your very own personalised hi vis vest?

12/05/2026

It is Childminder Appreciation Week so I’ll be sharing some facts about Childminding. Did you know that Childminders are inspected under the same framework as Nurseries? 🥰

12/05/2026

Good morning!

We have had an exciting delivery. Our first batch of caterpillars 🐛 of the year have arrived from Insect Lore

The children are very excited to watch them grow. Last year we successfully released 5 butterflies 🦋 whilst learning all about the of a butterfly from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to beautiful butterfly!

We love reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and seeing it brought to life day by day. The caterpillar lifecycle is very quick so the children get to see changes every morning.

This book was given to my eldest son Charlie when he was born in 2003, by our good friend Emily. I have read it with so many children over the years hence why it looks a little worn but it still holds a dear place in my heart. I used to read it to Charlie every night from when he was a newborn baby! Now he lives in his own house but still reads it to the mindees when he comes home to visit. We really are a great big family 🥰

07/05/2026

‘A child cannot thrive academically unless they feel safe, understood and emotionally regulated’

Having worked with children with SEND in both my own and school settings, including CCA and ACE settings, I can fully relate to this. I have observed first hand the calming and grounding effects of animals and in particular horses. A childminding setting is small and flexible enough to offer a holistic approach and often an ideal place for a child with additional needs.

This is an area of specialism of particular interest to me, for which I trained outside of my working day and using my own funds, as most childminders do in order to offer the highest level of care and support to our families. I would love to be able to open an alternative provision such as this!

An equine charity has called on the government to consider alternative learning provisions in its plans under its SEND consultation.

07/05/2026

I have had quite a few enquiries recently and some visits to the setting from prospective clients. It’s lovely to meet new families and have the chance to show them around but I’d like to be clear that this is NOT a nursery. I offer a small, home from home childcare setting with the emphasis on HOME. I understand that this isn’t suitable for all families and wish those that choose another setting well, not every setting suits every child.
I’m still in touch with many of my old clients and still see those in the area in person, most weekends. Half of my current clients are families returning with siblings. This is because the children become part of an extended family where we care about one another. I care about my setting, I care about the children and I care about their outcomes. I am proud of the service I offer and work with the Early Years Improvement Team at Leeds City Council plus undertake regular CPD to ensure I am offering the highest standards. Things may appear ‘messy’ when children are playing, they may come home with dirty knees on their trousers and their artwork may not be perfect but they are all confident, happy learners and when the time comes they are school ready which is why at my last inspection I received an Outstanding rating.

Fayo the pony (yes we really do have a pony and yes the children are safe and supervised when they visit him!) says - If you can be anything, be kind!

30/04/2026

Learning through play is the basis of this setting. Being child led and nurturing each child as an individual is central to everything we do. If a child loves to learn you will never have to teach them. Create learning opportunities in the environment and extend them for those children that are ready, but allow them the room to develop their imagination, explore and create (per Tina Bruce). ❤️

You don’t.
Because play is not a tick-list. ✨

In a gentle, heart-led approach, we slow down and protect play. We don’t direct children around the room or ask them to collect experiences. We trust their instincts, their fascinations and their natural drive to learn through play.

🌿 What would Scandinavian children do?
In Nordic settings, children choose where they play — and stay there for long, unhurried stretches. It’s totally normal to spend the whole morning outdoors building dens, digging, climbing or cooking mud soup with friends.
They’re not rotated. They’re respected.

Play isn’t seen as a break from learning — it is learning. In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, long chunks of uninterrupted free play are protected daily because the outcomes speak for themselves: wellbeing, confidence, problem-solving, independence, social strength.

🌿 Children don’t learn in compartments.
One rich moment of child-led play can cover multiple EYFS areas naturally.

A child building a fox den outside isn’t just doing “construction”. They’re:
📐 exploring space & measure • 🗣 building language • 🤝 negotiating roles • 💪 using gross motor strength • 🌍 drawing from stories & nature knowledge

All woven together — joyfully, without adult rotation.

🌿 Research backs this up.
EPPE highlights deep involvement and sustained shared thinking.
NAEYC (2022) reminds us:

“Free play… encourages children’s initiative, independence and problem-solving.”

And as Dr Peter Gray says:

“Play is not a break from learning — it is learning.”

When we stop chasing checklists and start trusting the process of play…
✨ Children flourish
✨ Behaviour softens
✨ Curiosity deepens
✨ Learning becomes authentic

This is the heart of Hygge in the Early Years™ — warm, connected, child-centred practice rooted in trust. 🌿

🌟 Ready to bring this Scandinavian-inspired approach into your setting?
Join me inside Hygge in the EY™ — where we blend Nordic pedagogy, wellbeing and play into transformational training.

👉 Find out more at www.hyggeintheearlyyears.co.uk