Didsbury Childminding Services

Weekly football with Manchester City in the community and outdoor learning in fletcher moss give Didsbury Childminding Services a day that reaches beyond its rooms. At 8 Gawsworth Avenue in East Didsbury, the emphasis is on using the neighbourhood as well as the nursery: visiting groups, local outings and opportunities for children to take part in everyday tasks.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and highlighted communication and language as a strength. There was also a clear improvement point: children needed more consistent opportunities to practise independence during ordinary routines, including meals. That balance matters. The strongest evidence concerns conversation, books and experiences beyond the setting, rather than a flawless account of every part of the day.

There are 55 places in total. Full-day and half-day care sit alongside term-time contracts, giving families different ways to organise attendance.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. Here, play, conversation, physical activity and practical experiences give those requirements their everyday shape.

Outdoor learning is a concrete part of the Gawsworth offer. The group's forest school offer gives children weekly access to learning through outdoor experiences; at Gawsworth, sessions take place in the local park, fletcher moss. This gives the nursery's outdoor emphasis a regular place in the week rather than leaving it as a general aspiration.

Visiting activities add different kinds of participation. Bob Tales brings storytelling, while jo jo's music provides musical activity; yoga is also among the visiting sessions. Weekly Spanish lessons introduce another language, and weekly football is led by Manchester City in the community. These are recognisable additions to the nursery day, spanning listening, movement and conversation. They should be considered alongside ordinary play, rather than mistaken for the whole curriculum.

In February 2023, books featured across the age groups. Babies practised handling pages, toddlers anticipated familiar words, and older children discussed characters and explored letter sounds and rhyme. The detail is useful: reading involved children responding and thinking, rather than simply listening to an adult finish a story.

During that same month, outings included parks and the library, with some journeys involving public transport, cultural venues and restaurant meals. Road safety formed part of these experiences. The practical value was exposure to places and situations beyond the nursery, with adults supporting children as they encountered them.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room has a sensory area with fish on site. That is a small but concrete feature for younger children to observe. In February 2023, the children attending were aged 0 to 4; that age range belongs to the inspection period.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is planned around the child and family. The usual settling period spans six weeks, with the arrangement adapted to individual needs; sessions lasting less than two hours are free. This allows the introduction to nursery to unfold over time rather than relying on a single trial visit.

Regular development checks are recorded through babysdays, an app that sends updates to parents' phones. For families, the useful connection is between what happens during attendance and how development is followed over time. The branch also encourages children to help prepare food and organise their mealtimes, giving familiar household tasks a place in the day.

In February 2023, staff assessed development soon after children began attending and sought additional help promptly when communication needs emerged. Adults also helped children recognise emotions and respond to difficulties positively. These are dated observations of how support worked in practice, rather than a promise about any individual child's experience now.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The February 2023 daily routine included physical activities supporting coordination and balance, alongside learning about toothbrushing. Babies had opportunities to attempt manageable challenges, including crawling up a small slide. Older children chose activities and managed aspects of their personal hygiene.

Independence was less consistent at mealtimes that month. Some children had too few chances to use open cups or pour drinks for themselves. This is a specific point for parents who value self-care skills: helping with a meal's preparation and practising independence while eating are related, but separate, experiences.

Meals chosen at the nursery are cooked by its in-house chef using fresh ingredients rather than processed products. Children are encouraged to participate in preparation, linking food with practical involvement as well as eating.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery's address is 8 Gawsworth Avenue, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 5NF. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays.

The booking choices include a full day and a half day lasting four hours. Term-time-only contracts are also offered. Additional days beyond a family's regular contract can be requested with advance notice, but accommodating them depends on staffing ratios and the building's capacity. That is a useful distinction between a booking request and a guaranteed extra day.

Bank holidays and the Christmas period are closure times. Bank holidays are charged, so families comparing attendance costs need to account for them even though children do not attend on those days.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded hours are accepted during term time between 9am and 3pm. Care outside that window is charged, and funded children attending in school holidays pay the usual daily fees. Funding therefore needs to be considered alongside the hours and weeks a family actually requires, rather than treated as covering every part of attendance.

Enquiries can be made through the online contact form, by email or by telephone.

• Everyday independence. In February 2023, opportunities to practise self-care were uneven at meals. On a visit, ask how children now learn to pour drinks and use open cups, alongside helping prepare the table.
• Term-time funding and closures. Funded hours operate between 9am and 3pm outside school holidays, while bank holidays are charged despite the closure. Compare the contract with the weeks and hours your family needs.
• The full cost of attendance. Request a current written quotation for your chosen attendance pattern, covering the Gawsworth meal option and non-food consumables.

Didsbury Childminding Services suits families looking for full-day care, shorter half days or term-time attendance, with regular experiences beyond the nursery rooms. The weekly outdoor sessions, visiting storytellers and Manchester City in the community football give the offer substance.

The February 2023 judgement was Good, with language a clear strength and mealtime independence a specific weakness. For parents, the decision turns on whether that mix of conversation, practical involvement and outings fits their child, and whether the term-time funding window fits the family's working pattern.