Kids Planet Anchorsholme

Year-round free-flow play gives Kids Planet Anchorsholme its clearest character: children can choose how they play while experiencing changing weather and seasons. Creativity is another emphasis, with opportunities to make art throughout the day. For parents, the appeal is a day with room for children's own interests, rather than activity choices made entirely by adults.

At its 17 May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, while identifying improvements needed in teaching consistency, morning organisation and communication with parents. Those findings deserve attention alongside the outdoor offer. They concern the everyday details that shape a child's experience, especially when routines change or different rooms come together.

The nursery accepts children from 3 months old. Full days, morning and afternoon sessions, and shorter daytime patterns give families several ways to organise attendance.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play supports communication, physical skills and early understanding of the world. Here, creative opportunities and freedom to choose play are part of the current offer. The practical distinction is choice, including free-flow access throughout the year, rather than a named curriculum borrowed from the wider group.

In May 2023, children explored capacity by pouring water between containers and developed hand control by pulling apart and squeezing dough. These were simple resources with a clear learning purpose. Filling, emptying and handling materials gave children ways to investigate ideas physically before putting them into words.

During that same month, key people used observations and children's interests to plan experiences, with assessments each term identifying next steps and gaps in learning. Planning therefore connected what a child already enjoyed with what they needed to practise next. Teaching was not wholly consistent, however: newly formed room teams were still establishing their practice, and leaders needed to continue supporting staff development.

Outdoor and Community Life

Free-flow access is an enduring part of Anchorsholme's offer, giving children autonomy over play across the seasons. That matters for children who enjoy moving between experiences and following an interest rather than finishing an adult-selected activity first.

In May 2023, outings included the local park and library. Children discussed flowers they had noticed after returning, linking experiences outside the nursery with conversation afterwards. These were experiences beyond the immediate play space, rather than evidence of a fixed weekly trips programme.

Preparation for school also took practical forms in May 2023. Children practised managing coats and shoes, using the toilet, washing their hands and following instructions. Older children talked about their future schools and which friends would accompany them. The emphasis was on everyday independence and understanding a coming change.

Relationships and Communication

In May 2023, staff responded to babies' requests, supported attempts at self-feeding and sang during lunch. Music also accompanied settling for sleep. For a parent of a baby, those details place feeding, communication and rest alongside play as substantial parts of the day.

The Famly app supplies real-time updates as part of the group's offer at this branch. It provides a connection with nursery life during the day, but communication needs more than an app alone. In May 2023, some parents had missed information about changes affecting their children because digital updates and room displays did not reach everyone consistently. Making updates accessible to all families was an improvement priority.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with SEND good, with parents, professionals and health visitors involved in targeted help when developmental concerns arose. This is a dated judgement, with concrete mechanisms behind it: checks at age two helped identify concerns, and partnership work connected nursery support with advice from outside professionals.

In May 2023, staff helped children manage feelings and supported sharing and turn-taking when these became difficult. That assistance matters because learning to play together includes moments of frustration, rather than simply expecting children to cooperate unaided.

Freshly prepared food includes snacks as well as meals, with dietary needs catered for. Private fees include these alongside formula, nappies, sun cream and wipes; days using early years funding have separate meal and consumables charges.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Anchorsholme Academy, Eastpines Drive, Thornton-cleveleys, FY5 3RX. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks, with bank holidays excluded. The opening window and the full-day booking start are different, so the distinction matters for families needing the earliest care.

Full Day and Full Time bookings run from 8am to 6pm. Morning sessions finish at 1pm after an 8am start; Afternoon sessions run from 1pm to 6pm. Short Day runs from 9am to 3pm, while Pre School Day is 8am to 2pm. Early Bird covers 7.30am to 8am, and an ad hoc hourly option is also offered.

For children aged 3 to 11, Before School runs from 7.30am to 9am, and After School has a 3pm start with either a 5.30pm or 6pm finish. Holiday Club is for children aged 5 to 11, with Full Day, 7.30am to 5.30pm; Morning, 7.30am to 12.30pm; and Afternoon, 12.30pm to 5.30pm. These sit alongside the nursery sessions as a separate attendance offer.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01253 829295 or by email at anchorsholme@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid sessions are both offered. The important cost distinction is between ordinary private fees and attendance using early years funding: the former includes meals, snacks and the listed care consumables, while funded days attract separate charges for meals, consumables and activities. Funding therefore changes the charge structure as well as the childcare bill.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. A useful quotation should keep paid childcare hours separate from food, care supplies and activity charges, so families can see how their chosen session pattern affects the total.

• Morning organisation. In May 2023, combining rooms unsettled some children; during preparations after breakfast, staff were not always deployed effectively and activities briefly became disorganised. During a tour, ask how the current morning routine keeps children engaged while staff prepare spaces.
• Updates that reach everyone. Some families missed information about nursery changes in May 2023. Ask how important updates reach parents who do not regularly use Famly or read room displays.
• Funded-day charges. Meals, consumables and activities are charged separately on days using early years funding. Request an itemised written quotation for the exact attendance pattern you intend to book.
• Teaching across room teams. Consistency of teaching was an improvement priority in May 2023. Ask how staff development and support now translate into children's daily experiences.

Anchorsholme suits families seeking either full-day attendance or morning and afternoon sessions, with shorter daytime bookings adding further flexibility. Year-round free-flow play and creative opportunities give the current offer a clear emphasis, while the May 2023 findings add useful detail about babies' routines and children's practical preparation for school.

The decision rests partly on everyday organisation. Morning routines, teaching consistency and accessible parent communication were the areas requiring attention in May 2023. These details matter across both full-day and shorter sessions, while funded attendance brings a separate charge structure for meals, consumables and activities.