Kids Planet Blackpool

A converted Vicarage and beach-inspired play give Kids Planet Blackpool a recognisable coastal character. Bright, spacious rooms sit within an older building refurbished in 2018, making the physical setting an important part of its appeal. This is childcare with a clear sense of place.

The nursery has capacity for 87 children, accepting ages from three months to five years. At its May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received good support through staff collaboration with other professionals.

Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings give families several ways to organise attendance. The strongest reasons to consider this branch are its indoor environment, outdoor experiences and the practical distinction between private fees and charges on days using funding.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and everyday routines become opportunities to build skills. At Blackpool, imaginative indoor activities sit alongside beach-inspired play and outdoor exploration, giving children different ways to pursue their interests.

In May 2023, communication featured throughout activities. Staff introduced unfamiliar vocabulary during play, while counting songs helped younger children encounter numbers. Older children compared equipment sizes and recognised shapes around them. These examples matter because early language and mathematics were connected to things children were already doing, rather than confined to a separate lesson.

Reading also reached beyond a single activity. In May 2023, babies shared books with adults, and older children read together outside. The contrast is useful: younger children experienced stories through close adult contact, while older children could share them with friends.

Activities needed sharper purpose, however. In May 2023, staff sometimes overlooked children's developmental stages and the composition of the group when planning experiences. Clearer learning intentions were an improvement priority. A busy activity is only useful if practitioners know what each child should gain from it.

Outdoor and Community Life

Beach-inspired play makes the coastal setting relevant to children's experiences. The converted building provides the indoor counterpart, with spacious rooms for imaginative activity. Families choosing between settings can weigh both the character of the building and how outdoor exploration fits their child's interests.

In May 2023, a tree's berries prompted children to ask whether they could eat them. Staff used the question to explore safety, observation and prediction. Elsewhere, children encouraged friends attempting a balance beam and practised taking turns on a slide. These were small, concrete opportunities to think, persevere and cooperate.

The branch also carries the group's outdoor-learning approach, illustrated through wildlife discovery, vegetable growing and active play. These are practical experiences children can talk about and investigate. They sit alongside the required framework rather than replacing it.

Relationships and Communication

Familiar routines mattered for babies in May 2023. Practitioners gathered information from parents and used comforters at sleep time, connecting care in the nursery with what children knew at home. Babies also sought reassurance from adults before returning to play. For parents of younger children, these examples are more useful than a general promise of a gentle start.

Famly, the group's parent app included in this branch's offer, provides updates about children's days. It gives families a way to stay connected with experiences they have not shared directly. In May 2023, the online app was also being used to keep parents informed.

Independence developed through ordinary routines in May 2023: children helped prepare tables for meals and tried putting on their shoes. These manageable tasks gave them opportunities to do things for themselves, with adult support close by.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In May 2023, the special educational needs coordinator knew individual children's needs and staff worked with outside professionals. That is a concrete support mechanism for families to discuss, rather than a broad assurance that one approach will suit every child.

Hygiene teaching was a separate improvement priority in May 2023. Adults did not consistently help children learn nose wiping and thorough hand drying. Those everyday habits deserve attention alongside activities and emotional support, especially for children beginning to manage their own personal care.

Freshly prepared food and snacks form part of the branch's group-wide offer, with dietary needs accommodated. Mealtimes also include encouragement to explore unfamiliar tastes, making eating part of the day's social experience.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Vicarage, Egerton Road, Blackpool, FY1 2NP. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm on weekdays, across 52 weeks of the year. This gives families an operating window to compare with their working day.

Full Day and Full Time bookings run from 8am to 6pm. Morning sessions finish at 1pm after an 8am start; Afternoon sessions begin at 1pm and end at 6pm. A Short Day runs from 8am to 4pm, and adhoc hourly childcare is also offered. The shorter patterns matter for families who need part of a day rather than the entire opening window.

Enquiries can be made directly by telephone or email. A tour can be booked, giving families a practical opportunity to discuss how these attendance patterns would work for their child.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid hours are both offered. Private fees include snacks and meals, together with sun cream, formula, wipes and nappies. Sports activities and the Famly app also sit within the branch's group-wide inclusive offer.

Days using early years funding have a different charge structure: meals, consumables and activities are charged separately. The charge band depends on the funded hours applied that day, so the attendance pattern affects more than the price of additional childcare hours. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

For parents comparing funded and private arrangements, this distinction is central. An inclusive private fee and separate charges on a funded day describe different parts of the same offer; the relevant comparison is the complete cost of the family's intended booking.

• Learning purpose and hygiene. Clearer activity intentions and more consistent personal hygiene teaching were improvement priorities in May 2023. During a tour, ask how staff now plan learning for different developmental stages and teach hand drying and nose wiping.
• Funding and the final bill. Meals, consumables and activities carry separate charges on days using funding. Ask which entitlement and delivery pattern would apply to your booking, and how the additional charges would be handled.
• Your child's care routine. Familiar sleep routines and comforters supported babies in May 2023. Use the tour to discuss how your child's current feeding, sleep and reassurance needs would shape settling in.

Kids Planet Blackpool suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day care, with a converted Vicarage, beach-inspired play and outdoor exploration giving it a clear character. The dated Good judgement provides useful context, while the practical offer has several attendance options. The deciding conversations should centre on individual care routines, the two May 2023 improvement priorities and the full charge structure for a funded booking.