Kids Planet Haslington

A Victorian building retaining original features gives Kids Planet Haslington a character of its own. Outdoor exploration adds another dimension: in September 2022, preschool children used real spades to hunt for treasure and played on a tree swing, while a committee of children helped decide what their surroundings should contain. Children had a say, as well as space to play.

At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment, with clear teaching priorities attached: staff development needed sharper direction, and interactions needed to stretch children's thinking more consistently.

Based in Haslington, Crewe, the nursery accepts children from one month to five years and has capacity for 154 children. Full-day, morning, afternoon and short-day bookings give families several ways to organise attendance, alongside an Out of School and Holiday Club for older children.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday language, that means education and care work together: play, conversation and practical experiences help children develop skills rather than separating learning from the rest of their day.

September 2022 observations give a concrete picture of how that worked here. Babies investigated mixtures involving water, cornflour and sand; toddlers cared for flowers and explored ice containing arctic animals. Children examined insects with magnifying glasses. These were experiences children could touch, change and investigate, giving staff something real to discuss with them.

Number work also grew out of practical activity in September 2022. Counting and recognising numbers were part of everyday experiences, including play dough and harvesting tomatoes from the vegetable patch. The value for children was the connection between mathematical language and something they were actually doing. Numbers belonged to play and gardening, rather than only a separate adult-led exercise.

Language development was a curriculum priority that September. Staff sang to babies and used expressions to engage them, while older children encountered questions intended to extend their thinking. The limitation was consistency: some practitioners did not take conversations far enough to encourage more demanding reasoning or problem-solving. That matters more than a long activity list. An interesting resource needs an adult who can help a child explore the idea behind it.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor learning forms part of the current offer. The branch shares the group's approach of using wildlife discovery, vegetable growing and active play as opportunities for practical learning. Sports activities are included within the private fee package, adding movement to the day.

In September 2022, the preschool outdoor area allowed children to investigate natural materials, dig and use the tree swing. Children were also involved in plans to change the outdoor environment. The pre-school committee gave them a route to influence those decisions, making choice something more substantial than selecting an activity from a table.

Relationships and Communication

In September 2022, key people knew children's learning needs and passed that knowledge between rooms. Where possible, staff moved with their key-person group, so a room change could include a familiar adult. That arrangement addressed an important part of settling: a new space need not mean every relationship changes at once.

Famly, the group's parent app used here, provides updates in real time. It gives families a connection with nursery life during the day, alongside the relationships they build with practitioners.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found strong support for children with SEND, including progress reviews, communication with parents and well-managed individual support for several children. The special educational needs coordinator also trained colleagues in supporting children with additional needs. These are specific mechanisms for adapting care, rather than a general promise that every child will receive the same approach.

Staff development remained an improvement priority in September 2022. Some practitioners understood their next professional steps, while others needed more precise guidance. For families, the useful distinction is between having development meetings and ensuring those meetings change the quality of children's experiences across the nursery.

Freshly prepared snacks and meals cater for dietary needs. Private fees include food, formula, sun cream, wipes and nappies; days using early years funding have a different charge structure, explained below.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 73 Crewe Road, Haslington, Crewe, CW1 5QX. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with operation across 52 weeks of the year.

A Full Day runs from 7.30am to 6pm. Morning bookings finish at 1pm after a 7.30am start, while Afternoon bookings run from 1pm to 6pm. The Short Day offers a separate 9am to 3pm pattern. Full Time bookings use the 7.30am to 6pm window, and ad hoc hourly care is also offered. The short day is a useful alternative for families whose working or caring arrangements do not require either the early start or late finish.

For children aged four to eleven, the Out of School and Holiday Club extends the setting's role beyond nursery care. Before School runs from 7.30am to 9am, and After School from 3pm to 6pm. Holiday bookings include full-day, morning, afternoon and short-day options, plus hourly care. This gives families with children at different stages more than one type of attendance to consider.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01270 589 429 or by email to haslington@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. Tour booking and applications are also offered.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and private hours are both offered. The distinction between their costs is important: meals and non-food consumables are included in private fees, but food, consumables and activities attract separate charges on days when early years funding is applied. The charge category depends on the funded hours used that day, so a funded booking should be assessed as a complete attendance pattern rather than assuming every part of the day is covered.

The private package includes sports activities and the nursery parent app, as well as the everyday care items. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation, with funded hours, additional paid care and the associated charges shown separately.

• Teaching conversations. September 2022 improvement priorities concerned uneven questioning and insufficiently precise staff development. On a tour, ask how practitioners now extend children's reasoning during play and how managers support consistent teaching.
• A familiar adult when rooms change. In September 2022, staff could move with their key-person group where possible. Discuss how that arrangement would work for your child, including how information passes to a new key person.
• Funded-day costs. Meals, consumables and activities are charged separately on days using early years funding. Request a written quotation for your chosen pattern, distinguishing these charges from additional private hours.

Kids Planet Haslington suits families considering either morning or afternoon sessions, a shorter daytime booking, or full-day attendance. Its Victorian premises and practical outdoor offer give it character, while the older children's club broadens its usefulness for families beyond the preschool years.

The September 2022 picture combined children's influence over their environment with practical learning and continuity between key people. The balance is the need for more consistent teaching interactions and better-directed staff development identified at that time. Those priorities deserve attention alongside the building, attendance options and included private-care essentials.