Kids Planet Sheepbridge

A separate library gives books their own space at Kids Planet Sheepbridge, alongside large, open-plan rooms and secure outdoor areas. This Chesterfield nursery combines care for babies and preschool children with an Out of School and Holiday Club, making its offer relevant to families with children at different stages.

At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The strongest practical detail beneath that judgement was the way staff used ordinary play to extend learning: stories became shared conversations, water play introduced colour mixing, and building towers created opportunities for counting. The improvement point concerned younger children, whose language and social development needed more consistent attention during care routines.

The nursery caters for children aged 3 to 60 months and has 135 places in total. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings sit within an all-year opening pattern, so families can choose between longer attendance and shorter sessions.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means learning through play and conversation alongside the everyday work of becoming more independent, building relationships and developing physical skills.

In July 2022, stories involved expressive reading and props, with children encouraged to contribute familiar phrases. Cushions in a reading snug offered a comfortable place to share books. Together with the separate library in the current nursery layout, this gives reading a clear physical presence rather than treating it only as a scheduled activity.

Building provided another route into learning in July 2022. Staff used quieter moments with toddlers to talk and explore mathematical ideas while making towers. The important distinction was between an activity's potential and how consistently adults used it: opportunities for conversation and relationship building were sometimes missed during care routines. For a younger child, learning depends on those small exchanges as well as on planned play.

Outdoor and Community Life

Secure outdoor areas complement the open-plan indoor rooms. The group-wide outdoor approach offered here includes exploring wildlife, growing vegetables and active play, bringing nature and movement into children's experiences.

In July 2022, outdoor activities had clear teaching purposes. Coloured water in spray bottles introduced mixing colours and making marks, while searching for pebbles in the sandpit offered a quieter opportunity to investigate and count. An obstacle course constructed from boxes gave children practice in movement and judging manageable challenges. These examples show different ways to participate: energetic play and more measured investigation both had a place.

Sports activities also form part of the group-wide offer here. For parents, the combination of outdoor areas, active experiences and a separate library is a useful starting point when deciding whether the balance of movement and quieter play suits their child.

In July 2022, staff knew children well and helped them build relationships with adults and each other. Expectations for behaviour were explained consistently, giving children a clear basis for playing together. Transitions into nursery, between rooms and towards school were planned, with information shared with other agencies and relevant skills practised through play.

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff arranged prompt support for children with additional needs and adapted activities using their knowledge of each child. That is more useful than a broad promise of inclusion: it describes a mechanism for matching learning to a child's needs. Families considering this provision should distinguish that dated finding from the support plan their child would receive now.

Home learning bags were tailored to children's next steps in July 2022, creating a practical connection between nursery learning and activities with parents. The helping hands station added a different kind of support through emergency supplies and a coat swap. Both were concrete ways of working with families, rather than relying solely on progress conversations.

For current communication, the group-wide Famly app provides updates about children's days. It gives parents a way to follow activities while their child is at nursery.

In July 2022, the team comprised 18 staff, including 11 with level 3 childcare qualifications and two with level 2 qualifications. Those figures describe the team at that time, rather than today's deployment in individual rooms.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Dunston Trading Estate, Foxwood Road, Chesterfield, S41 9RF. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, across 52 weeks, with bank holidays excluded.

A Full Day runs from 7.30am to 6pm. Morning bookings have two versions, starting at either 7.30am or 8am and ending at 1pm; Afternoon bookings run from 1pm to 6pm. Full Time attendance is also offered, together with ad hoc hourly care. The different morning starts matter for families who want a shorter booking but need an earlier start.

The Out of School and Holiday Club caters for children aged 4 to 11 years. Before School runs from 7.30am to 9am, and After School from 3pm to 6pm. Holiday bookings include a full day from 7.30am to 6pm, a morning from 7.30am to 1pm, or an afternoon from 1pm to 6pm.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email, and a nursery tour can be booked. These routes allow families to discuss the attendance pattern they intend to use.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid attendance are offered. The fee structure separates childcare hours from the additional charges applied on days when early years funding is used, so a funded booking needs to be understood as more than an allocation of hours.

For private attendance, meals and snacks are included in the fee, and food is freshly prepared with dietary needs catered for. On days with early years funding applied, meals are charged separately.

Nappies, wipes, formula milk and sun cream are included in private fees through the group-wide inclusive offer. Consumables are charged separately on days when early years funding is applied, and those days also carry an activities charge. The charging structure distinguishes full, half and short days according to the hours of funding used. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Younger children's routines. The July 2022 improvement point concerned conversation and social development during care routines. On a tour, ask how staff now use feeding, changing and other everyday exchanges to support these areas.
• Funded-day extras. Meals, consumables and activities attract separate charges on days using early years funding. Ask for a written breakdown for your intended pattern, including how these charges would apply.
• Different morning starts. Morning sessions can begin at 7.30am or 8am, with both finishing at 1pm. Discuss which version fits your working day and how the move from home into nursery would be planned for your child.

Kids Planet Sheepbridge suits families seeking either full-day care or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with additional provision for older children through its Out of School and Holiday Club. The separate library, open-plan rooms and secure outdoor areas give it a clear physical character.

The July 2022 learning examples add substance: reading, building and outdoor investigation were used purposefully, alongside practical support for families. The main decision points are how younger children's routines have developed and how funded-day extras affect the intended booking. Both deserve a specific conversation before joining.