Kids Planet Radford

The Old Fire Station gives Kids Planet Radford a recognisable Coventry address, while four rooms organise care from babies through preschool. Creative play, exploring textures and water activities are part of the day. This is a setting to assess through both its practical offer and the way children move between activities.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. The improvement priorities concerned children's freedom to choose where to play and the waiting involved in changes of routine. Those details matter more than the grade alone: an engaging activity is only useful if children can join it and stay involved.

Radford has capacity for 89 children, with an accepted age range of 2 to 60 months. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings give families different ways to use the nursery, rather than a single attendance pattern.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent terms, education and everyday care belong together: play, conversation and practical activities help children develop skills, rather than learning being confined to a separate lesson.

Four rooms organise children by developmental stage. Across the nursery, activities include making things, investigating textures and experimenting with water. These give children different ways to participate, whether they prefer handling materials, watching what happens or creating something themselves.

In February 2023, stories extended into physical play. Children searched the garden for Gruffalo characters, including a snake in a log-pile house, then acted out characters through movement and sounds. The garden was part of the story. For a child drawn to books, that connected listening with imaginative play beyond the page.

During the same month, children mixed their own play dough and selected its colour and scent. Outside, threading cereal onto skewers provided another activity involving careful hand movements. These were concrete opportunities to manipulate materials and make decisions about what they created.

The February 2023 observations also included songs with actions and children taking favourite books to adults. Babies explored jelly with their hands. Different ages could therefore engage with language, movement and textures through activities suited to their stage, rather than all being expected to participate in the same way.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor learning remains part of the offer, and sports activities are included in the fee. The group-wide outdoor approach used here includes investigating wildlife, growing vegetables and active play. These are practical experiences alongside indoor activities, giving children opportunities to explore living things and use their bodies.

Choice needs attention, though. In February 2023, children could not consistently decide when to go outside or how long to remain there. The issue was access to an experience they wanted, rather than a lack of interest in outdoor play. That distinction gives families a useful point to explore during a visit.

In February 2023, babies' sleep followed their individual needs, and children approached familiar staff when they wanted comfort. Staff also used home-language keywords supplied by parents as visual communication prompts. For families using more than one language, this was a practical way to connect nursery communication with words children already knew.

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described individual SEND plans informed by families and specialists, alongside close collaboration with parents caring for children with complex medical needs. This is a dated judgement about the care then provided, rather than an assurance about every child's present experience.

The Colour Monster story supported conversations about feelings in February 2023, using colours to help children express emotions and understand behavioural expectations. A familiar story gave adults and children a shared starting point for those conversations.

Communication now includes Famly, the group-wide parent app used for updates during the day. That gives parents a channel for following nursery life alongside direct contact with the team. In February 2023, staff also shared updates about children's development and wellbeing, helping families connect what happened at nursery with home life.

Some practitioners have worked here since the nursery opened, alongside apprentices. That combination makes continuity a relevant part of Radford's character, although it should not be confused with a promise that a particular adult will always care for a child.

Freshly prepared snacks and meals are included in private fees. Nappies, sun cream, wipes and formula are included too, reducing the everyday supplies families need to pack.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Old Fire Station, Chetton Ave, Coventry CV6 3LA. Radford opens on weekdays from 7.30am to 6pm, across 51 weeks of the year; closures include bank holidays and a week at Christmas.

Full Day and Full Time bookings run from 8am to 6pm. Morning bookings run from 8am to 1pm, while Afternoon bookings cover 1pm to 6pm. Early Bird adds the period from 7.30am to 8am, and an Adhoc Hourly Charge provides a separate hourly booking option. The opening time and the start of the standard day are therefore different, which matters when planning an early work start.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 02476 590 059 or by email to radford@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. Tour requests and applications are also offered.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside private care. The charge structure distinguishes the two: private fees include meals and everyday consumables, while meals, activities and consumables are charged separately on days when early years funding is used. The applicable extras category depends on the amount of funding applied that day.

For families combining funded and paid care, this distinction matters when comparing the cost of a morning with a full day. Funded childcare and an all-inclusive private fee are different arrangements. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Outdoor choice and waiting. In February 2023, children sometimes had restricted choices about outdoor access and waited too long between routines. During a tour, ask how children now choose indoor or outdoor play and how staff keep them involved during changes of activity.
• The early start. Standard morning and full-day bookings begin at 8am; Early Bird covers 7.30am to 8am. Build that distinction into the attendance pattern you discuss, rather than treating the opening window as one session.
• Funding and settling. Funding-related extras differ from the inclusive private fee. Ask for a written booking proposal covering your funded-hours pattern, its extras and the settling arrangements for your child.

Kids Planet Radford suits families seeking morning or afternoon care as well as those choosing full-day attendance. Its four-room organisation, included everyday supplies and parent app make the practical offer straightforward to understand.

The February 2023 picture combines story-led play and individual care with specific weaknesses in choice and routine changes. Families who value outdoor play should give those everyday arrangements close attention. The strongest decision will connect the attendance pattern with how their child can participate throughout it.