Kids Planet Bricknell

A vinyl record player and ocean investigations gave Kids Planet Bricknell's June 2026 inspection a character beyond the usual nursery checklist. This purpose-built setting on Bricknell Avenue in Hull has landscaped gardens; during that inspection, children's interests shaped activities from mixing coloured water to researching sea creatures. The strongest detail was in the everyday experiences: music, books, conversation and opportunities to do things independently.

At its 8 June 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded Strong standard in achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance, with safeguarding standards met. These are separate area judgements rather than an overall grade.

Children are accepted from 2 to 60 months. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings give families different ways to organise attendance, while private parking and an enclosed outdoor play area add practical convenience.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation, movement and everyday routines all contribute to their development. At Bricknell, the June 2026 activities connected these elements through children's interests rather than treating them as isolated tasks.

Babies combined water play with the five little speckled frogs' song, handling toy frogs alongside wooden logs and lily pads. Toddlers poured and mixed coloured water while staff introduced words describing what happened. These are simple materials with several uses: children can explore movement, practise handling containers and connect words with actions in the same activity.

For older children, a vinyl record player brought jazz and blues into the day, while a projector supported exploration of whales, sharks and other ocean creatures. In June 2026, factual books and encyclopaedias also helped children investigate animals that interested them. Technology sat alongside books and hands-on play, giving children different ways to pursue the same subject.

Stories also supplied ideas for play. During June 2026, toddlers returned to a story about feelings while experimenting with coloured water, and staff created social stories around children's own experiences. Familiar situations became material for talking about emotions and understanding routines. That makes the connection between a book and a child's own life concrete.

Outdoor and Community Life

Landscaped gardens and a secure outdoor play area give this purpose-built nursery space for activity beyond its indoor rooms. The group-wide outdoor approach used here includes wildlife exploration, vegetable growing and active play. Its practical emphasis is on doing and investigating outdoors.

In June 2026, children examined flowers and herbs through their colours and smells, and older children discussed ocean habitats and the effects of plastic waste. Another activity involved working together to construct a bench using large blocks and wooden planks. The children reminded one another about handling the planks carefully. These examples connect curiosity about the natural world with practical cooperation.

Relationships and Communication

A key person provides a familiar relationship for each child. In June 2026, children had built trusting connections with these adults, and staff helped them become accustomed to daily routines through gradual support. For parents weighing the first separation from home, the useful detail is the combination of a familiar adult and time to learn how the day works.

The group-wide Famly app, used at Bricknell, provides updates in real time. It gives parents a way to remain connected with their child's day between conversations with staff. In June 2026, practitioners also held detailed discussions with parents about individual needs and the next steps in children's learning.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the June 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that children, including those with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, made substantial progress, while identifying continued development of support for children facing barriers as the next step. That combination matters: the positive assessment sits alongside a continuing improvement priority.

Support in June 2026 included pictures, familiar home-language words and language bags to assist communication. Sensory and communication boxes, spinning chairs and sensory lights were among the resources used for individual needs. Staff adapted personal-care routines, including potty training, and worked with families and outside professionals. These are specific mechanisms for support rather than a general promise of inclusion.

School preparation also took an individual form. In June 2026, staff arranged tailored transition programmes with receiving schools for children with SEND. The emphasis was on continuity of support as children moved into their next setting.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 249 Bricknell Avenue, Hull, HU5 4NS. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year; closures include bank holidays and a week at Christmas.

Full Day runs from 7.30am to 6pm. Morning runs from 7.30am to 12.30pm, while Afternoon runs from 1pm to 6pm. Full Time also uses the 7.30am to 6pm window, and an Early Bird booking covers 7.30am to 8am. Adhoc hourly care is another charging pattern. The morning and afternoon options are separate bookings, so their times matter when planning work or other care around them.

Families can contact the nursery by telephone or email. Secure private parking is provided on site, a useful practical feature for families travelling by car.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid care are offered. The charging distinction is important: meals, consumables and activities attract separate charges on days when early years funding is applied, with half-day, short-day and full-day charge bands. Additional private care is priced separately from funded hours.

For privately paid care, the all-inclusive fee covers meals and snacks alongside formula, nappies, sun cream and wipes; on funded days, meals and consumables are charged separately. Food is freshly prepared, with dietary needs accommodated.

Sports activities and the Famly parent app form part of the group-wide inclusive offer at Bricknell. Activities have a separate charge on funded days, so the same attendance pattern can have a different charge structure according to how funding is applied. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Funded-day extras. Meals, consumables and activities are charged separately when funding is applied. Compare the written quotation for your intended attendance pattern, including any privately paid hours.
• Your child's first weeks. The June 2026 account describes gradual support with routines and relationships with a key person. During a tour, ask how settling sessions would be organised around your child's feeding, rest and comfort needs.
• Support beyond the first assessment. Continuing development of help for children facing barriers was the June 2026 improvement priority. Families whose child needs additional support should discuss how individual strategies are reviewed and carried through into school transition.

Kids Planet Bricknell suits families choosing between full-day attendance and shorter morning or afternoon sessions, especially those who value outdoor space and learning built around children's interests. The gardens, private parking and Famly updates give the offer practical substance.

The June 2026 picture is equally concrete: babies exploring water and songs, toddlers experimenting with colour, and older children investigating oceans through books, music and a projector. The decision rests on how that daily experience fits your child, alongside the different treatment of extras on funded days.