Kids Planet Leeds White Rose

A nursery council that helps choose activities and food gives White Rose a memorable starting point: young children have a say in their day. In December 2023, children met to discuss nursery life, while older children took on small responsibilities such as preparing the lunch table. Those are practical opportunities to make choices and contribute, rather than simply follow an adult's plan.

Kids Planet Leeds White Rose cares for children aged three months to 60 months at White Rose Office Park in Leeds. At its December 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities were well supported through assessments and individual learning targets. Two improvements were required: clearer sharing of babies' care information and more precise learning aims within activities.

The current offer combines full-day, morning and afternoon bookings with meals and everyday care supplies included in private fees; days using funded hours have separate charges for food, consumables and activities.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that means learning through play and conversation alongside physical development and personal care, rather than treating education as a separate lesson slot.

In December 2023, communication ran through the day. Stories, rhymes and songs involved puppets and other props, and staff introduced vocabulary while talking about children's play. Language assessments led to specific targets when children needed additional help. The practical value is the connection between ordinary conversations and planned support: a child's next step could be addressed during familiar activities.

Exploration also had a hands-on character. Children investigated pouring, emptying containers and using pipettes in December 2023. These experiences gave them opportunities to experiment with materials and sustain attention. Mathematical activities needed more precision, however: one planned task made too little use of counting, measuring and weighing. An attractive activity was not always matched by a clear learning intention.

Rooms and Ages

In December 2023, furniture in the baby room gave babies support as they pulled up to standing and moved around holding on. For older children, physical experiences included hopping, skipping and pedalling tricycles. The progression was practical, from early movement to more coordinated activity.

Independence extended to smaller movements too. During that same month, children practised serving food with spoons and tongs and handling tools in play dough. These everyday tasks connected hand control with doing things for themselves, including skills useful when moving on to school.

Outdoor exploration forms part of the current offer. The group-wide outdoor approach used here includes discovering wildlife, growing vegetables and active play, connecting movement with first-hand experiences of nature.

Relationships and Communication

In December 2023, key persons worked with parents to learn what helped their children settle, then used those familiar strategies in nursery. This gave care a personal starting point. There was also a weakness: some staff could not readily identify or locate a child's comforter when the key person was away, leaving some children waiting longer to settle.

The lending library and activity bags supported learning at home in December 2023. Staff also helped parents understand children's next learning steps. The useful connection was between nursery experiences and something a family could continue together, rather than a progress update alone.

Famly, the group-wide parent app used at White Rose, provides real-time updates. It gives families a way to follow nursery life during the day alongside their conversations with staff.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In December 2023, staff used pictures and objects to explain upcoming care routines to children with SEND. During nappy changes, they spoke to younger children about what they were doing and sought their agreement. Handwashing before food and after toileting was another part of the day's routines. These are concrete examples of making care understandable to children.

The team at that time comprised 17 childcare staff, with 14 holding early years qualifications at level 3 or above. Staff had access to training, coaching and supervision. Those figures describe December 2023, rather than the present team.

Freshly prepared meals and snacks are part of the current offer, with provision for dietary needs. Food is included in private fees; funded days carry a separate meal charge.

Sessions and Attendance

White Rose opens Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, across 52 weeks of the year, with bank holiday and Christmas closures. Full Day runs from 7.30am to 6pm, Morning from 8am to 1pm, and Afternoon from 1pm to 6pm; a Full Time pattern uses the 7.30am to 6pm window. Ad hoc hourly care is also a booking option.

The difference matters for families arranging shorter attendance: morning and afternoon sessions are actual booking patterns, rather than simply portions of the opening day. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email, and tours can be booked.

Getting There

The address is White Rose Office Park, Millshaw Park Lane, Leeds, LS11 0DL, next to White Rose Shopping Centre and close to the M62. That places the nursery beside both the office park and a substantial local shopping destination.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid hours are both offered. Meals, snacks, nappies, wipes, formula and sun cream are included in private fees, reducing the everyday supplies parents need to pack.

On days when early years funding is applied, meals, consumables and activities are charged separately. The charge structure distinguishes shorter attendance from longer funded days, so funded childcare and an all-inclusive private booking should be considered separately when planning costs. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Baby-room continuity. December 2023 brought a requirement to improve the sharing of care information when a key person was absent. On a tour, ask how another practitioner finds your baby's comforter and follows their familiar settling routines.
• Purpose behind play. Activities needed clearer learning aims in December 2023, including more deliberate mathematical content. Ask the team to explain what a current activity is helping children learn and how it builds on their previous experiences.
• Funded-day extras. Food, consumables and activities attract separate charges on funded days, whereas private fees include everyday supplies and food. Compare the written quotation with the attendance pattern you intend to use.

White Rose suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with the office-park location adding practical appeal. Children's participation in decisions, communication work and everyday independence gave the December 2023 picture character. The two improvement points deserve specific discussion, especially for parents of babies. For funded bookings, the separate extras are an essential part of the cost decision.