Kiddy Academy Wavertree

Doors from each nursery room lead straight to enclosed outdoor play space at Kiddy Academy Wavertree. That practical connection between inside and outside gives this purpose-built, single-level setting within Wavertree Childrens Centre a clear character: children can move between their room and its outdoor area throughout the day. A separate sensory room adds somewhere quieter for exploring sensations.

At its 5 November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and reported learning progress for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The same visit identified two improvements: teaching children about online safety and making staff encouragement of handwashing consistent. Both matter alongside the positive judgement.

The nursery accepts children from birth to four and has 70 places in total. Baby Room, Toddler Room and Preschool Room organise care by developmental stage, with facilities for changing and toileting attached to the rooms. Full-day, morning and afternoon attendance patterns give families different ways to organise childcare.

Rooms and Ages

The three large, open-plan rooms sit within a building designed for nursery use. Each has direct access to enclosed outdoor space, so outdoor play does not depend on moving children through another room. This is a useful physical feature for families who want outdoor experiences to be part of the ordinary day.

Baby Room has a separate milk kitchen, a changing area and doors to its outdoor area, keeping feeding, personal care and play close together. Toddler Room combines its own changing and toileting facilities with outdoor access, supporting the shift towards managing more personal routines. Preschool Room has child-sized toilets that children are encouraged to use independently, as well as changing facilities and doors outside.

A sensory room provides a calm space where children can explore different sensations. It adds a different kind of environment to the open-plan playrooms: quieter exploration has somewhere of its own. The rooms' practical differences are more useful to parents than a single description of the whole nursery.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing these together through play and everyday experiences. In November 2024, the curriculum organised skills in a sequence, with children building on what they could already do before tackling the next stage. Staff assessed children's capabilities and introduced resources to support their learning.

Language work had concrete forms. In November 2024, familiar songs and shared books accompanied story stones, prompts that older children used to invent their own stories. This gave children opportunities to practise speaking and imagination together, rather than only listening to an adult. Staff also supported children patiently as they learnt to handle scissors, giving practical skills time to develop.

Mathematics appeared in everyday exploration. In November 2024, conversations about worms' size during garden bug exploration connected mathematical language with something children could examine. Physical education lessons also formed part of children's experiences. These examples show different routes into learning: talk, movement and hands-on investigation.

Outdoor and Community Life

Room-specific outdoor areas extend around the side and rear of the premises. Their direct connection to the playrooms makes the garden an accessible part of the setting, while the pram bus supports trips into the surrounding community. For babies, that offers a way to take part in outings before they can manage a walk themselves.

In November 2024, additional funding, including early years pupil premium, had helped broaden children's experiences through a farm visit where they fed animals. That brought contact with nature beyond the nursery garden. The example is a useful indication of how additional support was used at that time, rather than a promise of a particular future trip.

Relationships and Communication

In November 2024, staff comforted younger children who became upset and gave children patient help with unfamiliar skills. Kind behaviour was modelled through everyday interactions, including reminders about manners. Children were also encouraged to put on their own coats and, when older, manage toileting with help nearby. Care and independence worked together in these ordinary routines.

The proud cloud was a display recognising children's helpful behaviour and achievements. In November 2024, children who helped tidy up could have their names added, accompanied by praise. This made positive contributions visible and gave children a concrete way to understand the behaviours adults valued.

Information shared with parents included children's next learning steps. In November 2024, staff also exchanged care and development information with other settings children attended, and worked with professionals through meetings and information sharing. For families using more than one setting, that communication helped adults coordinate support instead of working from separate accounts of the child.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In November 2024, staff had received training in early support for children's communication needs. Their work with other professionals and use of additional learning resources provided practical mechanisms for responding to individual needs. Families whose child needs extra support should give weight to how those mechanisms work for their own child, alongside the dated inspection judgement.

Each room has a room manager, and the nursery manager works with a deputy. Staff receive accredited paediatric first aid training; CCTV-controlled door entry is also part of the premises' arrangements. These are concrete arrangements for organisation and care, with safeguarding effectiveness assessed through the inspection judgement above.

Fresh meals are cooked daily at the nursery by an onsite chef. Having food preparation within the setting keeps meals part of its daily operation.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Wavertree Childrens Centre, 85 Wellington Road, Liverpool, L15 4LE. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm; morning attendance runs from 8am to 1pm, and afternoon attendance from 1pm to 6pm. The shorter patterns offer alternatives for families organising childcare around part of the working day.

Weekends and bank holidays are closure days. Enquiries can be made through the contact form by selecting Wavertree, or by telephone on 0151 345 1130. The branch has a Book A Visit route for arranging a visit.

Funding and Paid Extras

In November 2024, the nursery offered government-funded childcare places and received specific funding for disadvantaged children. This establishes participation at that time, without making an eligibility promise for an individual family. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Online safety and handwashing. In November 2024, children needed more teaching about internet risks, and staff did not consistently prompt handwashing after nose wiping. Ask how both improvements have been incorporated into daily practice.
• Your child's room. The single-level layout includes open-plan playrooms, direct outdoor access and a separate sensory room. During a visit, discuss how your child's personal care, quiet time and outdoor play would fit into that arrangement.
• The childcare quotation. Morning, afternoon and full-day patterns give different attendance options. Request a written breakdown for your intended pattern, including funded hours, meals, non-food consumables and any additional activities, so you can judge the complete arrangement.

Kiddy Academy Wavertree suits families considering either full-day childcare or a morning or afternoon pattern, with direct garden access and room-based personal-care facilities high on their list. Its sensory room adds a quieter setting alongside the open-plan rooms. The November 2024 picture included practical language work, learning through garden exploration and communication between adults supporting children.

The two improvement areas deserve attention in that decision. Online safety teaching and consistent hygiene routines are everyday matters, and families should weigh the nursery's response alongside its physical layout and attendance options.