Kids Planet Northenden

Mature oak trees, vegetable growing and a reading den give Kids Planet Northenden a recognisable character. Set in a former Sure Start centre, this Manchester nursery combines substantial green space with rooms that each have their own direct outdoor access. Outside is part of the setting’s design, rather than a separate destination for the whole nursery.

Children can attend from birth to five, with capacity for 70 children in total. At its January 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found that its carefully adapted curriculum supported children’s language, emotional development and mathematical understanding. That judgement belongs to the nursery’s inspection under its former name, Kids Start, at the same Longley Lane address.

Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings give families different ways to use the setting. The strongest practical distinction is between its outdoor opportunities and its quieter indoor spaces: children have room to move, alongside places intended for reading, puzzles and calming sensory experiences.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care. In everyday parent language, that means play supports learning alongside children’s physical and emotional needs; education and care belong together.

In January 2023, communication and emotional development shaped activities across the age groups. Babies joined in songs through babbling and explored unfamiliar textures and tastes. Toddlers worked on a drawing of a favourite doll, while older children investigated floating and sinking through experiments they devised together. These examples show learning through conversation, investigation and practical experience, rather than a day organised solely around adult instructions.

Mathematics also had a sustained place in January 2023 learning, extending beyond counting to shape, space and measurement. Preschool children talked about subjects including skeletons and helicopters. For parents, the useful detail is the connection between children’s interests and what they were learning: everyday discussion gave children opportunities to explain ideas, use vocabulary and pursue questions.

Outdoor and Community Life

The gardens include growing areas where children can plant vegetables, then wash, cook and share what they harvest. This connects outdoor exploration with food preparation. Each age group has its own outdoor area, and direct access from every room makes the relationship between indoor and outdoor activity especially practical.

During January 2023, outdoor play included balancing, climbing ladders and using scooters and tricycles. Children also played in mud and puddles. The combination gave them opportunities to practise movement, judge physical challenges and enjoy messy play.

Indoors, a train room, puzzle room and reading den provide different settings for play. A sensory room is intended for calming experiences, while soft lighting and cosy areas feature in the main rooms. The family borrowing library extends access to books beyond the nursery day. These are useful differences for a child who enjoys active exploration but also needs quieter moments.

Relationships and Communication

Famly, the group-wide parent app included in Northenden’s fees, provides updates in real time. It gives families a practical connection with the nursery day rather than leaving communication entirely to conversations at collection.

In January 2023, families received ideas for continuing learning at home alongside communication about children’s development. Staff also worked with parents to introduce learning about children’s different backgrounds, including words from other languages. That made family knowledge part of the nursery’s activities, rather than treating each child’s home life as separate from learning.

Independence appeared in small routines during January 2023. Toddlers gathered clothing for outdoor play and persevered with changing their shoes; older children helped serve food to friends and negotiated turns. These are concrete examples of children practising everyday tasks and managing relationships, rather than independence being confined to a planned activity.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, describing staff who recognised concerns, escalated them and understood their responsibilities when allegations arose. Training was reinforced through team discussions and supervision, so the judgement rested on staff practice as well as written arrangements.

The current sensory room adds a physical option for calmer experiences. It is a useful feature to discuss in relation to an individual child’s needs, alongside how staff use the quieter spaces during a busy day.

Meals are cooked fresh each day, and meals and snacks cater for dietary needs. In January 2023, tooth brushing also formed part of children’s health routines.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 151 Longley Lane, Northenden, Manchester M22 4HY. Opening hours run from 7.30am until 6pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year; closures include bank holidays and a week at Christmas.

A Full Day runs from 8am to 5.30pm. Morning bookings run from 8am until 1pm, while Afternoon bookings cover 1pm to 6pm. Full Time is also listed with an 8am to 5.30pm session window, and an Adhoc Hourly Charge provides an hourly booking option.

Early Bird covers 7.30am to 8am and Late Bird covers 5.30pm to 6pm. These extensions matter when matching a booking to work hours: the opening window is longer than the Full Day session itself. Northenden can be contacted by telephone or email, and tours can be booked.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid sessions are offered. For private childcare, the group-wide inclusive fee arrangement shown for Northenden covers meals and snacks, formula, wipes, nappies and sun cream; sports activities and the Famly app are included too.

On days when early years funding is applied, meals, consumables and activities are charged separately. Those charges use different bands according to the number of funded hours that day. Families should obtain the nursery’s current written quotation for their proposed attendance pattern, with funded hours, private hours and additional charges separated.

• Match the session to your working day. Full Day ends at 5.30pm, whereas Afternoon ends at 6pm. Discuss the early and late extensions when choosing a booking pattern.
• Look closely at the quieter spaces. Northenden has a sensory room and reading den alongside substantial gardens. During a tour, ask how staff balance active play with rest and calmer experiences for your child.
• Separate funding from extras. Meals, consumables and activities attract additional charges on days with funding applied. A written quotation should make that distinction clear for your chosen sessions.

Kids Planet Northenden suits families seeking full-day care or shorter morning and afternoon attendance, with outdoor access built into the rooms’ layout. Vegetable growing, the family borrowing library and specialist indoor spaces give parents concrete reasons to consider it.

Its January 2023 Outstanding judgement adds a substantial, dated assessment of quality. The decision today turns on how the session windows fit family life and how a child would use the mix of gardens, active play and quieter spaces. Funded attendance also needs a clear understanding of the separate charges.