Superkids Levenshulme

A Baby Room capped at six children, a garden with a mud kitchen and a Learning Intention board that connects nursery activities with home: Superkids Levenshulme has practical details that matter beyond its colourful room names. Within Levenshulme SureStart Centre, it combines a separate space for non-walking babies with opportunities for older children to grow, dig and become more independent.

Superkids accepts children from six months to five years and has capacity for 89 children across the setting. At the 22 February 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall, while identifying inconsistent delivery of the curriculum and insufficient links with other childcare settings children attended. Those findings give families a useful distinction between the planned learning and how reliably staff put it into practice.

Attendance spans paid nursery days and funded term-time mornings, with a minimum booking of two sessions on two days.

Rooms and Ages

Baby Room accommodates up to six non-walking babies in a space separate from the other nursery rooms, with direct outdoor access and an emphasis on early communication, movement and relationships. Progression depends on development: children generally move towards Yellow Room as walking becomes established, with the timing discussed with parents.

Yellow Room (Toddlers) serves walking babies and toddlers, using their interests to shape activities and supporting skills such as feeding themselves and pouring drinks, with learning continuing in the garden. Purple Room, for children aged two to three, emphasises speech, independence and early phonics, with a self-service snack bar and outdoor equipment including a sand pit and climbing equipment. Orange Room uses space shared with Sure Start when its parent groups are not using it, with school preparation and independent snack preparation among its priorities.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the statutory framework for early learning and care: children build communication, physical skills and relationships through play, alongside later learning in areas such as reading and mathematics. Superkids uses children's interests to plan their next steps, rather than treating the framework as a branded extra. In Purple Room, the Learning Intention board gives parents a concrete connection between activities at nursery and ways to continue them at home.

During February 2024, children helped choose subsequent activities through voting, discussed stories and encountered new vocabulary in their play. Babies explored cereal using a tray, cups and bowls, while older children practised counting and compared quantities. These examples show learning embedded in handling materials, conversation and choices, rather than confined to an adult-led task.

In February 2024, staff did not consistently understand the intended learning behind activities, limiting how effectively those activities supported children's next steps.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor spaces support more than running around. Purple Room has a growing area, a mud kitchen, climbing equipment, a small world area and a sand pit, bringing gardening, physical play and imagination into the same environment. Rainy weather also becomes part of the experience, with bug searches and puddle play. Children can explore textures and nature on a different scale from indoors.

Gardening, cooking and theatre trips are among the activities supported by the funded-day contribution, alongside an annual Graduation Party celebrating children moving on. The party gives families a shared milestone, while cooking and gardening offer practical experiences beyond the usual play materials.

Relationships and Communication

For babies joining Baby Room, settling starts with sessions spread over five days, with parents contributing their baby's routines and preferences. Families help decide the pace of settling and the later room transition, giving babies time to build familiarity.

Parents receive spoken baby updates and access an electronic learning journal and diary through an app. Purple Room's key person follows learning and communicates progress; preschool families can also attend formal meetings. Photos, observations and contributions from home connect nursery and family life.

During February 2024, babies and toddlers turned to familiar staff for reassurance, and adults used gentle voices to help them settle. Children practised sharing and taking turns, while toddlers carried their own lunch items to the table. Independence was built through manageable jobs, including coats, tidying and personal care.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its February 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND support effective, with parents and outside professionals working together to help children make continuing progress. That is a dated assessment of practice, rather than a promise about every child's future experience.

Sleep can follow individual needs in Yellow Room, rather than requiring every toddler to rest at the same time. During February 2024, staff sang to babies as they settled to sleep and helped children learn about handwashing and toothbrushing. These details connect care with the everyday routines children gradually learn to manage themselves.

In February 2024, 17 staff worked directly with children, and the team included practitioners with qualifications at levels two, three and six. This is an inspection-time staffing picture, separate from the current room arrangements and whole-nursery capacity.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Paid nursery days have two alternatives: 7.30am to 5pm or 8am to 6pm. Superkids operates across 50 weeks, with bank holiday and Christmas closures. The two paid-day windows allow families to choose between an earlier start and a later finish.

For children using 15 funded hours, the term-time morning pattern runs from 7.30am to 12.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The 30-hour funded pattern runs over three days, either 8am to 6pm or 7.30am to 5.30pm. Term-time-only attendance is offered for children taking 15 hours only or those aged over three. These conditions matter when matching childcare with work and school holidays.

At least two sessions must be booked across two days. Extra sessions require payment when booked, and sickness or holiday absence remains chargeable. Ending a place or reducing booked attendance requires at least one month's notice, so a changing work pattern can carry costs beyond the last day used.

Getting There

The address is 1 Broom Avenue, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 2UH, within Levenshulme Sure Start Centre. Access is via Broom Lane from the A6, followed by Broom Avenue; enquiries can be made through the contact form, by email or on 0161 312 7474.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both the 15 and 30 hour Government Funding entitlements are offered across 38 weeks. Families must apply and keep codes updated; a code does not guarantee a place.

For the 30-hour funded pattern, a voluntary daily contribution covers food, snacks, drinks and additional activities, so those items are charged separately from funded childcare. The contribution supports experiences including trips and the annual Graduation Party. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and the nursery fees and funding information explains the attendance structure.

A chef cooks meals on site each day, and all meals are vegetarian, with meat substitutes used in some dishes. The food introduces children to different tastes and textures.

School preparation includes working with local schools and sharing children's learning, so their next teachers can understand the skills they bring.

• Teaching behind the activity. Consistent curriculum delivery was an improvement point in February 2024. During a visit, ask how staff identify the intended learning in an activity and review whether it helped the child take their next step.
• A week across two settings. February 2024 also identified gaps in links with other childcare providers children attended. Families sharing care between settings should ask how learning information is exchanged and who takes responsibility for it.
• The funded-day contribution. The 30-hour arrangement includes a voluntary contribution covering food and additional experiences. Request a written breakdown of meals, activities and non-food supplies, including the arrangements if you decline that contribution.
• Moving beyond the small baby group. Baby Room has a six-child cap, and progression towards Yellow Room depends on walking and individual needs. Ask how settling sessions and the later room transition will work for your child.

Superkids Levenshulme suits families choosing between paid nursery days and funded term-time mornings, especially those who value a small initial baby group and substantial outdoor play. The Learning Intention board, daily feedback and electronic journal give parents practical ways to stay involved. Vegetarian food cooked on site is another clear part of the offer.

The February 2024 Good judgement sits alongside improvement points about teaching consistency and coordination with other settings. Those remain central considerations alongside the small Baby Room and outdoor provision.