Kids Planet Weston-Super-Mare

A quiet Martindale Road address and a practical emphasis on play give Kids Planet Weston-Super-Mare its character. This is the former Little Bears Day Nursery, caring for children from birth to five, with 53 places in total. At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall.

The most revealing details are small ones: babies experimenting with bubbles, children choosing musical instruments, and a finger gym used for activities that exercise little hands. These were features of daily life in September 2022, rather than a description of today’s timetable. Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings now give families different ways to use the nursery.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care: in everyday language, learning sits alongside play, conversation and care routines. The nursery’s September 2022 activities illustrated how that can work. Children handled dough with tools and threaded pasta, exercising the hand and arm movements used in early writing. The finger gym was a resource for this practical work, rather than a formal lesson.

Music also gave children choices. In September 2022, they selected songs and instruments, while babies moved to the rhythm. Poetry and singing created opportunities to listen and join in. A shared tidying song marked the change between activities, giving children a familiar cue rather than relying entirely on adult instructions.

Bubble play brought another kind of exploration. During September 2022, babies chased bubbles and tried blowing them, with adults talking about their actions. The detail matters: an ordinary play experience became an opportunity for language and experimentation. Adults followed what interested the children and extended the activity from there.

Outdoor and Community Life

The current offer includes the group-wide outdoor-learning approach, with wildlife exploration, vegetable growing and active play among its examples. These give outdoor time a purpose beyond exercise, bringing observation and practical tasks into children’s play. Sports activities are also included in the paid-fee offer.

Learning spaces are refreshed as children’s needs develop. Together with the outdoor emphasis, that gives families a setting organised around resources and experiences.

Relationships and Communication

In September 2022, settling arrangements began with information from parents about their child’s routines and interests. Staff used that knowledge in practical ways: water play and outdoor activities helped children who enjoyed them make the separation from home. Parents received updates during the day, keeping them involved while their children became familiar with nursery life.

The current group-wide Famly app provides real-time updates for parents. It offers a practical connection with the nursery day, especially for families who want information while they are elsewhere. That communication sits alongside the nursery’s direct telephone and email contact routes.

Care routines also allowed children some agency in September 2022. When an older child wanted to finish playing before a nappy change, a sand timer marked the remaining time. Handwashing, nose-blowing and disposing of tissues gave children manageable responsibilities. These are small steps towards doing things independently, embedded in ordinary care.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, support adapted so children with SEND could participate in musical activities, and settling arrangements responsive to families. During that month, staff also worked with parents to review healthcare plans and understand treatment arrangements. For a child needing individual care, the useful detail is the connection between family information and daily practice.

Controlled access is part of the current building arrangements. This describes the entry system; the safeguarding judgement above belongs to its inspection date.

Two improvement points accompanied the September 2022 judgement. Younger children sometimes waited for meals without suitable learning activities, and individual staff supervision meetings needed greater attention. Both concern the consistency of everyday provision: what happens between planned activities, and how practitioners receive support to develop their work.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at 8 Martindale Road, Weston-Super-Mare, BS22 8QE. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks of the year. This opening window is longer than the standard full-day booking.

Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm; Morning is 8am to 1pm, and Afternoon is 1pm to 6pm. A Full Time booking also uses the 8am to 6pm day. Early Bird options cover 7.30am to 8am or 7.45am to 8am, allowing an earlier start alongside the main session. The distinction matters when matching childcare to working hours: an early opening does not make that time part of the standard full day.

Telephone contact is through 01934 642 261, with email at WestonSuperMare@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. Families can also use the tour-booking and application routes.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and private paid sessions are offered. Meals and snacks are included in private fees, as are wipes, nappies, sun cream and formula milk. These inclusions reduce the items families need to pack and account for separately.

On days when early years funding is applied, meals, consumables and activities carry separate charges. Half-day, short-day and full-day charge bands apply on funded days. This is an important distinction from the private-fee inclusions, because a funded booking can still produce a bill for these categories.

Late collection and late payment also attract charges. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation, which should distinguish paid attendance from the extras attached to funded days.

Getting There

The setting sits on a quiet street, close to bus routes, the railway station and main road connections. That gives families several transport options when planning regular attendance.

• Mealtimes and staff support. September 2022 improvement points concerned learning while younger children waited to eat and individual staff supervision. On a tour, ask how waiting time is organised and how practitioners receive individual support today.
• Funded-day costs. Meals, consumables and activities are charged separately on days using funding. Request a written quotation for your intended sessions that separates these categories from any privately paid hours.
• Early starts. The standard full day begins at 8am, while Early Bird bookings begin at 7.30am or 7.45am. Make the earlier option explicit when discussing your attendance pattern.

Kids Planet Weston-Super-Mare suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day attendance, with earlier starts available through Early Bird bookings. Private-fee inclusions and Famly updates add practical convenience.

Its September 2022 daily-life examples give the review substance: musical choices, exploratory bubble play and hands-on preparation for writing. The accompanying improvement points deserve attention when assessing current practice. For funded attendance, the decisive financial detail is the separate treatment of meals, consumables and activities, rather than assuming the private-fee inclusions apply unchanged.