Kids Planet Donisthorpe

Fairy villages, den building and a mud kitchen give Kids Planet Donisthorpe a clear outdoor character. Its large garden sits within the National Forest, while spacious, open-plan interiors provide room for play inside. These are practical attractions for families whose children enjoy making, exploring and getting messy.

The nursery has 93 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. At its 16 August 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good, found safeguarding effective and recognised support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. That dated judgement needs to be read alongside the later regulatory position: June 2026 brought actions concerning preschool behaviour support and the funded attendance entitlement of children receiving inclusion funding through an EHCP.

Attendance choices include mornings, afternoons, short days and full days. The variety matters, but the care arrangements and later actions deserve equal attention when deciding whether this setting fits your child.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, it means that play, conversation and everyday care form part of learning, rather than education being confined to a separate lesson. Donisthorpe's current offer includes imaginative outdoor play: children make fairy villages, experiment with pretend potions and build dens. Those activities give children something to construct, discuss and change as their ideas develop.

Indoors, children use rooms organised by age, with teaching spaces refreshed through a makeover. The open-plan layout is a substantial part of the setting's character. Age grouping allows activities to be adapted to children's stage of development; it should not be read as a statement about the number of children sharing a room.

In August 2024, children investigated citrus fruit by smelling, tasting and squeezing it, then picking out seeds. This was a concrete example of sensory exploration combined with hand movements. Another outdoor game prompted children to fetch water using jugs and teapots from a dispenser. The activity gave them a practical problem to solve, rather than a sequence of instructions to follow.

Outdoor and Community Life

The National Forest setting and large garden are the strongest physical features here. Den building and the mud kitchen make the outdoor offer more tangible than a general promise of fresh air: children can create spaces and invent games around materials and pretend ingredients.

During August 2024, outdoor play also included wheeled toys, jumping and running around obstacles. These experiences involved movement and judging space around other children. The current garden and imaginative activities establish the outdoor offer today; the examples from that visit show how children used outdoor opportunities at that time.

Relationships and Communication

Each child's relationship with their key person is central to the current care approach. That gives families a recognisable relationship around their child's interests and needs, rather than treating care as simply a room allocation. The group-wide Famly app, included in the branch's fee package, provides updates during the day.

Communication deserves more than an app notification. In August 2024, some parents did not receive sufficiently clear explanations of learning, the next steps or ways to help at home. Improving that exchange was an explicit development point. For families, the distinction is useful: information about what a child did and an explanation of what they are learning serve different purposes.

Daily routines were another development point that month. Nappy changes sometimes interrupted play, and waiting for adult direction at meals could leave children restless. The issue concerned how care and learning fitted together, rather than whether those routines should happen. It is a relevant consideration for children who find waiting or changes of activity difficult.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The June 2026 position is material. Following a regulatory visit on 16 June 2026, Ofsted issued actions due by 1 July 2026 requiring consistent behaviour guidance, especially in preschool, and the full funded-hours entitlement for children receiving inclusion funding because of an EHCP. This is the latest published position as at 7 October 2026; the deadline alone does not establish completion.

School preparation also formed part of daily practice in August 2024. Staff supported children towards the move to school, while older children helped put resources away and talked about friends they would miss. These examples connect preparation with independence and relationships, rather than implying any admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 48 Hill Street, Donisthorpe, Swadlincote, DE12 7PL. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks, with bank holidays closed.

The Full Day runs from 7.30am to 6pm; Morning is 7.30am to 1pm, and Afternoon is 1pm to 5pm. Short Day covers 9am to 3pm. Two further options run from 7.30am to 3pm and from 9am to 1pm, while Full Time uses the 7.30am to 6pm window. Ad-hoc hourly care is also part of the charging structure. These are different booking choices, so families can assess the actual start and finish that matches their routine.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01530 274 462 or by email to donisthorpe@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. Tours can be booked through the nursery.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, and the nursery accepts Tax-Free Childcare payments and childcare vouchers. Private care and fully funded hours are separate parts of the charging structure. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

The group-wide package used here includes freshly prepared food and snacks within private fees, along with formula, nappies, sun cream and wipes. On days using early years funding, meals, consumables and activities are charged separately, with the charging category linked to the funded hours used that day. This distinction matters: an inclusive private fee does not mean that the same items are included when funding is applied.

• June 2026 actions. The actions due on 1 July 2026 covered behaviour guidance, especially in preschool, and full funded attendance for children receiving inclusion funding through an EHCP. Ask what changes have been made and what subsequent confirmation the nursery can provide.
• Learning updates and routines. August 2024 identified weaknesses in explaining development to parents and interruptions around care routines. During a tour, ask for an example of a learning update and how play continues around nappy changes and meals.
• Funding-day charges. Meals, activities and consumables carry separate charges on days using funding. Request a written quotation for your chosen sessions that distinguishes funded care, private hours and these extras.

Kids Planet Donisthorpe suits families considering morning or afternoon sessions as well as short-day and full-day attendance, especially where a large garden and imaginative outdoor play appeal. Its National Forest setting, den building and mud kitchen give the offer a recognisable character.

The June 2026 actions make behaviour support and EHCP-related funded attendance central to the decision. Families should weigh the attractive environment and attendance choices alongside a clear account of the response to those actions.