Kids Planet Meadows

A farmstead setting surrounded by Northumbrian countryside gives Kids Planet Meadows a clear identity. At Crook Hill Farm in Stocksfield, the physical setting makes nature a useful part of the nursery’s character, rather than simply a theme for indoor activities. For families who value outdoor exploration, that is the strongest reason to look closely.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 2 December 2021 inspection, finding that its curriculum supported children’s progress. Meadows has capacity for 92 children aged 0 to 60 months. That is a whole-nursery figure, rather than the size of any child’s daily group.

Attendance includes full-day bookings and ad hoc hourly care. The practical distinction is useful: families can consider a day-long pattern or additional hours, rather than treating the opening window as the only way to attend.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care: play, conversation and practical experiences help children build skills. The important question is how those experiences connect as children grow. At Meadows, the December 2021 examples showed physical development feeding into later writing, and everyday tasks becoming opportunities to practise independence.

In December 2021, toddlers worked on movements that developed their shoulders, while older children used digit dancing, an activity involving controlled arm movements and writing patterns. The connection was concrete: children practised larger movements before applying greater control to pencil use. This gives parents a useful example of learning that starts with the body rather than a worksheet.

Problem-solving also featured in December 2021. Children in the school room built an elevated train track, experimenting with a bridge and supports until the structure held together. They adjusted what they were doing as they worked. For a child who enjoys construction, this is a recognisable example of persistence being practised through play.

Outdoor and Community Life

In December 2021, children gathered grass for guinea pigs and discussed vegetables growing in the garden. Older children used branches to make a den in the windy woods, learning how to carry them safely. These were different kinds of outdoor experience: caring for animals, noticing food growing and handling materials for a shared project.

The current outdoor offer includes the group-wide practice of exploring wildlife, cultivating vegetables and active play. The farmstead surroundings give that offer a clear physical context. The strongest parent appeal is the combination of space, movement and things to investigate, rather than a promise of a particular outdoor programme.

At the December 2021 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and babies well supported, while identifying a need for more opportunities for children in the early years room to speak and for better management of staff workloads. Both improvement points matter: children need time to contribute, and the adults responsible for knowing them well need manageable responsibilities.

In December 2021, the baby room used larger boxes for pulling up and climbing in and out, alongside songs and frequent conversation. The physical arrangement gave babies opportunities to move for themselves. Staff also used playful interaction, including peekaboo, to engage the youngest children.

Relationships had practical substance in December 2021. Staff knew their key children and discussed current activities and next learning steps with parents through daily conversations and review meetings. However, experienced practitioners were taking responsibility for additional key children while newer colleagues trained, increasing their workload. That qualification belongs alongside the positive account of communication.

Independence extended into meals and dressing in December 2021. Toddlers practised using cutlery and pouring drinks; children in the school room served food for themselves and dressed for outdoor play. These small tasks made care routines part of learning, giving children repeated opportunities to do more for themselves.

The December 2021 team included 24 childcare staff, with seven holding qualifications at level 6 or above. Those figures describe the team at that time. Today, the group-wide Famly app provides real-time updates as part of Meadows’ fee package, offering parents another way to follow their child’s day.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Crook Hill Farm, Stocksfield, Northumberland, NE43 7UX. Meadows opens Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, across 51 weeks of the year. Full Day and Full Time bookings run from 7.30am to 6pm; ad hoc hourly care is also offered. Hourly care gives a different booking option, although it should not be read as a guarantee that any requested hour can be accommodated.

For direct enquiries, families can telephone 01661 842 424 or email meadows@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid care are offered. The distinction between their charge structures matters more than the all-inclusive description alone: private fees include food and everyday supplies, whereas days using early years funding carry separate meal, consumables and activity charges.

Freshly prepared snacks and meals are included in private fees, with dietary needs catered for; food is charged separately on days when funding is applied. Private fees also include wipes, nappies, sun cream and formula milk, while consumables attract a separate charge on funded days.

Activity charges also apply on funded days, and the charge category depends on the length of funded attendance. Families combining private and funded care therefore need to consider the whole booking, rather than assuming the funded hours describe the entire bill. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Conversation time. The December 2021 improvement point concerned opportunities for children in the early years room to contribute their thoughts. On a tour, ask how practitioners make space for quieter children during shared activities.
• Key-person responsibilities. In December 2021, established staff carried additional key children while colleagues trained. Ask how responsibilities are allocated now and who maintains continuity when your child’s key person is away.
• Funded-day extras. Meals, consumables and activities are charged separately on days using funding. Request a written quotation for your proposed mix of hourly or full-day attendance so the total commitment is clear.
• Your child’s daily group. The nursery has 92 places in total. During a booked tour, ask about the group your child would join and how its routines accommodate their stage of development.

Meadows suits families drawn to a countryside setting, whether they book Full Day sessions or use Adhoc Hourly Charge for care by the hour. The farmstead location gives outdoor exploration a strong practical appeal, while the December 2021 examples show how movement, construction and everyday independence contributed to learning.

The decision deserves attention to care as well as setting: conversation time and key-person workloads were the material improvement points in December 2021. For families using funding, the separate charges for food, supplies and activities are also central to judging whether the proposed attendance pattern works financially.