Kids Planet Carrington

A Victorian building, a garden firepit and The Hive, a quiet space with garden access, give Kids Planet Carrington a recognisable character. Outdoor cooking and community gardening sit alongside places to pause. That combination gives families something concrete to weigh beyond the nursery’s name.

At its May 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged its education Good and found safeguarding effective, while asking for stronger challenge for older children and more consistent support for communication. Those teaching priorities matter alongside the positive judgement. The setting accepts children from three months to five years and is based on Mansfield Road in Nottingham.

Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings provide different attendance patterns, with an early-start option alongside the main sessions.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care: learning through play sits alongside conversation, movement and growing independence. Carrington’s sensory areas, garden and cooking experiences give that work practical settings. Each room has a sensory area, while The Hive adds a quieter shared space rather than another age-based stage.

In May 2025, babies explored petals in mixtures and scented play dough containing mint and coriander. Toddlers used objects connected with a familiar story to discuss a hidden bear, while older children searched for insects. These examples connect language with things children can handle, smell and investigate, rather than making conversation a separate exercise.

The teaching caveats were specific. In May 2025, familiar stories sometimes became adult-led exchanges that gave preschool children too little opportunity to recall events or develop their own answers. Language support included signs, symbols and new vocabulary, but staff did not consistently extend toddlers’ speech appropriately. Families choosing care for an older child should give the balance between adult help and independent thinking real weight.

Outdoor and Community Life

The firepit brings food preparation into the garden. Children can toast marshmallows, prepare noodles and try toppings on toast; the same space supports stories and seasonal experiences with visitors. Cooking gives children a reason to take part in a shared task, with a tangible result at the end.

Regular visits to a nearby care home and community gardens extend the day beyond the nursery grounds. At the gardens, children tend a flower-growing patch, and regular food-bank collections introduce another practical way of helping others. These are modest, concrete community connections rather than an abstract lesson about kindness.

In May 2025, outdoor access was daily. Babies played in puddles, and older children used tricycles and balance bikes. Alongside quieter sensory exploration, those activities gave children opportunities to practise movement and coordination.

Relationships and Communication

The Hive can accommodate family stay-and-play sessions and small-group activities, as well as quieter time. Its direct garden access allows movement between the two spaces. For a child who needs a pause from busier activity, the physical arrangement is a useful part of the care offer.

In May 2025, babies sought familiar staff for comfort, and adults responded gently when children were upset or needed help with behaviour. Everyday independence was also visible: younger children washed their own hands, while older children practised using cutlery. Care included helping children do manageable things for themselves.

Settling sessions were adapted to families’ needs in May 2025. Regular meetings covered children’s development and next learning steps, with activities to continue at home; support also accompanied moves between rooms and the eventual move to school. Today, the group-wide Famly app is included in the fee and provides real-time updates, adding a day-to-day communication channel alongside those dated examples of personal contact.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those learning English as an additional language, received support shaped around their needs through work with parents and outside agencies. Weekly yoga was one example of funding being used to support physical development at that time.

The Hive currently has a stated use as a quiet space for children with SEND. That is a specific environmental provision, rather than a blanket assurance about every child’s support. Its combination of small-group use and garden access makes it a relevant feature for families considering how their child manages noise, activity and transitions.

Freshly prepared snacks and meals cater for dietary needs. Food is included within private fees, while funded attendance has a separate meal charge.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 315-317 Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG5 2DA. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks, with bank-holiday closure. The opening window is longer than the main full-day booking.

A Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm. Morning bookings cover 8am to 1pm, and Afternoon bookings run from 1pm to 6pm; Full Time also uses the 8am-to-6pm window. Early Bird covers 7.30am to 8am, so families needing that earlier start should distinguish it from the main day when budgeting. Ad hoc hourly and fully funded hourly bookings are also part of the attendance offer.

Branch enquiries can be made by telephone on 01159 691170 or by email at carrington@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. Tour booking is also offered.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and private hours are both offered. The charge structure separates care from food, supplies and activities on days when early years funding is applied. That distinction matters more than an all-inclusive headline when comparing the cost of different attendance patterns.

For private attendance, the group-wide inclusions cover snacks and meals, sun cream, formula, wipes and nappies, together with sports activities and the Famly parent app. On funded days, meals, consumables and activities are charged separately, with the charge band depending on the length of attendance. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Older children’s thinking. The May 2025 improvement priorities concerned independent thinking and extending communication. During a tour, ask how familiar stories now lead to children explaining ideas and answering for themselves.
• The early start. Main sessions begin at 8am, while Early Bird covers 7.30am to 8am. Families whose working day starts early should have that addition included in their quotation.
• Funded-day extras. Meals, supplies and activities attract separate charges on funded days. Compare a quotation for the attendance pattern you need, rather than assuming private-fee inclusions apply to funded care.
• Quiet space and individual care. The Hive supports quieter time and children with SEND, while meals cater for dietary needs. Use a visit to discuss how the space would work for your child and, where allergies matter, confirm current food-handling practice.

Kids Planet Carrington suits families considering either full-day care or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, especially those who value outdoor cooking, gardening and a quieter shared space. The Hive and firepit make the environment easy to picture; community visits add purpose beyond the nursery garden.

The Good judgement from May 2025 provides a positive inspection position, with clear teaching priorities attached. For older children, the quality of conversational challenge deserves attention. For funded attendance, the separate extras deserve equally careful budgeting.