Kids Planet Sherwood

A large garden and a characterful older building give Kids Planet Sherwood a clear identity. Outdoor space is a practical part of the offer: play equipment gives children room to move and material for imaginative games. The setting cares for children aged 2–60 months at Private Road in Sherwood, Nottingham.

At its March 2026 inspection, Ofsted awarded a Strong standard for behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines, with Expected standard judgements for achievement, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance; safeguarding standards were met. These are separate judgements, rather than an overall grade. The strongest assessment concerns how children participate in the day and manage its familiar routines.

Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks of the year. For parents, the combination of substantial outdoor space and established daily routines is the main attraction, while the next steps for teaching older children deserve attention.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that means supporting communication, movement, relationships and independence through play and practical experiences, rather than treating learning as a separate lesson timetable.

In March 2026, stories, conversation and hands-on investigation supplied concrete examples of that work. Toddlers explored the Gruffalo story with staff, identifying its animal characters. Babies heard words about volume and size while transferring water between containers. Both activities connect language to something children can see or do, making the learning less abstract.

Independence developed through small tasks at the same date. Babies practised eating for themselves, toddlers helped serve food, and preschool children poured drinks. These experiences give children a part to play in their own care. Preparation for moving between rooms and eventually starting school was grounded in those everyday abilities, alongside learning to cooperate with other children.

There were also clear limits to the teaching in March 2026. Adults sometimes supplied preschool children with a solution too quickly, including during an activity involving animals trapped in ice. Some activities led by adults were insufficiently matched to children's development or intended learning, and children's attention drifted. The practical distinction matters: engaging materials need thoughtful adult interaction if older children are to do the thinking themselves.

Outdoor and Community Life

Sherwood's large garden supplies space for exploration as well as energetic play. Its equipment and scope for imaginative activity make the outdoor environment a substantial part of the setting's physical offer, rather than a small addition to the indoor day.

In March 2026, children could choose indoor or outdoor play, investigate insects with magnifying glasses and shape faces from clay outside. Climbing gave older children opportunities to keep trying when a movement was difficult. The examples connect outdoor activity with observation, hand control and persistence, rather than reducing it to exercise alone.

Relationships and Communication

In March 2026, staff responded to distress with close attention and physical reassurance, while children formed attachments to their key person. Toddlers sought the comfort of familiar adults during stories. For a parent considering a first separation, these are useful examples of how relationships worked in practice at that date.

Daily routines also supported growing independence in March 2026. Older children needed little help to wash their hands before eating, and staff used consistent expectations to help children share resources and take turns. Familiar sequences can make a busy nursery day easier for children to understand: they know what comes next and gradually take more responsibility within it.

Famly, the parent app, provides updates in real time as part of the group-wide offer used here. In March 2026, communication also included activity bags for families to use at home and explanations of how parents could support development. That gives home learning a concrete starting point, rather than leaving parents with a general instruction to practise skills.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that children needing additional support made progress, with a dedicated SEND coordinator, individual learning plans and agency updates helping staff tailor activities to children's needs. This is a dated finding about the support mechanisms and their effect, rather than a promise about every child's future experience.

In March 2026, staff monitored development to identify additional needs and used communication resources, including signing. They also checked sleeping babies and helped children recognise and discuss emotions through patient conversations. Health professionals had contributed to staff learning about oral care, and families received tooth-cleaning materials. Care extended beyond comfort to practical routines around rest, communication and health.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 2 Private Road, Sherwood, Nottingham, NG5 4DB. Sherwood opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm, across 52 weeks. Bank holidays and Christmas are closure periods. These hours provide the outer boundaries for planning a working day; the holiday closures still need to fit the family's arrangements.

Telephone and email enquiries go directly to the Sherwood team, and tours can be booked. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered here. Funding and private childcare are separate parts of the cost picture, so the written quotation should make clear which attendance is funded and which is paid for privately.

The group-wide inclusive fee offer used at Sherwood covers sun cream, formula, wipes and nappies, alongside meals and snacks; sports activities and the parent app are also included. Freshly prepared food is provided, with dietary needs catered for. For families comparing paid childcare, the useful point is the breadth of everyday items covered by the fee, rather than the childcare hours alone.

• Older children's thinking. The March 2026 next steps called for teaching that extends older children's learning more consistently and clearer intentions for activities led by adults. During a tour, ask for an example of how staff now give preschool children time to solve a problem before intervening.
• Garden use. The large garden is a central attraction, and March 2026 examples included insect investigation, clay work and climbing. A visit is a useful opportunity to discuss how outdoor experiences are adapted for your child's stage.
• Your attendance and funding agreement. Opening spans 7.30am–6pm, with bank holiday and Christmas closures. Ask for a written agreement covering the attendance pattern, funded hours and the treatment of meals and consumables during those hours, so the arrangement fits both work and household budgeting.

Kids Planet Sherwood suits families who value outdoor space, practical independence and close everyday relationships with staff. Its garden gives those priorities a physical setting, while the March 2026 examples show how children practised helping themselves, exploring materials and joining familiar routines.

The balance is clearest for parents of older children: there is worthwhile activity to build on, but the March 2026 teaching next steps remain an important part of the decision. Families whose work fits the weekday opening window have a useful starting point for considering Sherwood, with holiday closures and the individual attendance agreement shaping the practical fit.