Kids Planet Gables

A converted bungalow, naturally lit learning spaces and an all-weather play area give Kids Planet Gables a recognisable character. This Rochdale nursery combines a domestic-scale building with space for children to play indoors and outside, making the surroundings an important part of its appeal. It accepts children from 3 months to 5 years and has 49 places in total.

At its 19 December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. That judgement belongs to the setting then operating as Fisherfield Childcare at the same Bagslate Moor Road address. The current name is Kids Planet Gables.

The strongest practical distinction is the choice between full days, mornings and afternoons. These are separate booking patterns, rather than simply an early opening and a late closing time. Families can match attendance to a shorter working day as well as a longer one.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for learning, development and care: children build skills through play, conversation and everyday experiences. It is the starting point for the nursery's educational provision. The useful detail lies in what children actually do within it.

In December 2022, babies and younger children investigated dough through touch and movement. Kneading gave them opportunities to develop hand strength and coordination, while adults talked alongside their play, introducing vocabulary through an activity the children were already interested in. This connected physical exploration with early communication rather than treating them as separate lessons.

The December 2022 day also combined activities organised by adults with play children chose themselves, inside and outdoors. Adults stayed nearby to help children extend their exploration. However, larger group activities sometimes left children unable to take a full part. That distinction matters: an appealing activity needs an organisation that enables the children present to participate.

Outdoor and Community Life

An all-weather play area supports outdoor play at the current nursery. Alongside the bungalow's naturally lit interiors, it gives families a concrete picture of the environment, rather than an abstract promise about learning spaces.

In December 2022, children recalled forest school sessions involving tree climbing and exploring nature. Here, outdoor learning meant practical encounters with the natural world. Their enthusiasm for those experiences added a different dimension to the indoor activities.

Meg and Mog, the nursery's pet snails in December 2022, brought animal care into children's play. Feeding and tending them gave children a practical responsibility and opportunities to consider another living creature's needs. Small experiences carried useful lessons.

Relationships and Communication

In December 2022, staff learnt about children's home routines and care needs before adapting nursery care to those familiar patterns. For a young child, that makes the connection between home and nursery concrete: adults need to understand what is familiar, rather than expect the child to adjust to an entirely different routine immediately.

Home learning had a specific form in December 2022. The challenges of the week were tasks families completed at home to extend children's learning. They gave parents something practical to do with their child, connecting nursery experiences with family time. Staff also shared ideas with parents about supporting learning beyond the nursery day.

Famly provides real-time updates as part of the current group-wide offering at Gables. This gives parents a way to keep in touch with their child's day while they are elsewhere. It complements the more personal conversations needed about routines and care.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, made good progress, and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. Activities were adapted to children's interests and stages of development, giving the judgement a practical basis rather than leaving inclusion as a general assurance.

In December 2022, children practised independence by managing their coats and belongings. Handwashing was encouraged, but adults did not consistently explain its purpose or the right moments to do it. The improvement needed was therefore about children's understanding, alongside the routine itself.

Fresh meals and snacks form part of the current group-wide offering at Gables, with dietary needs catered for. Their treatment in the bill differs between privately paid attendance and days receiving early years funding, so the financial distinction deserves attention alongside the food itself.

Sessions and Attendance

Gables opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. It closes on bank holidays and for a week at Christmas. Families planning care across the year need to allow for those breaks.

The booking choices are specific: Full Day runs from 7.30am to 6pm, Morning from 7.30am to 1pm, and Afternoon from 1pm to 6pm. Full Time is also a named pattern with the 7.30am to 6pm window. The shorter sessions make this more than a nursery for families seeking the longest possible day.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01706 352 000 or by email at gables@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. These are direct contacts for Gables.

Getting There

The address is 34 Bagslate Moor Road, Norden, Rochdale, OL11 5XT. On-site parking gives families a practical option when travelling by car, and the nursery has motorway links.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid attendance are both offered. For private attendance, the group-wide inclusive fee offering at Gables covers snacks and meals, plus formula milk, wipes, nappies and sun cream. Sports activities and the Famly parent app are also included in that offering.

On days when early years funding is applied, meals, consumables and activities are charged separately. The charge structure distinguishes between attendance lengths. Families using funding therefore need to consider the whole bill alongside the childcare hours covered, especially when comparing a morning or afternoon with a full day.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The important decision is how the chosen attendance pattern, funding and additional charges fit together for the family's actual booking.

• Participation and hygiene. The December 2022 improvement points concerned children's involvement in group activities and their understanding of handwashing. During a tour, ask how group sessions now include each child and how staff explain hygiene routines.
• Funded-day costs. Meals, activities and consumables attract separate charges on days receiving early years funding. Request a written quotation for the exact morning, afternoon or full-day pattern you intend to use.
• Starting with a baby. Children can join from 3 months, and care in December 2022 was adapted to familiar home routines. A booked tour is a useful opportunity to ask how the youngest children are grouped and how their feeding and rest routines will be accommodated.

Kids Planet Gables suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with on-site parking and an all-weather outdoor space adding practical value. The converted bungalow gives the setting a clear physical identity.

The December 2022 judgement provides a positive inspection position, while its group-participation and handwashing improvement points remain useful questions for a visit. Funding also needs careful costing: the inclusive private fee and the separately charged extras on funded days are different arrangements. For families whose preferred sessions fit those terms, Gables merits consideration.