Kids adVentures Salford

A bug hotel, growing areas and regular preschool outings to Kersal give Kids adVentures Salford an outdoor character close to Manchester city centre. Its base is The Angel Healthy Living Centre, where a café and GP surgery share the site. Garden exploration is part of the offer here, rather than something reserved for an occasional outing.

The nursery has capacity for 53 children and accepts ages from 3 to 60 months. At its February 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good, judged safeguarding effective and highlighted individual SEND planning as a strength. Those judgements belong to that visit; a later supervision-related regulatory outcome also matters when weighing the nursery today.

Morning, afternoon and full-day bookings sit alongside flexible attendance, with families able to begin with a half day or full day.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning and development, including communication, sensory exploration and growing independence. The February 2022 activities described below show what that meant in children's day. Here, natural resources add a concrete outdoor element. Outdoor natural resources also come indoors for projects, linking garden exploration with activities inside.

In February 2022, babies explored dough and different textures while adults introduced vocabulary connected with plants. Older children examined rosemary and practised descriptive words. These were small, tangible language experiences: something to touch and smell gave children a reason to use a new word, rather than simply repeat it.

At that time, toddlers and preschool children shared a combined room, with activities adjusted for different ages and abilities. Younger children could watch older peers, while older children had opportunities to manage more tasks independently. Bathroom access within that arrangement also allowed preschool children to take greater responsibility for their routines.

Outdoor and Community Life

The large garden includes a bug hotel and growing areas, with activities changed regularly. Those features give children concrete things to investigate: insects, plants and the materials around them. Forest school leaders are part of the Salford team and bring outdoor learning into activities at the nursery.

Preschool children make regular visits to the dedicated forest school space in Kersal. Forest school means learning outdoors in a natural setting; these visits include exploring the enclosed site and meeting its chickens.

Access to the garden is practical as well as educational. Every children's room is on the ground floor and has ground-level access outside, so the outdoor area connects directly with the rooms. The garden itself is enclosed. For children who use movement equipment, that layout deserves attention alongside the activities offered there.

Relationships and Communication

Settling begins with an hour-long induction, during which the key person starts getting to know the child and parents complete an all about me form. Dietary needs, sleep routines, interests and important people all feed into that introduction. Further sessions are adjusted to the child, including an extra session with a parent present when needed.

Independent settling sessions then build from one to three hours and include parts of the day such as meals and sleep. This gives families a way to introduce the actual daily routine gradually. Babies and younger children can also have a memory box containing familiar comfort items, such as a blanket or an item of a parent's clothing.

Room welcome packs contain photographs, routine information and introductions to the staff team. Quarterly parents evenings provide a scheduled opportunity to discuss development, while parents can request a separate meeting. Weekend news sent by email becomes part of the child's learning journey, helping staff connect experiences at home with their understanding of the child.

In February 2022, babies sought comfort from familiar adults after waking, and staff responded with cuddles before they returned to play. Staff also asked children's permission before personal care such as wiping faces or changing nappies.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO works with parents and key persons to identify where additional help may be needed. Parents contribute an initial assessment, followed by a staff assessment after four weeks; subsequent assessments take place every four months. Where support is needed, targeted interventions are set out in a plan rather than left as a general intention.

When external support is involved, plans are reviewed every six to eight weeks and agreed with parents. The nursery works with Salford local authority and has links with visiting speech and language support. Adjustments can include visual resources and changes to room layouts.

Physical access includes a ramp, double entrance doors and wide corridors and doorframes. Staff have paediatric first aid training, with an annual online refresher under the nursery's policy. Those are arrangements to understand alongside, rather than substitutes for, the dated safeguarding judgement.

Ofsted's outcome published on 9 February 2026 recorded that requirements had not been met at a regulatory visit on 2 February 2026, and that the nursery had acted to address supervision through revised procedures, risk assessments and staff training. The outcome records corrective action, rather than an unresolved action, but merits attention alongside the earlier recommendation to identify environmental hazards more promptly.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 1 St Philips Place, Salford, M3 6FA, within The Angel Healthy Living Centre. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with closure on bank holidays and for a week at Christmas. Enquiries go directly to the Salford nursery by telephone or email.

For private bookings, morning sessions run from 7.30am to 12.30pm, afternoons from 1pm to 6pm, and full days from 8am to 5.30pm. Early Bird and Late Collection options extend the edges of the full-day pattern. There is no booking limit, and a half day or full day can be the starting arrangement.

Funded options have their own patterns. These include short days from 8.30am to 4pm, full days from 8am to 5.30pm, and afternoon sessions from 12.30pm to 5.30pm. Longer funded days include an 8am to 6pm option. Attendance combinations depend on the entitlement and whether funding is taken during term time or stretched across the year; the funded afternoon starts earlier than the private afternoon.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both 15-hour and 30-hour funding entitlements are offered, with term-time arrangements over 38 weeks or stretched arrangements over 51 weeks. Additional private hours can be added to funded attendance. A deposit is required to confirm a booking, and monthly payments fall due on the first of the month.

For funded places, meals and snacks are charged separately through a supplement, as are consumables and resources. The supplement also covers activities, including forest school activities, detailed on the Salford fees page. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Moving on to School

The preschool room leader liaises with local teachers about children's development and gathers school photographs and information for families. A ready to school programme runs towards the end of the summer term, using teachers' advice about preparation. Parents can attend transition forums, and professionals already supporting a child can contribute to the information passed to the next setting.

• Supervision and environmental checks. The February 2026 outcome records revised procedures and training following regulatory concerns. In February 2022, minor hazards including accessible cords had also prompted an improvement recommendation. Ask how the updated checks and supervision arrangements operate during room changes and outdoor activities.
• Funded attendance has different timings. The funded afternoon runs from 12.30pm to 5.30pm, while the private afternoon runs from 1pm to 6pm. Compare the specific pattern and its separate food, consumables and activity charges against your working day.
• Settling and access. An induction, gradual independent sessions and familiar comfort items are part of settling. A booked visit is the opportunity to discuss your child's sleep routine and try the ground-floor layout and garden access with any equipment they use.

Kids adVentures Salford suits families choosing morning or afternoon sessions as well as full days, with outdoor learning an important part of their child's experience. The bug hotel, growing areas and Kersal visits give that offer substance. Individual settling and structured support planning add practical reasons to consider it. The Good judgement dates from 2022; the later supervision outcome deserves a direct conversation alongside the nursery's learning and care arrangements.