Kids Planet Eccles

Mint for sensory play and carrots for a cooking club give Kids Planet Eccles a practical connection between growing food and using it. Its vegetable and herb garden is more than outdoor space: children can plant, pick and explore where ingredients come from. Regular park and library trips extend that learning beyond the nursery.

At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with children making good progress overall. That judgement provides a useful foundation, alongside improvement points about staff language and the consistency of teaching.

The nursery has capacity for 96 children, accepting ages 0 to 60 months. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings give families different ways to organise attendance.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, that connects play and conversation with physical development and learning about the world. It is the common foundation for nursery education; the garden gives Eccles a concrete way to put those experiences into practice.

Growing Little Green Fingers involves children in planting and harvesting in the vegetable and herb garden. Handling plants, following their growth and using produce connect several experiences that might otherwise sit apart. Mint becomes something to explore through the senses, while carrots have a place in the cooking club. Food has a story before it reaches the plate.

In September 2022, activities were planned around children's interests and the skills staff wanted them to acquire. Assessment informed what came next. Songs, stories and conversations with friends formed part of the day, giving children different opportunities to listen and contribute.

In September 2022, teaching was uneven and staff monitoring had weaknesses; practitioners sometimes used incorrect vocabulary that children then copied. These were practical concerns: some activities did not consistently develop the intended skills, and adult language was not always the model children needed.

Outdoor and Community Life

Spacious outdoor areas support daily physical activity. The garden adds planting and harvesting to that outdoor offer, while regular visits to nearby parks and the library take children into the surrounding community. For families who value experiences beyond an indoor playroom, those are useful parts of the nursery's character.

In September 2022, children used low-level garden equipment for climbing and tools for mixing messy materials. They also cut flowers and herbs before working them into play dough. These activities combined larger movements with careful hand work, giving children opportunities to practise coordination and dexterity through play.

Community outings were also part of life in September 2022. Park visits brought opportunities to explore nature, and library visits connected children with another local place for learning. The current regular outings retain that connection between nursery life and the neighbourhood.

Relationships and Communication

Famly, the group-wide parent app, provides real-time updates at Eccles. It gives parents a connection with the nursery day rather than leaving every exchange until collection.

In September 2022, staff gathered information about children's experiences at home and used it to shape nursery experiences. Parents received updates and suggestions for supporting learning, while take-home learning boxes and story bags gave families something concrete to share. Communication included activities parents could use, as well as news about the day.

Babies' first birthdays received attention in September 2022, with celebrations and photographs for families to keep. This was a small example of staff recognising milestones that mattered to parents. It also illustrated the connection between a child's home life and their nursery experiences.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In September 2022, songs and stories helped children explore feelings, and conversations about moving to school included excitement and fear. School preparation therefore included talking about change, rather than concentrating only on new skills. Staff also used resources reflecting the cultural backgrounds of children attending.

The team employed 19 childcare staff in September 2022, and all staff had paediatric first-aid training at that time. These are dated details about the team then, rather than a description of today's staffing.

Freshly prepared snacks and meals cater for dietary needs. For families balancing feeding routines with nursery attendance, food provision is part of the practical offer; its treatment within private fees and funded bookings is explained below.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 15 Half Edge Lane, Eccles, Manchester, M30 9AY, near Eccles Town Centre and Salford Royal Hospital. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks of the year, with bank holidays closed.

A Full Day runs from 7am to 6pm. Morning bookings run from 7am to 1pm, and Afternoon bookings from 1pm to 6pm. Full Time is also a booking option using the 7am to 6pm window. The morning and afternoon choices matter for families whose childcare needs occupy only part of the working day.

Ad-hoc hourly care is charged at a higher rate than regular bookings. That makes the distinction between a recurring pattern and occasional additional care relevant when comparing costs. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0161 789 1159 or by email at eccles@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk, and tours can be booked.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid care are offered. Private fees include meals and snacks, together with formula, wipes, sun cream and nappies; sports activities and the parent app are also included. This reduces the everyday items families need to organise separately.

On days when early years funding is applied, meals, consumables and activities are charged separately. The charge structure changes with the hours of funding used that day, so the all-inclusive private offer should be considered separately from a funded booking. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Language and teaching. September 2022 brought improvement points about accurate adult vocabulary and more effective monitoring of staff practice. During a tour, ask how staff interactions are supported and reviewed now, especially if communication development is a priority for your child.
• Garden and cooking. Growing Little Green Fingers connects planting and picking with sensory experiences and the cooking club. Ask how your child's age group takes part so you can judge how this outdoor offer fits their interests.
• Funded-day extras. Meals, consumables and activities carry separate charges on days using early years funding. A written quotation should distinguish those charges from privately paid hours, allowing you to compare the total cost of your intended pattern.

Kids Planet Eccles suits families seeking either full-day attendance or morning and afternoon sessions, with gardening and community outings as part of the experience. Its strongest practical detail is the connection between growing ingredients, sensory exploration and cooking. The September 2022 Good judgement gives useful context, while the language and teaching improvement points deserve attention when assessing the nursery today. Funded-day extras also need to be understood alongside the inclusive private fees.