Kids Planet Higher Broughton

A preschool roof terrace and a quieter sensory room give the former police station on Park Lane more than one kind of space for childhood. Kids Planet Higher Broughton combines large rooms with outdoor access for each age group, while its sensory provision offers somewhere to step back from busier play. That contrast is its strongest practical attraction: movement and quieter experiences both have a place.

The nursery has capacity for 160 children, accepting ages from 3 to 60 months. This is the whole setting’s capacity, rather than the size of an individual group. At its 23 August 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall, with an improvement point about making routines, especially snack times, more consistent.

Full days, mornings, afternoons and a shorter daytime option give families several attendance patterns. The detail matters as much as the opening hours.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children’s learning, development and care: play, conversation and everyday experiences contribute to learning alongside personal care. Here, children’s interests help shape activities, giving practitioners a starting point for engaging children rather than treating their interests as separate from learning.

In August 2022, conversation was a clear thread through the day. Staff used natural objects gathered from the garden to introduce vocabulary and extend discussions. Questions built on children’s existing knowledge. For a parent, the useful detail is how language was woven into something children could handle and examine, rather than confined to a separate language activity.

Practical exploration also featured in August 2022. Older children combined ingredients in imaginative mixtures, while younger children explored paint through movement across the floor. These were different ways into hands-on learning, matched to children’s interests and stages. Conversations about dental visits connected health education with experiences children recognised, helping them talk through what a visit might involve.

Outdoor and Community Life

Large rooms open directly onto outdoor play spaces for the different age groups. Preschool children also have their own roof-terrace playground. Outdoor access therefore belongs to the building’s layout, with an additional space specifically for the oldest children.

Celebrating Everyone uses changing displays and faith boxes in reception to represent the cultures and beliefs of nursery families. Festivals and traditions provide material for learning about other people. These displays make that work tangible, giving children objects and representations to discuss rather than leaving inclusion as an abstract message.

In August 2022, children were learning about cultural differences and similarities through celebrations. Staff also encouraged children to wait for turns and consider one another’s feelings. Together, those experiences linked learning about others with the small social demands of sharing a nursery day.

Space to Soothe is the nursery’s sensory room, designed for tactile exploration, quieter time and individual or small-group activities. Its value is specific: a child who benefits from reduced bustle has a separate space for a different kind of experience. It should be considered alongside the active outdoor areas, rather than as a substitute for them.

At the August 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged that support for children with identified additional needs, including SEND, had helped them progress and prepare for their next stage. Those are dated judgements, not a promise about an individual child’s experience now.

Personal care in August 2022 included asking children about their readiness for a nappy change and supporting older children to use the bathroom independently. Staff comforted upset children, and children approached familiar adults for help. These details show how care and growing independence were handled together during that period.

Training plans were in place in August 2022, and staff reported manageable workloads and support from leaders. Families also had information about children’s progress and any additional help. Today, the group-wide Famly app provides real-time updates at this branch, giving parents a communication channel alongside conversations with staff.

Meals and snacks are freshly prepared, and mealtimes introduce flavours and textures from different cuisines. This brings trying unfamiliar foods into a shared part of the day.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Old Police Station, Park Lane, Salford, M7 4HT, on the corner with Bury New Road. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks; bank holidays are closures.

Full Day and Full Time run from 7.30am to 6.30pm. Morning runs from 7.30am to 1pm, and Afternoon from 1pm to 6.30pm. Short Day is 9am to 3pm, offering a different fit for families whose care needs sit within the middle of the day.

Top Up AM and Top Up PM use the morning and afternoon windows respectively. Early Bird is a separate 7am to 7.30am option, rather than the nursery’s standard opening window. Hourly charging options also sit alongside the named sessions. A morning, a short day and a full day therefore represent materially different bookings, rather than interchangeable descriptions of attendance.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and private hours are offered. Private fees include food and snacks, together with nappies, formula, wipes and sun cream; on days when early years funding is applied, meals, consumables and activities are charged separately. The funded-day charge structure distinguishes half-day, short-day and full-day attendance.

The distinction matters for budgeting: an inclusive private booking and a day using funded hours have different charge structures. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation. Families can contact the branch by telephone or email, and a tour can be booked.

• Snack-time consistency. In August 2022, children sometimes lacked clear direction about where to eat their fruit because routines differed. During a tour, ask how practitioners now organise snacks and explain the next step to children.
• Two contrasting spaces. The preschool roof terrace and Space to Soothe serve different purposes. A visit is a useful opportunity to discuss how your child would use outdoor play and quieter sensory experiences during their chosen session.
• Funded-day extras. Meals, consumables and activities are charged separately on days using early years funding. Request a written quotation for your exact attendance pattern so the distinction from inclusive private fees is clear.

Kids Planet Higher Broughton suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as those needing full days or the 9am to 3pm Short Day. Its strongest current features are concrete: outdoor access from the rooms, a preschool roof terrace and a sensory room for quieter experiences.

The August 2022 Good judgement supplies a dated quality reference, while the snack-time improvement point gives families a specific question to pursue. Choose it for the combination of spaces and attendance options, with the funded-day charge structure considered alongside the childcare itself.