Kids Planet Hoghton House

Three gardens give Hoghton House a clear outdoor character: active play in the main garden, sand and water for babies, and seasonal exploration in the sensory garden. This Southport nursery combines those spaces with outings to Marine Lake and participation in town parades. Children have opportunities to explore both their nursery surroundings and the community beyond them.

At its 6 January 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged all six evaluated areas to be at the Expected standard and found that safeguarding standards were met. The important qualification concerned babies’ mathematics: teaching needed clearer planning, and leaders needed to strengthen staff knowledge in this area. That matters most for families choosing care for the youngest children.

Hoghton House accepts children aged 3 months to 59 months. Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings give families different ways to use the setting, while a rear car park and pram storage make the practical arrangements useful for both drivers and walkers.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care, covering everyday experiences such as communication, physical play and early mathematics. At Hoghton House, stories, movement and exploration provide concrete examples of how those areas come together.

In January 2026, staff extended a bear story into activities about colours. Rather than leaving the book as an isolated experience, they used its content to develop children’s vocabulary. Children also explored ice, learning words for changes they could see and feel. These examples connect language with something tangible, giving children reasons to use new words rather than simply repeat them.

Older children’s mathematical experiences were more developed than babies’ in January 2026. For babies, number songs happened incidentally rather than forming part of a deliberate sequence of mathematical learning. The concern was about what those experiences taught and how they fitted together, rather than whether songs took place. Parents of babies should give this improvement priority weight alongside the outdoor facilities.

Outdoor and Community Life

The main garden accommodates climbing, running and games. Babies have a garden with water and sand activities and a reading nook; the sensory garden changes with the seasons and also functions as a sheltered teaching space in cooler weather. These are different settings for different kinds of play, from energetic movement to quieter exploration.

In January 2026, children used the garden daily, including riding trikes. The equipment gave them opportunities to practise movement and coordination while playing alongside friends. Local library visits for story sessions also formed part of nursery life at that time, extending their experience of books beyond the nursery.

Marine Lake outings include feeding ducks, while encounters with local police officers introduce children to people working in their town. Hoghton House also participates in Armed Forces and Remembrance parades. These links give community life a concrete place in children’s experiences, through people, places and events rather than classroom discussion alone.

Relationships and Communication

In January 2026, settling included sessions where parents stayed and played with their children. Staff gathered information about children’s interests from the start and used it to plan activities. The practical value is continuity: familiar interests can help a child engage with a new place, and parents contribute information before the nursery day becomes routine.

Parent evenings, conversations with staff and packs for use at home were part of communication in January 2026. Together, these gave families ways to understand what children were learning and continue activities outside nursery. The current offer also includes the group-wide Famly app, which provides updates about the child’s day. It adds a convenient channel alongside direct conversations.

Staff continuity is another relevant feature: many members of the Hoghton House team have worked there for more than a decade. For families, that makes the experience retained within the team worth considering alongside the physical setting.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2026 inspection, Ofsted found effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including visual timetables, adapted language and work with external specialists. Those are practical mechanisms: a timetable helps a child understand the sequence of the day, while simpler language can make an activity easier to access.

In January 2026, staff explained personal-care routines to children who needed additional reassurance. Adults also comforted upset children and helped them recognise how to seek reassurance. These everyday interactions matter alongside planned learning, especially while a child is becoming accustomed to nursery care.

Fresh meals and snacks form part of the offer, with dietary needs accommodated. In January 2026, food for babies beginning solids included freshly blended ingredients.

Sessions and Attendance

Hoghton House opens Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm, across 52 weeks, with bank-holiday closures. Full Day and Full Time bookings run from 7am to 6pm; Morning runs from 7am to 1pm, and Afternoon from 1pm to 6pm. Ad hoc hourly care is also a booking option.

The morning and afternoon patterns offer a different commitment from a full day. That distinction is useful when matching nursery attendance to work, other care arrangements or the length of day a family wants for their child.

Getting There

The address is 54-56 Hoghton Street, Southport, PR9 0PQ. A private car park sits behind the building, reached from Wright Street, and two large sheds provide pram storage.

Enquiries can be made directly by telephone on 01704 807 897 or by email at HoghtonHouse@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. A tour can be booked with the nursery.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and private paid care are both offered. Private fees include meals and snacks, plus nappies, formula, wipes and sun cream; this is the group-wide inclusive offer used at Hoghton House.

Days using early years funding have a different charge structure: meals, consumables and activities are charged separately. Those extras have different charging bands according to the funded hours applied that day. Families should obtain a current written quotation that distinguishes private childcare from days using funding, so the inclusive description is read alongside the funded-day charges.

• Babies’ mathematics. In January 2026, early mathematical teaching for babies needed more deliberate planning and stronger staff knowledge. During a visit, ask how baby activities now build mathematical understanding and how leaders review that teaching.
• Funding and extras. Meals, consumables and activities carry separate charges on days using funding, whereas private fees include food and care supplies. Compare the written quotation for your intended attendance pattern, including any private hours.
• Settling and outdoor spaces. Stay-and-play sessions formed part of settling in January 2026, and babies have their own garden. Use a tour to discuss how settling would work for your child and see the spaces they would use.

Hoghton House suits families seeking either full-day care or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with outdoor play and Southport community experiences built into the offer. The gardens provide useful variety, and the January 2026 findings give concrete examples of communication, settling and inclusion. Babies’ mathematics remains the clearest improvement question for prospective parents. For funded attendance, the distinction between inclusive private fees and separately charged extras deserves equally close attention.