Kids Planet Southport

A converted church, secure outdoor space and children learning to do things for themselves give Kids Planet Southport its character. Based at Yarrow House on Manchester Road, this is a substantial nursery with capacity for 168 children, accepting ages from 3 to 59 months. The building gives it a recognisable identity; the detail of children's daily experiences matters more than its size.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 21 March 2025 inspection. The strongest examples from that visit were practical ones: children helping themselves at mealtimes, conversations that extended their vocabulary and books placed where children could choose them independently. There was also a clear improvement point: adult-led activities needed more precise aims for each child's next stage of learning.

Families can book full days, mornings or afternoons. That choice makes the nursery relevant to different working patterns, rather than a single attendance routine.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning and care: play, conversation and everyday routines help develop language, movement, relationships and early understanding of numbers. At Southport, the March 2025 examples show how those areas can connect within one activity, rather than being taught as isolated tasks.

In March 2025, an interest in insects in books led to new vocabulary and an invitation to make viewing tubes for a garden search. Children had a reason to use the words they were hearing. Staff also described children's play as it unfolded, adding language to experiences the children had already chosen.

Books supported both choice and discussion at that visit. Children selected favourite stories by voting, joined in familiar passages and talked about the people who write and illustrate books. They also connected stories with others by the same author. This gave reading a social dimension, alongside the quieter opportunity to choose a book from a comfortable space.

Early mathematics was woven into play in March 2025. Babies investigated objects and containers while staff introduced comparisons of quantity; older children counted insects' legs during outdoor exploration. The useful distinction is between hearing number words and having something concrete to count or compare.

Physical activities also served a learning purpose at that visit. Scooping sand with utensils, squeezing fruit into water and drawing gave children different ways to practise controlled hand movements. These were small, manageable actions with a connection to the coordination needed for later writing.

Outdoor and Community Life

Secure outdoor areas serve children from babies through to preschool. The garden was also part of learning in March 2025, including the insect searches that linked outdoor exploration with conversation and counting. Outdoor space therefore had an educational role as well as providing room for active play.

The converted church setting supplies the physical character. For parents, the more useful question is how their child's indoor and outdoor spaces work together across a session, especially when comparing a morning booking with a full day.

Relationships and Communication

At the March 2025 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding, good progress in learning and systems for identifying additional needs, supported by work with families and other agencies. These are dated judgements, with concrete mechanisms behind them: staff knew children's interests and development, while leaders had ways to recognise when additional help was needed.

In March 2025, staff spent time learning about children as they started nursery. Behaviour support used calm conversations about feelings and consistent expectations. Children shared resources and cared for dolls in their play, providing everyday opportunities to practise consideration for others.

The Famly app, part of the group-wide offer used here, provides parents with updates in real time. It gives families a connection with the nursery day beyond the handover conversation. That is a useful practical addition for parents whose child attends a full session while they work.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Independence was visible in ordinary routines in March 2025. Younger children attempted to feed themselves; older children served food, poured drinks and dealt with spills. Handwashing included conversation about germs. These examples matter because children were practising tasks they could also use at home, with staff support rather than adults doing everything for them.

The nursery employed 53 childcare staff at the March 2025 visit. Training was directed towards staff development and children's needs, with supervision supporting practitioners' work. That figure describes the team at the visit, rather than the number of adults in any child's room.

Freshly prepared food includes snacks and meals, with provision for dietary needs. Families comparing the cost of attendance should distinguish ordinary private fees from days on which early years funding is applied, because the charging treatment differs.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Yarrow House, 80a Manchester Road, Southport, PR9 9BJ, in a residential area near the town centre. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks of the year, with bank holiday closures.

A Full Day runs from 8am to 6pm. Morning bookings run from 8am to 1pm, while Afternoon bookings cover 1pm to 6pm; a Full Time option also uses the 8am to 6pm window. These are booking patterns, so families can compare a shorter session with a whole-day arrangement rather than relying on opening hours alone.

The nursery can be contacted by telephone on 01704 534855 or by email at southport@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. Tour booking and applications are also offered.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside paid attendance. Private fees include meals and snacks, plus nappies, formula, wipes and sun cream through the group-wide inclusive offer reproduced for Southport. This reduces the everyday supplies families need to pack.

On days when early years funding is applied, meals, consumables and activities are charged separately. The charge categories depend on the duration of attendance on those days. Families should obtain a current written quotation from the nursery so that private attendance and funding-day extras are clear within the same booking.

• Individual learning aims. In March 2025, adult-led activities sometimes followed nursery themes rather than building precisely on each child's existing knowledge. During a tour, ask for an example of how an activity is now adapted to a child's next learning step.
• Funding-day charges. Meals, consumables and activities carry separate charges on days using early years funding. Compare the complete written quotation for your intended sessions, rather than considering funded childcare in isolation.
• Your child's space. This nursery has capacity for 168 children and serves babies through to preschool. Use a tour to discuss the group your child would join and how settling would be arranged for the sessions you choose.

Kids Planet Southport suits families seeking either full-day attendance or shorter morning and afternoon sessions, with outdoor space and practical learning woven into its character. Its March 2025 examples are persuasive because they concern things children actually did: choosing stories, serving food and exploring insects.

The balance is clear. Everyday routines and communication supplied useful learning opportunities, while adult-led planning needed greater precision for individuals. For families weighing different attendance patterns, the key practical distinction is the separate treatment of meals, consumables and activities on funding days.