Fun Fest Stockport Marple

Activity choice gives Fun Fest Stockport Marple its character: in April 2026, children chose dance, football and cooking, while outdoor play included making ladybird habitats with soil and sticks. This is a setting where children's own ideas shaped what they did.

At its April 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, inclusion, and leadership and governance to be at the expected standard, with safeguarding standards met. Those judgements sit alongside specific improvements needed in emotional learning, health and safety education, and coordination with other settings.

The current age range is 9 to 60 months. The April 2026 inspection observations concerned children aged 3 to 12 years, a different age group from the current offer.

The early years foundation stage governs children's learning, development and care, so play experiences sit alongside attention to their everyday needs.

In April 2026, children explored books, worked with dough and drew pictures. Staff followed their conversations, including discussion of sea creatures during dough play. Younger children used a separate space for activities suited to their stage, giving them an alternative to the larger group's experiences.

Outdoor activity included balancing, climbing and playing with balls and bats. Children also experimented with natural materials to create habitats for ladybirds. These examples combined movement with opportunities to test ideas.

In April 2026, staff collected information about allergies, health and additional needs from families. They supervised journeys to the bathroom while allowing privacy, responded to individual sensitivities around sun cream, and supported children who needed quiet time. Parents received updates about their children's activities, providing something concrete to discuss together afterwards.

At the April 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that staff adapted communication and used smaller groups to support participation, but weak links with other settings and professionals limited coordinated support, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Emotional learning also needed attention in April 2026: staff responded to behaviour as incidents occurred, rather than planning experiences that taught children how to recognise feelings and calm themselves. Opportunities to learn personal and online safety were inconsistent, and families were not receiving healthy-eating information.

The address is Brabyns Preparatory School, 34-36 Arkwright Road, Marple, Stockport, SK6 7DB. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

The setting operates across the year, closing for bank holidays, Christmas and school INSET days. These closures matter when matching childcare to working commitments.

• Age and attendance fit. The current age range is 9 to 60 months, while the April 2026 inspection observations concerned children aged 3 to 12 years. At a visit, what care arrangements and booking patterns apply to your child's age?
• Emotional learning. April 2026 practice relied on responding to incidents. Planned work on recognising feelings and calming strategies was an improvement priority.
• Coordinated support. In April 2026, links with other settings and professionals needed strengthening. This matters for children whose support involves several services.
• Health and safety learning. April 2026 improvements included personal safety, online safety and healthy-eating information for families. These were gaps in children's learning opportunities, alongside the safeguarding standards being met.

Fun Fest Stockport Marple suits families who value child-led activity choices and care across the year. Its April 2026 experiences combined creative play, sport and quieter options. The expected-standard judgements provide a measured picture: daily care had positive features, but emotional learning and coordinated support required further work.