Kiddie Kloud Nursery

A flexible daily routine and home-cooked food give Kiddie Kloud Nursery a clear character. This Heaton Mersey setting has capacity for 54 children, with an accepted age range of 1 to 59 months, so its provision spans babies through to children approaching school age.

At its July 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, while identifying a need for more demanding activities and stronger training and coaching for staff. That is a dated judgement. The practical offer includes both half-day and full-day bookings, with meals included according to the hours attended.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS framework covers children's learning, development and care, with play activities planned around individual needs. In July 2022, stories and songs supported communication, choices in play helped children practise independence, and physical activities developed balance and coordination. The daily routine combines activities directed by adults with play children choose themselves. That gives children room to follow an interest while staff introduce something new.

The example timetable is deliberately flexible: breakfast precedes the morning's play, outdoor time features before lunch, and the early afternoon allows for sleep alongside play. Later activities lead into tea and time to go home. These are parts of the day rather than fixed booking boundaries, a useful distinction for parents comparing attendance patterns.

In July 2022, children used dinosaurs, leaves and diggers together in imaginative play, with adults joining in and demonstrating ways to extend it. Children also made choices about what to play with and practised following simple expectations, such as walking indoors. The detail matters: independence was being built through ordinary decisions and routines, rather than reserved for a separate lesson.

The limitation was the depth of some activities. In July 2022, some children moved rapidly between play areas because the experiences did not sustain their attention sufficiently. More challenging planning, alongside further coaching for practitioners, was the next step identified. Families should weigh that alongside the positive picture of children's confidence and relationships.

Outdoor and Community Life

In July 2022, children spent time outside each day, took walks and visited horses in a nearby field. Older children also had physical education activities involving balance and coordination. This inspection-era picture includes movement both within the nursery day and beyond the setting, with the horses adding a concrete point of interest to an outing.

Relationships with families form part of the nursery's approach to planning for individual children. A SENDCO role provides a point of responsibility for special educational needs and disabilities, rather than leaving that work solely within general childcare arrangements.

At the July 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff adjusted their language to children's needs, supported speech development and worked with families and other professionals on individual learning and medical plans. Stories, songs, actions and signs were among the methods used. For parents, the important point is the connection between a child's particular needs and the way adults communicate and plan.

In July 2022, children sought comfort from practitioners and staff helped them recognise feelings. Children also explored their own cultures and differences between people. These observations describe relationships and daily practice at that time, rather than a promise about every child's experience today.

Food is home-cooked, with a menu that rotates over three weeks and changes each term; dietary provision includes vegetarian and Halal choices, and the nursery caters for allergies and intolerances. Meals and snacks are included in childcare fees according to attendance hours, while families supply formula milk themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Unit B5, Riverview, The Embankment Business Park, Heaton Mersey, Stockport, SK4 3GN. Opening hours are 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas.

Half-day, full-day and full-week bookings are offered. The distinction between a shorter session and a full day is useful for families matching childcare to work or other commitments; the opening window describes the nursery's operating day. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0161 478 1001 or through the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

The nursery accepts 15hr and 30hr government funding from 9 months for eligible families, as well as payments through tax free childcare. Eligibility remains a condition of the funded offer. Private childcare is also offered, with current prices obtained through the nursery's written quotation.

A sibling discount applies to the second child. The included meals cover breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks as appropriate to the hours attended, and parents provide formula milk. These arrangements make the written quotation useful for understanding what a particular booking covers, rather than comparing the attendance charge alone.

• Depth of learning. More sustained challenge and stronger staff coaching were priorities in July 2022. During a visit, ask how practitioners now extend an activity when a child is ready for more.
• Funding pattern. The funded offer covers eligible families from 9 months, while the nursery operates across the year. Ask how funded hours would fit your proposed half-day or full-day attendance and what the written quotation includes.
• Dietary needs. The nursery caters for allergies and intolerances and offers vegetarian and Halal choices. Families managing an allergy should confirm the current arrangements for their child before booking.

Kiddie Kloud suits families seeking either half-day attendance or full-day care, with an all-year opening pattern and meals included according to attendance. Its flexible routine gives play, outdoor time and rest their place in the day. The July 2022 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by clear priorities around challenge and practitioner development. For parents, the strongest combination is practical flexibility and attention to individual needs, with the depth of learning a useful subject for a visit.