Kids Planet Stockport

Porridge warmed over an outdoor fire pit gives Kids Planet Stockport a recognisable character: practical learning outdoors, alongside a purpose-built setting with underfloor heating in the baby room. Den building and watching seasonal changes bring children into contact with nature. Comfort indoors matters too.

At its February 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, while identifying uneven curriculum delivery and a need for more consistent coaching and feedback for staff. That judgement gives families a useful starting point, but its date matters when considering the nursery today.

Based in Heaviley, Stockport, the setting has capacity for 197 children aged 2 to 60 months. This is the whole nursery's capacity, rather than the size of an individual room or the number of children attending together. Regular sports sessions and visiting dance teachers add movement to the offer, while outdoor learning supplies much of its character.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room has underfloor heating, a concrete comfort feature for the youngest children, while the wider building combines purpose-built indoor accommodation with secure outdoor spaces. The physical offer gives families two useful aspects to weigh: the environment for babies and the opportunities for active play as children grow.

In February 2022, babies explored bubbly water and practised early movement with staff encouragement, including taking steps and climbing into a ball pool. Toddlers used an outdoor whiteboard for mark making. These were different experiences for different developmental stages: movement for the youngest children and opportunities to experiment with the marks that precede writing for toddlers.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, care and development, bringing play, communication and physical exploration into the nursery day. Alongside that common foundation, Stockport uses the group-wide Udeskole approach, inspired by Scandinavian outdoor education, with activities here including den building, observing seasonal changes and warming porridge at the outdoor fire pit. The practical value is clear: children have things to investigate and do outdoors.

Regular sessions led by a dedicated sports coach and visits from dance teachers broaden the opportunities for physical activity. These additions give movement a place beyond children's free play, with different adults contributing to the experience.

In February 2022, children explored stories in several ways. Younger children shared books with adults and discussed pictures, while two-year-olds recreated traditional tales using materials such as straw and bricks. Preschool children also used a book to explore yoga movements and talked about keeping healthy. Books were resources for conversation and action as well as listening.

Outdoor and Community Life

Stockport holds Udeskole accreditation and the Eco Schools Award, the latter recognising its work on sustainability. The outdoor fire pit and den-building activities make the nature-based approach tangible; the award adds an environmental strand to that offer.

In February 2022, preschool children examined flowers collected from a local florist before using stems and leaves in imaginative mixtures. Outings also included a train journey and visits within the community for children receiving additional funding. These examples extended learning beyond nursery resources, introducing real materials and experiences from the surrounding area.

Home routines shape the current approach to settling: staff work with parents and carers to reflect the care children receive outside nursery. That connection matters for a baby or toddler making the move between familiar family routines and a new setting. The group-wide Famly app provides updates as the day unfolds, giving parents another connection with their child's nursery experience.

At the February 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised SEND support, with closely monitored intervention plans helping children make good progress. These are dated judgements, rather than assurances about every child's current experience.

In February 2022, babies turned to their key person for comfort and were soothed to sleep by familiar staff. Parents also received learning packs, and a lending library supported reading at home. The combination connected care and learning: familiar relationships helped babies rest, while resources gave families a practical way to continue activities outside nursery.

Communication support in February 2022 included signs and phrases drawn from children's home languages. Today, the nursery also has adaptable space for working with external agencies when needed. For a family seeking additional support, the useful detail is this mechanism for involving other professionals, alongside the dated findings about intervention plans.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 187 Buxton Road, Stockport, SK2 7AA. Opening hours run from 7am to 6.30pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year. Those hours describe the operating window; the booked sessions have their own times.

Full Day and Full Time bookings run from 8am to 6pm. A Morning session runs from 8am to 1pm, and an Afternoon session from 1pm to 6pm. Short Day runs from 9.15am to 3.30pm, providing another option for families whose required care fits within that shorter window.

Ad-hoc hourly care is also offered, with a higher charging rate than regular bookings. This distinction matters when comparing a recurring attendance pattern with occasional extra care. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0161 2411 239 or by email to stockport.reception@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid care are both offered. On private bookings, meals and snacks are included, together with wipes, nappies, sun cream and formula milk. Meals and snacks are freshly prepared, with provision for dietary needs.

On days when early years funding is applied, meals, consumables and activities carry separate charges. The charging bands depend on the funded hours used that day. Families comparing a funded booking with private care therefore need to consider those categories separately, rather than assuming the private booking's inclusive package applies in the same way. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Curriculum consistency. In February 2022, newer and less-experienced staff did not consistently put the intended learning into practice, and coaching and feedback were uneven. During a tour, ask how room teams now plan together and how practitioners receive feedback.
• Opening hours and booked care. The operating day begins before, and ends after, the Full Day booking window. If your working day needs those outer hours, discuss how they fit into your proposed booking.
• Funded-day charges. Meals, activities and consumables are charged separately on days using funding, unlike the inclusive private-care package. Ask for a written quotation showing your intended attendance and each charging category.
• Outdoor learning for your child. Stockport's Udeskole activities include a fire pit and den building. A tour is an opportunity to discuss how those experiences are adapted to your child's age and care needs.

Kids Planet Stockport suits families seeking nature-based activities in a purpose-built nursery, whether they need full-day care, morning or afternoon sessions, or the shorter daytime option. The fire pit, baby-room heating and regular sports input give the offer substance. Its February 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality benchmark; the uneven curriculum delivery identified then remains a sensible topic for discussion. For funded bookings, the separate treatment of meals, consumables and activities is central to comparing the overall package.