Kids Planet Audenshaw

A converted church and an outdoor learning approach give Kids Planet Audenshaw a recognisable character, but serious weaknesses in care and teaching dominate its latest inspection position. This Manchester nursery takes children from three months to five years. The building matters less than the consistency of the care inside it.

At its 30 January 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged achievement, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance to require urgent improvement, with behaviour and routines needing attention, while safeguarding standards were met. Those findings warrant close attention, especially for families choosing care for a baby or a child with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Full-day, morning and afternoon bookings provide different attendance options. Outdoor space, the Udeskole approach and updates through Famly add practical interest, but they should be weighed alongside the concerns about everyday supervision and support.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets requirements for children's learning, development and care: in everyday terms, play and adult interaction should help children develop their communication, physical abilities and relationships. A named approach adds to that responsibility rather than replacing it.

Audenshaw has completed the Udeskole approach, linked here to outdoor learning, and is working towards Inspire accreditation. Completion of one approach and work towards another are different stages. Neither changes the importance of attentive adults making activities suitable for the children taking part.

In January 2026, experiences differed across the nursery. Some children had calm surroundings and predictable routines, developing confidence and enjoying affectionate relationships with adults and other children. Two-year-olds remembered phrases from familiar stories and eagerly joined group singing. These were concrete opportunities to practise language and participate together.

Other experiences were much less successful. In January 2026, older children sometimes used resources they liked with too little adult conversation or guidance to broaden their learning. Babies' distress also interrupted exploration. The concern was therefore about how staff supported learning throughout the day, rather than simply which resources children could choose.

Outdoor and Community Life

The former church has outdoor space, giving outdoor learning a physical setting of its own. This is a useful part of Audenshaw's character for families who value time outside.

In January 2026, children went outdoors daily, and some took part in visits to care homes for older people. These visits connected nursery experiences with the wider community. However, outdoor activity did not consistently have a clear learning purpose, and staff sometimes missed signs that children had lost interest. Time outside and purposeful teaching need to work together.

Relationships and Communication

Famly, the group's parent app used at Audenshaw, provides updates in real time. That gives families a way to follow their child's day, although digital communication should sit alongside close discussion about comfort, routines and care.

In January 2026, staff combined the youngest rooms during the morning, creating crowded, unsettled conditions for babies. Some cried while adults struggled to respond. Sleeping babies were insufficiently watched as other children moved around them, and babies sometimes crawled while eating, creating a choking risk. For the youngest children, room organisation and attentive supervision were central concerns.

Responsive care was uneven in January 2026. Babies received affectionate cuddles after waking, but older children did not consistently receive comfort or prompt help when they became unwell. Staff also carried babies over outdoor fences rather than taking them through the gate. These examples make the practical implementation of care procedures a major decision point.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that SEND needs were identified promptly but teaching and support did not consistently address them, despite thoughtful use of additional funding for a therapeutic chair; support for children learning English as an additional language was a strength. Recognising a need and meeting it throughout the day are separate tasks.

In January 2026, staff with SEND responsibilities pressed for further training, while staff more broadly described pressure, excessive workloads and insufficient support from leaders. Training opportunities existed, but time and responses to specific requests were inadequate. In January 2026, leaders' monitoring failed to identify weaknesses in daily care and teaching, allowing inconsistent practice to continue. The required actions covered tailored support, curriculum planning, staff deployment, eating supervision, risk assessment and staff workload. In January 2026, requirements of both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register were not met.

Food hygiene also raised a serious concern in January 2026: cutlery that had fallen onto the floor was used without cleaning, despite severe allergies among some children. Families managing allergies need a detailed conversation about current handling and supervision arrangements.

Sessions and Attendance

Kids Planet Audenshaw is on Mount Pleasant Street, Audenshaw, Manchester, M34 5XX. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks, with bank holiday closures.

A Full Day runs from 7.30am to 6pm. Morning bookings run from 7.30am to 12.45pm, and Afternoon bookings from 12.45pm to 6pm. Full Time is also a booking option with the same daily window, and ad hoc hourly care has a separate charging category. The morning and afternoon split gives families a shorter attendance pattern as well as a full day.

The nursery can be contacted on 0161 339 5001 or by email at audenshaw@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid care are offered. The distinction between their charge structures matters: the private-fee package includes meals and snacks, together with formula, nappies, sun cream and wipes; days on which early years funding is applied carry separate charges for meals, consumables and activities. These categories should be considered alongside any paid childcare hours when assessing the total bill.

Freshly prepared meals and snacks cater for dietary needs. That offer needs to be considered alongside the dated allergy-handling concern, rather than taken as an assurance about daily practice.

• Baby care in the morning. January 2026 concerns included crowded combined rooms, distress, eating supervision and sleeping babies. During a tour, ask how the youngest rooms now operate and how adults supervise meals and sleep.
• Support matched to your child. In January 2026, recognising SEND needs did not consistently lead to suitable teaching, and staff sought more training. Discuss how your child's support would be delivered throughout a session and how progress would be reviewed.
• Allergy routines. The January 2026 cutlery concern involved children with severe allergies. Allergy-affected families should confirm current cleaning, food-handling and supervision practice.
• Funding and attendance costs. Morning, afternoon and full-day patterns have different lengths, and funded days have separate meals, consumables and activities charges. Request a written quotation for the exact attendance pattern you are considering.

Audenshaw's converted church, outdoor space and Udeskole approach give it a clear identity. Its attendance options suit families considering morning or afternoon care as well as full-day bookings, and Famly provides a practical connection with nursery life.

The January 2026 findings nevertheless make this a cautious choice. Parents of babies and children with SEND have especially substantial care and teaching concerns to weigh. A decision should turn on concrete changes to supervision, individual support and staff practice, with the outdoor offer considered alongside those essentials.