Kids Planet Urmston

A large outdoor play area, a sports coach working across the age groups and a calming sensory room give Kids Planet Urmston a clear balance of movement and quieter exploration. Those are useful differences for families weighing how an active child, or one who needs calmer moments, might spend the day. The setting has 75 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good on 23 October 2023, with staff performance monitoring and training to put the curriculum into practice identified as areas for improvement. That gives parents a positive overall judgement with a specific teaching question to pursue, rather than an unqualified endorsement.

Morning, afternoon, full-day and shorter-day bookings offer different ways to organise attendance. The nursery's Flixton Road address also places it within reach of Urmston town centre and its local amenities.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and everyday routines contribute to learning rather than sitting apart from it. At Urmston, the outdoor curriculum delivered by a dedicated sports coach adds a concrete physical element across the age groups. It gives movement a place in planned learning, alongside opportunities to explore the outdoor area.

In October 2023, language activities differed with children's stage of development. Babies heard rhymes and practised actions, toddlers returned to familiar stories, and preschool children asked questions during shared reading. The progression matters: younger children could join in through sound and gesture, while older children had opportunities to express ideas and ask for explanations.

Individual learning plans were also part of practice in October 2023. Staff worked towards each child's next step before introducing further learning. For families, this is a useful picture of how activities related to individual development, rather than simply filling the nursery timetable.

Outdoor and Community Life

The large outdoor play area provides space for exploration and physical activity. Indoors, the sensory room offers a calmer setting for sensory experiences and emotional regulation. The two spaces serve different purposes: energetic play has room to happen, and quieter experiences have a physical setting of their own.

In October 2023, outdoor equipment included a play tunnel with steep slopes that children climbed. Staff also encouraged children as they learnt to pedal a tricycle. These examples make the physical learning tangible, with opportunities to practise balance, coordination and persistence.

Urmston town centre brings shops, cafés, parks and the library into the nursery's community connections and opportunities for outings. This adds a local dimension to children's experiences beyond the outdoor area itself, without requiring every activity to take place on site.

Relationships and Communication

In October 2023, settling visits helped children become familiar with the adults caring for them. Staff gathered information from families about development and care needs, linking the start of nursery to what parents already knew about their child. That is a practical foundation for individual care, especially when a child is making the move into unfamiliar routines.

The same month's observations included babies enjoying gradually introduced water play and older children showing affection towards staff. Encouragement accompanied new challenges. These small interactions give the account of relationships substance: reassurance was part of learning as well as comfort.

Famly, the parent app included within the group's fee offering at Urmston, provides updates in real time. In October 2023, parents also received regular information about care, activities and development. The app supplies a current communication channel; the dated observations describe how information was shared at that visit.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At its October 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, making good progress through individual planning and development checks. The sensory room is a current physical resource for sensory exploration and emotional regulation; families can consider how that space relates to their own child's needs.

In October 2023, staff helped older children name feelings and discuss what made them happy or angry. Handwashing formed part of everyday hygiene, and staff followed safer sleep guidance. These are dated examples of care woven into the day, rather than separate lessons detached from children's experiences.

Teaching consistency deserves attention alongside those strengths. In October 2023, there had also been recent staffing inconsistencies. In October 2023, some staff interactions supported intended learning more effectively than others, and leaders needed to connect performance monitoring more closely with individual training needs. The practical issue for parents is how consistently their child experiences purposeful interaction across the team.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 181 Flixton Road, Urmston, M41 5ED. Opening hours are 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across 52 weeks of the year; bank holidays are closure days. Opening time and booked attendance are separate: Full Day and Full Time run from 7.30am to 6.30pm, with Early Bird covering 7am to 7.30am.

Morning runs from 7.30am to 1pm, Afternoon from 1pm to 6.30pm, and Short Day from 8.30am to 4.30pm. Top up AM and Top up PM use the morning and afternoon windows respectively, and an ad hoc hourly option is also offered. This gives families several session lengths to compare against work or other regular commitments.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0161 7475834 or by email to urmston@kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk. Tour booking and an application route are also offered.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and privately paid attendance are offered. The fee structure separates the two: meals and snacks, formula, wipes, nappies and sun cream are included within the group's fee offering at Urmston, while meals, consumables and activities carry separate charges on days when early years funding is applied. The funded-day charges use different bands according to the funded hours applied that day.

Freshly prepared meals and snacks cater for dietary needs. Families should obtain a current written quotation showing their chosen sessions, additional paid attendance and the funded-day extras together, so the complete charge structure is clear before booking.

• Consistency of teaching. October 2023 findings identified uneven staff interactions and a need for more targeted training. During a tour, ask how staff performance is reviewed and how training changes children's everyday learning.
• Sensory space and active play. The sensory room and sports coach offer contrasting experiences. Ask how your child would use these resources and how quieter moments fit around physical activity.
• Funded-day extras. Meals, activities and consumables are charged separately on days using early years funding. A written quotation should distinguish these from additional paid hours and the inclusions in private fees.

Kids Planet Urmston suits families looking for morning or afternoon attendance as well as full-day or shorter-day care, with outdoor activity and a sensory room among its practical attractions. The October 2023 judgement gives a sound starting point, while the teaching consistency findings make staff development a worthwhile part of a visit. Its appeal rests on concrete spaces, a sports coach and several attendance patterns, with the funded-day charge structure requiring careful reading.