Kids Planet Walton-on-Thames

Kids Planet Walton-on-Thames
Unique reference number (URN): 2851084
Address: Embroiderers Guild House, 1 Kings Road, WALTON-ON-THAMES, KT12 2RA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 07/07/2025
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Kids Planet Day Nurseries Limited
Inspection report: 11 February 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Through a well-sequenced curriculum, children, including those who face barriers to their
learning, make meaningful progress from when they started. Regular assessments enable
staff to understand children's achievement and identify further areas to be developed.
Children typically achieve well across all areas of learning as they transition through the
rooms and become ready for their next stage of learning.
Children become confident communicators as they share their ideas, thoughts and interests.
They demonstrate interest in learning by asking questions, offering examples and giving
explanations of questions asked of them. These essential communication skills equip
children well for a successful transition to school. The youngest children explore language
by babbling, repeating single words and experimenting with different sounds. They enjoy
singing and listening intently to staff as they talk and read them stories. This supports their
early communication skills well.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff offer consistent guidance and support to help children establish positive routines. This
provides structure and helps children feel safe. Children learn and play in a stimulating
environment where expected behaviours are commonly understood. Staff help children
learn expected behaviours in accordance with their age and stage of development. They
have established strong relationships with children, which supports their emotional security.
Children demonstrate trust in those that care for them. Staff support children's transitions
during the routines effectively. For example, they use now and next boards, providing clear
guidance about what will happen next. Children become comfortable in familiar routines.
Overall, children are generally polite, play well with one another and seek each other out to
share their experiences. Staff support older children to begin to understand the impact their
actions have on others. They are supported as they learn to take turns and play games
together. Staff offer children generous praise for their achievements as they willingly share
resources and learn right from wrong.
Leaders monitor children's attendance carefully to ensure that children are safe, accounted
for and supported in their daily routines. Staff talk to parents about the importance of regular
attendance to prevent any gaps in learning occurring.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff support all children, including those who may face barriers to their learning, to begin to
recognise the feelings of others. They model emotional language well, describing their own
feelings and those of others in everyday situations. This helps children develop empathy as
they learn how to socially interact with each other. The well-established key-person system
and tailored settling-in sessions support children to build secure attachments. As a result,
children settle in quickly and are ready to learn. Staff are caring, warm and attentive to
children's individual needs. They share their knowledge of safer sleeping practices, drawing

on information gained from recent training. They closely follow home routines and offer
expert advice to parents on supporting feeding practices and children learning to use the
toilet.
Children secure solid foundations on how they can lead healthy lifestyles. They are provided
with healthy, home-cooked meals and learn that physical exercise, alongside times when
they can rest, helps maintain their wellbeing. However, staff do not always recognise times
when they can extend children's learning of how to keep themselves and others safe. For
instance, children are asked to clean up water spills and tidy after messy play, but staff do
not always explain why these actions are important for safety. This can limit their ability to
take responsibility and to keep themselves and others safe.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
The newly revised curriculum is well sequenced and understood by staff. Children, including
those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress in a well-planned
and purposeful environment. Children develop a love of books from an early age. For
example, the youngest children explore books independently, often taking them to staff to
read. Staff are responsive and use exaggerated facial expressions to share their delight as
they point out simple objects on the page. Children's personal, social and emotional
development is supported well. Staff read to older children in a way that captures their
attention and encourages their participation. Children eagerly listen with increasing interest
and comment on what they hear and see, which supports their communication and
language.
Staff help children to build on their mathematical awareness and physical development in all
aspects of the routine. For instance, younger children are encouraged to count the steps as
they come down the stairs, while older children compare and measure the length of their
wings as they pretend to be birds in the garden. However, some staff do not always take
advantage of teachable moments that arise during play, such as using descriptive language
as they pour and empty containers in water play. At these times, children are not fully
supported to extend their skills and knowledge further.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff support inclusion by building trusting relationships with families, gathering
detailed information to understand and swiftly respond to each child's unique needs. Staff
make every effort to explore children's cultures and embrace similarities and differences.
Children who speak English as an additional language are valued and appreciated.
Additional funding is used effectively to offer children a wider range of experiences and
interventions, supporting their individual needs.
Staff support children's emotional literacy effectively by using a variety of strategies to help
them recognise and understand their feelings. Children, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are provided with safe, calming spaces where
they can regulate their emotions and develop a greater awareness of how they feel. Staff
work in close partnerships with parents and other professionals as required to put
individualised plans in place. Children's plans are reviewed regularly to monitor progress
and explore any further adaptations needed. Children with SEND are well supported to

make the progress that they are capable of. For instance, children receiving support for their
emotional wellbeing have their own SEND suitcases. These are filled with individualised
items that are special to them. They spend quiet time with their key person to explore their
suitcases, which reduces the likelihood of children becoming overwhelmed, supporting their
overall wellbeing.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have worked tirelessly to make the necessary improvements since the previous
inspection. For instance, staff have undergone in-depth training that has improved their
knowledge of responding appropriately to safeguarding concerns in line with local
partnerships guidelines. Leaders actively promote a culture of wellbeing, ensuring that the
emotional health of staff, children and their families is prioritised. Positive relationships
underpin daily practice and benefit children feeling secure. Leaders are generally reflective
and monitor provision to evaluate areas of improvement. For example, they recognise that
some children need further support to manage their emotions, before they reach a point of
distress. Staff successfully identify these times and give children time out of the busy
environment to explore personalised resources in a quiet space. This helps all children,
including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to remain calm before
they re-enter the room.
Staff are provided with regular opportunities to meet with leaders, review their workloads
and reflect on ways to improve their personal effectiveness. Staff share high levels of
support and discuss the positive impact of recent training, such as supporting outdoor
learning for children. The bespoke coaching and teaching staff receive increases their
confidence and capability to carry out their roles and responsibilities. Leaders have reviewed
and strengthened their risk assessments to ensure that children are well protected. They
have improved procedures to make sure children are carefully accounted for as they
transition into and out of the garden. The increased measures typically enhance staff
efficiency, allowing children to play and learn in a well-organised environment that keeps
them safe.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children, including those who experience barriers to their learning, benefit from the
substantial improvements made since the previous inspection. In this lively but calm
environment, children flourish as they grow in confidence and independence. Leaders and
staff demonstrate a secure understanding of early education and recognise the importance

Inspector:
Kelley Ellis
About this setting
of building on children's skills as they grow. This prepares children for their next steps in
learning. Staff are guided by children's interests when planning experiences for their
learning. This enhances children's motivation to learn as they remain engaged in activities.
For example, staff enthusiastically engage children in imaginative play during a 'colour
monster' walk where they explore different emotions through physical movement. They
stomp to portray anger and march proudly to represent pride. Staff make every effort to
ensure that all children are included and join in with their friends. All children, including those
with special educational needs and/or disabilities, develop confidence to describe how they
feel.
Leaders and staff work closely with families to promote good attendance, ensuring that
children benefit from continuity in learning and social development. The effective key-person
arrangements provide consistent care and routine. Children develop secure attachments,
which help them feel safe and valued. The youngest children demonstrate confidence as
they explore their environment, supported by staff who are a trusted base of reassurance.
Staff are positive role models and teach children to be kind through activities, such as
bathing their baby dolls. They encourage children to be gentle as they wipe the doll's face
and ensure that they are cleaned well. Children develop nurturing behaviours and
strengthen their understanding of relationships and responsibility.
Next steps
Leaders should support staff to identify where teaching can be enhanced to extend
children's knowledge and skills even further.
Leaders should strengthen staff awareness to recognise opportunities to support children
further as they learn about why they do things to keep themselves and others safe.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator
and parents during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Unique reference number (URN): 2851084
Address:
Embroiderers Guild House
1 Kings Road
WALTON-ON-THAMES
KT12 2RA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 07/07/2025
Registered person: Kids Planet Day Nurseries Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:15
Local authority: Surrey
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 11 February 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
80
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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