Kids Planet The Pod

Kids Planet The Pod
Unique reference number (URN): 2851081
Address: Total Fitness Uk Ltd, Wilmslow Way, Handforth, Wilmslow, SK9 3PE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 30/06/2025
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Kids Planet Day Nurseries Limited
Inspection report: 22 July 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
Children display enthusiasm towards their learning. They excitedly engage in planned
activities, demonstrating confidence to try new things. Children develop communication and
language skills, for example when reading books and singing songs. The supportive
atmosphere of the setting allows children to enhance their personal, social and emotional
development. For example, children help one another to complete tasks such as, clean up
paint that has been spilt. The children demonstrate patience and consideration as they take
turns. Even the youngest children demonstrate kindness, they offer hugs when their friends
are upset.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are typically achieving well in all
areas of learning. Children with barriers to learning are fully included in activities, benefiting
adaptations that meet their needs. Progress and achievement are generally monitored,
recorded and assessed and overall, this informs next steps. This helps children achieve well
through targeted teaching and support.
Children are suitably prepared for their next stage in learning, including school readiness.
The setting develops relationships with school teachers and other professionals. This
benefits children to feel secure as they transition to school.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff mostly set high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes to
learning. With planned and detailed inductions, these expectations are commonly
understood by staff, parents and children. Staff are positive role models, teaching children
courtesy and respect. Children are reminded of the importance of good manners, kindness,
turn taking and consideration of other people's feelings. Staff achieve this with calmness and
modelling examples of effective behaviour.
Typically, staff recognise and consider each child's individual needs and circumstances,
including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They maintain
high expectations of children's behaviour and attitudes to learning, while also making
reasonable adjustments to reflect each child's ability and age and stage of development. For
example, staff encourage children to sit together for song time. However, they recognise that
this is very challenging for some children and allow them to get up and move if needed. This
does impact on the time children spend fully engaged in learning.
Leaders recognise the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. Parents speak of a
supportive approach offered by the setting and feel able to discuss any concerns regarding
their child's development or attendance with the staff. Monitoring attendance is fully
integrated, and in the case of children's absence contact with the family is prioritised.
Children play together and display enjoyment and fun. They can negotiate between
themselves and work collaboratively with sustained concentration and a shared goal. For

example, when acting as shop keeper at the ice cream stand, they display patience with
each other and shared enjoyment.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children build warm, trusting and meaningful relationships with their key person. They
interact with ease, sharing their ideas and experiences happily. Children mostly listen and
engage with the opportunities on offer. Generally, children benefit from the routines within
the setting and respond very well to instructions. For example, when asked to children tidy
up they work together to achieve shared goals.
Generally, leaders have created a safe, welcoming place where children can play and learn.
Children enjoy each other's company and form strong bonds with their friends and staff.
They have daily access to the outside play area, where they are encouraged to run, jump,
climb and balance. During this time, children are not always helped to be aware of space
and other children around them. This means they are not always aware how to avoid
accidents. This creates an environment in which at times some children become upset and
overwhelmed.
Leaders and staff have established clear routines around personal hygiene. Children are
encouraged to meet their personal needs with independence while also being reminded of
clear hygiene habits. Healthy food is served and mealtimes are social occasions. Staff eat
with the children and engage in meaningful conversations.
Emotional health is well supported. Children's feelings are recognised and acknowledged.
Children with additional emotional needs are comforted with cuddles and reassurance.
Strong emotional bonds between children and staff are evident. Children feel secure.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders develop and design the curriculum to give children the knowledge and skills they
need for their learning and development. Staff demonstrate an accurate understanding of
the areas of learning and mostly implement the curriculum effectively. Leaders have clear
oversight of the quality of the teaching and learning in their setting and monitor this well
through observations and supervisions.
Children typically enjoy access to a wide range of activities, which are designed to enhance
their learning and development. Staff carefully consider those children with barriers to
learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and make
appropriate adaptations. Children choose the activities they engage with and they follow
their own interests and participate in whole-group sessions, such as story time.
Leaders and staff focus on developing children's communication and language through
developing a love of books, songs, music and rhymes. Staff speak clearly and calmly to
children throughout each learning experience. They mostly use ambitious language and add
new words to children's sentences. However, there are times staff do not model high quality
vocabulary or give children time to respond to their questions. Mathematics is mostly woven
through teaching activities, this includes counting, colours and measurement. For example,
when playing with balls, staff help children to identify number and size. There are some

occasions when staff introduce concepts that children do not understand. Staff are keen to
support children's language and mathematical development. However, they have not had
the opportunity to engage specific professional development to further develop their
knowledge on how to enhance the curriculum in these areas.
Children develop strength, balance and coordination while enjoying the outside garden and
the apparatus. Staff support children's physical development during outside play,
encouraging them to climb and balance. During song and dance activities, children develop
rhythm and coordination.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders and staff create an inclusive environment where all children feel secure and well
supported, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Existing and emerging needs are identified through observations, assessments and staff
demonstrate a secure understanding of children's needs and typically adapt their approach
to meet individual learning requirements. They demonstrate high expectations of all children,
including those facing barriers to learning, ensuring that the needs of children with SEND
are generally well met. This is supported effectively through the use of additional funding, for
example, to supply bikes to develop children's physical skills.
All children engage enthusiastically in activities, and appropriate support is provided for
those needing greater assistance. Children benefit from one-to-one time with their key
persons. Parents receive precise support to help children develop specific skills. This helps
to support families. Leaders foster relationships with other providers and professionals to
gather precise information about children before they join the setting. Leaders, and those
with responsibility for SEND, have access to ongoing SEND training, enabling them to
actively support all children's learning requirements with confidence. Inclusive practice is
embedded across the setting, ensuring that high-quality experiences promote children's
engagement, confidence and progress.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders have successfully built a well-qualified, experienced and committed staff team. Staff
speak of feeling well supported in their roles, as well as in their personal wellbeing. They
enjoy working in the setting and express pride and enjoyment in their work.
Leaders are clear in their vision to create a setting where children feel valued, secure and
happy. Children are placed at the heart of decision making and choices. Staff receive robust
inductions, regular meetings, purposeful supervisions and access to general training
opportunities. Overall, this helps equip staff to complete their roles. However, staff and
leaders have not had the opportunity to engage in focussed professional development to
enhance their knowledge on how to strengthen the curriculum across all areas of learning.
Policies and procedures are embedded in practise at the setting, including the recording and
monitoring of all accidents and incidents. Leaders ensure that there is daily contact with
parents and/or carers and know their families well. Leaders actively engage in interactions
with external professionals to ensure children get the support they need. This helps to

ensure those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities can reduce barriers
to learning. Training for staff is not always matched specifically to children's needs.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive happy and enthusiastically enter the setting with confidence. They receive an
individual welcome from caring staff, quickly settling and confidently engaging with each

Inspector:
Deborah Magee
other. Children talk with each other easily and enjoy doing activities together. For example,
when playing in the home corner, children pretend to make lunch for their friends.
Children enjoy the wide variety of learning opportunities on offer in the inclusive
environment. They access a variety of activities, for example construction, play dough, and
the sensory activities. Children thrive in the positive interactions from staff. For example,
children happily converse with staff during mealtimes. Staff show interest in children's lives,
they listen and respond to the children. This helps children to develop their confidence ready
for their next steps in learning.
Children's unique needs are understood and valued, and leaders adapt their curriculum
accordingly. Learning goals are individual and offer flexibility around the needs each child
allowing each child to develop at their own pace. For example, the younger children benefit
from greater adult assistance, whereas the older children are guided, developing their
independence. Younger children delight as they are encouraged in their physical
development while throwing balls and enjoying the climbing apparatus in the garden.
Children play alongside and with others, developing social skills such as turn taking,
patience and listening. For example, when playing on a seesaw, the children take turns to
rock one at a time. They display patience in waiting and also enjoy observing each other's
enjoyment. Children demonstrate positive relationships, encouraging each other and having
fun together.
Next steps
Leaders should focus professional development and coaching opportunities for
themselves and their staff to enhance the curriculum across the areas of learning.
Leaders should support staff to enhance routines so the learning environment remains
calm and always supports all children to thrive.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator,
children and their parents during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality of standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies the the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2851081
Address:
Total Fitness Uk Ltd
Wilmslow Way, Handforth
Wilmslow
SK9 3PE
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 30/06/2025
Registered person: Kids Planet Day Nurseries Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Cheshire East
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 22 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
60
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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