Little Gems
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Manchester for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2024. Open since 2008, with 72 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Salford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Salford from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
M27 4BFWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 20 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff provide a safe and homely environment for children to explore. Children separate from parents with ease and quickly settle into play. They have strong, trusting relationships with staff who get to know them well. The nurturing staff team engage in sensitive, caring interactions with children. This helps children to feel happy and promotes their emotional well-being. Staff teach children about the importance of sharing and turn taking. They model positive behaviour and remind children about good manners. Children behave well and understand what is expected of them at nursery.
The curriculum for physical development is well embedded. Babies demonstrate persistence and good hand-to-eye coordination when feeding themselves with cutlery. They use the soft play equipment to crawl, balance and climb, building strength in their large muscles. Two-year-old children use tools and their hands to manipulate dough into various shapes. Older children skilfully use scissors with confidence. They have good pen control and demonstrate strength in their finger muscles. This well-sequenced curriculum helps to develop the skills children need for the next stage in their learning, such as early writing.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- implement the curriculum intentions more precisely during free play time to help children engage more purposefully n support staff to develop a greater understanding of how to promote children's speaking skills, with particular regard to the use of dummies n strengthen the procedures for supervision, coaching and mentoring to provide staff with more specific feedback on their practice.
- 20 February 2024Good
- 27 March 2018Good
- 15 January 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Gems
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.