Squirrels Children Day Nursery, Middleton
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Manchester for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in August 2023. Open since 2016, with 93 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 Rochdale
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Rochdale 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
M24 2HUWhat 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.
- 29 September 2021 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 23 August 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The dedicated manager and deputy manager have worked tirelessly to address the weaknesses raised at the previous inspection. As a result of their sustained commitment to raise quality, the provision is greatly improved. Children arrive full of smiles and are excited to see their friends. They quickly develop close bonds with their key members of staff. As a result, they separate from their parents with ease and are ready to learn. Staff are good role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. As a result, children are kind, courteous and respectful to one another.
Staff implement a balanced and sequenced curriculum across all rooms in the setting. This is designed to meet children's individual needs and interests.
Furthermore, it builds on what children already know and can do. For example, toddlers use chunky pens to make marks on wipeable boards. Pre-school children use pencils to draw detailed pictures of themselves and others.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- continue to embed the new arrangements for staff coaching and supervision to help staff raise the quality of their education practice to consistently high levels across the team n provide more opportunities for children to have a go at tasks and extend their critical thinking skills even further.
- 23 August 2023Good
- 3 March 2023Inadequate
- 25 July 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Squirrels Children Day Nursery, Middleton
- 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.