1st Safari, Genesis, Rochdale

Herbs grown for nursery meals and guinea pigs cared for by children give Genesis Rochdale a practical thread: learning to look after something, then seeing why that care matters. Those experiences were part of nursery life in May 2023. Today, the Manchester Road setting combines play spaces, quiet areas and outdoor environments with care for children from 3 months to 5 years.

At its 31 May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, while identifying inconsistent support for children's speech and language as the improvement priority. That is the key balance for parents: a positive overall judgement with a specific teaching issue to explore.

The nursery has 87 places in total. Morning, afternoon, full-day and shorter-day bookings give families different ways to fit attendance around their week.

Rooms and Ages

Babies, from 3 months to 2 years, have sensory experiences as part of their care; Toddlers, aged 2 to 3, emphasises growing independence; Pre-School, for ages 3 to 5, concentrates on confidence and preparation for school. These are different developmental priorities, rather than the same activities with different room labels.

Play spaces sit alongside quiet areas and outdoor environments. That combination gives the day room for both activity and a calmer pace. Within Pre-School, learning includes early maths, making marks, communication and creative work, connecting school preparation with practical experiences rather than treating it simply as a change of destination.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, this means that play and everyday routines also have an educational purpose: children develop language, physical skills and the ability to manage increasingly independently.

In May 2023, staff planned activities around children's interests. Memory games gave older children opportunities to wait for a turn and respond when someone else won. Younger children explored ice containing flowers they recognised from earlier activities, linking a sensory experience with remembering what they had already done.

Books, songs and conversation also featured that May. The weakness was consistency: some younger children kept dummies in their mouths for prolonged periods, and some practitioners did not model the correct pronunciation after a child mispronounced a word. For families, the relevant distinction is between providing language activities and making everyday interactions support speech effectively.

Outdoor and Community Life

In May 2023, children tended herbs from seed, with the harvest becoming part of nursery meals. Feeding and brushing guinea pigs brought a different kind of responsibility. Both experiences connected care with a visible result, whether a plant growing or an animal being handled gently.

Physical play at that time included wheeled toys and climbing frames. Children also encountered familiar words in different languages and celebrated cultural occasions connected with their own and their friends' backgrounds. These examples made learning tangible: movement, living things and other people's experiences all had a place in the day.

Relationships and Communication

Daily updates are included in the fee. For parents, that creates a regular point of contact alongside the child's time in nursery, rather than making communication a separately priced extra.

In May 2023, staff and families worked together on consistent responses to children's behaviour at home and in nursery. The useful feature was continuity: the adults around a child were working towards the same approach. This is a more concrete form of parent partnership than a general promise of close relationships.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described early involvement of specialist agencies and parents for children with SEND or awaiting diagnosis, with staff receiving training to support their needs. These are dated findings, and their practical value lies in the mechanisms: outside expertise, targeted help and collaboration with families.

Independence was built through everyday care in May 2023. Babies practised drinking from open beakers, toddlers worked towards managing handwashing and toileting, and preschool children served food and put on coats and shoes. Preparation for school therefore included personal and social skills, not just learning activities. Children had opportunities to practise tasks they would later need to manage for themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 142 Manchester Road, Rochdale, OL11 4HA. Core opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation and closure on bank holidays.

Morning bookings run from 8am to 1pm, afternoons from 1pm to 6pm, and a Full Day from 8am to 6pm. The Short Day runs from 8.30am to 4pm. An early start from 7.30am and time beyond a booked session carry separate charges, so the chosen pattern matters when comparing total costs.

An Out of School Club (OOSC), providing care beyond the nursery age groups, can be arranged for children up to 12. School-age services also include taking children to school, collecting them afterwards, and holiday or school-closure care. These serve a different need from the early-years sessions.

Applications can be made through the Genesis Rochdale application form or by contacting Genesis.Rochdale@1stsafari.com. A full registration pack follows the initial application before a child starts.

Getting There

Bus routes run along Manchester Road, and the nursery has links to the Rochdale Town Centre tram stop. These give parents public-transport options to consider alongside the session times.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, subject to eligibility, with funded hours restricted to the period between 8am and 6pm and no top-up fees. The application options include 15 or 30 hours for children aged 3 to 4, disadvantaged two-year-old funding of 15 hours, and working-parent two-year-old funding of 30 hours.

Meals and snacks are included in session fees, including funded sessions. Activities are included too; early starts and additional attendance hours are separately charged. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the Genesis Rochdale fees page setting out the attendance choices and charge structure.

• Speech and language practice. The May 2023 improvement priority concerned how consistently staff supported communication, including dummy use and pronunciation. During a visit, ask how practitioners now handle those everyday interactions and how their practice is checked.
• The shorter-day choice. The Short Day ends at 4pm, while afternoon and Full Day bookings finish at 6pm. Compare those collection times with your working day, including any separately charged extra hours.
• Care for the youngest children. Babies can start from 3 months, and the baby room emphasises sensory experiences. Use a visit to discuss settling, sleep routines and the number of babies usually cared for together.

Genesis Rochdale suits families seeking morning or afternoon attendance as well as full-day or shorter-day care, with meals included and funded hours offered subject to eligibility. Its strongest educational examples come from May 2023: caring for plants and animals, purposeful physical play, and independence practised through ordinary routines.

The speech and language improvement point deserves attention when choosing. The useful test is how consistently staff now apply those everyday teaching habits, alongside the practical fit of the room and attendance pattern for your child.