The Apple Tree Private Day Nursery

A separate room for babies to sleep, outdoor areas arranged by age, and a preschool building of its own give The Apple Tree Private Day Nursery a clear physical identity. At 11 Howarth Cross Street in Rochdale, it cares for children from six months to five years. The youngest room accommodates 12 babies, a useful starting point for families weighing the scale of their child's first nursery experience.

At its 9 November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective, while identifying a need to strengthen staff's phonics teaching, especially for older children. That is the quality benchmark to keep in mind alongside the practical detail: separate spaces for different stages, a gradual settling process and daily communication through Blossom, a digital learning journey connecting nursery and home.

Full-day and morning sessions are offered, with both full-time and term-time attendance arrangements.

Rooms and Ages

Four age-based rooms span infancy to school preparation. Age boundaries are flexible, with moves based on readiness and discussion with parents.

Room 1 - Babies takes children aged six to 18 months and accommodates 12; sensory exploration with natural materials sits alongside a separate sleep room containing full-size cots and an outdoor area reserved for babies. Having sleep and play spaces apart gives the youngest children a physical separation between activity and rest.

Room 2 - Tinies accommodates 16 children aged 18 months to two and a half years, combining early independence and friendships with singing, signing and storytelling, plus outdoor space shared with toddlers and a shared sleep room with low beds. Room 3 - Toddlers accommodates 20 children aged two and a half to three and a half years, emphasising independence, children's choices and language, with access to those shared outdoor and sleeping spaces.

Room 4 - PreSchool accommodates 16 children aged three and a half to five years in a separate building, where play remains central but the day becomes more structured and adult-led, with direct access to its own outdoor area.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the foundation: children develop knowledge and skills through play shaped around their interests and individual needs. Apple Tree adds concrete experiences rather than relying on a curriculum label. Physical Activity Sessions include football, movement with music and activities involving different physical skills; Storytelling Time and Animal Visits bring other ways to explore language and the living world.

In November 2022, younger children explored an Objects Table as a starting point for single words, while older children used story spoons to prompt conversation and ideas. An owl keeper's visit also connected the story Owl Babies with live birds that children could observe closely.

The early-reading caveat deserves equal weight. In November 2022, gaps in staff's phonics knowledge meant that the next learning steps for older children were not consistently clear. Families approaching the preschool stage should consider that specific teaching issue alongside the nursery's broader emphasis on communication.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play happens daily. Dens, obstacle courses, race tracks and children's invented games make physical activity part of ordinary nursery life, rather than an occasional addition. Separate outdoor provision for babies and preschool children also allows those stages to have their own space.

Trips include parks, libraries and fire stations, with parental consent. In November 2022, children also took food donations to a food bank, connecting an everyday item with helping other people. The visit offered a practical introduction to community responsibility rather than an abstract lesson about kindness.

Relationships and Communication

A child's key person is the family's first contact and takes responsibility for getting to know the child and following their development. Key Family Time brings children together for small-group activities with that familiar adult.

Settling is gradual. Following enrolment, the nursery recommends four visits over two weeks, usually beginning with about an hour when a parent stays and plays; visits can be adapted and extended to suit the child. The intention is for children to experience meals, sleep and group activities before their first paid session, so the change involves more than becoming familiar with a room.

Blossom shares daily information alongside observations, photographs, videos and nursery news. Parent evenings and stay-and-play sessions add opportunities for direct contact.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Two SENCOs support the nursery's SEND arrangements. Development plans, discussions with parents, advice from other professionals and work with external agencies form the practical response when extra help is needed. At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that concerns were recognised promptly, referrals followed discussions with parents, and additional funding supported children's development and experiences, with very good progress reported for children needing extra support.

Babies' care follows their home routines, including feeding according to individual needs, and the nursery supports weaning by following parents' lead. Staff also work with families on toilet training in the Tinies and Toddlers stages. That continuity is useful when a child is managing a new setting alongside a change in everyday care.

A cook makes meals and snacks in the nursery kitchen, using seasonal ingredients and menus that change with the seasons. The nursery's Allergy Aware policy includes access to recipe and ingredient information and staff allergen training; families managing an allergy should confirm current practice for their child.

The Local Authority tooth brushing program extends health routines into the nursery day, with toothbrushes, toothpaste, sticker charts and activities to take home. The Golden Grin Award sits alongside this practical dental work.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 11 Howarth Cross Street, Rochdale, OL16 2PB. Opening hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Full Day runs from 8am to 5pm, while Morning runs from 8am to 1pm, giving families a shorter option as well as the complete nursery day.

The minimum attendance is two full days or four half days each week. Both full-time and term-time places are offered, with a holiday-week retainer for term-time attendance. That means the shorter annual pattern still has a cost during school holidays and should be considered as part of the whole booking arrangement.

The nursery operates across the year, closing on bank holidays, Christmas Eve and the period between Christmas and New Year. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01706 633431 or through the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Meals are included in the stated session arrangements: Full Day includes breakfast with fruit, a hot lunch and tea; Morning includes breakfast with fruit and a hot lunch. The registration charge covers settling visits. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation, with the attendance pattern and any associated charges set out together.

Moving on to School

School preparation includes a school admissions workshop for parents, alongside a graduation ceremony before children leave. In November 2022, the workshop was held annually and local schools took part to explain what families could expect. Its value is practical preparation for the next stage, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Preschool reading. Staff's phonics knowledge needed strengthening in November 2022. At a visit, ask how early-reading teaching now develops as children approach school.
• Attendance and holiday costs. The minimum is two full days or four half days weekly, and term-time attendance carries a holiday retainer. Weigh the complete booking pattern rather than the hours of a single session.
• Baby-room scale and settling. The baby room accommodates 12, with separate sleeping space, while settling normally involves four visits over two weeks. Consider how that arrangement fits your child's routines and your own time for the transition.
• Your child's full quotation. Ask for the funded-hours arrangements, non-food consumables and any extra charges to be itemised alongside your chosen sessions; for an allergy, confirm how the Allergy Aware policy applies to your child.

Apple Tree suits families choosing either morning sessions or full-day attendance, with a term-time option for those whose annual routine follows school holidays. Its clearest strengths are practical: babies have separate sleeping and outdoor spaces, preschool children have their own building, and key-person contact continues through Key Family Time and Blossom.

The November 2022 Good judgement provides a dated quality reference, with phonics the specific point to examine for older children. For parents who value a gradual start, clear age stages and communication about the nursery day, Apple Tree offers substantial detail on how care is organised.