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Nursery at Howard Street Nursery School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Rockpool creatures, musical sessions and canal canoeing give Howard Street’s nursery curriculum a character beyond the classroom. This nursery school on Howard Street in Rochdale serves children aged 2–4. Its provision is organised into the Sunshine Room for ages 2–3 and the Rainbow Room for ages 3–4, rather than a nursery class within a primary school.
The overall capacity is 87 places: 77 on a 15-hour basis and 10 on a 30-hour basis. Room limits describe attendance within individual sessions: Sunshine accommodates up to 20 children in the morning and 15 in the afternoon; Rainbow accommodates up to 26 in either session. These distinctions matter when choosing a pattern that fits family life.
Play provides the starting point for learning. The early years curriculum combines speaking and listening, movement, relationships and independence with first steps in reading, writing and numbers. Nature, culture and creative activities complete the picture. For parents, this means learning through exploration as well as developing the skills children will use at primary school.
Jo Jingles Musical Sessions connect music with listening, language and coordination. Children encounter the life cycles of chicks, ducks and caterpillars, giving them living things to observe and care for. The Aqualease Rockpool Experience brings marine life into the classroom, while Forest School takes learning into a woodland setting. These are concrete ways to turn new vocabulary and ideas into experiences.
Outings include Smithills Farm, Healey Dell Nature Reserve and Rafted Canoeing along the canal. Families receive advance information about trips and may sometimes join as volunteers. In June 2023, Ofsted described well-equipped indoor and outdoor spaces and children taking part confidently in stories, songs and rhymes, but identified missed opportunities for staff to develop learning through conversation, especially with two-year-olds. Adult discussion during play is therefore a point to weigh alongside the experiences on offer.
Sunshine’s staffing ratio is one adult for five children; Rainbow’s is one for thirteen, with a class teacher. The wider team includes an early years lead, a SEND coordinator and a pastoral officer. For additional needs, the nursery aims to plan support with families, using play and observations to identify concerns and involving outside professionals when needed.
Food comes with clear expectations. Snacks include cucumber, fruit, milk, water and crackers or breadsticks with hummus. Snack time also gives children practice in the social side of eating together. Packed lunches should contain vegetables and fruit alongside a protein source, starchy food and dairy or a suitable alternative. Peanuts and peanut products are excluded, and children cannot exchange food.
Parent Mail carries letters, emails and updates, while newsletters are issued monthly. The nursery aims to arrange a themed Stay and Play each term so families can take part alongside their children. A Parent Pack supports preparation before starting. In June 2023, safeguarding arrangements were effective and children trusted staff for reassurance. The Family Hub shares the nursery building, giving families a nearby connection to services including health visitors and midwives.
Attendance at Howard Street does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat the nursery choice and the primary-school application as separate decisions; experiences here do not secure admission elsewhere.
Provision runs during term time for 38 weeks each year. Morning sessions are 8.45am–11.45am; afternoons run from 12.30pm–3.30pm. The six-hour full day ends at 2.45pm after an 8.45am start and is subject to eligibility criteria. Between the separate sessions, the nursery closes for staff lunch, which matters when planning childcare around a half-day place.
Both rooms cater for children eligible for 15 or 30 funded hours. Funded places depend on availability, with a waiting list used when a place cannot be offered immediately. Applications and supporting documents must be delivered in person: these include a birth certificate, address evidence and funding eligibility evidence. Visits and tours are welcomed. For enquiries, use the home-page contact form, email office@howardstreet.rochdale.sch.uk or call 01706 646103.
Children aged 2–4 attend, with the Sunshine Room for ages 2–3 and the Rainbow Room for ages 3–4.
Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am and afternoons from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. The full day runs from 8.45am to 2.45pm, subject to eligibility criteria.
No. A separate Reception application is required through the normal admissions process by the applicable deadline.
Include fruit, vegetables, a protein source, starchy food and dairy or a suitable alternative. Do not include peanuts or peanut products; children cannot swap food.
Visits and tours are welcomed. Contact the nursery by phone, email or its home-page form. Application forms and supporting documents must be returned in person.
