Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Dryden Street Nursery
Ofsted: Urgent improvement·
4.1(14 parent reviews)
·Manchester Metropolitan University, Dryden Street, MANCHESTER, M13 9AU · Manchester
Number of places
86 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Feb 2026
Local authority
Manchester
About this day nursery
Dryden Street Nursery, established in 2012 and located in Manchester, M13 9AU, provides childcare for children aged 0-4 years. The nursery operates Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 17:30.
The setting prioritises children's physical development, offering daily outdoor access and a well-equipped area to support large-muscle development, which has improved children’s confidence. Children are encouraged to learn about healthy lifestyles and personal safety, including road safety.
The nursery also fosters an early awareness of diversity, with children engaging in conversations about differences in appearance. While the EYFS curriculum is followed, recent inspections highlight areas for improvement in teaching and curriculum implementation, particularly for children with SEND.
Leaders have recently appointed a new senior leadership team and are working to address these areas, with an action plan in place to bring about necessary improvements.
What it's like
Children do not make secure progress due to low expectations and lack of ambition from staff. Their learning is incidental, and they are not well prepared for their next stage in learning. Staff do not build on what children already know and can do, leading to widening gaps in children's learning.
Inadequate ratingPhysical development focusOutdoor accessDiversity awarenessEYFS curriculumSEND support needs improvement
Pricing & funding
Funding accepted
15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)
Pricing on request
This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.
Request pricing →Key facts
Age range
12 weeks to 5 years
Session types
full-time, part-time
Established
2012
Ofsted Inspection — new report card
Urgent improvement
Last inspected Feb 2026
Grade summary
Exceptional
—
Strong standard
—
Expected standard
—
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.
Category grades
AchievementUrgent improvement
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesUrgent improvement
Children's welfare and wellbeingUrgent improvement
Curriculum and teachingUrgent improvement
InclusionUrgent improvement
Leadership and governanceUrgent improvement
Age range
0 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Dryden Street Nursery
Last inspected 10 February 2026 · Luke Heaney
Actions the provider must take
- leaders must ensure that the latest government guidance on safer sleep is adhered to
- leaders must ensure that staff are deployed effectively to meet the needs of children.
- leaders must ensure that staff receive appropriate training opportunities that help them to understand how children learn and develop
- leaders must ensure that staff receive the relevant coaching and supervision to improve their professional practice
- leaders must ensure that staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively to make the progress that they should
- leaders must provide children with a curriculum that builds on what they already know and can do
What it's like to attend
Children do not make secure progress due to low expectations and lack of ambition from staff. Their learning is incidental, and they are not well prepared for their next stage in learning. Staff do not build on what children already know and can do, leading to widening gaps in children's learning.
Inspector highlights
- Children show signs of progress in physical development, such as pouring drinks for themselves.
- Children have daily access to the outdoors and learn about healthy lifestyles.
- Children talk about personal safety, including road safety and strangers.
- Children develop an early awareness of similarities and differences between themselves and others.
- Children begin to show some levels of independence, such as blowing their own nose and putting on their own coat.
- Safeguarding standards are met, with leaders fulfilling their responsibilities and establishing an open safeguarding culture.
Areas to develop
- 1Children do not make enough progress across all areas of development. Gaps in children's development are widening, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
- 2Children's progress in communication and language is much slower than is typically expected.
- 3Staff are not confident enough in their ability to ensure that children are supported to regulate their own behaviour.
- 4Some staff fail to teach children about the importance of getting along with their peers.
- 5Care practices are inconsistent. Although a key-person system exists, it does not reliably meet children's emotional needs.
- 6Leaders' oversight of care routines, including sleep arrangements, is weak.
- 7Staff lack the skills and knowledge needed to teach children how to recognise and express their feelings.
- 8Children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are not supported in their learning to make secure progress.
- 9Leaders are too trusting in staff's understanding of what children need to learn next, and the curriculum does not cater for all areas of children's learning.
- 10Early identification and help for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are inconsistent.
- 11Staff lack the knowledge and skills to ensure that learning is tailored to meet the needs of all children.
- 12Some parents and carers are not aware of how the setting supports their children's needs.
- 13The provider has failed to meet previous actions set by Ofsted.
- 14Leaders have not ensured that staff have a secure understanding of what they want children to learn.
Inspection #10235914 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
Gaps in children's development are widening, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Early identification and help for children with SEND are inconsistent, and leaders fail to act promptly to obtain professional support. Staff lack the knowledge and skills to tailor learning to meet the needs of all children, and children with SEND are often left without learning, placing them at a disadvantage.
Outdoor space
Children have daily access to the outdoors, and their physical skills are supported in a well-equipped outdoor area. Leaders have purchased resources to support children's large-muscle development, leading to improved confidence and physical ability, particularly when using outdoor apparatus.
EAL / language support
Children develop an early awareness of similarities and differences between themselves and others. For example, they talk about the differences in skin, eye and hair colour.
Parent Reviews of Dryden Street Nursery
4.1
(14)
James
4 months ago
This nursery went steeply downhill while my child was here, with many staff resigning and a lot of locum staff who weren't around for long either. Ratios weren't being respected and we saw many things we considered to be dangerous around pick-up time - fences broken in places, tyres used as "barriers" left out as a trip hazard, etc. This was finally acknowledged by ofsted in December, which led to a welfare requirements notice being served. I would take your child somewhere else while this nursery works itself out.
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Kylie
4 months ago
This nursery is currently under an Ofsted 'Welfare Requirements Notice' and has issues with management, safety and safeguarding. Please read the Ofsted report before considering sending your child here.
Read on Google
Maria Blanc Quintero
a year ago
I am so happy with this nursery! The staff are incredibly helpful and kind, always going above and beyond to support us. After having bad experiences with other nurseries in the past, I can’t express how grateful I am to leave my child in such good hands. The care and professionalism here are outstanding. Highly recommend this nursery, especially for families connected to Manchester University—it’s truly a wonderful environment!
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Shafaq Sohail Malik
10 months ago
My baby girl has been at holyrood dryden street nursery for nearly a year now, and I’ve seen such a positive change in her. she’s growing in confidence every day. She absolutely loves being there and adores the staff. I really appreciate all the care and hard work they put in. I trust them completely and would recommend this nursery to everyone! Mr&Mrs Din.
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Petra Zitova
6 years ago
My daughter has been in this nursery for almost a year and she is very happy and content here. Staff are always helpful and special requests always accommodated. It's quite small so has a nice family feel to it as you get to know everybody that works here over time. Would definitely recommend.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for Dryden Street Nursery. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Date: February 2013
The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Inadequate). We're re-checking it against the original report.
- March 2023Good
- March 2017Outstanding
- February 2013Good
Frequently asked about Dryden Street Nursery
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