Grow Happy Childcare
Grow Happy Childcare is a day nursery in Stalybridge for children aged 0 to 11, with 64 registered places. Ofsted report card, 5 June 2026: Expected standard in 5 areas, Needs attention in 1 area; safeguarding standards met.
Unit 1 Rayners House, Bridge Street, Stalybridge, SK15 1PF
Key facts
- Type
- Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Ages
- 0 to 11 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered places
- 64 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
- Registered
- 21 February 2013 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Opening hours
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00
Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 5 June 2026
Who runs it
Grow Happy Childcare is run by Dee Mac Childcare Limited (Ofsted register).
Latest inspection
- Inclusion: Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
- Achievement: Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
- Leadership and governance: Needs attention
- Safeguarding standards met
Source: Ofsted, inspection on 5 June 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are welcomed into the setting by warm and caring staff who know them well. Children have secure relationships with their key person, who they approach for cuddles and comfort, showing that they feel safe. Children do not experience an environment that is effectively risk-assessed. Leaders have not considered risks in the environment and how these could be unsafe for children. Children join in with a range of learning experiences that allow them to explore, practise new skills and revisit learning to build their capabilities. Children are prepared for the next stages in learning. They are supported to reach developmental milestones of crawling and walking or learning the skills and knowledge such as the mathematical skills of sorting and matching.
Children are encouraged to play with and alongside others. They develop friendships and play well together. Children observe staff who model kindness and respect in all their interactions. They learn how to engage positively with their friends and work well together. Staff promote positive behaviour and gently guide children to understand expectations. Children respond well to the calm, positive approach. They are included in all aspects of the setting. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who have barriers to learning are well supported by staff, who tailor their approach to meet their individual needs. This means that barriers to learning are reduced as children make secure progress from their starting points. Children's attendance is positively encouraged by leaders, who remove barriers to attendance to support children's learning and development.
Children are supported by staff, who work in close partnership with parents and carers, sharing children's learning and progress. This ensures that children receive consistency in their care and education, helping them to thrive. Children's uniqueness is celebrated. Their progress, no matter how small, is recognised, shared and celebrated, enabling them to flourish.
What Ofsted found in each area
Inclusion: Expected standard
Leaders and staff quickly assess and identify children's needs. They use effective strategies to assess and monitor children's progress. Staff use this information to create targeted support that meets children's individual needs. For example, staff create tailored next steps to support children's development, such as extending children's vocabulary from one word to two words. Leaders and staff remove barriers to children's learning by being flexible in terms of hours of attendance to meet children's, parents' and carers' needs.
Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who receive effective support to ensure that they make secure progress from their starting points. Staff know children well, including those who are disadvantaged, known to social care and who may face barriers to their learning, and they adapt their approach to meet their individual needs, enabling them to achieve. For example, staff use strategies such as items to represent a routine or activity to support children's communication and participation in daily activities. Staff try new strategies to continue to support children's development, and they assess if these are effective. For example, staff use now and next boards to support communication. Leaders and staff have a clear understanding of family circumstances, which enables them to provide specific support to promote children's wellbeing.
Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
Leaders have a clear overview of the curriculum. They plan a broad and balanced curriculum, with a particular focus on supporting children's communication and language development, personal and social development and physical development. Leaders and staff find additional ways to support children's physical development, such as regular excursions out of the setting to explore the local community. Leaders and staff regularly monitor children's progress to ensure that all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to learning, receive the best support to help them make secure progress.
Leaders and staff create a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. They focus on building children's skills and knowledge through activities, such as toddlers using puzzles to develop their problem-solving skills. Staff understand children's next steps and plan effectively to support children to make secure progress. Staff focus on supporting young children's language skills through songs, stories and conversations during activities and routine times. Young children are supported to feel safe and secure as they mix paints. They have time to explore alongside staff, who comment on their movements to develop their language skills. Staff support children to be ready for the next stage of learning. This includes being ready for school by supporting their independence and their ability to focus and pay attention. Staff support this through short, focused activities, such as parachute games where they match colours. Staff promote a love of books and regularly share stories to support children's language skills.
Achievement: Expected standard
Children achieve well and make secure progress from their starting points. They are confident to share their learning and join in activities with joy. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to their learning are supported to build secure foundations in their communication and language skills. They learn about taking turns and working together through small-group activities. Children have the opportunity to develop physical skills through using bikes and going on outings. For example, children explore the local parks where they can run and climb, developing their strength and coordination skills. Children's achievement in their learning is celebrated and shared with parents and carers.
Children show increasing levels of concentration while engaged in activities, such as play dough, where they explore and develop skills to cut out shapes and roll balls. Children are able to revisit learning to ensure that they embed the skills needed to support them in their next stage of learning. For example, children develop perseverance and resilience when taking part in activities alongside staff, who offer support and encouragement to help them achieve their goals.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
Leaders have high expectations of behaviour and promote positive attitudes to learning. Leaders work effectively with parents and carers to ensure that children attend the setting regularly. This involves adapting hours to meet parents' and children's needs so that absences are minimised. Staff provide clear expectations of behaviour for children in the setting. They guide and use positive strategies to support children to engage in positive ways. For example, staff encourage children to think about good choices and praise them using 'high fives' when they help at tidy time.
Staff are positive role models to children. They engage in respectful interactions that promote kindness and care. Children copy these behaviours, acknowledging others' achievements and showing kindness in their play. Staff support children to develop skills such as sharing and taking turns through small-group activities. They support children to focus on their current learning and give positive encouragement when children need support. This encourages children to have positive attitudes to learning and builds their resilience. Staff support all children to make secure progress. They monitor and adapt strategies so that children can participate in day-to-day routines. For example, staff use visual supports such as now and next boards to promote children's participation. They adapt this to now only cards to meet children's level of understanding.
Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
Leaders ensure that staff have a clear understanding of policies and procedures that support children's welfare and wellbeing. For example, new members of staff are supervised when changing nappies to ensure that they follow the correct procedure so that children's wellbeing is promoted. Leaders' ability to effectively risk-assess occasionally impacts on their ability to create a safe environment. Leaders ensure that the key-person system is effective in supporting children's wellbeing. The key person works closely with their key children to meet their individual needs and form secure attachments. For example, when playing with puzzles, children gravitate towards their key person for support and comfort.
Staff create a warm and welcoming place for children to play and learn. They build warm and trusting relationships with children by effectively meeting their individual needs. Staff have respectful relationships with all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to their learning. They support children to feel a sense of belonging through the warm, responsive relationships. Staff promote children's health and wellbeing by providing healthy meals and initiatives, such as toothbrushing after meals. Children learn the importance of keeping themselves healthy. Staff support children to be increasingly independent to manage their own care needs. For example, staff support children's toilet training so that children become increasingly confident in their abilities.
Leadership and governance: Needs attention
Leaders do not effectively assess risks within the setting environment. For example, leaders do not ensure that nappy changing facilities are suitable or that the outside area is free from hazards. Leaders do complete risk assessments for excursions to keep children safe. Leaders have an understanding of the setting's strengths and identify some areas for development, such as developing the outdoor area. They follow safer recruitment processes to ensure staff suitability. Leaders effectively support staff wellbeing and mental health through regular staff supervision. They focus on ongoing support to grow professional practice. For example, staff have access to ongoing training that meets their individual needs and the needs of the children attending the setting.
Leaders form effective partnerships with parents and carers. They support parents and children through the settling-in period by following children's routines and using familiar ways to settle them. This supports children to settle quickly in the setting and builds trust with parents. Leaders and staff work effectively with parents, sharing children's progress, areas of development and activities at the setting. This ensures that children experience consistency in their care and learning. For example, staff share strategies to support children's language and communication development that parents can use at home. Leaders ensure that children have frequent opportunities to explore the local community, including visits to local parks, the library and shops.
What the setting must and should do next
The provider should:
- ensure that effective risk assessments are in place to assure the ongoing safety of the environment so that staff and children are not exposed to risks. (by 3 July 2026)
Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 5 June 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Inspection history
Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)
Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.
The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.
Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.
Source: Ofsted reports
Funded childcare hours in England
All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.
Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.
Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.
The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.
Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)
Other nurseries nearby
- Sunflower Stalybridge - Day nursery, Stalybridge SK15 1SE, ages 0 to 10, 72 places, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 2 June 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Busy Bees Pre-School - Pre-school, Dukinfield SK16 5JF, ages 2 to 4, 22 places, 0.5 milesOfsted, 6 December 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Sky High Achievers Stalybridge - Day nursery, Stalybridge SK15 2DQ, ages 0 to 4, 52 places, 0.5 milesOfsted report card, 21 January 2026: Strong standard in 5 areas, Expected standard in 1 area; safeguarding standards met
- Kids Planet Dukinfield - Day nursery, Dukinfield SK16 4BZ, ages 0 to 4, 80 places, 0.7 milesOfsted, 9 September 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Boat House Day Nursery - Day nursery, Dukinfield SK16 4BX, ages 0 to 4, 158 places, 0.8 milesOfsted, 19 June 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Schools nearby
- Trinity School - All-through, 0.2 miles
- Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School - Primary, 0.3 miles
- St John's CofE Primary School, Dukinfield - Primary, 0.4 miles
- Tame Bank - Special, 0.4 miles
- West Hill School - Secondary, 0.4 miles