Sunny Brow Nursery School, Manchester
Sunny Brow Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 3 to 4 in Manchester. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sunny Brow Nursery School in detail
What parents say
21 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sunny Brow Nursery School (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school and 100% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (81%).
Who goes there
4.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (85%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 0 pupils (0%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Mills Hill (Manchester) Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Limefield Park (outside), 270 metres away.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Sunny Brow creates a warm, happy environment where all children thrive, including those with additional needs. The school offers an ambitious, well-designed curriculum that combines indoor learning with extensive woodland exploration, helping children develop knowledge, confidence and important life skills. Staff are supportive and positive, building strong relationships with children and families.
Key Strengths
- Children are greeted warmly and feel safe and extremely happy at school
- Rich, well-thought-out curriculum that builds on children's existing knowledge with memorable learning experiences
- Excellent support for children with SEND, identified and helped promptly and effectively
- Strong focus on reading, stories and language development, with children developing confidence in communication
- Teaches important life skills including managing risks safely, knife skills in woodland, and campfire safety
Areas for Improvement
- Sometimes the school does not think carefully enough about the key component knowledge it wants children to learn from the curriculum
- School is sometimes unclear about how it will improve certain aspects of its work, which holds back further progress
- Not all curriculum areas are thought through equally well
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts children's interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Woodland learning activities, campfire sessions, knife skills training in woodland area
Sunny Brow Nursery School has successfully maintained its outstanding standards. Children, including those with special educational needs, thrive in this happy, safe learning environment with an ambitious curriculum and extensive wooded grounds.
At a Glance
4.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
21 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby nursery schools
Keep up with Sunny Brow Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sunny Brow Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sunny Brow Nursery School is in Rochdale; for families living there:
- Rochdale's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy
- How to apply: Apply for school travel expenses
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Rochdale is 10 (the median across 106 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Rochdale council
Places available
3,030
Applications
2,860
Got 1st preference
86.8%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Rochdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
0.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
48
Total Pupils
21
Boys
27
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
2
Teachers
24.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Sunny Brow Nursery School
What is Sunny Brow Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Sunny Brow Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Sunny Brow Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Sunny Brow Nursery School is oversubscribed, Rochdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Sunny Brow Nursery School?
Sunny Brow Nursery School has around 48 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Sunny Brow Nursery School?
Apply through Rochdale's coordinated admissions process, naming Sunny Brow Nursery School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Sunny Brow Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Rochdale is 10 (the median across 106 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sunny Brow Nursery School?
Sunny Brow Nursery School is at Sunny Brow Road, Archer Park, Manchester, M24 4AD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)