Holyrood Nursery Dryden Street

We were using this nursery since 2023 and left the place due to serious concerns. The staffs are lovely and my child loves his keyperson. However the SEN support was not adequate. The previous manager seriously failed my son's needs and there was no proper assess plan and review pathways for him which significantly delayed his school support. The staff and management communication is very poor. This was recognised by Ofsted and the inspectors gave 3 WRNs so far and a full inspection with the inadequate/urgent improvement. Most experienced managers and staff kept leaving too. Putting my SEN need child in the hand of improperly trained agency staff really pushed us away from this nursery.

The nursery serves the University of Manchester. It is prominently advertised to staff and came highly recommended when we signed up our child.

Our child attended the nursery January 2025 to January 2026. Our initial experiences were good, despite a difficult settling-in period, and we were impressed with the experience and dedication of the staff in the Toddler room, but less so with the Early Years settings and an overall lack of leadership.

The nursery has seen a prolonged period of change since September 2025, which involved the resignation of the management team and a significant amount of permanent staff, and an increased reliance on agency staff. Ofsted has served a number of well-fare notices since December 2025, some of which are still outstanding, and has carried out several inspections, along with visits from the Local Authority. While we acknowledge that some efforts are being made to address the concerns, we currently would not recommend the nursery.

My child was there for over 2 years and left this January 26. My original plan was to keep her there until she went to primary school. However, lots changes in September 2025, followed a wave of staff resigned, it is so hard to communicate with the new management team and issues happened one after another. Now lots of new staff or agency staff there.

Because of the numbers of complains in late 2025, Ofsted carried out two visits within 2-3monthes. Ofsted served a Welfare Requirements Notice to Holyrood Dryden in December 2025. Ofsted are due to carry up a follow up regulatory visit on or soon after 26 Jan 2026. Please see most recent Ofsted report.

As of December 2025, the nursery is under an Ofsted Welfare Requirements Notice - which can be seen on Ofsteds website. I would advise reading this before you consider sending your child here.

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!

Holyrood Dryden Nursery has been outstanding for our kids. They have been very happy and really enjoyed going to school. The playground and facilities are amazing and our kids have improved a lot their motor skills. The staff has always been very respectful, and we felt that they really cared about our children. They have also helped us a lot in the application for funded hours. Finally, we have also appreciated the fact that it was a multicultural environment. Our children did not speak a word of English and after 6 months they can communicate fluently.

We have had such a wonderful experience at Holyrood Dryden St. Our son started in Toddler 1 in September 2023 and loved it from day one. It has been a joy to see him grow, learn, and thrive under the care of the T1 staff. His key worker is especially wonderful, she quickly formed a bond with our son, making a real effort to get to connect with him as an individual. Reading his latest report, we were amazed at how well she knows him, her descriptions of his tastes, interests, personality, development etc are just spot on! We are relocating in a few weeks and will be very sad to leave Dryden St. Thank you to everyone at Dryden St for making my son's first experience of nursery/childcare/education so wonderful. We'd highly recommend this nursery to prospective parents.

My son recently started here at Dryden Street Nursery and he has settled so well! He loves the staff and seems to always be happy to be there. His room is really engaging and I absolutely love seeing the regular updates on the app.

Dryden Street is a nursery that I would highly recommend. My son has been attending since he was 11 months old and he absolutely loves it. The staff members at this nursery are truly wonderful. They care for the children with love and affection, and they are always supportive and kind to parents, offering helpful advice. They go the extra mile to ensure our son's well-being and education. The nursery facilities are very clean and purpose-built, with ample outdoor space. The activities provided are both creative and sensory, and the staff put a lot of effort into making everyday fun for the children. I would like to express my gratitude to all the staff members for the exceptional work they do.

We were so pleased with the place that our son started there as well in 2023. The staff were very patient with him, they even managed to get him to drink milk from a bottle. Something we were unable to do- we tried for months! Would definitely recommend Holyrood Nursery.

Playground has improved. Buggy park is often busy. Very responsive to phone calls. Rain occasionally stops the gate or intercom from working, but calling always works. Great that I can pay via salary sacrifice.

Holyrood Nursery Dryden Street is a safe and delightful place for my child. The staff are friendly, well trained and considerate. There is a true sense of diversity and inclusion reflecting amongst the staff. I feel my child is growing up in a multicultural place where he would learn tolerance and flexibility.

I am extremely pleased with the nursery. My daughter is 16 months old, she took a little while to settle, as to be expected, but the staff were very kind and helpful through this time. Now, a few months on she really loves coming and speaks her friend's names at home all the time! There are lots of lovely activities every day, crafts, painting, sand, singing, water even ice play. They celebrate major holidays with themed activities. Staff work hard to keep the children amused and on track with development and are very kind. We also get nice updates most days with photos to see what they are up to.

I love this nursery. They have always been very understanding with my little boy and have always gone the extra mile for him. I could not be happier with his nursery experience! They have helped my little boy develop and have always given him the space he needs.

Regular feedback covers our child's activities, diet, and progress, ensuring a comprehensive overview. Classroom updates on monthly books, languages, and songs, along with group activities, keep us informed. Children's belongings are clearly labelled at the entrance, and the staff is always available to address any questions or concerns.

Holyrood Nursery Dryden Street is an outstanding nursery. Since my son has been attending the nursery since January 2023, he has enjoyed his time there very much. It is like a second home to him. The joy he expresses, once we arrive at the nursery, shows how much he adores the place. The nursery is full of engaging activities to help children grow. The activities include painting, identifying aquatic and land creatures, building and constructing, stacking games, making music, mud house plays and other outdoor activities. The nursery staff are kind, jovial and helpful. Additionally, they provide feedback on the kids' progress. They ensure that the kids are clean, warm, well-rested, well-fed and happy. I have walked in several times unannounced and all I find is a happy child either playing, sleeping or even eating. Thank you, Holyrood, for caring for my son. If you are considering taking your child there, please do. It is worth all the money and I am sure your child will love it there.

The Dryden Nursery is extremely one of the outstanding nurseries not just in UK but actually around the world. It gives all children even new born to develop their mentality and language in an impressive manner. It is as a second home for them!

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.

Excellent nursery, fantastic staff. My daughter has settled well and loves her nursery family. Thank you!

So my little gal moved EY2 to EY3. The fact that the managers were so patient with her they managed to find a solution to make the process smooth for her. What I am trying to say is that they care and make sure your child is happy. Apart from that just looking at my little gal it is a fun place to be.