A nursery in Rochdale has been given an inadequate rating by Ofsted after several safety concerns were identified.
While the quality of education and the behaviour of the children may have been praised following a recent inspection, education watchdog Ofsted did however find that youngsters at Small World Nurseries – which is based at Tudor House on Manchester Road in Castleton – were found to be at risk of potential harm after a number of ineffective risk assessments were carried out.
Children were said to be “happy and engaged”, according to the Ofsted report, and it was also noted that they had formed “solid, affectionate bonds” with the staff that cared for them.
However, inspectors ended up rating the nursery as ‘inadequate’ overall, partly due to shortcomings in leadership and management, and mainly because policies and procedures around risk assessment and safeguarding were “not well implemented” and therefore exposed children to “potential hazards”.
The report said children were left vulnerable to avoidable injuries, as conditions at the nursery were not always suitable and safe, with “blocked fire exists, uneven surfaces, and children running with hot liquids” observed.
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“Although the environment is risk-assessed daily, this is not effective,” the report added.
Children at Small World Nurseries in Castleton were found at risk of potential harm after a number of ineffective risk assessments were carried out / Credit: Google Maps
The watchdog also said: “Children are given hot soup to drink outdoors [but] they are not given appropriate direction on how to drink this safely which means they run around on wet, slippery ground carrying hot soup, posing a risk to themselves and others.”
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The report referenced the fact children would “fall repeatedly” due to the slippery and uneven outdoor area at the nursery.
The nursery was also found to be failing to identify other practices that pose a risk to children, including providing phones for staff to use to take photos of the children without considering the risk posed by devices with “unfiltered internet access”, and Ofsted criticised the management team for being “not robust enough to recognise and rectify these concerns”.
As mentioned though, it’s not all doom and gloom for Small World Nurseries, as it was praised for its relationship with parents, who had described staff as “wonderful”, and were said to “feel reassured when their children leave the setting smiling and happy each day”.
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Inspectors noted that “all children make good progress”.
Featured Image – Google Maps
News
Michelin-recommended rooftop restaurant Climat has closed its doors with immediate effect
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s top-rated restaurants has announced its shock and immediate closure.
Climat, which is set way up high in Blackfriars House with staggering views of Manchester city centre, has said that the Michelin-recommended restaurant is now permanently closed.
In a heartbreaking statement, founder Christopher Laidler said that Climat is ‘yet another casualty of the times we’re living in’.
Laying out the brutal reality of running a hospitality business, Chris wrote about ‘rampant food inflation’, an ‘ever-increasing tax burden’, and ‘the persistent cost of living crisis’, describing it as a perfect storm against hospitality.
Then delving deeper into the numbers, he shared that Climat has faced an eye-watering £112,000 electricity bill for its first 13 months in business – that’s 400% more than they’d budgeted.
That was chased by a 33% increase in staff wages, then a jump in business rates from £12,000 a year to £38,000 a year.
Couple that with reduced footfall and it’s ‘spelling disaster for so many’.
Climat has closed its doors with immediate effectClimat has laid their finances bare in their closing statement
He wrote: “Whilst I wanted to highlight these reasons for closure, in the naive hope the Government will start to listen before it’s too late for others, I want to acknowledge the fantastic work of our team over the last 3.5 years.
“The closure does not do justice to their efforts and dedication. I’d also like extend a huge debt of gratitude to our guests for their support, enabling us to build a nationally recognised wine list – our raison d’être.”
Signing off, he said: “I wish everyone the very best of luck in these challenging times. Bye for now, Christopher.”
Climat opened in late 2022, with an impressive wine list and a beautiful restaurant space overlooking Manchester.
It didn’t take long before it was added to the Michelin Guide, which wrote: “An open kitchen is the focus of the room, with its aromas filling the air, and the concise fixed-price menu includes well-executed dishes such as halibut with spinach and sorrel velouté, where the ingredient quality shines through.
“Wine is a feature with one side of the room acting as a bar and the carefully curated list deftly mixing traditional and modern styles.”
Claire’s is closing down stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
Manchester location(s) have changed a lot over time, but now they’re on the way out (Credit: Arndale)
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd March 2022 
