Ribblesdale Nursery School

Overview

Ribblesdale Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The report describes a welcoming environment where children are happy and achieve well, moving on to primary school ready for the next stage of their learning. Staff build caring relationships and place a strong emphasis on developing children’s independence and communication skills.

Strengths

• Staff have high expectations and carefully adapt the curriculum to reflect each child’s individuality and starting point.
• Children develop independence through rehearsing routines, such as washing hands and caring for living things, which fosters empathy and respect.
• The school prioritises communication and language development, using ambitious vocabulary in stories, songs, and rhymes.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly and supported to learn alongside their peers, typically achieving well.
• Governors are adept at fulfilling statutory duties and hold leaders to account for the success of every child.

Areas to improve

• The school should clarify the foundational knowledge children should learn in each area of the curriculum, as essential knowledge is not yet clear enough in some areas.
• Staff need better support to identify and address gaps in key knowledge, as current checks do not always reveal if children understand what they have learned.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.