Ribblesdale Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Ribblesdale Nursery School Queens Road, Lancashire, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 1EL

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Outcome

Ribblesdale Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children are happy at this welcoming nursery school. Staff carefully consider each child’s individuality, background and starting point. When necessary, the curriculum is adapted to reflect these needs. Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. Typically, children achieve well. They move on to primary school ready for the next stage of their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the outset, children are supported to settle quickly into routines. They rise to the high expectations all staff have for them. Staff build caring and positive relationships with children. This means children are comfortable and relaxed around staff. Children are taught how to be polite, think of others and take turns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places a strong emphasis on building children’s independence. Children regularly rehearse routines and become proficient at washing paint pots, putting their coats on and washing their hands independently. Staff teach children to know how to ask for help if needed. Children learn to care for living things, for example, the school’s rabbits. This helps children to develop empathy and respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff, families and children are warm and positive. Parents and carers are pleased with how well their children develop at this school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school and the governing body have carefully considered the needs and interests of children in the school’s curriculum design. They have worked together effectively to create a curriculum that meets the ambition of the early years foundation stage. The school has identified the age-related milestones that it expects children to reach across each area of 18 March 2025

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learning. However, in a few areas of learning, the school has not made the essential knowledge that children need to know and remember clear enough. This means that, on occasion, staff do not place the right emphasis on the knowledge that children need for future learning. This sometimes prevents children from learning as deeply as they could and making connections with what they have learned before.

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Across much of the curriculum, staff design learning activities that build on what children already know. Staff use opportunities to address any gaps in knowledge that children have. However, in a small number of areas, staff are not as clear on what children do and do not know. This is because, at times, the school does not check on what key knowledge children have learned in these few areas.

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The school prioritises children’s communication and language development. Children have stories read to them daily and enjoy joining in with these. Staff choose songs, rhymes and books that have ambitious and rich vocabulary. Staff check how well children are developing their communication and language skills. They provide focused support for children who may be at risk of falling behind in the curriculum.

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Staff draw on their in-depth knowledge of child development to identify the additional needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. They adapt the delivery of the curriculum so that these children learn alongside their friends. As a result, children with SEND typically achieve well.

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Children behave sensibly. This is because staff help children to understand what adults expect of them. Children take part in learning activities with little distraction or disruption. Children talk about how they feel because staff teach them the words to use to express their emotions.

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The school supports children’s wider development well. Children learn about diversity and different types of families. Visitors to the school, including the emergency services and road-crossing officers, talk to the children about their roles and responsibilities. This helps children to understand that there are people in the community who can help them. These meaningful experiences prepare children for life in modern Britain.

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Staff find working at the school rewarding. They know that the school is mindful of their well-being. Governors know the school well and are adept at fulfilling their statutory duties. They are passionate about the success of every child and hold leaders to account for this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 March 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of learning, the school is still determining the essential knowledge that children should learn. This makes it difficult for staff to design learning activities that build on what children already know. The school should clarify the foundational knowledge children should learn in each area of the curriculum.  At times, the checks on children’s learning do not identify if children understand the key knowledge. This means that, in these areas, some children are not as well prepared as they could be. The school should ensure that staff are supported to identify and address any gaps in key knowledge that children may have.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in December 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 18 March 2025

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 18 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.ribblesdale-nur.lancs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school is registered to provide early education for two-year-old children. At the time of the inspection, there were no two-year-old children on roll at the school.  Since the previous inspection, several new staff have been appointed.  A new chair of governors has been appointed since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and with other school leaders. The lead inspector also met with governors, including the chair of governors, and spoke with a representative from the local authority. 18 March 2025

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 Inspectors visited classrooms and the outside area. They spoke with staff and considered a range of curriculum documentation.  Inspectors spoke with children and observed their behaviour as they played in the nursery. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and children; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.  Inspectors reviewed documentation, which included leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and documentation relating to children’s attendance.  The inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors met with parents during the inspection. They took account of the responses

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to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Victoria Burnside, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Gower-Jones Ofsted Inspector 18 March 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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