Summary
What we read, and from where
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- Achievement verified
Expected standard
- Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified
Expected standard
- Children's welfare and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
- Inclusion verified
Strong standard
- Leadership and governance verified
Strong standard
- Framework verified
Report card
- Group verified
The Little Ripley Day Nurseries Limited
- Inspection datesingle source
20 May 2026
- Inspectors verified
Reena Rai-Aheer
- Postcode verified
WS14 0PA
- Name on report verified
The Little Ripley Day Nursery
- Safeguarding verified
Met
- URN verified
2782902
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
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Grade profile
Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.
- AchievementExpected
- Behaviour, attitudes and routinesExpected
- Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected
- Curriculum and teachingExpected
- InclusionStrong
- Leadership and governanceStrong
Tone of the report
How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.
In line with other reports of this type.
How the report reads, start to finish
Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.
Strengths
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- Leaders are extremely passionate and caring. p.2
- Leaders have built secure relationships with staff and share a clear and ambitious vision. p.2
- As a result, children are respectful, kind towards one another and enjoy playing and learning together. p.3
- Settling-in sessions and a key-person system help children to build secure attachments and feel safe and confident. p.3
- They say their children feel safe, happy and valued. p.2
Concerns
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
Next steps
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What the report dwells on
Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.
Leadership & governance21
“Leaders are extremely passionate and caring.” p.2Communication & language12
“Children learn ambitious vocabulary, such as 'pollen' and 'microscopic'.” p.3Parents & families11
“This helps to secure timely support for children and their families.” p.2
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 8
- Words of findings
- 1,784
- about usual (typical 1698)
- Reading level
- Fairly hard
- Flesch 51, typical 43
- Average sentence
- 14 words
- Next steps
- 2
- typical 3
- Hedged sentences
- 2%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
The Little Ripley Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2782902 Address: 205 Birmingham Road, Shenstone Wood End, Lichfield, WS14 0PA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 10/04/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: The Little Ripley Day Nurseries Limited
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Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
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How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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How we evaluate safeguarding
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.
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Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff consistently deliver a highly inclusive culture. They recognise, celebrate and support all children's individual needs. Staff identify children's emerging needs early and implement targeted and responsive support. They review children's care plans accurately to ensure support is embedded, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff use a communication and language screening tool to identify any delay in children's language. They implement targeted next steps to help children make progress. Staff work closely with parents and carers and other professionals, such as the area SEND team and medical professionals. This helps to secure timely support for children and their families.
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Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders ensure the environment is inclusive and accessible for all children. For example, adapted handrails enable every child to use the stairs safely and confidently. Leaders and staff fully understand the importance of the early years pupil premium funding. They provide thoughtful additional resources, such as the lending library, spare coats and personalised resource packs, including items to support children adjusting to new siblings at home. Staff take time to learn key words in children's home languages, helping them to feel understood. This consistent and targeted support ensures that they meet children's individual needs effectively, including those with SEND and those facing other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. As a result, children feel secure, valued and fully included in the life of the setting.
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Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders are extremely passionate and caring. They place children and families firmly at the heart of their practice. Leaders and those responsible for governance take a strategic approach to improvement and are highly reflective. Leaders work closely with the nominated individual and wider leadership team to continually develop the setting so that children benefit from the provision. They have identified key areas for development and are already addressing these, but this is not yet fully embedded in practice. Leaders have built secure relationships with staff and share a clear and ambitious vision. As a result, staff are committed to learning and growing and feel valued and well supported. Leaders have built secure relationships with staff and share a clear and ambitious vision. As a result, staff are committed to learning and growing, and feel valued and well supported.
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Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders prioritise staff time effectively to secure the best outcomes for children. They carry out regular supervision sessions and provide targeted training. Staff benefit from opportunities to share their skills across other settings within the company and gain new knowledge that enhances their practice.
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Leadership and governance Strong standard
Parents and carers speak highly of the setting. They appreciate the wide range of opportunities that leaders and staff provide, such as the lending library, which supports shared reading at home. Parents describe staff as patient, caring and genuinely dedicated. They say their children feel safe, happy and valued. Parents also comment positively on the
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Expected standard
support they receive from leaders and staff, including the way they work collaboratively with all families when concerns arise or additional help is needed.
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Achievement Expected standard
Typically, children make progress across all areas of learning and development. Babies and children gain confidence in their physical skills as they explore the environment. Babies learn to pull themselves up to standing and take their first steps. They persevere when they fall, showing determination as they get back up and try again. Older children develop strength and control in their gross motor skills. They learn to pedal tricycles and use balance bicycles with coordination. Children develop an awareness of how to negotiate space safely as they face obstacles when they ride their bicycles.
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Achievement Expected standard
Children, including those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are confident communicators. They love to chat with their friends and readily engage in conversations. Children learn ambitious vocabulary, such as 'pollen' and 'microscopic'. They use these words in context to describe minibeasts and explain that bees need pollen. As a result, children develop communication skills and are prepared for the next stage of their learning, including the move to school.
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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children's behaviour. Staff take time to get to know children and understand their individual needs. They are kind, nurturing and gentle in their approach. This helps children to feel secure and respected. As a result, children are respectful, kind towards one another and enjoy playing and learning together. Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance with families. They check in with parents and carers regularly and offer support where needed. This helps to support positive attendance habits for the future.
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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Children know and follow their routines with confidence. Staff support children by using signs, visuals and stories to reinforce expectations and help children to understand what comes next. This helps children, including those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, feel calm and ready to engage in their play and learning. Staff provide sensitive and calming support to help children manage their emotions. For example, they offer quiet time with stories that are familiar to children, which naturally soothes them and helps them regulate. Leaders have identified a key priority to further develop strategies, such as managing positive behaviour for older children. They recognise this will help to prepare children for the eventual move to school even more effectively.
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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders and staff implement effective care practices, including managing children's dietary needs, allergies, sleeping and feeding routines. They work closely with parents and carers to understand and meet children's individual needs. In addition, leaders work with parents to create care plans for all children prior to starting, and ensure all staff understand these. Settling-in sessions and a key-person system help children to build secure attachments and feel safe and confident.
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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children develop their independence. Staff encourage children to self-serve and feed themselves, helping them to build confidence and coordination. Children wash their hands independently and enjoy preparing their own snack, such as making 'fruit kebabs' using a variety of fruit. They talk to each other about which fruits they like and link this to the story of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' that they have been learning about. However, staff do not always recognise the importance of consistently following hygiene practices during mealtimes. As a result, children do not always develop secure healthy habits for the future. Leaders recognise this as an area for improvement and plan to implement changes to strengthen and embed hygiene routines at mealtimes.
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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff supervise children closely as they take safe and managed risks. For example, when children show an interest in climbing the tree in the garden, staff guide them to have a go. This supports children to climb safely and feel proud of their achievements. Staff use stories and calm time effectively to help all children to recognise, express and manage their feelings. This helps children to feel valued and included.
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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders provide a broad and ambitious curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Staff know all children well and plan activities that build on their interests and next steps. They use books, stories and rhymes to develop children's communication and language skills. Staff sing familiar rhymes with babies and young children. They use actions and simple signs to build children's confidence in communication. Staff model and introduce new vocabulary through their daily interactions. However, staff do not consistently deepen children's thinking to a higher level, when children show they are ready. This means, at times, children do not consistently benefit from rich teaching and learning experiences.
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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Staff plan opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. Babies climb low-level climbing frames and delight as they splash in water. Toddlers manipulate play dough with growing control as they poke, stretch and reshape it. They enjoy using tools to roll and cut the dough. Older children enjoy making marks using large movements. They show confidence as they negotiate space outdoors as they ride bicycles. This supports children to develop their strength, coordination and control they need for future learning.
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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Children develop their mathematical skills. Staff support children to count and to recognise numbers. They introduce mathematical language to name shapes. Children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, enjoy creating circles and triangles as they practise straight and curved marks. This helps children's early understanding of numbers and shapes.
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What it's like to be a child at this setting
All children, including babies, are greeted warmly at the door by staff. This creates a positive and reassuring start to their day. Parents and carers use this time to share important information about their children's routines, which staff respond to effectively. Children settle quickly into their daily routines and engage happily in their play and learning. They form close and secure bonds with their key persons. This welcoming start ensures children feel safe and ready to learn from the outset.
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What it's like to be a child at this setting
Babies and children, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, relish being outdoors. They have ample opportunities to develop their physical skills. Babies love to splash in water. They show early understanding as they follow instructions to climb up and down the climbing frame. Babies repeat this independently, giving them time to practise and strengthen their emerging physical skills. Toddlers explore with curiosity. They ride on tricycles and demonstrate control as they pedal confidently around the garden. Older children are fascinated as they collect pollen for the bees. They look closely at the insects and show genuine care as they gather flowers and pollen, saying it helps the bees to make honey. Children use vocabulary, such as 'honey, pollen' and 'habitats', naturally in their play. They build campfires with mud and use a range of tools and containers to scoop, fill and
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
mix. Children add leaves to their mixtures, saying that they are making a 'magic pie'. They work together with gentle teamwork. This helps to support the development of their imaginations and communication and language skills.
p.5
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children understand boundaries and the expectations in the setting. They manage their emotions and confidently talk about how they feel. Children show empathy and support their friends when they become upset. They are respectful and kind to one another. Children tidy up, share resources and are patient as they wait for their turn. As a result, children are ready for their next stage of education.
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Next steps
Leaders should further strengthen teaching and staff interactions to a higher level. Leaders should further enhance current hygiene practices to consistently promote children's health to embed secure and lifelong healthy habits.
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About this inspection
The inspector spoke with the leaders, the nominated individual, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, parents and carers and children during the inspection.
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Address:
205 Birmingham Road Shenstone Wood End Lichfield WS14 0PA
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Address:
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
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Address:
Registered person: The Little Ripley Day Nurseries Limited
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Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
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Age range of children at the time of inspection
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.
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Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
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Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.
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Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.
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Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.
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Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.
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Urgent improvement
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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Urgent improvement
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .
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Urgent improvement
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Urgent improvement
T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted
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