Riverside Nursery Schools – Richmond Montessori

Montessori

Unique reference number (URN): 2776150 Address: St. Johns Studios 6-9, Church Road, Richmond, TW9 2QA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 26/01/2024 Registers: EYR Registered person: Riverside Nursery Schools Ltd

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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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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, typically make progress from their starting points. Systems are established to monitor children's development so that they are prepared for the next step in their learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

A sharp focus is placed on communication and language, and children make steady progress in this area. Children's physical development is supported. They explore different ways to move their bodies, such as rolling, stretching and crawling. Practitioners guide children to understand the effects exercise has on their bodies. This supports them to build important skills for future learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children's independence is fostered. Practitioners actively encourage children to tidy up, make choices in their play and meet their personal care needs. During lunchtime, for example, younger children are encouraged to feed themselves using their fingers or a spoon. Older children are supported to set their own table and use a knife and fork to cut their food. In general, children are prepared for the next stage in their learning, including going to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are well behaved. Leaders and practitioners have high expectations for behaviour, which are commonly understood. On occasion, practitioners struggle to support children to manage sharing and turn taking. However, they request support from leaders. Children are generally calm and considerate of their friends.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Typically, the key-person arrangements are effective. A key-person buddy system is in place. This ensures continuity of care for the children. This means that if a key person is absent, another familiar adult is able to take their place. Although there are a number of agency staff, leaders are aware of the impact this could have on children's development and are putting in actions to mitigate against this. Children establish warm, responsive and positive relationships with practitioners. This supports them to feel safe and secure. They are supported to negotiate with their friends, listening to others and managing conflicts independently. This supports children to build positive relationships.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children have a positive attitude towards learning. They remain focused on engaging experiences and welcome other children into their play. Practitioners consider children's developmental age when providing activities. Younger children are given the time and space to practise early walking skills, while older children are supported to run, jump, hop and skip. This ensures activities are appropriate for their needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Typically, leaders understand what children need to know and when. An emphasis is placed on the prime areas, communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development, for the youngest of children. Young children's communication and language is supported through a variety of strategies depending on their individual needs. Some practitioners use Makaton signs to support communication. During snack time, practitioners model the use of Makaton to support the children to communicate their needs and wants. Children then use these signs along with the spoken word to share what they want. Practitioners praise children's attempts at communication and develop a culture in which children feel heard. Practitioners adapt their communication style to meet the needs of the children. Younger children are supported with shorter sentences. Practitioners give meaning to their sounds and interpret their gestures. This supports

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

children to understand language and use the words they hear in their play. Older children participate in activities in which they explore more complex language structures. Children excitedly discuss planets and the solar system. Practitioners skilfully extend sentences and give meaning to new words.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop a love for stories, songs and rhymes. They listen with awe and wonder and are taught the sequence of stories. Children, including those with barriers to their learning, excitedly sing along to their favourite songs. This supports children to expand their vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

In general, understanding of the world is clearly taught. Children delight in exploring the new plants in the garden. They discuss what plants need to grow and independently fill watering cans to ensure they have enough water. Practitioners encourage children's curiosity about the world around them. They engage in meaningful conversations and use real-life examples to support understanding. This helps children to become creative, curious learners.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and practitioners typically identify and assess children's individual needs. Practitioners work closely with the special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo) when they have any concerns regarding a child's development. Clear processes to assess children's development on entry are in place. Practitioners work in collaboration with parents or carers and understand the crucial information they hold about their child. This supports

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Needs attention

children who have barriers to their learning to catch up. Ongoing assessment of children's needs take place, ensuring early detection is made.

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Needs attention

Children who have temporary barriers to their learning are identified swiftly. Strategies are put in place and actioned. Children have intensive support to close the gap.

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Needs attention

Leaders are proactive at seeking support from external agencies. They work closely with the local authority's area SENDCo. Adjustments and adaptations are put in place to support learning. Children with barriers to their learning have personalised support plans. For example, children who have language barriers have specific time to work in small groups, where vocabulary is modelled. This dedicated time supports children to practise the skills they have been taught and enables them to make progress.

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Needs attention

Leaders deliver training to support practitioners to ensure children's needs are being met. Practitioners are confident to identify concerns and know who they need to report them to. This ensures children get the support they need to progress.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Although leaders are trying hard to work in partnership with parents and carers, there is sometimes a delay in ensuring parental concerns are sufficiently responded to. Systems to respond to concerns are in their infancy, which has an adverse effect on children's welfare and wellbeing, resulting in children's care needs occasionally not being met. Leaders are aware of this and have recently made significant adaptations to ensure concerns are responded to and actioned rapidly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children are provided with healthy and nutritious meals. Practitioners understand the importance of keeping children safe while eating and adhere to a strict policy. Children with dietary needs are well cared for. Clear systems are in place to ensure children get the right food, and a nominated individual is responsible for ensuring this takes place. They enjoy discussing the vegetables in their meal and the importance of having a balanced diet. This helps to build healthy habits for the future.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Routines for sleeping are effective. Younger children's routines from home are followed, and they sleep and rest at their own pace. Children are monitored closely while sleeping, and safer sleeping practices are adopted. This supports children to feel refreshed and emotionally ready for learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Typically, hygiene practices are effective. Children become increasingly independent as they progress throughout the nursery. They are encouraged to wash their hands before meals and after going to the toilet. This supports children to understand how to keep their body safe.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Although leaders are aware of the nursery's strengths and areas for development, significant changes in the leadership team have had an impact on the day-to-day running of the nursery. Policies and procedures to respond to parents' and carers' concerns have been strengthened. However, there are still gaps. This means that some children's individual personal care needs are not always met. Leaders are aware of this and are continuing to make adaptations to ensure these are fully embedded.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders take into account practitioners' workload and wellbeing. A sharp focus has been placed on ensuring all practitioners are retrained to strengthen the weaknesses in practice. An enhanced cycle of supervision and observations of practice ensures that practitioners are now fully supported in their role. Practitioners speak highly of the professional development opportunities that they receive. They feel they are listened to, and this has a positive impact on their wellbeing. Leaders take on board constructive feedback from external agencies and generally put measures in place to support change.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders ensure the sharing of information is completed promptly. Renewed policies and procedures bolster the sharing of information. A single central access point to information ensures those who need access to certain information have it. This means that those who have responsibility of safeguarding can take timely and appropriate action to protect children from harm.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders ensure practitioners are deployed effectively. They establish a culture of continual improvement in which everyone is keen to improve their practice for the benefit of the children. Both safe sleeping and key-person procedures are improved. This ensures children remain safe while at the nursery.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children and parents or carers are greeted in the reception area by warm and responsive practitioners. Practitioners take the time to find out how their morning has been. This supports the team to plan appropriately for the children's needs. On occasion, leaders do not respond quickly enough to parents' concerns. This leads to a breakdown in communication and parents and children's voices not always being heard. Although leaders have started to make changes to address this, they are not fully embedded. This means that some children's personal care needs are not always met. Children enjoy their learning and spend time practising skills. Younger children spend time developing their gross motor skills when climbing on and off low-level obstacle courses. Practitioners sensitively and slowly model the steps needed to complete the course. They provide clear praise. This supports the children to know what is expected of them.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children experience a wide range of activities tailored for their individual needs. They are excited to take a trip to the local park, where they feed the ducks. They are exposed to the world around them and supported to make sense of the world in which they live. Children with barriers to their learning are provided with support to meet their individual needs. Leaders engage with external professionals to ensure strategies are put in place to meet their needs. In general, children with gaps in their learning progress from their starting points.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Typically, children are encouraged to express their emotions. Practitioners support children to label their feelings and help them find different ways to express themselves. Practitioners model expected behaviours, which are consistently implemented across the nursery. Children know what is expected of them.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children attend regularly. Clear systems are in place to monitor attendance and punctuality. Children and parents know the importance of coming to nursery and the impact this has on learning. This supports children to build good lifelong habits.

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure a clear and accessible written record is kept of all complaints and the outcome of the investigation in accordance to current government guidance 14/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure parents and carers are kept informed of how the staff are organised in the setting and their role 14/07/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and carers, children, the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead during the inspection.

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Address:

St. Johns Studios 6-9 Church Road Richmond TW9 2QA

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Riverside Nursery Schools Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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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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Children numbers

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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Children numbers

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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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

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Urgent improvement

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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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