URN EY489796 · Inspected 2026-05-18 · Published 2026-07-03 · Inspector: Michelle Lorains
Burley Nursery School Unique reference number (URN): EY489796 Address: 48 Station Road, Burley In Wharfedale, Ilkley, LS29 7NE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 02/06/2015 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Burley Nursery School Limited Inspection report: 18 May 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement 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. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: 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. Strong standard Expected standard Inclusion Strong standard Leaders and staff implement swift and rigorous procedures to identify gaps and/or barriers to children's learning and development. They consistently have high expectations for every child who attends. Staff benefit from training that helps them to support children and meet their specific individual needs. For instance, children show enjoyment as they have their one-to-one time, and they benefit from intensive interactions with staff in the sensory room. They are eager to share their new skills as they roll on the soft ball. Leaders invite specialist teams into the nursery to help them asses the provision. For instance, the local authority and visual impairment team show staff a range of strategies and interventions that they can use to support children to manage their emotions and help them ensure that the environment is accessible. Leaders identify potential barriers to children's learning and address them swiftly. For example, they prioritise children's wellbeing and encourage families to attend tailored settling-in visits and provide home visits if required. Staff help children to develop an understanding of their community and the wider world to ensure that they learn about difference and diversity. Parents say they feel their child's identity, background and experiences are genuinely respected and celebrated. Achievement Expected standard All children make good progress in relation to their starting points, across every area of their learning. Staff focus on supporting children with gaps in their learning and use strategies and interventions to help them reach their full potential. Children are well prepared for the next stages in their learning, such as moving through rooms within the nursery, and older children are ready to start school. Children are highly effective communicators. Staff help them to develop their language skills from an early age. Babies listen to staff in the role-play area and show interest as they name items from a basket. Toddlers develop their self-care skills and independence in preparation to move up to pre-school. Older children successfully turn the nuts on the screws and use the hole puncher to make the holes to thread their ribbons through, strengthening their small-muscle skills. They benefit from smaller, focused group times in the quieter room. This helps them to develop the skills they need to start school. All children develop an understanding of the wider world and benefit from going on trips into the local community. For example, children visit the elderly in the local care home and join in with singing. Staff teach children about religious festivals around the world and celebrate cultural traditions that reflect the backgrounds of children who attend. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Staff are positive role models for children and develop close bonds with them. Parents describe staff as warm, caring and attentive to children. They are aware of how to meet children's individual needs and care routines. Children's regular attendance supports staff to maintain up-to-date knowledge of any changes to their circumstances. For example, staff know when children are ready to sleep and follow babies' individual routines from home. They gather information about specific medical needs and ensure that they follow advice from other professionals. Children develop high levels of confidence and self-esteem. For example, staff are respectful to children's privacy and ask babies if they can go to have their nappy changed. Babies take comfort items, and staff negotiate with them to help them go willingly. Older children help to set the table for lunch. They benefit from structured routines and know they have their story before they sit down. Staff who support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities support children using 'Now and Next' boards. This helps children to emotionally prepare for the next experience, and they follow routines smoothly overall. However, there are times during the day when routines are difficult for children. For instance, lunchtime is very long for older children, and staff do not always consider children's social experiences. There are also difficult transitions for some toddlers who wake up close to snack time and routine nappy changing time. For example, staff struggle to balance their attention between children. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Leaders and staff implement procedures that promote children's good health, safety and wellbeing. For instance, children thoroughly enjoy the freshly prepared meals that are cooked on site each day. They talk about what it means to be healthy and how they will grow strong muscles if they eat broccoli. Older children show pride as they ensure that all staff and children have fresh drinking water at the table. They are aware that it is important to stay hydrated. This helps them to build healthy habits and lifestyles for the future. Children have access to fresh air outdoors each day. Staff encourage them to find their own coats, shoes and personal items before going out. This helps to build their independence and self-care skills. Toddlers take their own bibs off at the end of their lunch, and staff provide flannels to wash their own face. They encourage children to look in the mirror and praise them for their efforts. Older children use the toilet independently and are aware of the need to wash their hands. They follow good hygiene practices with minimal support from staff. Children show enjoyment in the nursery gardens, which staff carefully prepare with experiences that mirror the curriculum indoors. Staff help children to develop an awareness of their own safety from an early age. For example, staff show babies how to come down the slide safely and encourage others to wait until the end is clear. Toddlers and older children demonstrate their understanding of this as they use the larger climbing equipment in their garden. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Leaders and staff provide children with an interesting and exciting curriculum that is based on their interests and individual stages of development. Children benefit from taking part in extra sessions such as yoga, story sessions and a science club. This helps to widen their experiences and tackle potential barriers to learning. Staff provide activities that help children to learn about difference and diversity. They gather information from families about their religious traditions and festivals and share this with children in the nursery. Children talk about the places they have visited, such as the local show and castle nearby. Staff add these pictures to their books so children can recall their own experiences in the story area. Overall, staff teach children through their play and exploration. For example, babies develop their language skills and take books to staff so they can sit together and read. Staff who work with toddlers make the most of opportunities indoors to use mathematical language, and children count accurately past 4. Older children continue with their love of stories as they recall favourite characters and join in with rhyming parts. However, on occasion, staff do not notice when groups of children are deeply engaged and do not extend their learning. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. For instance, they use effective strategies to help children to begin to self-regulate, offering them choices of their favourite animals from the basket. They plan one-to-one time to help prepare children for their day, and this sets them up to begin learning. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders set a positive example for staff and have high expectations for all who attend the nursery. Staff say they feel valued in the nursery and are well supported. They benefit from access to regular training and professional development opportunities that help them to meet children's individual needs. In addition, leaders support apprentices to complete their qualifications and guide them with practical tasks, such as nappy changing and safer sleeping procedures. Leaders encourage staff to reflect on their practice and provide supervision on a regular basis. They implement robust procedures to support staff's wellbeing and ensure that they are suitable to work with children. For example, staff are aware that leaders are available to support them with changing circumstances to their health and benefit from flexible working hours if appropriate. Leaders and staff establish and maintain highly effective partnership working with families. This helps them to be alert to any potential barriers to children's learning and adapt practice to meet children's individual needs and changing circumstances. Parents feel they have good relationships with leaders. They say the nursery is 'extremely well managed with consistent and clear communication'. Leaders and staff have a clear understanding of the strengths of the nursery, such as the inclusive practice, support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the way they develop children's love for learning. They are also aware of the areas they wish to enhance and regularly speak to staff about how they can drive forward improvements that benefit children. They work closely with the team of advisers from the local authority to maintain their knowledge and skills to continually promote positive outcomes for all children. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met Voluntary Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children are excited and enthusiastic to attend the nursery. Leaders and staff provide a warm, inclusive, nurturing environment where all families are welcome. They carefully and thoughtfully prepare environments indoors and outdoors, ensuring that all children can access the curriculum on offer. All children make good progress in relation to their starting points, and staff have high ambitions for every child. Children with special educational needs Inspector: Michelle Lorains About this setting and/or disabilities, and those with other barriers to their learning, are exceptionally well supported. Children thoroughly enjoy their learning. Overall, staff teach children through their play and self-chosen experiences. For instance, older children explore water outdoors and practise filling and emptying. They talk to each other while they wash their toys, sharing thoughts and ideas. Babies show determination and perseverance as they use their physical skills to climb the small hill and go down the slide. Staff are close by, ensuring their safety and encouraging their independence. Toddlers show increasing independence as they sweep areas outdoors and use the larger climbing frame. Leaders and staff implement robust procedures to promote children's health, safety and wellbeing. Children benefit from very flexible settling-in procedures, and staff use detailed information from families to help them get to know children before they start. Children show they feel safe and secure in the nursery. They have high levels of self-confidence and benefit from close bonds with staff. Leaders and staff maintain positive partnerships with parents. They regularly provide families with information to support children's learning and development at home. Parents speak highly of the staff and are 'incredibly happy with the learning and care' children receive. Next steps Leaders should support staff to enhance their interactions and engagement with children to ensure that they are consistently of high quality. Leaders should reflect on how staff support young children during transition times, such as mealtimes and sleeping times, to help them run more smoothly. About this inspection The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead during the 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. Unique reference number (URN): EY489796 Address: 48 Station Road Burley In Wharfedale Ilkley LS29 7NE Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 02/06/2015 Registered person: Burley Nursery School Limited Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Bradford Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 18 May 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 0 to 4 Total number of places 55 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. 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. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. 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