The Little Ripley Day Nursery

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
Inspection report: 20 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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
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.
  
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.
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.
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.

Inspector:
Reena Rai-Aheer
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2782902
Address:
205 Birmingham Road
Shenstone Wood End
Lichfield
WS14 0PA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 10/04/2024
Registered person: The Little Ripley Day Nurseries Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours:
Local authority: Staffordshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 20 May 2026
Children numbers
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.

1 to 4
Total number of places
78
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.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
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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