The Friary Nursery School Ltd

The Friary Nursery School Ltd
Unique reference number (URN): 500857
Address: 2 Friars Lane, Beverley, North Humberside, HU17 0DF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 31/10/1988
Registers: EYR, CCR
Registered person: The Friary Nursery School Limited
Inspection report: 7 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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children are meeting their expected targets. Those with lower starting points when they
enter the nursery, catch up during their time in the setting. Children with special educational
needs and/or disabilities participate in all aspects of the curriculum and learning, which
helps them make secure progress. Children are prepared for their next stage of learning,
including the move to school. They become independent in personal care routines and
understand why good hygiene and a healthy diet is important. They take responsibility for
tidying their toys away before going to play outside. During imaginative play, children learn
to use tools safely when cutting vegetables. They build communication and language skills
when they engage in conversation, share ideas and listen to their peers. Children practice
new words to extend their vocabulary, such as cauliflower and broccoli. They develop their
understanding of the world when they think about where vegetables grow. They learn which
foods need to be cooked and which can be eaten raw, and think about how food is cooked
in their home.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leader's work with parents and carers to ensure punctuality and children's regular
attendance. Children are keen to come to the nursery. They build secure bonds with their
key person and settle quickly. Leaders have created a positive, welcoming environment
where children understand the expectations for their behaviour. Staff manage any unwanted
behaviour with gentle reminders and age-appropriate explanations of why some behaviour
is not acceptable. Children begin to understand the impact their actions have on others,
which helps them maintain secure friendships. They treat each other and staff with kindness,
care and respect. For instance, children help each other across an obstacle course. They
check wooden beams to make sure they are secure before other children cross them.
Children benefit from well-organised, structured routines. Leaders make effective
adjustments for children who struggle during transitions or when the nursery is very busy.
For example, snack times and 'circle time' activities have been split into two smaller groups.
This ensures a calmer, quieter environment where children can communicate and regulate
themselves more easily. When children come inside for lunch, they enter the room using a
small slide. Staff help children to listen and follow instructions. This makes the transition fun
and keeps it orderly.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders provide an inclusive environment, where high expectations for children's welfare
and well-being are clearly communicated. They work in partnership with parents and carers
to implement effective care practices that meet children's individual needs. Leaders work
closely with other professionals and outside agencies to support children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and share relevant information to keep children safe.

Staff understand the risks of using digital technology and how to keep children safe online.
They work with parents and carers to ensure children's access to media and electronic
devices are age appropriate. Children develop their understanding of how to keep
themselves safe. For example, they build their physical skills and assess risks when they
use slides and negotiate obstacle courses safely. They learn to look for traffic and cross the
road safely during trips in the local community.
Children establish secure relationships with staff and their peers. They talk about their
home, who lives there and any pets they have. Staff help children begin to understand their
feelings and manage their emotions. They use praise and encouragement to build children's
confidence and self-esteem. This means children are confident to initiate play, engage with
others and persevere with tasks. For instance, children work cooperatively to build towers
using large blocks.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders plan a broad curriculum that in the main, promotes children good progress in all
aspects of learning and development. A focus on communication and language means
children are building their vocabulary and becoming confident communicators. Staff promote
children's social and emotional development. Children begin to manage their emotions and
behaviour and build secure relationships with staff and their peers. Leaders and staff make
effective adaptations to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities,
and those who have barriers to their learning can participate. 'Circle time' activities have
been split into two groups, which enables children to listen and concentrate better.
Staff assess children's progress and work in partnership with parents, carers and other
professionals to identify children's next steps. However, they do not consistently use these
next steps to precisely tailor learning to individual needs. For example, children confidently
identify basic shapes and colours but are not consistently supported to explore more
complex shapes or the properties of shapes to deepen their understanding. In addition, staff
do not consistently support children to make meaningful connections in their learning. For
instance, when children use shaving foam as 'cement' while building houses with blocks,
staff do not always prompt them to link this play to the related story they are reading.
Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders have created a culture where all children and families feel they belong and are
valued. They work closely with families, other professionals, and external agencies to keep
children safe and ensure support, opportunities and experiences target children's individual
needs. Leaders are quick to assess and identify children's individual learning and
development needs. They actively address and remove barriers to ensure children with
special education needs and/or disabilities, and those who have other barriers to their
learning make positive progress. For instance, additional funding is used effectively to
provide one-to-one support to help children fully participate in learning experiences.
Visual aids help children who struggle to communicate verbally or have English as a second
language. The outdoor area has been improved with new resources and a focus on
promoting children's independence and social skills. Staff set up activities that allow children
of all abilities to participate together. For example, children build on their physical skills and

demonstrate some mathematical knowledge when they use large wheels to make patterns
using paint. They enjoy activities that celebrate diversity and begin to understand and
appreciate differences through stories and discussions.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders work closely with other professionals and outside agencies to ensure children are
kept safe and have any additional support they need. They make effective adjustments to
the environment and routines to support children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities, and children who have other barriers to their learning. Parents comment that the
nursery has a 'lovely team'. They say staff are inclusive, warm, encouraging and supportive
towards the whole family.
Leaders consider staff's well-being and staff feel they are supported well. In general, leaders
evaluate their practice to identify strengths and any areas where improvements need to be
made, such as changes to the environment, resources or routines. Inexperienced and new
staff have support from a mentor to ensure they undertake relevant training and understand
their role and responsibilities. However, leaders do not complete targeted evaluations of
individual staff practice consistently. This means that gaps in staff's knowledge and
understanding are not always identified. As a result, their professional development is not
sharply focused on their individual learning needs to raise teaching standards further.
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

What it's like to be a child at this setting
The nursery provides a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where all children make
good progress. They benefit from a broad curriculum, that overall, prepares them well for
their next steps in learning, including going to school. Resources reflect their interests, such
as dinosaurs, building blocks and paints. Children are confident to initiate and lead play with
other children. They develop their independence in personal care skills and during daily
routines. Children demonstrate good communication skills in conversations with staff and
visitors. For example, they talk about their home and who lives with them. They broaden
their understanding of the world when they consider where other people might live, such as
in a caravan or igloo.
Children enjoy their time in the nursery and behave well. They settle quickly with support
from their key person and soon build positive relationships with their peers and staff.
Children begin to understand their feelings and manage their emotions. Information obtained
from parents, carers and other professionals ensure key staff know if there are any barriers
to children's learning. Any gaps in children's learning are targeted from the outset, which
means they soon catch up. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
benefit from carefully considered adjustments to the environment and routines. For example,
snack times have been changed to ensure they are less busy and calmer for children who
struggle in large groups.
Families are welcomed at the nursery. A flexible approach to sessions helps children to
attend regularly. Effective partnerships between parents and carers, and key staff promote
consistency for children. Information shared with parents and carers about children's
learning, and optional homework, means that children can continue their learning at home.
Next steps
The provider should support staff to use their knowledge of children's prior learning and
next steps more effectively to tailor the curriculum, so that they extend children's learning
and help them make connections between different aspects of their learning.
The provider should strengthen the evaluation of staff practice to identify strengths and
areas for improvement and use the information to sharpen staff's individual professional
development, to further raise the standard of teaching.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with the provider, staff, the special educational needs and/or disabilities
coordinator, parents, carers, and children 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

Inspector:
Nicola Dickinson
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 500857
Address:
2 Friars Lane
Beverley
North Humberside
HU17 0DF
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 31/10/1988
Registered person: The Friary Nursery School Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30
Local authority: East Riding of Yorkshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 7 May 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
2 to 4
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.

Total number of places
30
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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