Rooftops Nursery School

A covered outdoor classroom, a reading shed and a hill for energetic play give Rooftops Nursery School a clear outdoor character. Inside its Yorkshire stone building in Richmond, the youngest children have separate spaces according to their stage of movement, while older children follow interests that staff use to shape learning. The combination matters: babies beginning to crawl need a different environment from children preparing for school.

Rooftops welcomes children from 6 to 60 months and has 55 places in total. At its April 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. That judgement predates the ownership change in March 2026, so it is a dated assessment rather than an evaluation of the newer arrangements.

Full-time and part-time care are both offered, with stage-specific experiences in the Nurture Nest, The Wildflowers and The Bloom Room.

Rooms and Ages

The Nurture Nest (0-2's) accommodates a maximum of 15 babies across its unit, divided between Nurture Nest 1 for younger, non-mobile babies and Nurture Nest 2 for babies becoming more mobile, with sensory exploration, songs, stories and opportunities to practise self-feeding.

The Wildflowers (2-3's) uses construction, painting, pretend play and exploration of nature to develop toddlers' independence and communication, with staff adapting activities as interests emerge.

The Bloom Room (3+) combines early number and literacy work with creative activities, science, conversation and shared projects, giving preschool children practice in working independently and with others before school.

The baby unit's maximum applies across both spaces, rather than separately to each. Its division by mobility is useful for parents weighing how their baby will spend the day: a child who is not yet moving independently has a different starting point from one pulling up and exploring. The two baby spaces cater for younger non-mobile babies and older babies becoming mobile.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS is the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play, conversation, creative work and early number experiences contribute to those areas. It is the foundation, rather than an extra programme. Staff use Development Matters to inform their practice and observe children's development and interests when planning their next steps.

The Curiosity Approach influences the nursery's use of open-ended, everyday materials and activities that grow from children's interests. The practical addition is freedom to use resources in different ways, with practitioners extending the play they observe. Planning responds to what children are doing, rather than requiring every child to pursue the same activity at the same moment.

In The Bloom Room, adult-led and child-initiated activities include discussions, shared projects and individual tasks that develop communication and problem-solving.

In April 2022, literacy experiences included babies using chunky chalk and older children practising the shapes and letters in their names. The improvement priorities were more precise learning intentions for staff and stronger information exchange with other childcare providers. Interesting activities alone were not the whole test: practitioners needed greater clarity about the particular knowledge or skill an experience should develop.

Outdoor and Community Life

Sheltered areas and the covered outdoor classroom give the garden spaces for activity in different weather. Balance blocks, stepping stones, bikes and obstacle courses provide opportunities to practise movement; painting, water play and colour mixing offer a different kind of exploration. Outdoor time has several purposes here, rather than serving only as a break from indoor activities.

The teletubby hill and reading shed bring movement and books into the same garden. A mud kitchen, raised beds and a bug house add opportunities to investigate natural materials and growing things. Children can plant seeds and explore the wild flower area, connecting outdoor play with changes they can observe over time.

In April 2022, children rode scooters and balance bikes, dug in sand and explored ways down the garden slope. Today's garden combines active play with quieter reading.

Relationships and Communication

Home routines are part of the current care arrangements: staff work with parents and carers to follow them during the nursery day. That is useful for babies and younger toddlers whose familiar pattern of care helps parents explain what works at home. The Nurture Nest also places attachment-building alongside early communication and physical development, rather than treating exploration as a purely educational activity.

In April 2022, staff comforted and reassured new children, while daily conversations and an online system kept families informed about learning. These are inspection-era arrangements.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role sits alongside deputy management and leadership of the youngest children's unit. At the April 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND received effective support through work with parents and professionals, while information exchange with other settings needed strengthening. The distinction matters for children whose week includes more than one provider: support within a nursery and continuity between settings are separate questions.

In April 2022, nursery staff also communicated with school staff as children prepared to move on. That was transition support, rather than a promise about school admission. Current preschool activities build practice in discussion, shared work and independence, which gives families concrete examples of preparation beyond a general claim of school readiness.

Meals are prepared fresh by The Buck Inn in Richmond and delivered on the day; families can alternatively supply their child's meals. Breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks are included in the daily rate, while children are encouraged to serve themselves and help with table-setting, making mealtimes opportunities to practise independence as well as eat.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 8-10 Queens Road, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4AE. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closure on Bank Holidays. Full-time and part-time care are offered, giving families different attendance patterns within that operating week.

Parents can register their interest through the nursery's registration-of-interest link or contact the management team by email at info@rooftopsnurseryschool.co.uk. The distinction between operating hours and attendance patterns matters when planning childcare around work: the opening window describes the nursery day, while full-time and part-time describe the care offered.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and private care are both offered. The 15-hour entitlements and 30 Hours Funding describe weekly entitlement during school term time for 38 weeks per year, with the 30-hour offer for eligible working parents. The nursery operates for 52 weeks and does not offer funded children term-time-only places, so the attendance commitment extends beyond a school-term calendar.

The 15-hour offer for children aged 9 months and over is conditional on income and receipt of specified benefits, with applications directed to North Yorkshire County Council. Some two-year-olds also qualify, while the universal offer for three- and four-year-olds begins in the term after a child's third birthday. These distinctions matter when identifying which entitlement applies to a particular family.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The daily rate includes meals and snacks; the funding and fees page sets out the funding categories and the year-round attendance condition. Funded entitlement and the nursery's attendance arrangements should be considered together when assessing how the care fits a household's calendar.

• A baby unit split by mobility. The maximum of 15 babies applies across the Nurture Nest's two spaces. During a visit, discuss how movement between those spaces works as a baby becomes more active.
• Year-round funded attendance. Funded children cannot attend on a term-time-only basis. This is a significant fit question for families whose childcare needs follow school holidays.
• Learning intentions and shared care. The April 2022 improvement priorities concerned what activities should teach and communication with other providers. Ask how those two areas work now, especially if your child attends another setting.
• Ownership change. Ownership changed in March 2026. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how the current team puts the child-led approach into practice.

Rooftops suits families seeking either full-time or part-time care, with a particular interest in outdoor exploration and learning shaped by children's interests. The garden's covered classroom, reading shed and growing spaces give that approach substance, while the baby unit's division by mobility is a useful detail for families choosing care for their youngest children.

Families should weigh year-round funded attendance alongside the rooms and child-led approach. The Good judgement dates to April 2022, before the ownership change.