Riverside School, Tadcaster: Nursery Review

Learning to share, handle a mark-making tool and find the confidence to explore gives Riverside’s nursery its character. This is the nursery provision within Riverside School, Tadcaster, on Wetherby Road, rather than a separate childcare setting. Its day belongs within the school’s early years provision, where independence and learning to play alongside others are important parts of children’s development.

In May 2026, Ofsted judged early years to meet the Expected standard. That judgement covers early years across the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. The emphasis is on establishing the beginnings of number understanding and communication, giving children skills they can use throughout their learning.

Exploration sits alongside teaching with clear routines. Children have opportunities to make their own discoveries, while predictable expectations help them concentrate when an adult leads learning. Sharing and playing cooperatively are learned here too. These are practical steps towards participating in a group, rather than simply completing an activity alone.

Early learning connects physical development with the beginnings of reading, mathematics and writing. Children practise handling equipment of different sizes, including tools for making marks. Developing that control gives them a way to put their ideas on paper. Adults select activities with particular learning purposes, so the experiences children encounter contribute to building specific skills.

In May 2026, assessment helped staff tailor early learning to individual needs, with communication and number as curriculum priorities. This makes a child’s starting point relevant to what happens next, including for children with special educational needs.

Adult interaction is another focus. Leaders have worked with staff to develop the quality of their exchanges with children, and these interactions generally take place throughout early years. Alongside activities covering different areas of learning, that gives adults opportunities to respond to children as they explore and practise.

Relationships help children settle. In May 2026, children were settling promptly because adults developed supportive connections with them and their families. A calm learning environment also helped children feel secure enough to explore independently. For a child beginning nursery, reassurance and growing confidence work together.

Support responds to individual development. Staff assess learning needs and change provision where necessary; children with special educational needs are helped to progress from their own starting points. This keeps support connected to what a child needs to learn next. The newly formed early years team had also received training to build the expertise needed to fulfil statutory requirements.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

The nursery is based at Riverside School on Wetherby Road, Tadcaster, LS24 9JN. General enquiries go through the school office: email schooloffice@rs.starmat.uk, telephone 01937 832899, or use the school’s contact form.