Ribblesdale Nursery School, Clitheroe
Ribblesdale Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Clitheroe. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ribblesdale Nursery School in detail
Ribblesdale Nursery School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a small friendly highly qualified team led by Qualified Teachers with years of experience and specialism in educating children in their early years. Children learn more in their early years than at any other stage in their life."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 16.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 5 pupils (8.3%) received SEN support and 2 (3.3%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Clitheroe Rail Station, about 650 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Highfield Road (by), 50 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This nursery excels at helping children develop independence and confidence through carefully planned routines and activities. Staff have high expectations and build warm, caring relationships that help children settle and thrive. Children with additional needs are supported well and learn alongside their peers, with all children leaving ready for primary school.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on building children's independence through daily routines and self-care skills
- Excellent priority given to communication and language development with daily stories, songs and rich vocabulary
- Caring and positive relationships between staff, families and children
- Quick identification of children with special educational needs and effective curriculum adaptation
- Children learn about diversity and different types of families
Areas for Improvement
- Need to clarify the essential foundational knowledge children should learn in some areas of the curriculum
- Checks on children's learning do not always identify whether children understand key knowledge in a few areas
- Some staff need better clarity on what key knowledge children have learned in specific curriculum areas
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Visitors from emergency services and road-crossing officers
Ribblesdale Nursery School is a welcoming setting where children are happy and achieve well. The school has maintained good standards and children move on to primary school ready for the next stage of their learning.
At a Glance
0.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby nursery school
Keep up with Ribblesdale Nursery School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ribblesdale Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ribblesdale Nursery School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 12 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
8 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Clitheroe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Clitheroe
Across Lancashire council
Places available
14,702
Applications
13,782
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
11.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
60
Total Pupils
25
Boys
35
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
20.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,132
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Ribblesdale Nursery School
What is Ribblesdale Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Ribblesdale Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ribblesdale Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Ribblesdale Nursery School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Ribblesdale Nursery School?
Ribblesdale Nursery School has around 60 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Ribblesdale Nursery School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Ribblesdale Nursery School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Ribblesdale Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 12 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 8 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ribblesdale Nursery School?
Ribblesdale Nursery School is at Queens Road, Lancashire, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 1EL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)