A SMALL private nursery in Herefordshire has been given top marks by education inspectors.

The nursery has just 18 children and is part of the St Richard's Preparatory School at Bredenbury, near Bromyard.

An Ofsted inspection has rated the education given to the children aged between three and seven as "very good" in all the six categories examined.

Four staff work with children in the nursery and reception classes at the independent co-educational boarding school.

Inspector Christine Lynn Williams was impressed with many aspects of the work of the school and praised the leadership and quality of teaching.

"Provision is of high quality and children are making very good progress towards the six early learning goals," she said.

But she has called for more attention to be given to helping the children to understand how things work.

Richard Coghlan, head teacher, said the result was a tribute to the work of the staff.