Skylarks Nursery School

Wooden planks, number discs and a child-built obstacle course give Skylarks Nursery School a recognisable character in its January 2025 account: learning through making, moving and trying again. The Brighton setting has capacity for 40 children. At the January 2025 inspection, 37 children were on roll. That was the number enrolled across attendance patterns, rather than a count of children sharing one room or attending together. For parents, the useful distinction is between the nursery's whole-setting capacity and the size of an individual child's group.

At its 7 January 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Skylarks Good and judged safeguarding effective. Children attending at that time were aged one to four; that age range describes the inspection period.

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care, bringing play and development together in the nursery day. In January 2025, younger children explored sensory activities, with adults adding vocabulary and following the children's interests rather than directing every step.

Indoor and outdoor play both mattered. Children assembled an obstacle course using wooden planks and number discs, then practised balancing and jumping. Encouragement to keep trying gave this physical activity a purpose beyond simply keeping children busy.

In January 2025, children also used the outdoor areas to run with friends. The obstacle-course activity brought movement and construction together: children helped make the equipment arrangement they then used for balancing and jumping. Their own interests shaped younger children's play, giving adults a starting point for introducing words during sensory exploration.

Staff also watched children's play and listened to their comments to decide what learning should come next. Back-and-forth conversations connected those next steps with what children already knew. This makes the improvement priority on questioning quite specific: exchanges needed a clearer purpose and enough space for children's answers, rather than simply more adult talk.

Group learning was less consistent. In January 2025, some activities brought together children whose ages and abilities differed; tasks could be too demanding for some, leaving them distracted. Staff questioning also sometimes moved too quickly or lacked a clear learning purpose, reducing the opportunity for children to develop their own answers.

At the January 2025 inspection, Ofsted identified support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language as a strength, with timely specialist referrals and very good progress from children's starting points.

In January 2025, a visual timetable helped children anticipate changes during the day. Children moving between rooms had an individually planned settling period, allowing a relationship with their next adult carer to develop before the move.

The January 2025 account connects these arrangements with everyday transitions. The timetable made the next activity understandable, while room moves involved time to get to know another adult. These are different kinds of preparation: one helps a child follow the day's sequence, the other supports a change in who cares for them.

Staff set clear expectations for behaviour and modelled how to treat others in January 2025. Alongside the specialist referrals, this gives parents concrete practices to weigh: support involved both adult behaviour in daily interactions and bringing in specialist help where needed. The inclusion finding concerned children learning English as well as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Food conversations included cultural differences and healthy choices, while snacks introduced children to different foods in January 2025. Children also practised managing handwashing and toileting for themselves.

The address is Coombe Road, Brighton, BN2 4ED. In January 2025, Skylarks operated from Coombe Road School and opened on weekdays during term time, from 8.45am to 3.15pm; these were opening hours rather than specified bookable sessions.

Government-funded early education was offered for children aged twelve months to four years in January 2025. Children brought food from home during that inspection period. Attending a nursery on a school site does not guarantee a Reception place.

• Group activities. In January 2025, mixed-age tasks did not consistently engage every child. The organisation of these activities matters for children who need a different level of challenge.
• Time to answer. Some adult questions in January 2025 gave children too little thinking time. More purposeful exchanges were an improvement priority.
• Attendance planning. The January 2025 opening pattern was term-time weekdays. At a visit, what attendance arrangements would fit your family's week?

Skylarks suits parents who value practical play and give weight to the January 2025 findings on inclusion. The obstacle-course example and planned room transitions make that account useful and concrete. The balance is clear: a Good inspection position, alongside specific work needed on group activities and adult questioning.