Tarnerland Nursery School: Nursery Review

A meadow with mature trees, a mud kitchen and monkey bars gives Tarnerland its distinctive character. Outdoor exploration runs through the day, rather than being reserved for an occasional outing. This maintained nursery school on Sussex Street in Brighton includes Players and Pretenders for children aged two to three and Carers and Creators for those aged three to five.

Ofsted’s April 2026 assessment gave achievement, inclusion, attendance and behaviour, and personal development and wellbeing a Strong standard; curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance received an Expected standard, with safeguarding standards met. Those separate judgements give parents a more useful picture than a single headline grade.

The Early Years Foundation Stage shapes learning across language, relationships, movement, early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. Development Matters informs the Tarnerland Curriculum, which connects children’s interests with books, rhymes, stories and practical experiences. Learning starts with things children can explore and discuss.

Players and Pretenders have adjoining upstairs play spaces, a deck and a downstairs room for larger movements and lunchtime sleep. Construction, pretend play and quieter activities offer different ways to join in. For Carers and Creators, Blue Room brings together early writing, mathematical games and small-world resources. Orange Room supplies paint, sand, water and playdough for experimentation. A Regulation Station gives children somewhere quieter when they need a pause.

The older group’s routine includes hello time, morning and afternoon groups with a key person, and a longer story session before tea. Children use the meadow in both halves of the day. Weekly Forest School for over-threes adds shelter building, supervised tool use and cooking snacks at a fire, giving practical opportunities to solve problems and judge risks with adult support.

Teaching has a clear development priority. In April 2026, some activities lacked a sufficiently precise learning intention, so chances to extend existing knowledge were lost. Sharper activity planning and consistently strong practice across the provision remain the next steps.

For toddlers, the key person provides a familiar relationship while children learn to manage emotions and play alongside others. A midday sleep is available to those who need it. In the older group, nursery assistants and additional support workers work with a lead teacher; regular key person sessions combine individual relationships with planned learning.

Children practise everyday independence through handwashing, putting on coats and helping clear away resources. Adults offer reassurance when children are upset and help resolve disagreements. Support for special educational needs and disabilities includes advice from speech and language therapy, with progress checks used to adjust help. That connects specialist input to a child’s changing needs.

Meals have three distinct arrangements: breakfast is prepared by the nursery, Caterlink supplies lunch and Little Tums provides tea. Families using longer attendance patterns therefore have provision across the day.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet its deadline.

Preparation for primary school centres on independence, social confidence and managing routines. Carers and Creators maintains relationships with local schools to support children’s move. These transition links help prepare children for a new setting; they do not secure admission.

Fixed attendance patterns. Funding is spread across 47.5 weeks, giving eligible children 12 or 24 funded hours each week instead of the corresponding 15 or 30 term-time hours. Bespoke attendance patterns are excluded, so families need to match their childcare needs to the offered combinations.

For children eligible for 24 hours, options cover two and a half, three, four or five days. The four-day pattern excludes Wednesday. Children eligible for 12 hours have two combinations of morning and afternoon sessions, or can top up to a longer pattern. Mornings run from 8.30am to 12.30pm; afternoons run from 1pm to 5pm. Ask the school for current charges when considering a top-up.

The admissions enquiry form collects the intended starting term, funding eligibility and preferred pattern. Three-day options fill quickly, making the other patterns worth considering. Tours can be booked by contacting the nursery.