The overall quality of early years provision continues to rise, according to Ofsted’s annual report on education and children’s services 2015/16. Yet one type of provision stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Maintained nurseries – also known as nursery schools – are local authority-funded schools catering for under-fives. Although maintained nursery schools make up just two per cent of provision – catering for about 44,000 pupils nationally compared with 959,000 in primary schools or 1,282,000 places in the childminding, and private, voluntary and independent (PVI)nurseries – they continue to have the highest proportion judged “good” or “outstanding”.
All but one of the 403 maintained nurseries were good or outstanding at their most recent inspection, with 60 per cent receiveing the top rating (see graphic). This compares with about 19 per cent of early years provision in maintained schools, 17 per cent of PVI nurseries and 13 per cent of childminders.
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