Tarnerland Nursery School, Brighton
Tarnerland Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Brighton. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, ended in a report card: 4 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Before that it was rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in December 2013.
- Ofsted report card
- 4 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Tarnerland Nursery School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Tarnerland Nursery School on 6 areas: 4 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Strong standard. "The school's well-taught curriculum ensures that all children learn very well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and others with barriers to their learning."
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "The school's happy, calm and welcoming atmosphere supports children's learning and behaviour very well."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders are wholly committed to ensuring that all children achieve well."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders ensure that all children benefit from the school's personal development and wellbeing programme, including disadvantaged children."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have strengthened the curriculum considerably since the last inspection."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and governors are clear about strengths and development priorities in the school's work."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue work to ensure that staff are consistently clear about the purpose and learning focus of activities so that opportunities to build children's knowledge and skills are maximised"; "Leaders and those responsible for governance should maintain their focus on ensuring consistently strong standards across all areas of the school's work".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Who goes there
24.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 24.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 16 pupils (18.4%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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 Brighton Rail Station, about 850 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Egremont Gate (n-bound), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1882 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Brighton and Hove (366), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 6 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Tarnerland Nursery School
Children thoroughly enjoy their time here. They are keen to get started when they arrive in the morning and join in with activities enthusiastically. Well-established routines and a wide range of appealing activities mean that children are soon absorbed in playing and learning, both indoors and out. All areas are supervised appropriately so that they can play and learn safely. Parents and carers have every confidence in the school to take good care of their children, and rightly so. The school's calm and nurturing atmosphere makes a significant contribution to children's wellbeing and enjoyment of school. Staff are sensitive to children's needs and provide lots of encouragement and reassurance. Children are very well cared for and feel secure as a result. They enjoy playing with friends, grow rapidly in confidence and behave extremely well. Children make substantial progress from their starting points across all areas of the curriculum. As a result, they are extremely well prepared for the move to Reception Year. The school makes sure that children are equipped with the personal, emotional and social skills required to access learning successfully. For instance, they learn how to play with others nicely by sharing, taking turns and being considerate. Staff sort out occasional minor disagreements sensitively and discretely. Staff support children's growing independence skilfully. Right from children's earliest days in the 2- to 3-year-old class to their final months in the oldest class, they learn how to look after themselves with increasing success. For example, they are taught the importance of washing their hands after using the toilet, learn how to put their coats on and help to tidy up.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should continue work to ensure that staff are consistently clear about the purpose and learning focus of activities so that opportunities to build children's knowledge and skills are maximised.
- Leaders and those responsible for governance should maintain their focus on ensuring consistently strong standards across all areas of the school's work.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 21 April 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will thrive in a happy, welcoming environment where staff genuinely care about their wellbeing and development. The school excels at building children's confidence, independence and social skills through carefully planned activities and strong relationships. Children make impressive progress in early reading, writing and maths, and leave extremely well prepared for primary school.
Key Strengths
- Children make excellent progress in personal, social and emotional development, preparing them well for primary school
- Staff are skilled at helping children understand their feelings and develop strong cooperation and negotiation skills
- High-quality provision ensures disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs make accelerated progress
- Well-established routines and calm atmosphere support excellent behaviour and children's sense of security
- Broad, ambitious curriculum includes engaging activities such as visits, dance sessions, music, nature experiences and creative play
Areas for Improvement
- Staff are not always clear about the specific learning purpose of each activity, meaning some opportunities to build on children's knowledge are missed
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have created an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed, keeping children safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Beach visits, dance sessions, music activities, nature experiences in the meadow, story time, singing and nursery rhymes, physical activities with wheeled toys and climbing
Tarnerland Nursery School is a highly effective setting where children learn very well and make substantial progress from their starting points. The school provides a calm, nurturing atmosphere with well-taught curriculum and strong support for all learners, including those with additional needs.
At a Glance
24.1%
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 Tarnerland Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Tarnerland Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Tarnerland Nursery School is in Brighton and Hove; for families living there:
Apply to Brighton and Hove for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 164
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 39
- Children hurt
- 12
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 164 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 39 serious and 125 slight.
12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
23 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 Brighton and Hove is 40.5 (the median across 82 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 - Brighton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Brighton
Across Brighton and Hove council
Places available
2,515
Applications
2,154
Got 1st preference
82.9%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across Brighton and Hove council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
18.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
87
Total Pupils
50
Boys
37
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
29.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,156
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Tarnerland Nursery School
What is Tarnerland Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Tarnerland Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Tarnerland Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Tarnerland Nursery School is oversubscribed, Brighton and Hove allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Tarnerland Nursery School?
Tarnerland Nursery School has around 87 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Tarnerland Nursery School?
Apply through Brighton and Hove's coordinated admissions process, naming Tarnerland 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 Tarnerland Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 164 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 39 serious and 125 slight. 12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 23 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 Brighton and Hove is 40.5 (the median across 82 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Tarnerland Nursery School?
Tarnerland Nursery School is at Sussex Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 0GR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)