Ofsted has recently changed the way it inspects schools. A new framework and School Inspection Toolkit came into use from November 2025, and schools are now inspected under this new approach. It’s designed to give parents a clearer, fuller picture of how well a school is supporting its pupils.

 

The biggest change for parents to know about is that schools no longer receive a single overall grade, such as “Good” or “Outstanding”. Instead, schools now receive a report card, which looks at six separate areas and gives each one its own rating on a five-point scale, from “exceptional” through to “urgent improvement”. The six areas are:

  • Inclusion – how well the school supports all pupils, including those with additional needs.
  • Curriculum and teaching – what children learn and how their learning is organised.
  • Achievement – how well children are progressing and what they go on to achieve.
  • Attendance and behaviour – how the school promotes regular attendance and positive behaviour.
  • Personal development and wellbeing – how the school supports children’s wider development, confidence and happiness.
  • Leadership and governance – how well leaders run the school and support staff and pupils.

Chatham Two Year Old Provision (Little Acorns Class) and Chatham Nursery School (Oak Tree Class, The Nest – SEND Specialist Unit) are inspected separately.

Chatham Nursery School (Oak Tree Class & The Nest)

Read the latest Ofsted report here.

Following our rigorous Ofsted inspection at the beginning of June 2026, we are pleased to share our inspection outcome. We believe this reflects the dedication, professionalism and unwavering commitment of our staff team, who work tirelessly to support the children and families of Chatham Nursery School.

“Children progress well from their starting points”.

Under the new Ofsted framework, an ‘Expected’ judgement represents a strong, secure and compliant standard of education. We are particularly delighted that our work in Inclusion was recognised as ‘Strong’, highlighting the significant and positive difference our practice makes to children and families. We are proud that our dedication to ensuring equity, belonging and opportunity for all has been recognised as an area of particular strength.

“Children enjoy attending this close-knit nursery school”.

Our judgements were as follows:

“The school is an important part of the community”.

We would like to extend our thanks to all of our families for helping to make this inspection outcome such a positive one. It is always a privilege to welcome our families into our nursery community, and this outcome is a testament to the strong partnerships we have built together.

 

 

Chatham Two Year Old Provision (Little Acorns Class)

  • Little Acorns was last inspected on 16 May 2023 and we were also proud to be graded “good” in all five areas. You can view the report here: Read the latest report here.

We are pleased that our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality education and care for our children have been recognised so positively.