Data since the introduction of the new framework in September last year shows that 58 per cent of maintained nursery schools were rated outstanding, 36 per cent good, 4 per cent satisfactory and 2 per cent inadequate.
However, over the same time period, only 8 per cent of primary schools and 10 per cent of secondary schools were rated outstanding. Special schools fared slightly better, with 33 per cent rated outstanding and 18 per cent of pupil referral units outstanding.
In 2008-09, 58 per cent of maintained nursery schools were also rated outstanding.
Megan Pacey, chief executive of Early Education, said, 'I am not surprised. They have consistently done well and it is good to see them continuing to maintain their high standards. It shows that in terms of investment in the early years in tight fiscal times, maintained nursery schools are very effective.'
Ms Pacey expressed concern about some local authorities that are currently threatening to close their maintained nursery schools despite their being rated outstanding or good. But she added, 'Most local authorities are working hard to keep them open, as they recognise the valuable work they do.'
Lesley Staggs, chair of the National Campaign for Real Nursery Education, said, 'Nothing new here, and no surprises. Maintained nursery schools have consistently done better than all other provision over the years. That's why it is so important that we challenge the continued undermining and closure of this excellent provision.'
Lilycroft Nursery School in Bradford, West Yorkshire is one of the maintained nursery schools rated outstanding by Ofsted under the new inspection framework.
Eleanor Larmour, its head teacher, found the inspection to be very much 'a partnership'.
She said, 'The inspector was very rigorous at looking at the data that we had supplied, but he was also very interested in what we thought. It wasn't just something that was done to us.'
Ms Larmour said she was not surprised at how well maintained nursery schools did under the new inspection framework.
'We are specialist schools and we consider ourselves to be centres of excellence,' she said. 'We have exceptional practitioners and their skills and experience are very well developed.'
Ms Larmour said that Bradford local authority is very supportive of Lilycroft. But she said that now is 'a time of uncertainty', with the Early Years Single Funding Formula breaking sessions down into three hours rather than two and a half hours being 'yet another complicated thing to work out'.
