Spotlight on ... Kim Frazer, head teacher

You've recently been graded outstanding by Ofsted for a fourth time. Did you feel pressure at your last inspection to continue to achieve top marks?

Yes we did, as consistently achieving an outstanding grade is very unusual and puts you as a setting in a risky position as it’s a long way to fall. As a team of staff and governors we have always been of the view that we have a duty at all times to ‘Do the best we can, with what we’ve got, where we are.’ This means in terms of our resources, our skills, our knowledge and competencies and the context in which we operate.

This was my sixth Ofsted inspection; having experienced two as a deputy head of a large Infant school and four as current head at Rye Park and this inspection was a positive experience which was supported by the fact that I felt there were opportunities for professional dialogue and debate with the Lead Inspector. It actually felt more of a partnership of Inspection.

What have you done to improve the setting and the quality of care you provide?

Following a recommendation by Ofsted in 2010, we developed our outdoor area for the pre-school children by introducing willow huts, enlarging our sand pit and creating a soft play track. We've also employed a speech and language therapist and educational psychologist who workin partnership with the team, supporting us in effective multi-agency practice.

What did Ofsted say made the nursery school an outstanding setting?

The inspector commented on our consistently high retention of staff and our record of continued professional development-we now have two EYPS working at our nursery school. Our learning journeys were also identified as a real strength, along with our partnership with parents, emphasis on data analysis and related action plan.