Hillside Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 January 2023

Children are eager to come to Hillside Nursery School. They are greeted warmly when they arrive each day and look forward to exploring the high-quality resources and activities that adults have prepared for them. Children settle quickly. They come into an environment where they feel safe and secure. Children benefit from the nurturing relationships that they have with staff. They trust staff to care for them when they need comfort or reassurance. Leaders expect all children to do well. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children enjoy the curriculum that they are offered. Activities hold children's attention, and they are quickly engrossed in learning. By the time that they leave the nursery, children are well prepared for their next steps in education. Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Adults help children play alongside each other and children respond by confidently sharing and taking turns. Adults step in quickly if children need help and guidance. They nip any signs of bullying in the bud. Rain or shine, children are keen to play in their outdoor area, which is packed full of interesting nooks and crannies. There are hills to scale, trees to climb, dens to hide in and cosy corners in which to talk with friends or share a book.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of areas of learning, leaders have not considered exactly what children should learn and in what order. This hinders some children from achieving as highly as they could. Leaders should finalise the curriculum content in these remaining few areas to ensure that staff know exactly what knowledge children must learn.
• At times, a small number of staff do not deliver the curriculum for the two-year-olds as clearly and precisely as they could. Where this is the case, a few children do not learn as well as they should. Leaders should continue to train staff, so that they have the knowledge and confidence to deliver the curriculum effectively.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)