Hillfields Nursery School

Overview

Hillfields Nursery School continues to be an outstanding school, providing a "lovely place for children to start their school experience." Leaders maintain "the highest expectations for all children," ensuring they are "well prepared for primary school" through an ambitious curriculum and strong partnerships with parents.

Strengths

• Staff "get to know and understand each child," fostering a "vibrant and joyful" environment where children behave "very well indeed" and show "obvious care for each other."
• The curriculum is "ambitious" and "enhanced by a well-designed learning environment," with a "striking" focus on building communication and language skills through rhymes, songs, and precise questioning.
• Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective, with needs "very quickly identified" and individual plans reflecting "precise next steps."
• Leaders ensure staff are "exceptionally well trained" and valued, having successfully reduced assessment burdens to support staff "work-life balance."
• Governors are "very effective," setting a "clear strategic direction" and supporting the headteacher in implementing plans for the school’s future sustainability.

Areas to improve

• The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders creating a "strong culture of safeguarding" and ensuring staff receive regular training to identify risks.