Hillview Nursery School

Overview

Hillview Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The school provides a nurturing environment where children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn consistently well and develop a strong sense of belonging. Leaders have strengthened the leadership team to support staff well-being and further improve the curriculum.

Strengths

• Children receive an ‘extremely high level of care’ and develop a ‘deep sense of safety’ through trusted relationships with staff.
• The curriculum is ‘rich and purposeful’, with a strong focus on developing language through stories, songs, and high-quality talk.
• Teachers are skilled at knowing how children learn best, quickly addressing misunderstandings and providing opportunities to revisit learning.
• Pupils with SEND thrive, benefiting from adapted resources and additional support that remove barriers to learning.
• Staff promote a love of reading through carefully chosen texts, helping children become ‘confident, enthusiastic early readers’.

Areas to improve

• The school should ensure the curriculum and teaching builds precisely on what children know, as occasionally it does not provide opportunities to build on prior knowledge, limiting deeper understanding.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.