Hillside Pre-School

A school field, ballcourt and ampitheatre give Hillside Pre-School outdoor possibilities beyond its own building. This independent charity occupies a separate unit within the grounds of Air Balloon Hill Primary School in St George, Bristol, combining a preschool setting with access to some of the school’s outdoor spaces.

At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Hillside Good overall and judged its safeguarding arrangements effective. That is a dated assessment, with two clear improvement priorities: more use of children’s home languages and more opportunities for children to choose their own activities.

Children can start from their third birthday, and Hillside has 24 places in total. Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance are offered during term time. For families, the practical appeal is the choice between a shorter session and a day spanning both sessions, rather than a single attendance pattern.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care: children work on language, movement, relationships, early literacy and mathematics through their activities. A key person observes each child’s development and plans their next steps, giving individual learning a place within the shared session.

The day combines indoor and outdoor free play, whole-group circle time, smaller-group activities and physical activity. These are different ways of participating: children have time to explore, then opportunities to join a group or work on a more directed task. Story time forms part of the routine too.

In February 2023, paint mixing, construction blocks and play dough gave children several ways to experiment and make things. Staff extended conversations during stories and play, and linked new vocabulary to movement songs. Early mathematics also appeared in the home corner, where children counted food tins and connected quantities with displayed numerals. These examples show how familiar play materials became opportunities to practise language and number skills.

Choice was an important limitation in February 2023. Adults sometimes handed out resources rather than allowing children to select them. The improvement priority matters because choosing materials is itself part of learning to act independently, rather than simply completing an adult’s suggested task.

Outdoor and Community Life

Access to the school field, ballcourt and ampitheatre adds different spaces for outdoor activity. The session routine also includes free play outside, so outdoor time sits alongside indoor play rather than being treated solely as a separate outing.

In February 2023, staff used throwing and catching to discuss movement and introduce comparisons of size and length. Children also visited local allotments, seeing how compost made from their preschool fruit and vegetable waste helped grow produce. That connected an everyday snack-time leftover with something happening beyond the preschool.

Chinese New Year and Diwali are examples of cultural celebrations supported through the optional extra-activity donation. Christmas activities and an end-of-year celebration are also covered by that arrangement. Families can opt out, in which case a child may do an alternative EYFS activity instead.

Relationships and Communication

A key person provides a named role for discussing a child’s needs and settling in. Parents can stay with their child during the settling process and raise concerns with that person, giving the transition a practical point of contact.

In February 2023, new children received help with routines and making friends. Conversations about toy characters’ feelings also opened up discussion about families and emotions. This gave children a way to talk about personal experiences through play, rather than only through direct questions.

At the February 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that parents received useful information about learning, staff helped families obtain additional support such as speech and language referrals, and training had strengthened staff interactions with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Those findings concern practice at that time, rather than a promise about any individual child’s experience now.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

For a child whose needs require one-to-one support, the admissions policy provides for seeking funding or working with the SEN Team at Bristol City Council and BAND (Bristol Association for Neighbourhood Daycare). For children with an Education, Health and Care Plan, a consultation before admission determines whether Hillside can meet their individual needs. This is a defined support process, with an individual assessment rather than an unconditional assurance.

The team structure comprises a preschool leader, deputy and early-years practitioners; staff hold current first-aid certificates and child-protection training. In February 2023, the language improvement priority concerned incorporating children’s home languages into everyday routines. Families raising a child with more than one language should give that priority particular weight when considering the setting.

Sessions and Attendance

Hillside’s address is Air Balloon Hill Primary School, Hillside Road, St George, Bristol BS5 7PB. It opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, during Bristol City Council school terms, closing for bank holidays and five INSET days each academic year.

Morning sessions run from 9am to midday, afternoon sessions from midday to 3pm, and full days from 9am to 3pm. The usual minimum is two full days or an equivalent 12 hours each week, made up of funded or paid care. A smaller commitment requires the manager’s agreement and depends on session availability.

Applications use a registration form and parental declaration, with intakes in September, January and April. Hillside maintains a waiting list ordered by the date of the request, while its admissions priorities govern allocation when an intake is oversubscribed. Application forms can be requested by telephone or email.

Funding and Paid Extras

Hillside offers Free 15 hours universal care and 30 hours extended care for eligible children aged three and four, delivered during term time. Universal funding begins in the term after the third birthday; extended funding requires an eligible working-parent application and a valid code, which parents must reconfirm every three months. Additional paid sessions are subject to availability and termly review; current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

For both funded and paid attendance, families provide a packed lunch for afternoon or full-day sessions, while snacks are covered without a separate charge; contributions of fruit or vegetables for sharing are requested. Toiletries are also covered without a separate charge, including during funded hours.

The extra-activity donation is voluntary and can be declined on the registration form. Leaving the setting requires written notice one term ahead; cancelling paid sessions requires one month’s written notice. Booked paid sessions are not refunded for absence, including illness or holidays.

Sharing the school grounds does not guarantee a Reception place at Air Balloon Hill Primary School. Families still apply through the local authority’s admissions process.

• Independence and home languages. February 2023 improvement priorities concerned children choosing resources and using their home languages. On a visit, ask how both now feature in everyday play and routines.
• Term-time commitment. Attendance normally totals at least 12 hours weekly, and the setting closes during school holidays and for INSET days. Consider how those boundaries fit your working week and holiday care.
• Optional celebrations. The extra-activity donation can be declined, with an alternative EYFS activity potentially replacing participation. Ask how this works for the cultural celebrations and end-of-year event.
• Separate school application. The school-site setting brings outdoor access, but attendance does not secure Reception admission. Keep the school application separate from the preschool arrangements.

Hillside suits families seeking morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those wanting a full day within a term-time routine. School outdoor spaces, a key-person system and a clear funded-hours structure give it practical substance. The February 2023 Good judgement provides a useful quality reference, while the priorities around independence and home languages deserve attention when judging the present experience.