Hillside Pre-School and Early Learning Group

Language, movement and listening to children give Hillside its character. The Mosaic Approach emphasises understanding children's perspectives and valuing their thoughts and feelings, while Healthy Movers Programme adds physical activities that children can tackle at their own pace. These are concrete additions to the everyday pre-school offer, with conversation running through both learning and family support.

Hillside Pre-School and Early Learning Group is on Hillside Road in Verwood, Dorset, BH31 7HE, and has 40 places in total. Ofsted rated it Good at its 16 February 2022 inspection, recognising an engaging curriculum while asking staff to stretch children's learning more consistently through their interactions. That improvement point matters alongside the positive judgement.

Morning sessions, flexible hours and breakfast and after-school care provide several attendance patterns. The classrooms are Ladybirds Room and Butterflies Room.

Rooms and Ages

Ladybirds Room and Butterflies Room have room-linked deputy-manager responsibilities. SEND co-ordinator roles are attached to Butterflies, connecting classroom provision with additional-needs support.

In February 2022, the premises consisted of purpose-built mobile playrooms within the grounds of Hillside Community First School. Children then attending the combined provision were aged 2 to 8, a range that included before- and after-school care. Those ages describe that visit, rather than an age band for either classroom today.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework: children develop language, creative expression and other areas of learning through play. Hillside adds a clear emphasis on communication. Its Mosaic Approach means listening to children's thoughts and feelings and using their perspectives to understand them; the practical implication is that children's voices help shape the adults' response.

Healthy Movers Programme brings another strand. Physical activities support movement skills and social and emotional development, with children participating at their own pace. Public Health Dorset commissioned the initiative with the Youth Sport Trust. Movement therefore has a named programme behind it, rather than being confined to general outdoor play.

In February 2022, children mixed fruit and herbs and explored their smells; dividing an orange prompted discussion about halves. Sensory play connected language with early mathematics. Staff contributed descriptive vocabulary, although conversational challenge was inconsistent.

Outdoor and Community Life

The Outdoor Dinosaur Area gives outdoor play a recognisable theme and a place for exploration. Gardening offers a different kind of involvement. June 2026 plans included tending vegetables and herbs children had grown and observing the butterfly life cycle. These planned activities connected gardening with learning about living things.

A Road Safety Talk brought a local crossing patrol visitor into the pre-school to discuss signals and safe road crossing. Children could ask questions, connecting a familiar community role with practical safety knowledge. These experiences broaden the subjects children can talk about, from changes in living things to the roads around them.

In February 2022, outdoor climbing gave children opportunities to judge their movements with staff nearby to guide them. Large sand timers also helped children take turns with a scooter. The equipment made waiting visible: a child could watch the sand rather than rely only on an adult telling them when their turn would come.

Relationships and Communication

A key person provides a consistent relationship when a child starts, working with parents and carers. Before the start date, Stay and Play gives families time to meet staff and explore the classrooms together. The All About Me form gathers information about the child, giving settling a personal starting point rather than relying on a standard introduction alone.

Regular email newsletters keep families informed about activities, events and reminders. Parents can also speak directly with staff or contact the office by telephone or email. In June 2026, families were encouraged to send WOW moments from home using images and videos. That gives staff a way to hear about achievements beyond the classroom and brings home experiences into the conversation.

The Parent Resource Bank extends language support into family life: Walk & Talk provides conversation prompts for walks, while Chat, Play and Read offers interaction ideas for daily routines.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SEND co-ordinator roles form part of the team, including a lead role held by a deputy manager. The behaviour policy provides for plans developed with parents and other professionals, and recognises that a child's additional needs can affect behaviour. For breakfast and after-school care, staff liaise with the First School's SEND co-ordinator where a child has SEND, an EHCP or a behaviour plan.

Clear boundaries, praise and redirection are the everyday behaviour tools. Children help devise classroom rules and are encouraged to take responsibility through tasks such as tidying. The policy rules out punishment that frightens or humiliates children. These are specific mechanisms for handling difficulties, rather than a blanket promise about support.

At the February 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, with staff recognising possible signs of harm, checking play spaces for hazards and using recruitment checks. Current arrangements include designated safeguarding lead and deputy roles, training and updates through staff meetings. Collection uses nominated adults and a password, giving families a concrete procedure to follow when someone else collects their child.

Sessions and Attendance

Morning sessions run from 9am to noon. Flexible hours are also offered, with departures after lunch or later in the afternoon.

Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am, with staff escorting children to their classrooms at 8.35am; the arrival window is between 7.45am and 8.15am. After School Club runs from 3pm to 6pm, Monday to Thursday, and from 3pm to 5pm on Friday. Both clubs serve Hillside First School and pre-school children. The earlier Friday finish is a practical detail for working families.

The pre-school follows term dates, including holiday breaks and inset closures. Its September 2026 attendance policy orders the waiting list by date of birth and allows flexibility around attendance patterns. Tours can be booked through the setting, and enquiries can go by telephone, email or the contact form. The office opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm.

Getting There

The address is Hillside Road, Verwood, Dorset, BH31 7HE. Breakfast Club parents must use roadside parking rather than the staff car park.

In February 2022, the setting operated on the grounds of Hillside Community First School. Attending the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process. The pre-school also closes if the First School closes, so that connection affects emergency childcare planning as well as location.

Funding and Paid Extras

In February 2022, the pre-school received funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. Current prices should come in the nursery's written quotation.

Pre-school snacks are charged separately and include fruit, breadsticks or raisins with milk or water; families supply packed lunches, and the nursery's policy excludes nut products from snacks and asks families to keep them out of lunchboxes. After-school care provides a snack, while June 2026 guidance asked families to apply sun cream beforehand and supply a named bottle if their child attended all day and reapplication after lunch was wanted.

• Conversation and challenge. The February 2022 improvement point concerned extending children's learning through staff interactions. On a visit, ask how practitioners now deepen conversations for children ready for more challenge, alongside the Mosaic Approach.
• Different finishes. Morning sessions end at noon, while After School Club finishes earlier on Fridays than on other weekdays. Discuss the flexible-hours pattern you need alongside those fixed times.
• Food and personal supplies. Snacks carry a separate charge and packed lunches come from home. Families whose children attend all day supply named sun cream if they want it reapplied after lunch. Allergy-affected families should confirm current food-handling practice and the arrangements for their child.
• Starting and moving on. Stay and Play and the All About Me form support the start, but attendance brings no guarantee of a Reception place. Which current ages does each classroom accept, and how is school preparation organised for your child?

Hillside suits families seeking morning pre-school sessions or flexible attendance, as well as those combining pre-school with breakfast or after-school care. Its appeal lies in the combination of children's voices, language support and physical activity: Mosaic Approach, Healthy Movers Programme and practical resources for parents give that combination substance.

The February 2022 Good judgement comes with an improvement point about conversational challenge. Settling support and classroom-linked SEND roles strengthen the practical appeal; term-time closures, packed lunches and Friday's earlier finish must fit family routines.