Hillsides Secret Garden Day Nursery

A converted 1930s house, loose materials for imaginative play and outdoor spaces on two levels give Hillsides Secret Garden Day Nursery its character. This family-run setting in Staple Hill, Bristol, builds its day around children's curiosity, with everyday objects and natural materials alongside toys. The emphasis is on learning through play and investigation.

There are 30 places in total, for children aged 4 to 60 months. That whole-setting figure is useful context for families considering a smaller nursery, but it is not the number of children in an individual room.

At its 24 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. The strongest practical themes were growing independence, opportunities to use the outdoors and communication with families. Those findings describe the nursery at that date; the current care arrangements include a key person, settling sessions and an online Learning Diary that parents can contribute to.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides planning for each child: play and activities are adapted to their development, interests and next steps. This is the educational foundation for the day, rather than an additional branded programme. Here, the practical approach includes investigating natural materials, using ordinary objects imaginatively and learning through play.

Loose parts and authentic items give children materials whose use is not fixed in advance. They can investigate and imagine rather than simply follow a toy's intended function. The converted house provides the backdrop to this approach, while resources stored at children's height let them reach materials themselves. Boxes carry photographs as well as text, helping children identify what they want to use.

In October 2022, independence developed through ordinary routines. Babies practised using a spoon; older children handled cutlery and served their own drinks. Finding a coat and taking it to an adult for help was another small step towards doing things independently. These are useful examples of learning threaded through care, rather than confined to planned activities.

The October 2022 observations also included preschool children mixing play dough and deciding whether it needed more water. Handling the mixture exercised their fingers while giving them something concrete to discuss. A hallway library let children and their parents borrow books, extending shared reading beyond the nursery day.

The October 2022 inspection identified two priorities: sustaining children's involvement in planned activities and giving younger children more opportunities to develop language, including staff noticing sooner when their attention drifted and introducing richer vocabulary. These are specific areas for families to weigh alongside the practical experiences described above.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play has substantial space here, although the grounds occupy two levels connected by steps with handrails. This makes the physical layout relevant to both play and accessibility. Indoors, the house also has two floors, with a staircase between them.

In October 2022, garden activities included taking turns on scooters and handling muddy soil while searching for worms. One supported movement and negotiating space around other children; the other encouraged close investigation of natural materials. These examples give a clearer picture of outdoor learning than a general promise of fresh air.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who becomes the family's main contact and helps plan learning around that child's needs. Initial settling sessions allow families to share care information and explain any involvement from other professionals. Room moves are prepared for through short sessions in the new space, extended according to the individual child. The transition is gradual rather than a single change of room.

The online Learning Diary combines observations, interests and next steps, with parents able to read and contribute to it. Daily conversations add another route for sharing information, while parent evenings take place twice a year. Families are also invited to stay and play or contribute their own interests and skills. Together, these arrangements give parents both informal contact and scheduled opportunities to discuss development.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

SEND support has an identifiable structure. The key person works with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), and support can be organised through a SEN Support Plan or an Education, Health and Care Plan, according to the child's needs. Progress meetings involve parents and staff, so targets can be reviewed rather than left unchanged.

Links with the Early Years Team at South Gloucestershire Council provide a route to advice and professional involvement. The nursery uses Makaton as an additional way for children to communicate. Its Learning Diary also helps staff identify interests and needs, connecting observation with the planning of support.

All staff have paediatric first aid training. Where specialist medication is needed, the relevant practitioners undertake training for that support. There are separate nappy-changing facilities and two children's bathrooms, practical details that matter in a house adapted for nursery use.

In October 2022, a nursery cook prepared fresh meals and took children's dietary requirements and allergies into account. That is a dated account of food preparation, rather than an assurance about an individual child's current allergy arrangements.

School transitions include passing on the child's latest assessment and Learning Diary to the next setting. Where possible, staff also meet the receiving team to discuss needs and existing support strategies. The useful point is continuity of care and learning, rather than an admissions advantage.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 23 Gladstone Street, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 4RF. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year except bank holidays. These are the nursery's opening hours.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01179047106 or by email at Hillsidessecretgarden@live.co.uk. The setting has 30 places in total for the current age range of 4 to 60 months.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded early education is offered: up to 30 hours a week for three- and four-year-olds, and 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds. The eligibility condition matters for the younger age group. Families should use the nursery's written quotation for current prices.

• Younger children's engagement. In October 2022, some younger children moved away from planned activities before staff responded, and opportunities to extend their vocabulary were sometimes missed. A visit is a useful opportunity to discuss how practitioners now maintain involvement and develop language during play.
• A house with steps. Both the building and the outdoor spaces occupy two levels, with stairs or steps and handrails. Families whose children need mobility support should discuss how daily movement between these spaces would work for their child.
• The funded-hours arrangement. The offer distinguishes three- and four-year-olds from eligible two-year-olds. How would the funded hours fit your intended attendance, and what would the written quotation cover for meals and consumables?

Hillsides Secret Garden suits families drawn to a smaller, house-based nursery where imaginative materials and learning through play and investigation shape the experience. The key-person arrangement, parent contributions to the Learning Diary and structured SEND planning give families concrete ways to participate in their child's care.

The Good judgement dates from October 2022, and its priorities around younger children's engagement and language remain useful questions for a visit. For families comfortable with the stepped layout, the combination of practical play and individual planning gives this nursery a clear identity.