Hillside Day Nursery

A spacious garden, imaginative play in a mud kitchen and food tasting linked to children's home cultures give Hillside Day Nursery its character in the March 2022 account. These are useful details for parents who value physical play and experiences that connect nursery life with home.

At its March 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Hillside Good and judged safeguarding effective. The nursery has capacity for 80 children aged 3–60 months, at the Youth & Adult Centre on Pump Street in Stoke-On-Trent.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: learning through play sits alongside support for communication and physical development.

In March 2022, activities drew on children's interests and existing knowledge. Songs, expressive storytelling and rhymes encouraged engagement with language and books. However, some practitioners needed a clearer understanding of the learning intended in their activities. For parents, the important distinction is between keeping children occupied and knowing what an activity helps them learn.

Outdoor play had concrete substance in March 2022. Children experimented with soil and kitchen utensils in the mud kitchen, while balancing on planks gave them opportunities to practise movement and assess risk with staff support. Parachute play combined physical activity with singing and following instructions. Cultural food tasting days introduced children to foods connected with their friends' home lives.

In March 2022, babies sought comfort from their key person and practised sounds and early words. Staff explained behavioural expectations, helping children understand why an action was unacceptable rather than simply stopping it.

At its March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good progress and that the special educational needs coordinator worked with families, staff and other professionals to organise additional help, but support for children using English as an additional language was inconsistent. More opportunities to hear and see home-language words were needed.

Communication with parents in March 2022 combined conversations with an online learning journal, giving families insight into children's learning. Meals were freshly cooked and adapted to dietary needs at that time.

The address is Youth & Adult Centre, Pump Street, Stoke-On-Trent, ST4 1NQ. Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures for bank holidays and Christmas. That window matters for families fitting childcare around a working day.

• Purpose behind activities. In March 2022, some staff needed greater clarity about intended learning. An activity's appeal matters, but so does the skill it develops.
• Home-language support. The March 2022 improvement priority concerned children using English as an additional language. This deserves particular weight for multilingual families.
• Attendance arrangements. With weekday opening hours of 7am to 6pm, which booking pattern would fit your family's routine?

Hillside suits families seeking weekday childcare within its 7am to 6pm opening window. For parents who value outdoor movement, imaginative play and connections with children's home cultures, its March 2022 inspection account offers useful dated examples. Its March 2022 Good judgement provides a useful dated assessment. The learning-intention and home-language priorities also deserve weight: enjoyable experiences are strongest when staff understand their purpose and help each child participate.