The Hills Academy Nursery Review

A separate outdoor play space gives this nursery a character of its own within The Hills Academy. Children can explore outside in a supervised, secure area, while their learning also includes creative work, stories and play indoors. This is an introduction to school through activity and interaction.

The nursery takes children from the September after their third birthday and operates across the academic year. There is one nursery class within the school's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Capacity is up to 30 children for each morning and afternoon session. Attendance patterns can change during the year, allowing occasional vacancies even though the nursery usually runs near capacity.

Play, storytelling and teaching work alongside each other. The EYFS here involves developing social and physical skills as well as learning: children explore, create and interact rather than spending the whole session on formal tasks. Their own outdoor area provides another setting for imaginative play and discovery.

In March 2025, early-years children enjoyed counting games, developed their vocabulary through selected stories and experimented with tools for drawing and beginning to write. These activities give parents a concrete picture of learning through play: number games build mathematical understanding, while stories introduce words children can use themselves.

Early writing. Some children persisted with their marks but held pencils incorrectly, and adults did not correct this consistently. The resulting habits could impede later writing fluency. For families, attention to how a child holds and uses drawing tools matters alongside enthusiasm for the activity.

Relationships helped children settle. The March 2025 early-years findings described positive connections with adults and children becoming comfortable quickly. That gives reassurance about the emotional start to nursery life.

Support during play. Children needing the greatest help sometimes waited too long for adult support, limiting their learning progress. Improvement required more frequent, purposeful interaction, especially for disadvantaged and vulnerable children. Families whose child needs additional help should weigh this concern alongside the positive settling findings.

Lunch can extend a morning session or accompany afternoon attendance. Children may bring a packed lunch or have a school lunch, giving families a choice of meal arrangement. Communication includes termly Parents' Meetings, and the Nursery Blog - Rainbow shares class news and activities, helping parents connect nursery experiences with conversations at home.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place and does not confer priority in the oversubscription criteria. The school handles nursery applications; Bedford Borough's local authority handles Reception admission. Families must make a separate application through the normal school admissions process, including those whose child already attends the nursery.

The application route is www.bedford.gov.uk/admissions. The stated deadline is 10 January for a September start. Familiarity with the school and a place allocation are separate matters, so the Reception application needs its own attention.

Morning sessions run from 8.40am to 11.40am; afternoons run from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. A child staying after the morning session for lunch can be collected at 12.30pm. Parents or carers must bring and collect nursery children.

Five sessions each week are government funded. Families meeting the eligibility conditions can access 30-hour funded places; additional sessions and the lunch period carry separate charges. Contact the school for current charges.

To request sessions, return the Nursery Application Form to the school office. Nursery visits can also be arranged there. Enquiries go to office@thehillsacademy.co.uk or 01234 266498. The school is on Stancliffe Road, Bedford, MK41 9AT.