Hurst Hill Primary School Nursery

Play, conversation and the first experiments with making marks give Hurst Hill’s nursery provision its character. It belongs to Hurst Hill Primary School in Coseley, with Nursery and Time for Twos offered as distinct choices for families. The focus here is early learning within a school setting.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good at its February 2022 inspection. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Children’s interests help shape the learning. Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), play connects language, movement and relationships with early literacy, mathematics, creative work and discovering the world. Staff assess children’s starting points and then map their learning, adapting spaces inside and outdoors. This gives play a purpose while allowing children’s interests to influence what they explore.

Making marks involves more than holding a pencil. For younger children, finger puppets and rhymes sit alongside counting on fingers. These activities give children ways to practise finger movements.

Speaking and listening also have a clear role. In February 2022, Nursery activities developed these skills as preparation for later phonics. Early years teaching also built children’s understanding of number. Together, these strands connect practical play with the foundations of reading and mathematics, rather than treating learning as pencil-and-paper work alone.

Each child has a learning journal containing observations and developmental milestones. That creates an individual record of learning, alongside the EYFS emphasis on adults responding to children’s needs and interests. Annual stay-and-play events and EYFS drop-in sessions give families opportunities to take part in school life.

For children with special educational needs or disabilities, the school uses individual School Support Plans. Support follows an Assess, Plan, Do and Review cycle, with parents involved each term. Provision can include specialist equipment or advice from external professionals when needed. The practical benefit is a process for reviewing and adjusting support as staff understand a child’s needs more fully.

ParentMail carries school letters and weekly updates, with texts used for urgent messages. Families therefore have a regular communication route as well as a way to receive time-sensitive notices.

Attending Hurst Hill’s Nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal school admissions process; Dudley Council is the route for school admissions information. Choosing the nursery and applying for Reception are separate decisions. Keep the Reception application as a distinct task, even if your child already attends Nursery.

The nursery booking form lets families express interest in 15 or 30 hours, or select that they are unsure. For the 15-hour option, parents can indicate a morning or afternoon preference. These are choices for an enquiry, rather than confirmation of a place.

Families can also indicate an immediate-start preference, provide a 30-hour code where applicable, and explain whether funding will be shared with another setting. Requests for a callback or a show-around can be made through the same form.

The school office can be contacted on 01384 818845 or at info@hurst-hill.dudley.sch.uk. Designated disabled parking and access to the school building provide practical support for families visiting the site.