Highfield School Nursery Review

Chicks hatching, early writing outdoors and conversations with visiting firefighters give Highfield's early years a character built around practical discovery. Nursery children can start from their second birthday, with Tiny Bears, Little Bears and Big Bears providing the named nursery groups at Highfield and Brookham School in Liphook.

There were three Nursery classes at the September 2025 inspection. This is provision within an independent school, with mornings, mornings including lunch and full days giving families different ways to shape attendance.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together early learning and children's care. Here, its daily substance includes talking, beginning to write and exploring mathematical ideas. In September 2025, early-years children were making good progress in communication and language. Adults demonstrated accurate language and gave children opportunities to explain their thinking, helping them develop the words to express ideas.

Writing practice took place outside as well as inside, and classrooms supplied plentiful opportunities to engage with language. Early reading and writing were developing well. Mathematical resources and teaching were matched to what children already understood, helping them build confidence as they tackled new concepts. Indoor classrooms and outdoor learning areas both supported effective learning.

Discovery also extends to living things and people beyond the classroom. Early-years children watched chicks hatch and met visiting dentists, firefighters and police officers. These experiences give children concrete starting points for understanding nature and different jobs. Safety has practical examples too: children learn to use helmets on bicycles and follow a code for crossing roads.

Responsive adults were a strength of the early years in September 2025: staff adapted to children's interests and needs and gave them attentive care. Regular conversations with parents covered both progress and wellbeing, linking what happens during the session with life at home. The school offers children a trial day, allowing an introduction before joining.

Fruit is eaten regularly in the early years, and children learn about handwashing and looking after their teeth. Staff have paediatric first aid training, and early-years staffing ratios were appropriate at the inspection. Safeguarding training addressed risks to early-years children and equipped staff to respond to concerns.

Fire safety. In September 2025, some evacuation routes in the pre-prep building lacked suitable fire signs, and related leadership and wellbeing standards were unmet. The required action was to provide appropriate signs at every evacuation route. Families should take this concern into account alongside the positive early-years findings.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. For this independent school, discuss the Reception arrangements directly with the Admissions Registrar rather than treating nursery enrolment as an admission advantage.

Big Bears children must attend at least three mornings each week, including lunch. The school uses this longer attendance pattern to help prepare children for the move to Reception. Preparation for the next stage and entitlement to a place are separate questions.

Across 34 weeks each year, a morning runs from 8.20am to 11.20am; adding lunch extends it to 12.20pm. A full day finishes at 3.20pm. Tiny Bears and Little Bears require at least two mornings weekly, so families should plan around that minimum.

Nursery fees are charged in advance each term; additional booked sessions are charged afterwards. Early Years Funded Entitlement applies only to afternoon sessions for three- and four-year-olds and must be claimed at the start of each term, rather than retrospectively. Ask the school for current charges. Enquiries go through the Admissions Registrar, and families can book a visit or call 01428 728000.