The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
Nursery at Highlands Primary School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Songs, stories and early number practice give Highlands Primary School’s nursery its clearest character: an introduction to learning through language and repetition. The nursery belongs to the primary school on Highlands Gardens in Ilford. It is the school’s own provision, so families are choosing a nursery within a wider school setting.
The useful distinction is between that shared setting and the nursery experience itself. Familiarity with a school can matter to families planning ahead, but the immediate focus here is younger children’s learning. Nursery rhymes and stories provide concrete starting points, rather than borrowing the achievements of older pupils to describe the nursery.
In November 2024, Ofsted identified songs, storytelling and nursery rhymes as activities introduced by staff in the Nursery classes. These give children opportunities to listen to language and join in with familiar words. For parents, they offer a tangible picture of the learning: stories, songs and spoken language are part of the nursery experience.
Early number receives repeated attention too. Children across the early years practise basic number skills regularly. That gives the nursery’s language work a mathematical counterpart, with repeated practice forming part of the foundations for later learning. The emphasis is on beginnings.
Across The Thinking Schools Federation, the school aims for children to experiment with materials and express ideas through art. Its wider mathematics approach moves between physical objects, pictures and abstract ideas. These are school-level curriculum intentions and approaches; the nursery-specific detail remains the language activities and early number practice described above.
Communication has a school-wide structure. Regular parent forums give families a means of taking part in discussions with the school, while a SEND coordinator forms part of the staff team. For a parent considering the nursery, these are useful points of connection within the wider school.
The distinction matters: a forum supports dialogue, and a designated SEND role identifies a responsibility within the team. Neither should be treated as a description of an individual child’s care arrangements.
Attending Highlands’ nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat the nursery decision and the Reception application as two separate steps in planning your child’s education.
The school is on Highlands Gardens, Ilford, IG1 3LE. Nursery enquiries can go through the school office by email at admin@highlandsprimary.net or by telephone on 020 8554 0044. These provide a direct contact route for families considering the provision.
Yes. The nursery is part of Highlands Primary School in Ilford.
Staff introduce stories, songs and nursery rhymes, as identified in November 2024.
Yes. Children in the early years regularly practise basic number skills.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the normal admissions process.
Email admin@highlandsprimary.net or call 020 8554 0044.
