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Nursery at High Down Infant 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Two three-hour sessions give High Down’s nursery a clear daily shape: a morning starting at 8.45am or an afternoon beginning at 12.30pm. For families choosing shorter sessions, those boundaries make the collection commitment easy to understand. The provision belongs to High Down Infant School on Down Road in Portishead and caters for three-year-olds.
In November 2022, Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating. Its useful detail concerns children’s early number knowledge, learning sounds and listening to adults.
Morning nursery runs until 11.45am, while the afternoon finishes at 3.30pm. Each gives children a defined session rather than the infant school’s longer day. The conservatory is a named part of the nursery’s collection and drop-off arrangements, with the nursery gate providing the other handover point.
Within the early years foundation stage (EYFS), the November 2022 findings give a concrete picture of early learning. Children developed their understanding of numbers and could explain patterns confidently. Mathematics was taught through manageable steps, beginning in early years. The practical benefit is a sequence children can build on, rather than being expected to grasp a new idea in one leap.
Early years children also remembered new sounds successfully through phonics, the learning of sounds used in reading. Listening mattered too: children paid attention and responded to instructions. These findings concern the school’s early years provision as a whole, so they should be read at that scope.
Curriculum continuity. In November 2022, leaders lacked clarity about early years learning in some foundation subjects. Later teaching did not consistently build on it, slowing learning. That matters to families looking for continuity beyond nursery.
A shared special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCO) works across the infant and junior schools and can be reached through the school office. This gives parents a clear contact for discussing additional needs.
Learning Mentors and the Pastoral Support Team aim to support children individually and in groups with difficulties affecting learning. They also provide support for families. Contact goes through the office, giving families a route into that wider school support structure.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the normal deadline. North Somerset Council is the route for Reception admissions information; treat that application as a distinct task from joining nursery.
Choosing a school nursery therefore requires two decisions: whether its sessions suit your child now, and where to apply for Reception later. Keep the application timetable separate from nursery attendance.
For morning sessions, drop-off is at the front nursery gate and collection is from the conservatory. Afternoon arrangements reverse the handover points: drop-off at the conservatory, collection at the nursery gate. Remembering that switch matters when different adults share collections.
Nursery enquiries go to Nurseryadmin@highdownschools.org. The school telephone number is 01275 843969. These provide a direct starting point for families interested in joining.
High Down Infant School has nursery provision for three-year-olds.
Morning sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am. Afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
Morning drop-off is at the front nursery gate, with collection from the conservatory. Afternoon drop-off is at the conservatory, with collection at the nursery gate.
No. Families need to apply separately for Reception through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. North Somerset Council provides Reception admissions information.
Email Nurseryadmin@highdownschools.org or telephone the school on 01275 843969.
