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Nursery at Hilldene Primary School
Last reviewed: September 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play and exploration shape the start of education at Hilldene. The nursery is the school’s early-years provision for children from age three, on the same large Grange Road site as the primary school. It has separate morning and afternoon sessions, rather than a published full-day pattern. This gives families a clear three-hour block, but the school does not publish a nursery place count on the archived pages supplied for this review.
The provision follows the Early Years Foundation Stage alongside Reception. Hilldene describes this phase as developing the whole child through play, exploration and attention to children’s social, personal, emotional, care and learning needs. That is a useful statement of intent: early learning here is broader than preparing children for formal lessons.
A morning place runs from 8:45am to 11:45am; the afternoon session is 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Within that structure, children learn through play and exploration across the seven early-years areas. The school’s wider curriculum principles place emphasis on communication, lived experiences, connections in learning and independence, all relevant foundations for nursery-aged children.
Language deserves close attention. Hilldene names Talk Through Stories for communication and language, Read Write Inc. for early reading, Power Maths and Jigsaw for personal, social, health and relationships education. These named approaches give parents concrete questions to ask about how they are adapted for nursery. The school also publishes Nursery curriculum maps and medium-term planning, so families can see the intended learning sequence rather than relying on broad claims.
In December 2024, Ofsted found that the early-years curriculum covered the expected scope, but its implementation was inconsistent. Inspectors reported too few opportunities for children to rehearse and extend vocabulary, limiting some children’s spoken language and readiness for reading and writing. Families should ask what has changed since that visit and how vocabulary practice now appears across a typical session.
Hilldene’s curriculum says early years addresses social, personal, emotional and care needs, while Jigsaw brings a weekly whole-school sequence for emotional literacy and social skills. The school also says it identifies SEND needs quickly, works with wider agencies and adapts practice so children can access the curriculum. For a child needing additional support, the practical question is how those adaptations work during nursery play, group time and transitions.
The school publishes safeguarding contacts, but its nursery pages do not set out a key-person system, settling plan, food arrangements or sleep routines, so families should ask the school office how these work before accepting a place. Parent communication is available through the school office and ClassDojo, although families should confirm which channel the nursery team uses day to day.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through their home local authority; Havering families are directed to the eAdmissions service. Families should check the current published oversubscription criteria rather than assuming nursery attendance gives priority.
The educational transition may still feel familiar because Nursery and Reception share Hilldene’s early-years curriculum framework. That continuity does not guarantee admission. Parents should check the current Reception timetable, deadline and oversubscription criteria with their home authority in the application year.
Hilldene publishes two nursery options: 8:45am to 11:45am or 12:30pm to 3:30pm. The archived evidence does not establish a full-day booking model, funded-entitlement pattern, uniform rule or nursery-specific drop-off point. The school office is therefore the route for current availability, eligibility, charges and collection arrangements. It can be contacted by telephone, email or the website form, and the school says its office is open from 8:00am to 4:30pm.
Applications for nursery are handled through the school office, separately from Reception admissions. Families comparing sessions should ask whether places are term-time only, how funded hours are allocated, what children should wear and whether any meals or snacks are provided.
The school’s recorded age range begins at three, and Nursery forms the first part of its early-years provision. Confirm the applicable start date with the school office.
Morning Nursery runs from 8:45am to 11:45am. Afternoon Nursery runs from 12:30pm to 3:30pm.
Children learn through play and exploration across the early-years areas. Hilldene also names Talk Through Stories, Read Write Inc., Power Maths and Jigsaw among its curriculum approaches.
No. Reception requires a separate application through the family’s home local authority. Check the current published oversubscription criteria to see how places are prioritised.
Contact the school office for nursery admissions, current availability and the application process.
