Hillside Community Primary School Nursery

Discoverers and Adventurers give Hillside’s nursery its identity: separate rooms for younger explorers and children approaching school age, within the Young Explorers early years unit. Discoverers caters for ages two to three in a room built specifically for the youngest children. Adventurers serves three- to four-year-olds, including rising threes and preschool children. The physical arrangement gives each age group its own base for exploration.

Ofsted graded early years provision Good following the inspection on 9 and 10 July 2024. Children in early years achieved especially well, developing confidence in communication and learning to cooperate. Those findings cover the school’s early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery.

The nursery combines play and exploration with daily teaching. Its Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum brings together language, movement and social development with early literacy, maths, creative expression and understanding the world. Development Matters guides the planning. For parents, that means learning extends beyond early reading and number work to how children communicate, move and relate to others.

Red Rose Letters and Sounds Phase 1 gives nursery phonics a defined programme, taught through daily focused sessions and activities within the learning provision. Songs and rhymes are part of the experience: in July 2024, nursery children enjoyed learning them, while even the youngest early years children followed instructions closely. Bedtime books are exchanged each Friday, connecting the nursery’s interest in language with shared stories at home.

Friday also brings Forest School for Nursery Adventurers. Families can send labelled wellies; waterproof suits are supplied by school. The Forest School approach uses woodland experiences and practical exploration, with possible activities including bug hunts, making shelters and sorting collected leaves. These are examples of the programme’s activities, rather than a fixed nursery timetable. They give outdoor learning a practical focus alongside classroom exploration.

Nursery teaching is led by a practitioner with a Primary PGCE, a History degree and Early Years Professional status. That combines a teaching qualification with a specific early years credential.

Seesaw connects families with school information and their child’s learning journey, giving parents a way to follow learning beyond the session. For toilet training and dry nights, the nursery follows ERIC guidance. Support for families also extends to a school Learning Mentor, with individual or small-group help for short-term emotional needs. Parents with safeguarding concerns can ask to speak to a Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the applicable deadline. Lancashire County Council manages the school’s admissions, and Nursery and Reception have separate application routes. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two distinct decisions.

Two-year-olds attend the afternoon session, from 12:15pm to 3:15pm; the three-year-old nursery runs from 8:40am to 11:40am. Each pattern is described as 15 hours, alongside funded childcare for the relevant age group. The age-based split matters when fitting nursery around work or sibling arrangements.

Apply using the Application for Nursery Place link. For enquiries, contact the school office on 01695 724860 or office@hillside-pri.lancs.sch.uk. Guided school tours are offered, giving families an opportunity to see the setting before deciding.