Hasting Hill Academy Nursery

At the December 2023 inspection, water play gave two-year-olds something to talk about at Hasting Hill Academy: learning the sound a duck makes connected a new word with an activity they could understand. This is the school's own nursery provision, including provision for two-year-olds, on Tilbury Road in Sunderland.

At the Ofsted inspection on 5 and 6 December 2023, early years combined an orderly atmosphere with children learning familiar routines and receiving help suited to their development. There is a clear qualification for parents to weigh alongside those strengths: opportunities to develop conversation were inconsistent.

At the December 2023 inspection, early years learning was carefully planned, with support matched to children's developmental stages. For parents, the useful distinction is between a child's age and what they are ready to learn: the December 2023 findings describe help matched to development, rather than a single expectation applied to everyone.

Water play supplied the concrete example at that inspection. Two-year-olds were learning about ducks and their sounds while playing with water, linking vocabulary to an immediate experience. That makes language part of an activity, rather than something detached from play. Children were expanding the words they understood, and learning routines was another part of their early years experience.

Spoken language. In December 2023, children's conversational development was uneven. Learning new vocabulary and practising conversation are different skills; families should weigh the positive vocabulary example alongside this concern. The improvement required was a more consistent approach to spoken expression, helping children form complete sentences and communicate their meaning clearly.

Settling was a strength in December 2023: younger children adjusted promptly to school. Alongside familiar routines and developmentally matched help, that gives parents a useful picture of the first stage of nursery life: becoming accustomed to the setting while learning at an appropriate level.

WISE Academies also has Child and Family Liaison Officers whose role includes supporting families and building relationships through activities and programmes. The trust invites parents' views through an open-door approach. This provides a family-support context around the nursery, separate from the teaching children receive during their session.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Nursery and Reception admissions are separate processes: families need to apply again through the normal Reception application route by the relevant deadline.

Treat this as a separate decision in your family planning. Choosing nursery for its daily learning and care should not replace making a Reception application, even when your preferred school is Hasting Hill Academy.

Hasting Hill Academy's address is Tilbury Road, Sunderland, SR3 4LY. For nursery enquiries, telephone the academy on 0191 7070 121. This is the school's contact number, distinct from the WISE Academies head office number.