Hylton Red House Nursery School: Nursery Review

Independence starts with small things here: choosing an activity, managing a coat and helping to tidy away. At Hylton Red House Nursery School, those everyday tasks sit alongside language development and attention to children's feelings. This is maintained nursery provision in Sunderland, with nursery education for children aged two to five, based on Rotherham Road in Redhouse Estate.

Wellbeing has a practical place in the provision. Staff use the Leuven Scale of Wellbeing and Involvement to observe children's engagement and emotional state, while the curriculum includes 5 Ways to Wellbeing. That gives attention to how children feel alongside what they learn.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides learning and care. In parent terms, this combines learning to communicate, move and manage relationships with early literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. Birth to 5 Matters supports assessment. Families contribute to the starting assessment, so planning begins with what their child can already do.

Sessions combine familiar routines, activities led by adults in small groups and longer periods of play chosen by children. Staff plan activities around observations and children's interests; familiar resources remain in place, with additions to prompt further exploration. Children therefore have time to pursue an idea as well as join a planned activity. One concrete example is Pumpkins and Squashes: counting a Pumpkin Parade and examining how pumpkins change after being left outside links maths with observation.

Physical spaces give the day variety. In October 2022, each room had a reading area, and children used the outdoor mud kitchen for pretend cooking together. A tambourine signalled tidying, with children taking responsibility for equipment. Language teaching included adults demonstrating speech and helping children rehearse it. The phonics approach, Phase 1 Letters and Sounds, includes rhythm, rhyme and listening to environmental sounds: the emphasis is on hearing and repeating sounds before reading words.

A child's key person is the first contact for worries and provides reassurance while they become accustomed to nursery. In October 2022, Ofsted found that children settled readily and that staff knew them as individuals. Tapestry Online Journal lets families and staff exchange photographs, observations and comments about learning, connecting nursery experiences with home.

Children with additional needs have personalised learning overseen by a SEND coordinator who is a qualified teacher. Speech and communication support includes Early Talk Boost and Blast! interventions. All permanent staff have Beginners/Foundation Makaton training, and signs and symbols are used daily with children. These give children additional ways to communicate during ordinary activities. Staff also observe wellbeing using the Leuven scale rather than relying solely on educational progress.

Lunches come from Sunderland City Council. The three-week menu changes meals daily and includes vegetarian choices, dessert and a drink. For dietary requirements linked to a medical condition, allergy or intolerance, the meals team uses a specialist dietitian; families must provide a written request from a doctor or dietitian. Ofsted found safeguarding effective on 6 October 2022. Children also practised care routines, including handwashing and handling equipment safely.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families need to make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. The admissions page directs parents to Sunderland's application procedures and describes a September-to-January preference period.

Preparation for the next stage also happens through everyday learning. Practising independence, listening and taking responsibility for tidying gives children useful habits to carry forward. These experiences support transition; they do not secure admission.

The registration form offers morning sessions from 8.40am to 11.40am, afternoons from 12.40pm to 3.40pm, and a 30-hour pattern from 9am to 3pm. The contact page gives wider opening hours of 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Choose the attendance pattern that fits your family's day.

Applications cover funded and paid places for two-year-olds, and 15-hour or 30-hour places for three-year-olds. The registration form also includes paid additional childcare for three-year-olds. Ask the school for current charges. Online applications go to the office, which contacts families when space becomes available. Enquiries can also go to hrh.nursery@schools.sunderland.gov.uk or 0191 548 8000.

Parking. Restrictions apply immediately outside the gates on Rotherham Road. Park lawfully nearby and allow time for the journey between your car and nursery.