Hillside House Nursery

Hillside House Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY104253
Address: Hillside House, Lyth Hill Road, Bayston Hill, SHREWSBURY, SY3 0AU
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 09/01/2003
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Hillside House Nursery Limited
Inspection report: 23 January 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Needs attention
Achievement Needs attention
Children's achievement is inconsistent across the nursery, particularly the achievement of
younger children. While children are offered opportunities to explore and investigate, they
are not always engaged and become bored and uninterested. This means that progress is
limited. Babies enjoy secure attachments with their key person. They seek them out for
reassurance as they crawl from activity to activity. They snuggle in while looking at a
favourite story. However, listening skills are sometimes hindered because background music
is constantly playing.
Older children make better progress because they enjoy a wide range of interesting,
motivating and exciting play experiences to support all areas of learning. They use
mathematical language as they build complex structures. They work together to solve a
problem of what might happen if they remove a brick from a tower. They count the blocks as
they place them one on top of another, noticing as it gets taller. They investigate the objects
that have been carefully hidden in the sand and delight when they discover them.
Children generally enjoy the range of experiences on offer to them. Children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from targeted support and funding.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention
The provision for the toddler age group requires sharply focused improvements to reach the
more consistent standards seen elsewhere. Routines like nappy changing and mealtimes
are not always well managed, leading to children becoming bored or unsettled while waiting.
Staff are often too busy with menial tasks rather than supporting children in their learning.
Furthermore, activity planning for this age group does not always focus sharply enough on
what children already know, which limits their engagement and progress.
Leaders are determined in their vision for improving the nursery. They have made some
progress in this by reorganising staffing and routines to create a more consistent transition
for children. This leadership and passion for improvement has successfully established a
positive environment where children, particularly in pre-school, behave very well. Older
children learn to collaborate, take turns and solve problems together with purpose and
determination. Positive relationships are a clear strength. Babies are inquisitive and benefit
from the support of their caring key person. Older children are independent learners with
highly positive attitudes to learning. Attendance and punctuality are promoted well, and
children enjoy coming to nursery.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention
Care routines are not always managed well enough to nurture and support children,
particularly in the toddler room. Staff deployment and the organisation of routines, such as
nappy changing and lunchtime, are less effective than in other areas. This means that some
children wait for extended periods and become unsettled. Leaders fully understand the

importance of supervising children appropriately while they eat, and of cutting up food. They
have created policies outlining their expectations but these are not fully understood and
implemented by all staff. When leaders are observing mealtimes, they are prompt to offer
reminders and guidance. Leaders recognise the need to provide more support to ensure
that practices are fully consistent.
Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to children's welfare. They foster a culture where
staff are focused on ensuring children are happy, settled and well cared for. Children's
health and physical development is prioritised. For example, children enjoy a healthy,
balanced menu and extensive outdoor provision. Older children talk about healthy foods as
they serve themselves at lunch. They learn how to wash their hands because staff teach
them how to do this well. Younger children notice their heartbeats after they run around
outside. The inclusive approach is effective in accommodating any individual needs.
Leaders work closely with parents and other professionals to implement targeted support for
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities so they feel included and valued.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
The curriculum to support children's consistent progress across all areas of learning is not
embedded well enough. Some younger children do not yet benefit from a consistent,
motivating, sequenced curriculum. In some rooms, staff deployment and activity planning
are less effective. Teaching does not always accurately reflect children's individual
developmental stages. Staff do not always consistently use their knowledge of what children
already know and can do to plan opportunities for them to build on their skills. To improve,
leaders must ensure that the high-quality teaching observed in other areas is securely
embedded across the entire setting.
Leaders demonstrate a passionate commitment to improve the curriculum for all children,
including those where there are barriers to learning. They have successfully designed a
broad framework that focuses on learning through play. There is a focus on providing
opportunities to cover all areas of learning. Some children's experiences are of higher
quality. For these children, progress and development are monitored through ongoing
observations and regular assessments. Staff notice what children enjoy doing and provide
activities to interest them. In some rooms, staff thoughtfully provide children with purposeful,
interesting invitations to explore and investigate. Children enjoy outdoor learning in the
extensive gardens. This helps promote their physical development and their wellbeing.
Inclusion Needs attention
There are some weaknesses in the deployment of staff. At times, this results in children
having to wait for familiar staff to be available to meet their individual needs. In all other
respects, leaders have made solid progress since the previous inspection in meeting the
needs of all children. They have worked hard to improve staff's understanding of how to
identify and assess the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
and those where there are barriers to learning. Leaders and staff work in close partnership
with parents and other professionals to secure essential funding and support. They observe
children closely so that they can identify individual needs and potential gaps in progress.

Leaders understand how to use additional funding to provide targeted support and
resources for disadvantaged children. They consider what is in the best interests of all
children. There are plans to provide staff with sharply focused professional learning to
broaden their understanding even more. Leaders maintain robust systems to monitor the
progress of all vulnerable groups. They quickly follow up on any absence and recognise the
importance of regular attendance.
Leadership and governance Needs attention
There are a number of areas for improvement in relation to the quality of teaching and
interactions and in how staff are deployed to best suit children's needs. Since the previous
inspection, strategic leadership has significantly strengthened. Newly appointed leaders
have established a clear vision for improvement, focused on raising teaching standards and
stabilising the staff team. Governance and oversight are more robust and leaders recognise
they are on a journey of improvement. Professional learning is now a priority. Staff are
beginning to benefit from frequent online training, coaching and modelling that is closely
linked to their needs and interests and the quality of the provision for children.
Staff wellbeing is closely monitored through regular team meetings and an open-door policy.
Staff say they feel well supported by leaders. To manage workload, leaders have introduced
systems, such as preparing activities the night before to ensure smoother daily routines.
Parent partnerships are becoming stronger following a period of change. Leaders and staff
communicate with parents on a daily basis and through more formal opportunities, such as
parents' evenings and a recently implemented parent representative process. This means
that parents, leaders and staff engage in open and honest discussions about the children's
nursery experience.
Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
While there have been many improvements since the last inspection, some weaknesses
remain in the arrangements to supervise children at certain times of the day, including at
mealtimes. This is partly due to ineffective staff deployment, and partly due to
inconsistencies in the implementation of policies. Children are not always supported well
enough during routines. They do not consistently have familiar staff or their key person with
them to provide individual care or reassurance. The curriculum is not yet embedded
consistently across the nursery and is not ambitious enough for all children. This leads to an
inconsistent learning environment for some children. Some children do not consistently
make good enough progress from their starting points or deepen their learning. Activities do
not always build on what children already know and can do, and younger children
particularly are often unmotivated and bored with what is on offer.
Some children engage well and explore as they play. The curriculum plan for children's
development across the areas of learning broadly supports progress. Children generally
enjoy their time and settle well. Older children offer staff a smile as they excitedly talk about
what they will do next. Babies show secure attachments to their key person. This helps them
to feel safe and secure. Children behave well, take turns and play alongside or with others.
For example, children work together to arrange lengths of guttering to form a structure to roll
balls down. Babies sit in contented companionship as they press, prod and squeeze dough.
Younger children join in with singing their favourite nursery rhymes. They balance across an
obstacle course and dig in the sand. Staff often offer encouragement and praise. This helps
to develop children's confidence and self-esteem.
The newly appointed leadership team shows a focused commitment to improvement.
Leaders are keen to ensure that staff provide stimulating and high-quality experiences for
children. Staff know children well and respond to their needs. Children with special

Inspector:
Juliette Freeman
educational needs and/or disabilities, and those where there are barriers to learning, receive
the timely support they need to make steady progress in their learning.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the
provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
target support more precisely so that all staff have the
skill and knowledge needed to use their interactions
fully effectively to extend children's learning and
enjoyment
31/07/2026
improve the deployment of staff, in particular at times
during the daily routine when children are required to
wait, such as mealtimes or when playing outside, to
ensure that children receive the attention they need
31/07/2026
strengthen monitoring to ensure that all staff understand
and consistently implement the safe eating policies
27/02/2026
About this inspection
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.
We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we
received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information
about this.
There have been significant changes to the leadership team since the previous inspection.
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinators, parents and
children during the inspection.

About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY104253
Address:
Hillside House, Lyth Hill Road
Bayston Hill
SHREWSBURY
SY3 0AU
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 09/01/2003
Registered person: Hillside House Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 18:00
Local authority: Shropshire Council
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 23 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
90
Our grades explained

Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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