Hillside Day Nursery
Good★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Bristol for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2025. Open since 2013, with 33 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in South Gloucestershire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in South Gloucestershire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
BS15 8DBWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 11 March 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children of all ages thrive at the nursery. They gain confidence and are well behaved. Full of smiles, babies and children explore the inspiring indoor and outdoor learning environments. They all have very good relationships with the staff, who show genuine warmth and affection towards them. Babies receive sensitive support. Staff give reassuring cuddles when babies are wary of visitors. Staff foster children's self-esteem and show genuine pride when children achieve. Babies develop their mobility. They crawl at speed and develop confidence in their walking skills. Toddlers learn to negotiate steps in the garden, climb and slide, with staff close by to ensure their safety. Older children show their agility as they chase each other through the forest area. They work cooperatively to manoeuvre a trolley over the rough terrain, following verbal guidance from staff to help steer it in the direction they want. They develop their throwing and kicking skills as they play ball games with staff.
Staff understand children's individual needs, interests and abilities. They plan and implement a curriculum that provides many rich and varied learning experiences that build on what children know and can do effectively, overall. Children enjoy well-planned group activities that promote their thinking and understanding of the world. For example, staff talk with children about what they see and hear outdoors.
Children suggest the names of birds they hear, such as 'seagull' and 'robin'. Staff encourage them to think about what birds eat, and children make clay worms.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum more closely to ensure every child, including the most able, are suitably challenged to maximise their learning.
- 11 March 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 3 July 2019Good
- 11 April 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hillside Day Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.