Hilltop Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Brighton for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023. Open since 1997, with 22 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 Brighton and Hove
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Brighton and Hove 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
BN2 3EWWhat 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.
- 21 February 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 6 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Managers have taken swift and effective action to make improvements to staff practice and promote children's safety and well-being. This has significantly raised the quality of the provision. Staff offer a welcoming, friendly environment where children come in happily and settle quickly. Children and staff all get to know each other well due to the small size of the nursery. These strong relationships help children feel safe and secure. Staff give them calm consistent guidance that helps them behave well. Older children know what staff expect of them and confidently recall the daily routine. They play well together, cooperating as they negotiate the rules of a game.
Children especially enjoy playing outside. Staff offer them exciting opportunities to practise their physical skills and to explore and investigate the natural world.
Children dig and pour as they experiment with water and mud. Staff organise resources and equipment so that children can make independent choices and decisions. For example, children use the hose pipe to refill buckets or help themselves to a watering can or bowl.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen activity planning to focus more closely on what individual children are ready to learn next to build effectively on what they already know and can do - support staff to recognise when to give children more time to think and respond during conversations to further extend their language skills.
- 6 September 2023Good
- 9 March 2023Inadequate
- 28 July 2017Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hilltop 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.