Bentilee Nursery School

About Bentilee Nursery School

Bentilee Nursery School is the only state-funded nursery in the Stoke-on-Trent local authority area, which means it occupies a unique position in the local early years landscape. With no other same-type schools to compare it against, this mixed-gender nursery for children aged 2 to 4 stands alone as the sole provider of its kind in the borough. Headteacher Juliet Levingstone leads a small school of just 61 pupils, where 10 per cent of children are eligible for free school meals. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in July 2025, awarded it a Good rating across all judged areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2012, when the school was rated Outstanding overall. The 2025 inspection did not give an overall effectiveness grade, but the consistent Good ratings across every category suggest a solid and reliable provision for the community’s youngest learners.

Academic outcomes at nursery level are not measured through standardised tests like SATs or Progress 8, so the best gauge of quality here is the Ofsted report and parent feedback. The 2025 inspection found the quality of education to be Good, with behaviour and attitudes also rated Good. Parents are overwhelmingly positive: all 14 respondents to the Parent View survey said they would recommend the school, and every single one strongly agreed that their child is happy and does well. Strong agreement was also high for the school making parents aware of what their child will learn (86 per cent) and having high expectations (71 per cent). The school’s SEND provision focuses on speech, language and communication support, though no parents responded to the specific question about SEND support in the survey. With no local authority averages for nursery-level outcomes, the school’s strong parent satisfaction and Good Ofsted rating are the key indicators of its performance.

The school offers a range of facilities that are unusual for a nursery, including a sensory room, music rooms, a dining hall and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, gymnastics and dance, while after-school clubs include Eco Club and Art Club. The Parent View data shows that 43 per cent of parents strongly agreed that their child can take part in clubs and activities, though 14 per cent disagreed and 29 per cent did not know. The school’s SEND provision is specifically tailored to speech, language and communication needs, which may suit families whose children require that type of support. As the only state nursery in Stoke-on-Trent, Bentilee is likely to be the default choice for local families seeking a funded early years place, and the strong parent recommendation rate suggests it is meeting expectations. The school does not offer boarding and is non-religious, with its religious character listed as does not apply.

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