Highfield Nursery School

About Highfield Nursery School

If you’re a parent weighing up nursery options, what other families think is a strong starting point. Highfield Nursery School doesn’t publish a parentView recommend percentage in its data, but the school’s oversubscription ratio is a useful proxy for local demand. The school has 82 pupils on roll, and given that it’s one of only four state nursery schools in North Northamptonshire, places are likely to be competitive. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in April 2025, judged that the school had improved significantly since its previous graded inspection in March 2019, when it was rated Good overall. That upward trajectory is a reassuring signal for parents. The headteacher, Lyndsey Lambert, leads a setting that clearly holds its own in the local area, even if it isn’t one of the two nurseries rated Outstanding in the same local authority. The nearest Outstanding nursery, Croyland Nursery School & Day Nursery, is 1.8 km away, so Highfield remains a strong contender for families in the immediate vicinity.

Academically, as a nursery for children aged 2 to 5, Highfield doesn’t produce the kind of exam results you’d see in a primary or secondary school. Instead, its quality is measured through Ofsted’s lens. In the 2019 graded inspection, the school received Good ratings for both overall effectiveness and leadership and management. The 2025 ungraded inspection confirmed that the school has improved significantly since then, which suggests that the early years provision, personal development, and behaviour are all on a positive track. The school’s Ofsted report notes that leadership and management remain Good. For a nursery, the key academic outcomes are about readiness for school, and the data doesn’t include specific early years foundation stage profile results or a progress measure. However, the school’s sustained Good rating across two inspections, combined with the improvement noted in 2025, indicates that children are likely to be well prepared for the transition to Reception. There are no local authority averages for nursery-level outcomes to compare against, but the school’s consistent Ofsted record is a solid benchmark.

On the practical side, Highfield offers a range of facilities that support early years development, including an outdoor playground, a gymnasium, art studios, music rooms, and a dining hall. The school also has a chapel, which is unusual for a state nursery. Sports provision includes swimming and gymnastics, and there are clubs such as art and gardening. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for severe learning difficulty, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. This suggests a setting that can accommodate a range of needs, though the data doesn’t specify how many children are on an education, health and care plan. The school is a state nursery, so it follows the early years foundation stage curriculum and is free for eligible families. Given its Good rating, improving trajectory, and range of facilities, Highfield is a solid choice for local families looking for a well-regarded nursery that offers a broad early years experience, particularly those who value outdoor play and creative activities.

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