Stonehill Nursery School

About Stonehill Nursery School

Stonehill Nursery School sits in a local authority where only two of six nursery schools are rated Outstanding, and the school itself holds a solid Good rating from its most recent graded inspection in 2019, confirmed as maintaining standards in an ungraded visit in December 2024. That puts it squarely in the middle of the pack for Derby’s nursery sector — not the top performer, but a reliable, well-regarded option. The school has improved significantly from its previous inspection in 2017, when it was judged to Require Improvement overall, with both leadership and management and overall effectiveness now rated Good. For parents of two-to-five-year-olds in the city, this represents a school that has demonstrably turned things around and held that progress steady.

Because Stonehill is a nursery, there are no Key Stage 2 SATs or Progress 8 scores to compare against the LA average — the school’s academic offering is focused entirely on the Early Years Foundation Stage. The most recent Ofsted report (from 2019) rated the quality of education, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes all as Good, though specific breakdowns for early years provision were not published in the data. The school’s improvement journey is clear: from Requires Improvement in 2017 to Good in 2019, with the 2024 ungraded inspection confirming that standards have been maintained. For a small school of just 85 pupils, this consistency is a positive sign, especially given that the local authority has only two Outstanding nurseries, one of which (Harrington) is just 1.2 km away.

The school offers a practical set of facilities for its young cohort, including an outdoor playground, a sensory room, music rooms, and a dining hall — the chapel is an unusual addition for a non-religious school. SEND provision is a clear strength, with support available for speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, hearing impairment, and social, emotional and mental health. Clubs are limited to art and book clubs, and gymnastics is the only sport listed, which is typical for this age range. Stonehill is likely to suit families in Derby looking for a small, community nursery that has shown real improvement and now offers stable, Good-quality early years education, particularly those whose children may benefit from the school’s SEND expertise.

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