Hilltop Nursery Consultation
Consultation for the closure of the Nursery at Hilltop First School
It is proposed that the Nursery at Hilltop First School in Windsor is to close from September 2026. The nursery will continue to operate until the end of the summer term on 26th July 2026.
Why is the nursery closing?
The number of children attending the nursery class has fallen sharply over the past few years. The school is able to offer 26 ‘full time’ places. It had 16 full time and 9 part-time nursery children in Spring 2024 but currently has just 8 full-time and 5 part-time children this Spring. The numbers are falling because the number of children of nursery age is dropping. Additionally, Hilltop’s nursery class (like other school nursery classes) only offers places during school term time.
Schools receive funding for nursery classes based on the number of children attending. With low numbers, that funding is not sufficiently covering the cost of providing the nursery class and so the main school budget is covering the shortfall. This is reducing the funding for teaching and learning in the other year groups. The headteacher and governors believe that this situation is not sustainable in the long term.
Can I still apply for a place in the nursery class?
Hilltop First School is still currently accepting children into its nursery class, as no final decision about the new arrangements has been taken. If the proposal is approved, however, no place will be available for your child in the nursery after the end of the summer term.
What alternatives have the school considered?
The headteacher and governing body have considered whether the nursery class could increase its numbers by taking younger children, but they would still not be able to offer the wraparound care that parents are looking for. The demand in recent years for rising three-year-olds has been small and would not make a significant difference to pupil numbers. The Nursery setting does not have the necessary facilities to cater for two-year-old children, and the staffing ratios are higher for two-year olds. This means any gain from having more children would be offset by higher staffing costs.
What will be the impact on staff?
The nursery class currently has three members of staff: two teaches working on a job-share basis and one full time nursery nurse. These roles would no longer be needed at the school if the proposal goes ahead. This means that if possible staff would be offered alternative roles within the school.
How can I make my views known about this proposal?
The Royal Borough needs your views on the proposed changes to the nursery class at Hilltop First School. Parents, staff, governors, other local schools and other nursery and childcare providers are all being consulted. Your views are vital, so please take time to be a part of this consultation. Tell us what you think by:
- Completing the online response form below
- Emailing us at schoolplaces@acheivingforchildren.org.uk.
- Writing to us at Hilltop Nursery Class Consultation, School Places and Capital Team, Zone F, Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1RF.
The closing date for your comments is midday on Wednesday 29th April 2026.
What you say matters…
Parents, staff, governors and community organisations are all being consulted. Your views are vital so please take time to be part of this consultation. You can tell us what you think by:
- Completing the online survey below, or
- Returning it to your school, who will send it on to us.
- Posting it to Riverside Primary Resourced Provision Closure Consultation, School Places and Capital Team, Zone F, Town Hall, Maidenhead, SL6 1RF.
The deadline for returning forms to us is midday on Wednesday 29th April 2026. All online and paper responses must be received by this date.
What happens after the consultation finishes?
The school and the Royal Borough will consider the responses received. If the school wants to proceed, the Royal Borough's Cabinet will then consider the proposals in late May. There will be a further notice period, with a final opportunity for comments ahead of a final decision in July 2026.
By posting this form to us, you give us permission to analyse and include your (anonymised) response in our results, in line with our privacy notice which you can find at https://kr.afcinfo.org.uk/pages/have-my-say-privacy-notice.