Nursery Advice
Claim Your Nursery

Early Years @ Highfield Daycare

Ofsted: Expected standard·
5.0(4 parent reviews) ·Highfield Nursery School, Chesterfield Drive, IPSWICH, IP1 6DW · Suffolk
Number of places
24 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2026
Local authority
Suffolk

About this day nursery

Early Years @ Highfield Daycare, operating since 2007, is a childcare setting for children aged 2-4 years located in Ipswich. The nursery was most recently rated 'Good' by Ofsted on January 15, 2026.

The setting is committed to an all-year term-time status, opening Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. They follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, focusing on developing age-appropriate knowledge and skills across all areas of learning.

Children at Early Years @ Highfield Daycare benefit from a supportive environment, including thoughtful provisions for children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language. The nursery prides itself on its large, well-resourced outdoor space, where children enjoy exploring and developing their coordination and cooperation skills.

Leaders are ambitious for children's development, investing in continuous professional development for staff to ensure high-quality interactions and a strong focus on safeguarding. The curriculum is designed to spark children's interests through a story-based approach, which helps foster early knowledge, vocabulary, and physical development.

What it's like

Children arrive happily and settle quickly, greeted warmly by staff who make them feel safe and valued. They confidently share ideas and include others in play, enjoying a story-based curriculum that sparks their interests and develops early knowledge, vocabulary, fine motor control, and physical skills. Children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing receive thoughtful support from adults who know them well and adjust routines sensitively, with staff working closely with families to ensure access to information and external services.

Good Ofsted ratingOutdoor learningInclusive environmentStory-based curriculumStrong safeguarding

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)
Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

Request pricing →

Key facts

Opening hours

9am-3pm (core sessions), 8am-9am (breakfast club), 3pm-4pm (after-school club, excluding Wednesdays)

Session types

Morning session, Afternoon session, Full day

Age range

2-5 years old

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2007

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected Jan 2026

Headline: Expected standard

Grade summary

Exceptional
—
Strong standard
—
Expected standard
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
—

Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.

Category grades

AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesExpected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
2 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating

Last inspected 15 January 2026

Safeguarding effective

What it's like to attend

Children arrive happily and settle quickly, greeted warmly by staff who make them feel safe and valued. They confidently share ideas and include others in play, enjoying a story-based curriculum that sparks their interests and develops early knowledge, vocabulary, fine motor control, and physical skills. Children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing receive thoughtful support from adults who know them well and adjust routines sensitively, with staff working closely with families to ensure access to information and external services.

Inspector highlights

  • Children develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills across all areas of learning.
  • Children behave well and show positive attitudes to learning, being kind to one another and engaging readily in play.
  • Leaders and staff offer a curriculum that reflects children's interests while introducing purposeful experiences that build early knowledge and skills.
  • Leaders and staff identify children's needs through observations, baseline information, focused checks, and regular discussions with families, acting quickly to reduce barriers to learning.
  • Leaders are ambitious for children and invest in professional development, ensuring staff training is kept up to date and they demonstrate secure knowledge of safeguarding processes.

Areas to develop

  • 1Leaders should strengthen practitioners' skills in responding to children's emerging thinking so that teaching consistently extends children's learning and enables them to achieve more.
Inspection #10113026 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Children who face barriers, including disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from targeted support that helps them take part and make progress. Staff work with parents and professionals to plan and review support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with emerging communication needs and children who find it harder to join group activities. Children benefit from reasonable adjustments, such as targeted adult support at key points in the day and alternative, related tasks when children need help to regulate.

Outdoor space

Children greatly enjoy exploring in the large, well-resourced outdoor space, working on their coordination and cooperation skills. For example, children giggle and navigate tight spaces as they work together riding trikes on a makeshift course.

EAL / language support

The setting supports families well, including those who speak English as an additional language. Parents describe being helped to understand their child's learning and to access external services. Children with English as an additional language receive thoughtful support to ensure they can access information and external services.

Parent Reviews

5.0
(4)

Reviews from Google for Early Years @ Highfield Daycare. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: December 2009

The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Good). We're re-checking it against the original report.

  • March 2020Outstanding
  • November 2014Outstanding
  • December 2009Outstanding

Frequently asked about Early Years @ Highfield Daycare

Nearby day nurseries in IPSWICH

Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to Early Years @ Highfield Daycare.

Are you the owner of this nursery? Claim this listing to manage photos, hours and contact details.

Claim listing

Share this nursery

Send to a partner, friend or family member.

This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more