Hirst Wood Nursery School, Shipley
Hirst Wood Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Shipley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Hirst Wood Nursery School in detail
Hirst Wood Nursery School in its own words
In its own words: "There are 7 Nursery Schools in the Bradford authority and Hirst Wood has been operating since 1932. The original Nursery was 'open-air' and known locally as the Sunshine School, the spirit of which is kept alive today as children have access to the wonderful outdoor area for most of the day."
The school runs after-school care until 5:45pm.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
15.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (52%), Asian (27%) and Mixed (13%).
In 2026, 3 pupils (3.6%) received SEN support and 9 (10.7%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Hirst Wood Nursery School has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties: 10 places, 10 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Saltaire Rail Station, about 370 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dallam Walk, 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 204 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bradford (404).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Hirst Wood creates a warm, caring community where every child is known and understood by staff. The school excels at developing children's communication skills through engaging story time and carefully chosen books, while also providing excellent support for children with additional needs. Staff combine a genuine passion for helping children learn with practical skills to move each child forward in their development.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on children's communication and language development with regular, engaging story time
- Excellent pastoral care with compassionate staff who quickly identify children needing extra support, including those with SEND
- Clear routines that help children develop positive learning behaviours
- Wide range of enrichment experiences including visits from mobile farms and meetings with different professionals
- Staff feel well-supported with specific training to develop their skills
Areas for Improvement
- Some areas of the curriculum lack clearly defined small steps of learning and vocabulary progression
- Greater clarity needed on the knowledge and vocabulary children will be taught in certain curriculum areas to ensure a more coherent learning journey
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Mobile farm visits, visits from different professionals to discuss their jobs, outdoor learning and managed risk-taking activities
Hirst Wood Nursery School continues to be a good school with a strong sense of community where children are known and cared for by staff who build positive relationships and create a safe, supportive environment.
At a Glance
15.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby nursery schools
Social & online
Keep up with Hirst Wood Nursery School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Hirst Wood Nursery School, with their latest published grades:
- Westfield House Childcare Ltd - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted, 8 August 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Partou Ashmoor Day Nursery & Pre-School - Day nursery, 0.4 milesOfsted, 23 July 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Leelas Ladybirds Ltd - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 20 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Cliffe House Day Nursery - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 27 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Qalm Academy Ltd - Day nursery, 0.6 miles
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hirst Wood Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hirst Wood Nursery School is in Bradford; for families living there:
- Bradford's school travel policy: Home to school travel and transport policy for children of compulsory school age
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 39
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 29 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Bradford is 30 (the median across 233 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Across Bradford council
Places available
7,308
Applications
7,489
Got 1st preference
78.1%
Got preferred school
94.4%
All secondary applications across Bradford council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
14.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Hirst Wood Nursery School has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties: 10 places, 10 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
84
Total Pupils
45
Boys
39
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,073
Mean salary
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Hirst Wood Nursery School
What is Hirst Wood Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Hirst Wood Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2023, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Good.
How many pupils go to Hirst Wood Nursery School?
Hirst Wood Nursery School has around 84 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Hirst Wood Nursery School have specialist SEN provision?
Hirst Wood Nursery School has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties: 10 places, 10 pupils on roll.
How many road collisions happen near Hirst Wood Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 29 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Bradford is 30 (the median across 233 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hirst Wood Nursery School?
Hirst Wood Nursery School is at Clarence Road, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 4NJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)