Our History
Hillside Pre-School is a long-established community pre-school charity at the heart of Chorleywood. We were founded in 1979 by Pat Sullivan, whose vision was to create a nurturing early years setting with parents at the centre of its community.
“I wanted to create a place where children feel safe, happy and valued, and where families are part of something special.” — Pat Sullivan, Founder.
From the very beginning, Hillside has been run by a parent-led committee, working in partnership with the pre-school manager and staff team to support the smooth running of the setting. This structure remains an important part of Hillside today, helping to maintain a strong sense of community and shared responsibility.
As a charity, our focus is always on providing high-quality care and education for children, with all decisions centred around what is best for them and their families.
Our Approach
We provide a nurturing, engaging and fun learning environment for children aged 2-4 years, where every child is supported to grow in confidence and develop a love of learning.
Our experienced staff team, with many years of combined service, are known for creating a calm and supportive environment where children build strong relationships, develop social skills and gain the confidence they need for their next steps.
We are proud to be a feeder pre-school for local primary schools, and the friendships children form during their time at Hillside help support a smooth and happy transition into their next stage of education.
Celebrating Our Journey
In 2019, we proudly celebrated 40 years of Hillside Pre-School, marking a special milestone in our history. Our founder returned to unveil our updated sign and logo — a wonderful reminder of how far Hillside has come since opening in 1979.
As we now look ahead towards 50 years of Hillside, we remain proud of our strong community roots and our commitment to providing a caring, inspiring and play-based environment for local children and families. Generations of families within the local community have been part of the Hillside journey over the years, with many former children returning later as parents themselves — something that makes Hillside incredibly special to us.
