Ilm Nursery

Communication, healthy habits and a key person chosen through a child's developing attachment give Ilm Nursery its clearest character. Wellcomm supports communication and language, while Startwell addresses healthy lifestyles and environments. These named programmes give parents concrete starting points for understanding how learning and care fit together.

At its June 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged Ilm Nursery Good. That is a dated judgement. The nursery welcomes children from birth to five years and has capacity for 50 children at its Lozells address in Birmingham.

Private childcare and funded childcare are both offered, with eligibility conditions applying to funded places. Their joining calendars differ: private children can start throughout the year, while funded starts follow the academic terms. That distinction matters when planning a return to work or a child's first nursery experience.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage connects learning through play with children's development in language, movement, relationships and other areas. Here, that means opportunities to investigate, persist with a challenge and try out ideas, alongside experiences involving books, numbers, creative expression and the world around them. It is the foundation for the nursery day.

Birth to five matters supplies non-statutory early-years guidance alongside Ilm Nursery's tailored curriculum. Wellcomm adds a named communication and language programme; Startwell brings healthy lifestyles and environments into the approach. For parents, these are useful points of connection between a child's growing ability to express themselves and their everyday habits.

Language opportunities include songs, pictures, books and symbols, with reading materials taking account of children's interests, cultures and backgrounds. Mathematical learning uses imaginative play, stories and songs as well as resources for counting and exploring shape. These arrangements place early language and number work within familiar activities rather than treating them as isolated tasks.

Creative experiences encompass movement, music, art and role play. Children are encouraged to develop their own ideas and express them in different ways. Physical play takes place indoors and outdoors, while snack times connect social interaction with learning about food choices.

Outdoor and Community Life

Indoor and outdoor environments form part of the provision, with attention to natural light, space, nature and age-appropriate resources. Familiar routines and clear boundaries give children a predictable structure for exploring these environments. Consistent expectations can help a child understand what happens next and how their actions affect others.

Local walks and visits extend experiences beyond the premises, with parental permission sought for outings. Lozells Methodist community centre and church is a named community partner. That relationship sits alongside work with local early-years and support services; it does not imply a particular schedule of visits or activities.

Relationships and Communication

Settling follows the pace of the individual child. A key person is assigned once the child has settled, with the choice based on the relationship and attachment that has developed with staff. This makes the settling process central to deciding who takes responsibility for the child's care, learning and development.

The key person also supports the relationship with parents. Daily conversations and feedback sit alongside newsletters, email, telephone contact, parent meetings and workshops. Families therefore have both everyday exchanges and more structured opportunities to discuss their child, rather than depending on a single communication channel.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A designated SENCO coordinates support for children with special educational needs or disabilities. Support follows the SEND Code of Practice and the Graduated approach, which provides a structure for responding to individual requirements. Partnership work includes the local authority and specialist SEND services, with parents involved in the process.

Recruitment procedures include DBS checks, and staff undertake continuing training and professional development. A paediatric first aider is on site throughout, while recorded daily checks cover indoor and outdoor areas, equipment and resources before children use them. Parents are informed when an accident or incident occurs. These are specific care arrangements rather than a claim about current safeguarding effectiveness.

Breakfast, a midday meal, tea and two snacks are provided, with menus planned ahead and rotated. Drinking water remains accessible, and staff monitor children's intake.

Sessions and Attendance

Ilm Nursery's address is 163 Gerrard Street, Lozells, Birmingham, B19 2AH. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, and the nursery closes on bank holidays. The contact form provides an enquiry route.

Private children join throughout the year. Funded children follow academic terms, with September, January and April starts corresponding to autumn, spring and summer. Families choosing between private attendance and funded term-based childcare need to build that calendar difference into their plans.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours for eligible two-year-olds, the universal 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, and the extended entitlement for eligible three- and four-year-olds. Eligibility remains a condition of the relevant funded offers. Private childcare is also offered, and families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

Moving on to School

Staff can help parents complete school applications. Families are asked to tell the nursery when a school place or alternative arrangement has been confirmed, allowing the nursery to know the child's next step. This is practical application support rather than an admissions advantage.

• Settling and the key person. The key person is chosen through the attachment developed during settling. At a visit, ask how care and parent communication are organised while that relationship is taking shape.
• Funded starts and private attendance. Funded children start with the academic terms, while private children can join throughout the year. Consider which calendar fits your childcare plans and ask how your intended attendance would be arranged.
• Food and the written quotation. Meals and snacks are provided through the day. Ask the nursery to explain which food and non-food consumables are covered by your proposed arrangement, including funded hours.

Ilm Nursery suits families seeking childcare from birth to five, with a choice between private attendance across the year and funded attendance following academic terms. Its strongest practical details are the attachment-led choice of key person, several routes for parent communication, and the named Wellcomm and Startwell programmes. The Good judgement dates to June 2021; today's decision should centre on how those current care and learning arrangements fit your child and family calendar.