Russell Nursery School, Fox Hollies Road

A herb garden, mud kitchen and two outdoor areas give Russell Nursery School, Fox Hollies Road a practical, hands-on character. Inside, babies have a purpose-built sensory area, while older children can choose books, construction equipment and imaginative play. These are useful differences between stages: the youngest children have space for sensory exploration, and preschool children have more ways to pursue their own ideas.

At its September 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall and found safeguarding effective. That is a dated judgement, rather than a description of every aspect of care today. The improvement priority concerned individual staff coaching, including helping practitioners give children more room to become independent.

The nursery has capacity for 46 children from birth to five years at its Hall Green address. Full-time and part-time attendance are both offered, giving families more than one way to use the setting.

Rooms and Ages

The Baby Unit combines messy activities suited to babies’ interests with free access to a purpose-built sensory area, alongside soft play and opportunities to explore water and sand. Babies also use the playgrounds, including their own outdoor play area, with soft mats laid out for them. Local outings take place in prams, extending their experiences beyond the nursery garden.

For children aged one to two, the Toddler Unit has an open layout and equipment positioned at children’s eye level, with cooking, painting and music among its activities. Accessible materials matter here: children can reach what interests them rather than rely on an adult to select everything. Toilet-training facilities support another practical step during this stage.

The Pre-school Unit caters for 33 children across Pre-school One, for ages two-and-a-half to three, and Pre-school Two, for children aged three and above; its emphasis includes literacy, numeracy and phonics alongside painting, construction and role play. That figure describes the preschool unit, rather than the size of either subgroup. A library and computers give children additional choices alongside the more physical and creative activities.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides planning: children develop their communication, movement, creativity and early understanding through play and everyday experiences. It is the framework for the nursery day, with activities adjusted to children’s interests and stages of development. Yoga adds an activity aimed at developing core strength.

Children’s ideas can shape projects. A farm visit prompted work about newborn animals, explored through clay models, collage and painting. The value lies in the connection between an experience and what children make afterwards: an outing becomes material for discussion and creative work, rather than a separate event.

In September 2021, books were woven into play as well as storytelling, and children matched toy dinosaurs to pictures and counted them. Staff also encouraged conversation and introduced vocabulary during activities. Those examples show how early language and number work could emerge from something children already wanted to explore.

Outdoor and Community Life

The herb garden and mud kitchen add different kinds of outdoor exploration to the two play areas. Toddlers take regular local walks, while preschool children go on trips and participate in languages and nativities. The walks provide a recurring experience beyond the nursery; the preschool activities add opportunities to speak, perform and encounter something new.

In September 2021, outdoor equipment included balls, wheeled toys and climbing equipment. Younger children practised catching and throwing, while older children worked together with skittles. Physical play also created opportunities to take turns and cooperate.

Relationships and Communication

Parents contribute information about babies’ interests, favourite toys, sleep patterns and dietary needs, and familiar home routines help shape their nursery programme. This gives everyday planning a personal starting point. It also makes the connection between home and nursery practical, rather than relying only on occasional progress discussions.

A written account of each baby’s day goes home to parents, alongside daily conversations with staff. For toddlers, observations and development records are discussed at Parents’ Evenings each term. Preschool discussions draw on children’s work, continuing assessments and the Memory Book, a record used when reviewing progress. These different forms of communication let families discuss both the immediate day and development over time.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2021 inspection, Ofsted found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities could participate in creative activities, and that staff used questions carefully to help children who needed support to communicate. The examples included participation in creative play, such as making painted handprints.

In September 2021, staff sometimes gave children too much help with equipment, reducing opportunities to practise independently. More individual supervision and coaching were the improvement priority. This matters to parents because helpful care also needs to leave space for a child to attempt a task, make a mistake and try again.

School preparation includes role play about moving on, alongside work with numbers, reading and sounds. It gives children a way to explore the change through play, while parents can discuss development at progress meetings.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 621 Fox Hollies Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 9DW. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and the nursery operates throughout the year apart from bank holidays. These are opening hours; full-time and part-time attendance are the nursery’s two stated patterns.

Families can contact the nursery on 0121 777 3778 or use its contact form. After School Care and Holiday Care are also offered for older children. Holiday Club operates during school holidays between 7.30am and 6pm, excluding two weeks over Christmas; that closure applies to the holiday provision, rather than defining the nursery’s year-round schedule.

Funding and Food

Nursery Education Grants are offered for three- and four-year-olds. This is separate from the option to book private childcare: families considering funded attendance need to establish how the grant fits their intended pattern before committing.

Food is cooked fresh in the nursery kitchen, with breakfast, lunch, snacks and a two-course afternoon tea forming the menu arrangements. The cook caters for dietary requirements, including babies’ needs, and meals contain fruit or vegetables; mealtimes also give children practice in managing tasks independently and using table manners.

• Independence and adult help. The September 2021 improvement priority concerned individual coaching, with excessive assistance during equipment use identified as a barrier to independence. On a visit, discuss how practitioners now decide when to help and when to let children try.
• Your attendance and funding plan. Full-time and part-time care sit alongside grants for three- and four-year-olds. What would your chosen pattern include, how would funded hours be arranged, and what would you pay or provide for meals and non-food consumables?
• Dietary requirements. Food is prepared on site and the cook caters for dietary needs, including those of babies. Families managing allergies should confirm current kitchen and meal-service practice before joining.

Russell suits families considering either full-time attendance or a part-time nursery pattern, especially those who value sensory play for babies and practical, creative experiences as children grow. The sensory area, herb garden and mud kitchen give that offer substance, while daily baby records and termly toddler meetings create clear opportunities for parent communication.

The September 2021 Good judgement is useful context, with staff coaching and children’s independence the important qualification. The strongest reasons to consider this nursery are tangible: different environments for successive stages, outdoor exploration, and learning that connects play with language, making and everyday tasks.