The Old School House Nursery Walmley

Animal-named rooms and a garden used for learning give this Walmley nursery a clear character. The Old School House Nursery Walmley takes children from 3 months to 5 years and has 64 places in total. Its rooms mark different stages of development, from babies beginning to move to preschool children exploring activities across two floors.

At its March 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found effective safeguarding, positive progress for children including those with SEND, and strong relationships with parents. In March 2024, two areas needed development: more precise planning for communication development and better use of space and resources to develop larger physical movements. Those are useful points to weigh alongside the natural-materials approach.

For working families, the practical anchor is an opening window of 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. On-site parking and food prepared at the nursery add everyday convenience.

Rooms and Ages

Robin's Room serves babies aged 3 to 16 months, with an emphasis on communication, emotional and social development, and early physical skills in a small, homelike space. Its purpose is closely tied to children who are developing their core strength and have yet to start walking.

Hedgehog's Room accommodates children aged 16 to 24 months in a calm setting with natural surroundings, with the transition linked to being able to walk independently. That makes movement, as well as age, relevant to the change of room.

Squirrel's Room takes children aged 24 to 36 months across two second-floor rooms, using subdued colours and different experiences to encourage exploration. Badger's Room serves children aged 36 to 60 months across rooms on the ground and first floors, with activities shaped around their interests.

The layout matters. Older children have more than one room to explore, while the youngest stages have environments designed around emerging mobility. These are different arrangements, rather than one room design repeated for every age.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for children's learning and care: play and everyday experiences help them develop language, physical skills and relationships. Alongside it, the nursery uses a Reggio approach centred on the child, with its garden treated as a space for learning as well as outdoor play.

In March 2024, the Reggio Emilia influence was evident in teaching built around natural materials and children's interests. Babies interested in blocks were introduced to shape-sorting challenges, while younger children were given thinking time to work through problems. For preschool children, activities placed more emphasis on literacy and mathematics, including revisiting their own writing. The practical value is an approach that connects resources with what children are learning, rather than relying on the look of the rooms alone.

Small physical actions also had a place in the day in March 2024. Playdough, pipettes and painting gave children opportunities to practise hand movements. The improvement priority concerned the other side of physical development: adapting environments and resources so that larger movements received sufficient attention too.

Outdoor and Community Life

Children frequently use the outdoor areas, with the garden treated as another learning environment. Outdoor activity is therefore part of the nursery day, rather than a separate occasional addition.

In March 2024, children explored differences in community celebrations through role play and clothing from different cultures, including learning about Ramadan. These examples brought social understanding into activities children could take part in themselves.

A key worker is assigned to each child, giving families a consistent point of connection. In March 2024, staff shared information about children's needs so that care could continue when the child's key person was absent. That is a useful distinction: a close relationship with one adult was supported by communication across the team.

During that month, staff responded calmly to behaviour, gave children time to act on instructions and reinforced sharing and waiting. Children also practised everyday independence, with babies working at feeding themselves and younger children managing their outdoor clothing. Care and learning met in ordinary routines.

At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that targeted support and collaboration with other professionals helped children with SEND work towards developmental milestones, while parent relationships supported continuity between nursery and home. Regular opportunities for parents to participate in nursery life also helped them understand how to support learning outside the setting.

Professional development was part of the March 2024 picture: staff received induction, supervision and further training, including work on applying the Reggio Emilia approach. This gives substance to the teaching philosophy, with attention paid to how practitioners use it rather than simply naming it.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 2 Walmley Ash Road, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1HY. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year, with bank holiday closures. The long opening window provides scope around the working day, but opening hours should be considered separately from the attendance arrangement a family chooses.

Enquiries can be made by telephone or email to the Walmley team. Viewings take place by appointment during opening hours, allowing families to explore the rooms relevant to their child's stage.

Getting There

On-site parking is available, and the nursery sits close to commuter routes towards Birmingham city centre and surrounding areas. That combination is relevant for families fitting childcare into a journey to work.

Food and Costs

Meals are cooked daily in the nursery's own kitchen, with a seasonal menu rotation and food spanning breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. The nursery's dietary arrangements cover preferences and allergy requirements; families affected by allergies should confirm current practice before joining.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The distinction between the attendance pattern and what its price covers deserves attention when comparing the overall cost.

• Communication development. In March 2024, planning for speaking skills needed clearer steps showing what children should learn next. Ask how language development is now planned and shared with parents.
• Larger physical movements. The March 2024 improvement priority included making better use of indoor and outdoor resources for larger movements. During a viewing, explore how children practise these skills across the day.
• Rooms across floors. Squirrel's Room occupies two second-floor rooms, while Badger's Room spans the ground and first floors. Ask how movement between rooms works and how transitions suit your child's mobility and confidence.
• The attendance quotation. The weekday opening window runs from 7.30am to 6.30pm. Which booking patterns and funded arrangements can form your quotation, and how are meals and non-food consumables treated within it?

This nursery suits families looking for care from babyhood through preschool, with stage-specific rooms and regular outdoor learning. Its weekday opening window and on-site parking also make it a practical option for parents combining childcare with work.

The March 2024 judgement gives a positive foundation, supported by concrete examples of relationships, independence and thoughtful learning activities. The two development priorities deserve equal attention. Families drawn to the Reggio approach should use a viewing to explore how communication and larger physical movements are supported alongside the attractive room arrangements.