The Village Community Nursery

Language, relationships and outdoor play shaped The Village Community Nursery's character in September 2021. At its September 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found that children progressed well, with close attention to their emotional wellbeing. That dated judgement gives families a useful starting point, alongside the practical choice between shorter sessions and full days.

Based at St. Peters Urban Village on Bridge Road in Saltley, Birmingham, B8 3TE, the nursery has 50 places in total and accepts children aged 11 to 60 months. Capacity describes the whole setting, rather than the number sharing a room. On site gated parking and an outdoor play area are useful physical features for families weighing everyday arrangements.

Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside full-day bookings, with a minimum booking of two days each week.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play and relationships contribute to learning as well as wellbeing. In September 2021, communication and social development received particular attention after staff identified difficulties following lockdown. The emphasis responded to the children attending at that time.

Library visits and book bags linked nursery learning with reading at home in September 2021. Many children attending then were learning English alongside another language, and staff adjusted their communication to children's individual stages. These were practical ways to involve families in language development beyond the nursery day.

Assessment also shaped activities in September 2021. Staff returned to children's starting-point assessments each term and planned around their interests and ways of learning. For parents, the useful distinction is between offering an activity and adapting it to the child taking part.

There were clear teaching points to address in September 2021. Staff sometimes modelled pronunciation inaccurately, interrupted sustained play with their own suggestions, or supplied answers rather than helping children reason them out. The improvement priorities concerned both spoken language and knowing when to extend an activity or let children develop it independently. Those details matter more than the grade alone.

Outdoor and Community Life

In September 2021, outdoor play included tricycles, climbing and balancing equipment, ball games and a playhouse used for hide-and-seek. Children also investigated spiders and connected energetic play with needing water and rest. The outdoor space supported movement, curiosity and social games, rather than serving solely as a break from indoor activities.

Different cultures and beliefs were recognised in September 2021 through celebrations and opportunities to taste foods from other countries. That connected children's family backgrounds with shared experiences in the nursery.

In September 2021, children sought out their key person and other staff for comfort and to share their play. Familiar adults provided an identifiable source of reassurance. Children also practised sharing and taking turns with friends, making relationships part of the daily learning described at that time.

At the September 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, with staff able to recognise concerns and follow the relevant reporting procedures. This is a dated judgement, rather than a substitute for understanding the arrangements a family will encounter now.

Parent involvement in September 2021 included training sessions and parents' evenings about learning and next steps. Families learning English could receive help with forms, while conversations about attendance and punctuality supported preparation for school routines. This was practical participation: understanding a child's learning and the routines around it.

Sessions and Attendance

The booking choices include full days, mornings from 8am to 1pm and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. Hourly childcare is also charged separately. The two-day weekly minimum matters for families seeking an occasional session: the booking commitment extends beyond a single day.

For the 30-hour funded offer, attendance can be arranged as 10 hours on each of three days, from 8am to 6pm, or six hours on each of five days, from 9am to 3pm during term time. These are different ways to organise childcare around a working week. Extra hours carry a separate charge.

Enquiries can be made by telephone on 0121 248 2555 or through the contact form. Gated parking is on site at the Bridge Road setting.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded provision includes 15 hours for children aged 9 months to 2 years, subject to eligibility; universal 15-hour provision for three- and four-year-olds; and 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds, subject to eligibility. Eligibility for an entitlement and the nursery's attendance arrangements are separate considerations.

Lunch, tea and snacks have separate charges, and halal and vegetarian meals are catered for. These food costs need to be considered alongside paid childcare hours when comparing the overall arrangement.

A booking payment combines a non-refundable registration charge with a portion returned against the final invoice, provided the correct notice is given. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation; the refund condition deserves attention alongside the weekly booking commitment.

• Calendar and opening hours. The home page gives 7.30am to 6pm over 51 weeks, while the Times page gives 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday during term time, excluding bank holidays. This unresolved difference affects holiday cover and early starts; establish which arrangement applies to the proposed booking at a visit.
• Teaching practice. September 2021 improvement priorities concerned pronunciation and adults' judgement about extending or interrupting play. At a visit, ask how practitioners now support language and give children time to develop their ideas.
• Weekly commitment and charges. Bookings require at least two days each week, food carries separate charges, and the refundable part of the booking payment depends on correct notice. Assess the whole commitment rather than a single session.

The Village Community Nursery suits families considering morning or afternoon sessions as well as full-day childcare, particularly those who can commit to at least two days each week. Its funded offer also provides a choice between concentrating attendance into three days and a five-day term-time pattern.

The September 2021 Good judgement offers a positive, dated foundation, while the teaching priorities give families specific matters to explore. Outdoor space, home-reading links described in September 2021 and separately charged halal and vegetarian meals add useful detail to the decision. The calendar difference is material for anyone relying on holiday childcare or an early start.