Humpties, StMichael's

A school-site preschool with its own Forest School and weekly French gives Humpties, StMichael's a clear character: preparation for the next stage, with outdoor exploration and movement alongside it. Purpose-built accommodation at St Michael’s School in Lichfield puts school routines within reach of the preschool day. This is provision for children aged three to five, rather than a nursery spanning babies through to preschool.

At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good and found safeguarding effective. The main improvement concerned stretching the most able children: activities sometimes followed their interests more closely than their existing knowledge. That matters for families whose child already needs a greater challenge.

The preschool day runs from 9am to 3pm, with Badgers providing care around it. Families can therefore combine the preschool timetable with an earlier start or later finish on the same site.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the educational framework, bringing together learning, development and care through activities such as conversation, play, movement and early number work. Here, the daily timetable gives that framework a recognisable shape. An opening group discussion covers sounds, shapes, colours and numbers; later comes phonics, with stories and singing after lunch. These are interspersed with child-chosen play and activities led by adults.

The balance is useful. Children encounter shared routines while retaining opportunities to choose what interests them, including whether to play indoors or outside during free-flow periods. Independence is developed gradually, and the routine becomes more formal through the year as preparation for school. Families seeking a preschool with a clear daily rhythm have something concrete to assess here.

French introduces another language through weekly lessons. Music & Movement also takes place weekly, using themes such as animals and numbers to connect expressive movement with learning. A specialist PE visitor leads weekly sessions involving balance, jumping, listening and teamwork. Together, these additions give children different ways to participate, rather than relying on discussion and table-based activities alone.

Outdoor and Community Life

Forest School adds practitioner-led exploration of nature on the school site. The on-site provision gives outdoor learning a place within the preschool offer, alongside everyday access to sports equipment and opportunities to choose outside play. Its practical appeal is the combination: children can investigate the natural world as well as practise physical skills.

In September 2023, outdoor activity included dancing and riding scooters, while a minibeast area gave children somewhere to search for worms and insects. Another observed activity involved children taking turns with water-filled jugs to wash a sit-in car. Those examples show how physical play, investigation and cooperation could sit within the same experience.

The September 2023 improvement point deserves equal weight. More capable children were not consistently given activities that extended what they already understood. A busy timetable is useful, but the level of challenge within it matters just as much as the number of activities.

Relationships and Communication

Regular parents’ evenings and family events give families opportunities to discuss development and share achievements. These sit alongside the preschool’s emphasis on gradually building independence, so communication can connect what children are practising at preschool with what they do at home.

At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children settled comfortably, communication with key people helped parents support learning at home, and children needing additional support made good progress. These are dated findings, rather than a guarantee about an individual child’s experience today.

In September 2023, staff gave children thinking time in conversations and demonstrated considerate ways to speak and take turns. Children practised looking after themselves through handwashing and cleaning up after eating or play. For preschool families, these small routines are significant: getting ready for school includes managing everyday tasks and participating in a group, as well as early literacy.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Hot meals are cooked on site by the school catering team, and hot lunch is included in the day rate. Special dietary requirements can be accommodated, while supervised, self-service fruit Snack Bars open twice daily to help children practise independence.

The school relationship also shapes transition. The nursery describes a partnership with St Michael’s School that introduces children to Reception teachers and school routines. In September 2023, staff also shared information about children’s learning with the host school. This supports continuity, but attendance does not guarantee a Reception place; families still use the local authority admissions process.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is St. Michael’s C.E. (C) Primary School, Sturgeons Hill, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS14 9AW. The preschool day is 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Full-day wraparound care on site extends the possible attendance window to a 7.30am start and 6pm finish.

Badgers provides the early and after-school activities in the preschool room, with some staff familiar to preschool children. This gives families a practical way to extend care while keeping part of the child’s surroundings and staff team familiar. Preschool children can also attend Badgers’ Holiday Club at the school during school holidays.

Enquiries can be made on 01543 416002 or by emailing stmichaels@humpties.co.uk. A booking fee applies to all bookings and accompanies the completed application and personal-detail forms. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

The setting accepts funding for three- and four-year-olds, including 30 Hours Funding for 3&4 year olds. Eligible parents can claim up to 30 hours for 38 weeks, with eligibility potentially beginning in the term following the child’s third birthday. This is a term-time entitlement, rather than a promise that every child qualifies.

The funded offer includes hot lunch and snacks, together with Forest School, professional dance, PE and family events. Hot lunch is also included in the private day rate. The useful distinction for families is between the preschool day and care added around it: the written quotation should relate to the attendance pattern being booked.

• Challenge for confident learners. In September 2023, activities did not consistently extend the most able children’s knowledge. At a visit, ask how staff adapt familiar activities for a child who is already ready for the next step.
• School transition and admissions. The nursery describes a partnership with St Michael’s School, including contact with Reception teachers and routines. Treat this as transition support; a Reception application still goes through the local authority.
• Combining preschool and Badgers. The 9am to 3pm day can be extended with on-site wraparound care. Ask how the handover works between the preschool day and the early or after-school activities.

Humpties, StMichael's suits families choosing the Pre-School day from 9am to 3pm or full day wrap around care with a 7.30am start and 6pm finish. Weekly French, Music & Movement and PE bring variety, while Forest School gives outdoor exploration a clear place in the offer. The school-site relationship adds practical familiarity with the next stage, subject to the separate admissions process.

The Good judgement from September 2023 is a useful starting point. For children already progressing quickly, the decisive question is how the preschool now builds challenge into that varied day.