Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery: Nursery Review

Bread-making with The Little Red Hen, pipette painting and homemade play-dough hedgehogs give Christ Church’s nursery a practical, story-led character. Children work with their hands as well as developing language. The nursery’s 2025-2026 activities connect stories, seasonal changes and everyday experiences with skills such as modelling and handling small tools.

This is the nursery within Christ Church’s Church of England primary school in Sparkbrook, Birmingham. The wider school site includes a forest area, three playgrounds and a library. These are school facilities rather than a description of a separate nursery campus. Ofsted’s June 2026 inspection graded the school’s early years provision Expected standard; that judgement covers early years, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Choice and adult teaching both shape the day. Children have opportunities to explore their own interests through play, alongside individual work with an adult and teaching in small groups. Class teaching also introduces mathematics, handwriting, writing, reading and phonics. The balance gives children room to investigate while adults introduce skills deliberately.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together physical development, communication and emotional development with early literacy, maths, creativity and understanding the world. Staff observe children’s interests and learning to inform what happens next. In June 2026, early years teaching developed language through conversations with adults, and children used their learning in activities inside and outside.

Talk for Writing makes the approach concrete. During 2025-2026, The Magic Porridge Pot involved learning a story through a text map and making porridge; The Little Red Hen led to bread-making. Other activities included caring for classroom plants, creating a fire engine and police car, and using walkie-talkies to develop stories. Leaf collecting and rubbings brought autumn into art. Pipettes, tweezers and dough gave small fingers purposeful practice.

Familiar routines help children feel secure. The June 2026 early years findings describe trained staff, suitable care arrangements and prompt identification of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Support is adapted to individual children so they can participate in play and learning alongside others. This matters when a child needs additional help to join an activity.

The nursery’s 2025-2026 updates also describe children becoming familiar with their surroundings. Families can follow nursery activity through these updates and nursery class newsletters. For a discussion about additional needs, the school’s SEND coordinator offers Wednesday meetings arranged through the office. The school lunch menu follows a three-week rotation.

Separate applications. Attending Christ Church’s nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their home local authority. Nursery attendance is not one of the oversubscription priorities in the supplied admission arrangements, so it does not confer priority under those arrangements.

Birmingham City Council is the admission authority. The admissions page gives 15 January 2026 as the closing date for that past application cycle. That date has already passed; it should not be treated as the deadline for a later intake. Learning familiar routines and early language skills is preparation for the next stage, not an admissions advantage.

Three-day pattern. Nursery runs from 8:45am to 3pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Families need to plan their week around those days. School gates are on Braithwaite Road and open at 8:40am, closing at 8:50am.

For nursery enquiries, telephone 0121 675 5121 or email enquiry@christch.bham.sch.uk. The school’s contact page also provides an enquiry form, giving families another direct route to the office.