Elms Farm Community Primary School Nursery Review

Language, early reading and familiar routines give Elms Farm’s nursery its character. It belongs to the school’s early years provision on Dorncliffe Avenue in Sheldon, Birmingham, bringing children into school life through learning and family involvement.

Ofsted’s January 2026 report assessed early years as Expected standard. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery. Established routines and attentive care sit alongside a clear teaching priority: making adult conversations with children consistently more effective.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for this stage of learning. Here, its daily foundations include developing speech, exploring letter sounds and practising how letters are formed. In January 2026, children were engaging with purposeful activities from the beginning of the day. The emphasis gives families a concrete picture of the learning: communication and the beginnings of reading and writing receive daily attention.

Barefoot Computational Thinking is the named computing approach used in EYFS. Computing begins in Nursery and connects with learning elsewhere in the curriculum, so it forms part of children’s early learning rather than waiting until later school years.

Vocabulary needs closer attention. Staff have relevant expertise and generally use it successfully, but the January 2026 findings showed uneven practice. Opportunities for sustained, useful conversation were sometimes missed, and some children facing learning barriers developed a narrower vocabulary than they should. For parents, the quality of everyday exchanges with adults is therefore an important consideration alongside the planned activities.

Settling is supported by predictable routines. In January 2026, early years children adjusted promptly to the day and received good care; welfare requirements were also fulfilled. Families were encouraged to work with staff. Nursery parents have also taken part in workshops, while EYFS family sessions have explored ways to support writing at home. These are practical opportunities to connect home learning with classroom activity.

The school’s SEND support includes WellComm for checking and developing speech and language, plus Colourful semantics, which uses colour to explain sentence construction. Visual prompts, sensory resources and instructions broken into manageable parts are among its classroom strategies. These give families specific support methods to discuss when a child needs help communicating or accessing learning.

Individual learning plans are developed by the class teacher and SENCO, shared with families and reviewed against agreed targets. Class Dojo provides updates about classroom activities and events, alongside meetings and parent workshops. Parents with concerns about progress are directed first to the class teacher, giving them a clear starting point for a conversation about support.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route by the normal deadline. Elms Farm follows Birmingham Local Authority’s admission policy. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

Visits can be arranged through the school office on 0121 464 4634 or by emailing enquiry@elmsfarm.org. This provides a direct route to see the provision and discuss joining.

The school's uniform is a navy sweatshirt or cardigan, a white polo shirt and grey trousers or a skirt, with plain black footwear. Clothing must carry the child’s name, helping staff identify belongings during the day.