Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy Nursery Review

Play, conversation and early writing give Mansfield Green’s nursery its character. Part of Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy on Albert Road in Aston, Birmingham, it combines activities guided by adults with play that children choose themselves. The emphasis is on language: helping children put ideas into words and talk with others.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework, alongside the knowledge-led CUSP approach. In practical terms, children have focused time with adults as well as opportunities to pursue their own interests through play. Adults join those activities to develop the learning. Outdoor learning adds opportunities for movement and exploration, rather than keeping the day entirely indoors.

Writing starts with making marks and developing the small movements needed to control a pencil. Role-play areas and story-making zones give those marks a purpose; children can experiment with signs, captions or lists, including outdoors. Small groups also work with an adult, practising sentences aloud before recording simple ideas. Daily rhymes, stories and conversation connect spoken language with early writing. Kinetic Letters supports the physical preparation for handwriting, including posture and strength.

Number learning uses Mastering Number, with White Rose activities covering measure, shape and space. Play and practical exploration sit alongside these programmes, giving children ways to work with mathematical ideas. Technology also has a place in early years: interactive screens, tablets and programmable toys introduce instructions and sequencing through games. Simple online safety messages include seeking help and protecting private information.

Matching learning to development. At the March 2024 inspection, Ofsted identified early-years activities that did not consistently fit individual children’s developmental stages. Children consequently had uneven opportunities to extend existing skills, and assessment did not reliably establish their next learning steps. For parents, the useful question is how an activity is adjusted to what their own child can already do.

Settling was a positive finding for early years in March 2024: children adjusted well to school life. The academy aims to build confidence, resilience and consideration for others through its emphasis on personal, social and emotional development. Those aims sit alongside the nursery’s focus on conversation and relationships.

Physical access is a concrete part of support. Throughout the academy, the building is accessible for children with physical disabilities, and equipment is made accessible across differing needs. Families can discuss how those arrangements apply to their child’s participation in nursery activities.

A safeguarding team provides a route for parents to raise worries and receive support or help finding other services. Call 0121 464 6590 and request the safeguarding team. This gives families a direct contact for concerns about a child’s welfare.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. Birmingham Council coordinates admissions for both Nursery and Reception, allocates places and tells families the outcome; parents use the council’s school admissions process.

Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions. Becoming familiar with the academy through nursery attendance should not be treated as securing the next place.

Personal tours include the nursery and academy, with opportunities to discuss the provision with teachers and pupils. Complete the tour enquiry form to request a visit; the academy then contacts you to agree a convenient time. Seeing the learning spaces gives families a practical way to consider the balance of play and adult-guided activities.

For general enquiries, telephone 0121 464 6590 or email enquiryMGA@e-act.org.uk. The academy is on Albert Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 5NH.