Saint Barnabas Church of England Primary School Nursery

Play had a learning job at the inspection of 10 and 11 October 2023: weighing babies in a role-play clinic turned pretend care into mathematics, while listening to sounds began the journey towards reading. This is the school’s own nursery on Spring Lane in Erdington, Birmingham. Children can join in the term following their third birthday, with a September intake each year.

The Church of England setting welcomes families with any faith or none. For parents, that combines a Christian school identity with an explicit welcome across beliefs.

Language and practical play give the nursery day its character. In October 2023, early-years adults modelled vocabulary as they demonstrated activities, helping children expand the words they could use themselves. Talk supported learning rather than sitting apart from it.

The baby clinic role-play area gave children a concrete reason to weigh and measure. Mathematics became part of an imagined task, with babies to care for rather than an isolated exercise. Early-years children played together happily and approached unfamiliar activities with confidence at that inspection.

At the October 2023 inspection, reading began with careful listening in Nursery. Children learnt to listen to sounds, establishing a starting point for later reading. The emphasis was on what children could hear first. Together, these inspection examples showed learning through conversation, purposeful play and attention to sounds, rather than simply a timetable of separate subjects.

Speech and language support has a named assessment tool: the WellComm Early Years Toolkit helps identify children who could benefit from extra help. The school’s team includes a speech and language lead, a SEND coordinator and an autism lead. Assessment can therefore lead to discussion with staff whose roles cover communication and additional needs.

Support follows Assess, Plan, Do, Review: staff identify needs, agree actions, put support into practice and check progress. Parents contribute information and join reviews; further assessment is discussed with them and requires consent. Agreed targets and actions are shared with families, giving parents something specific to discuss rather than a general account of progress.

For children with SEND starting at the school, arrangements are personalised and agreed with parents and relevant professionals. They can include visits before starting, a photo booklet introducing people and routines, and a phased start where appropriate. These measures make unfamiliar people and daily routines more predictable.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Birmingham City Council’s online route. Treat this as a fresh application, rather than an automatic continuation of the nursery place.

For the past application cycle that opened in October 2025, the online deadline was 15 January 2026. Late Reception applications also go through the local authority. These dates belong to that past cycle, so they should not be used as a future application timetable.

For children with SEND moving classes, transition support can include advance introductions to the new teacher and classroom, familiarisation visits and a handover of strategies between staff. That supports the child’s move; it does not determine admission.

Children aged 3 to 4 have a 15-hour weekly nursery education entitlement. Eligible working parents may receive up to 30 hours of funded childcare per week. Paid full-time attendance is also an option for children who are not entitled to the 30-hour offer; contact the school for current charges.

The school office handles enquiries on 0121 464 5813 or at enquiry.stb@fioretti.co.uk. It can also arrange a meeting with your child’s teacher, providing a direct route for discussing your child’s experience.