St Clare's Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Daily phonics and a distinct Foundation Stage curriculum give St Clare's nursery its place within this Catholic primary school in Handsworth, Birmingham. Children start from age three. Nursery belongs to the school's early years provision, rather than following the topic cycle used by older classes. That distinction matters: the youngest children have a different curriculum from pupils further up the school.

The school aims to help children develop spiritually, morally and academically, and describes its environment as inclusive and supportive. For families choosing a Catholic setting, that gives the nursery a clear context within the wider school community.

An 8:40am start, noon lunch and a 12:45pm afternoon restart provide the nursery day's main anchors. Breaks happen as needed, rather than at a fixed morning interval. The usual finish is 3:00pm, with Wednesday ending at 1:30pm. That shorter midweek day deserves a firm place in any family's childcare planning.

Foundation Stage is the school's term for its nursery and Reception classes. Their curriculum differs from the older children's programme, so the whole-school topic sequence should not be treated as a description of nursery activities.

Reading has a named approach: Little Wandle Letters and Sounds. Daily phonics in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supports children as they learn to read. The school also directs families towards Book Trust for reading ideas and Oxford Owl for phonics advice and free electronic books. These give parents concrete ways to share reading at home alongside the school's approach.

Early years staffing includes an EYFS teacher who leads the phase, supported by EYFS support staff. This places teaching and phase leadership within the same team structure. For parents, the early years team is the relevant starting point for discussing their child's nursery experience.

Across the school, support roles include a SENDCo, speech and language support, and a pastoral lead within the mentoring team. A parent link worker also forms part of inclusion support. These are school-wide roles, giving families identifiable points of contact for additional needs and communication rather than leaving every conversation solely with the classroom team.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions; familiarity with the school does not itself secure admission.

For enquiries, contact enquiry@stclare.bham.sch.uk or telephone 01215543289. Families can also send a message through the school's contact form. Visits can be arranged by contacting the school, providing an opportunity to discuss the nursery directly with its team.

Adult supervision before school is required: children must not be left unattended ahead of the start. Plan the handover accordingly. The school is updating its uniform rules, so allow for that when organising clothing for nursery.