St Michael's Church of England Primary School Nursery

New words, shared play and learning to take turns give this nursery its clearest character. St Michael's has a 26-place Nursery within the school's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), placing the provision within a primary-school setting rather than a separate childcare establishment.

The school is in Bartley Green, Birmingham, and describes its Christian ethos as shaping its community. Its stated values include hope, forgiveness and thankfulness alongside courage, trust, love and community. For families, that gives the nursery a school context with an explicitly Christian identity.

Ofsted graded the school's early years provision Good at the inspection on 18 and 19 October 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery rating.

Language is the strongest thread in the evidence about children's learning. In October 2022, adults helped children in Nursery and Reception acquire fresh vocabulary and put it into use each day. The benefit was better communication: learning a word mattered because children could then use it to express themselves. This gives parents a concrete picture of teaching that happens through interaction, rather than simply a sequence of activities.

Exploration and social learning sit alongside that language work. Children enjoyed investigating their surroundings, played contentedly and practised taking turns. These are meaningful parts of an early years day: children have opportunities to pursue interests while learning how to share an activity with someone else. The October 2022 findings also linked children's understanding of mental and physical wellbeing with their learning.

The school's grounds include extensive outdoor space. That is a physical feature of the wider setting, while the October 2022 findings for Nursery and Reception describe adults teaching new vocabulary and children playing happily and taking turns.

Taking turns is also part of care: the October 2022 early years findings describe children playing happily together, giving families a specific indication of their social experience at that time.

Communication. In October 2022, some parents across the school felt that responses to concerns took too long and that they were insufficiently informed. Leaders and governors were asked to improve communication. This was a school-wide concern, rather than a nursery-specific finding, but it matters to families who need a clear exchange with staff about their child.

Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place at St Michael's. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the relevant deadline. Treat the nursery choice and the Reception application as two separate decisions; familiarity with the school should not be mistaken for an admission entitlement.

Families considering a nursery place can book a school tour. This gives parents a practical way to explore the setting before deciding whether to pursue a place. The nursery sits within St Michael's Church of England Primary School on Nantmel Grove in Bartley Green, Birmingham.