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Nursery at Weoley Castle Nursery School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Choosing what to play, trying an idea and talking about it afterwards gives Weoley Castle its character. HighScope shapes the nursery day, with independence built into familiar routines rather than left to chance. The provision serves children aged two to five, and includes a pre-school branch on the Jervoise School site, reached through Hopstone Road.
This is a nursery school whose children move on to primary schools elsewhere. Its SEND information describes provision across three sites, so the location of a child's place matters to the family's daily arrangements.
Greeting Time brings children together to exchange news. Plan-Do-Review, group activities, tidying and stories provide the session's structure. Within that pattern, children have time to pursue their own interests alongside activities guided by adults. The practical benefit is a day with recognisable stages and room for choice.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) covers children's care, development and learning. Here, that means building communication, physical confidence and relationships alongside early literacy, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. HighScope supplies the named approach; the curriculum balances children's play choices with planned teaching.
Books have a physical home in the book corner, where core texts and resources for acting out stories are accessible. The nursery library lets children borrow a different book each week. Bookstart Birmingham packs and optional dual-language resources extend reading into family life. The reading curriculum also includes a weekly phonics session, using sounds, rhythm and rhyme as starting points.
Outdoor learning has a named destination: Acorn Wood, on the preschool site. Groups visit weekly to explore plants, growing and small creatures. Physical-development plans include balancing beams and a climbing frame, while creative activities involve drums, maracas, colour mixing and construction. These give children concrete ways to practise movement, listening and making decisions.
A key person provides a familiar adult relationship for the child and family. Before starting, families are invited to a welcome meeting and time together at nursery, with a home visit and a first day attended together. Short initial separations can then lengthen gradually. Parents may stay when their child needs them.
Communication continues through consultations, workshops and newsletters. Learning Journals provide an online record that parents can view and add to, linking discoveries at home with nursery learning.
Packed lunches are the usual midday arrangement in the 2024-2025 prospectus. Staff eat alongside children, making lunch a social part of the day. Families receiving an eligible benefit may qualify for a free school meal, subject to proof of entitlement and termly review. Snacks and cooking activities are supported by a contribution collected each half-term; allergies and food preferences are discussed at the home visit.
SEND support includes the Castle Approach for early observation and referrals, daily small-group speech and language work, and Early Support Plans reviewed termly with parents. The team includes qualified classroom teachers and an assistant SENDCo. In June 2024, Ofsted found that children settled readily, SEND support was highly individualised and safeguarding arrangements were effective. Makaton, visual prompts and everyday objects helped children express needs and understand routines.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application for their chosen primary school through the normal admissions route and meet its deadline.
Transition support is a separate practical benefit. Receiving schools can meet children and families, and children can get to know peers heading to the same school. For children with SEND, staff discuss needs directly with the receiving SENDCo and pass on assessment information, plans and support documents. A visual booklet can help a child become familiar with the new teacher and school before the move.
The 2024-2025 prospectus lists part-time patterns covering Monday and Tuesday plus Wednesday morning, or Wednesday afternoon plus Thursday and Friday. Full days run from 8:50am to 3pm. It also lists Breakfast Club from 7:30am to 8:50am and After School Club from 3pm to 4pm, with charges for additional sessions.
The pre-school operates during term time. Its information describes eligible two-year-old funding and a 15-hour nursery education grant from the term after a child's third birthday. Contact the school for current charges, using 0121 427 1058, enquiry@wlycstln.bham.sch.uk or the Contact Us form.
Comfortable, washable clothes should support independent toileting and messy play. Label clothing and provide spares. If someone else will collect your child, tell both the office and classroom staff beforehand.
The provision serves children aged two to five. The pre-school branch caters for children aged two to three.
Families are invited to a welcome meeting, nursery time together and a home visit. Parents can stay initially, with short separations extended gradually.
The 2024-2025 prospectus asks families to provide a packed lunch, with an ice pack in warm weather. Families receiving an eligible benefit may qualify for a free school meal, with proof required and entitlement reviewed termly.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a place. A separate application is required for the chosen primary school.
Receiving schools can meet children and families. SEND transition includes direct staff discussions and transfer of plans and assessment information; a visual booklet can help prepare children for the new setting.
