Withymoor Primary School Nursery

Purposeful play, early language and a dedicated pre-school outdoor area give Withymoor’s nursery its character. This is the school’s own pre-school provision in Brierley Hill, with both part-time and full-time places. Families can choose a morning or afternoon pattern, or take up the longer funded day if eligible.

Learning combines time with other children and opportunities to play independently. The nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), introducing number work, early sound awareness and experiences involving the senses. In everyday terms, children explore, make choices and practise interacting with others. The nursery aims to develop independence and curiosity through that mixture of shared activity and purposeful play.

Stories, rhymes and songs are concrete parts of the nursery’s language work. Speaking and listening activities help children notice sounds and extend their vocabulary, with confidence in communication as the aim. These are foundations for reading and writing, rather than a claim that nursery children follow the school’s later formal phonics lessons. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised is the school’s phonics programme; the nursery’s emphasis is on those preparatory skills.

Outside, the pre-school has its own designated area within the school grounds. That gives outdoor learning a physical place alongside the nursery’s sensory experiences and play. Clear routines and expectations for behaviour provide the structure, while children have opportunities to experiment and choose what to explore.

Partnership with parents includes sharing developmental milestones and celebrating children’s achievements. That keeps family communication connected to the child’s learning, rather than simply to booking arrangements. The nursery also places an emphasis on equality and on valuing different backgrounds.

For families seeking support with special educational needs and disabilities, the school’s SENCo can be contacted at sen@withymoor.dudley.sch.uk. The school aims to tailor education to individual needs and works with families and external agencies. Its SEND and EYFS Parent Information Hub brings together guidance and resources, developed following feedback at the Trust SEND Parent Forum. This gives parents another route to information about learning and development.

Attending Withymoor’s nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process. Applications are handled by the family’s home local authority, and the Admissions Service decides the allocation. Dudley Admissions Service is the main contact for school admissions, with online applications encouraged. Treat the nursery booking and the Reception application as two separate decisions.

The standard funded pattern is 15 hours each week, normally split into five morning sessions or five afternoon sessions, each lasting three hours, over 38 weeks. Eligible families may receive up to 15 additional hours, bringing the total to 30. That additional entitlement can be used at Withymoor, with another setting or with a childminder.

The extended funded day runs from 8:30am until 2:30pm, Monday to Friday in term time. A validated eligibility code must be supplied when accepting a place for the 30-hour offer; without it, that funded offer cannot be guaranteed.

The online nursery booking form lets parents indicate 15 hours, 30 hours or uncertainty, select an AM or PM preference for 15 hours, and request an immediate start. It also asks about splitting funding with another setting and involvement from professional agencies. Parents can request a callback or contact about a show-around. For nursery enquiries or a tour, call the school office on 01384 818530.