All Souls' Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Cress seeds and storybook characters give All Souls’ nursery a concrete identity: stories have prompted children to grow things, dress up and make things. This is the nursery class within All Souls’ Catholic Primary School on Abercorn Road in Chapelfields, Coventry, with Catholic identity supplied by the wider school.

Story-led activities offer a useful picture of children’s learning. On 5 March 2021, the nursery’s Jack on the Beanstalk theme included growing cress; planting beans and potting flowers were planned next. That example connects a familiar tale with something children can watch change over time. It is a dated example, rather than a promise of today’s timetable.

World Book Day in the same account brought costumes, shared stories and eggs decorated to represent book characters. Children could engage with books through listening, making and dressing up, rather than through one activity alone.

At the April 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that adults in early years demonstrated language and expressed instructions in different ways, helping children understand tasks and achieve well. Encouragement to persevere also supported children’s willingness to share storybooks. For parents, the useful detail is the adult interaction: explanations are adjusted, and children are helped to keep trying.

Starting nursery involves a conversation about the individual child. The school’s November 2016 SEN Information Report described a home visit before children began, at the start of the autumn term, to gather information about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It also encouraged visits before starting. These steps gave families a way to explain their child’s needs before the first session. Confirm current practice with the school.

For children already receiving support, the report described meetings with Pre School Education Services (PSES) to maintain that support. Arrangements included individual target plans, termly discussions with parents and a My Profile sheet carrying information about a child’s needs between staff. The practical value was continuity between family, classroom and specialist support.

The same November 2016 document described access to the building along a sloping pathway, with ground-floor doors accommodating wheelchairs. Reading slopes and adapted scissors were examples of resources obtained following professional advice. These were school-site arrangements; ask the school about current access and resources for your child’s nursery room.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Treat the nursery decision and the Reception application as two separate decisions.

Preparation for the next class is a different matter. The November 2016 SEN Information Report described support between year groups, including picture booklets showing new adults and classrooms for children with autism. Ask the school to confirm current transition practice. Familiarity can help a child prepare for change; it does not secure admission.

Nursery enquiries can go through the school office on 024 7667 5836. Office hours are Monday to Friday during term time, from 8:30am to 3:45pm, with lunch closure from noon to 1pm. Those are office contact hours. The website also provides a Nursery 2026/27 Application link within its admissions menu.