Colley Lane Primary Academy Nursery

Stories, sound play and deliberately taught vocabulary give Colley Lane’s nursery its character. Children join aged three to four, with places offered from the term following their third birthday. This is the nursery within Colley Lane Primary Academy in Halesowen, so its early learning sits within a primary school rather than a separate childcare setting.

September, January and Easter are the three induction points. For families, that creates several starting opportunities across the school year. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions provide different lengths of nursery day, all within term time.

Communication runs through the learning. Adults comment during play, introduce vocabulary, ask questions and help children recall experiences. Wellcomm screening across early years helps identify where targeted language support is needed, including from nursery onwards. Conversation is part of teaching, rather than something reserved for a separate lesson.

The Early Years Foundation Stage covers seven areas. In parent terms, these bring together learning to communicate, move and manage feelings with early reading, number, creativity and understanding the world. Children practise early reading, maths and handwriting daily. Autumn routines are designed to help them use what they have learned during both play and lessons.

There is plenty of concrete activity within that framework. Children tell stories again, perform rhymes and poems, and give meaning to the marks they make through drawing and painting. Number work connects quantities to everyday experience, alongside exploration of shapes, measurement and space. Songs, experimenting with materials and developing stories through role play give children other ways to express ideas.

Daily rhyme time begins the nursery’s reading work, followed by activities exploring individual sounds. Learning also takes place outdoors as well as indoors, with repeated opportunities to investigate and practise skills. Exploring the natural world, family life, customs and different jobs broadens the subject matter beyond letters and numbers.

Self-care is part of the curriculum: children learn about hygiene, toileting and looking after their bodies alongside managing feelings and relationships. These are practical foundations for becoming more independent during the nursery day.

Across the school, an Inclusion team supports children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and learning spaces are adapted to individual needs. The school emphasises identifying needs early and providing support promptly. Parents with concerns about learning can arrange a conversation with the SENCO through the office, giving them a direct route into that support.

Collection has a specific safeguard. Families establish a password at enrolment, and someone collecting a child instead of the usual adult must give it to the teacher. This makes planning an alternative collection an important part of the family’s arrangements.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the deadline for their child’s entry year. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions.

Morning sessions run from 8:30am to 11:30am; afternoons start at 12:30pm and finish at 3:15pm. A full day runs from 8:30am to 3:15pm. The full-time application option is Monday to Friday and is for children with 30 hours of funding. Term-time opening means families need separate holiday arrangements.

Funded and paid places are offered. Applications use a nursery form where families select a session and provide information about medical conditions and previous childcare. For enquiries, call 01384 900450 or email info@colley.windsoracademytrust.org.uk. Visits can also be arranged using a form that includes nursery as a choice.