Matchborough First School Academy Nursery

Language, discovery and hands-on learning give this nursery its character. Matchborough First School Academy’s provision serves three- and four-year-olds within the school in Redditch. In March 2024, children attended both part time and full time, allowing different lengths of nursery attendance.

For 2022–2025, nursery capacity was 26 full-time-equivalent places, rather than a count of individual children. Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Good on 6 and 7 March 2024. That judgement covers early years within the school; it is not a separate nursery inspection.

First-hand experiences shape the early years curriculum. The school aims to meet the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework through practical learning, indoor and outdoor play, and communication that includes gestures as well as speech. For parents, the emphasis is on children taking an active part in learning and developing independence.

In March 2024, adult exchanges with children were effective, with language and communication receiving close attention. Activities used both inside and outside spaces to develop learning across the curriculum. Children observed chicks and a duckling emerging from their eggs: a concrete example of discovery giving them something to notice and talk about.

Early reading also had a positive start in early years at that inspection. Alongside this, the EYFS WOW Wall celebrates achievements from home, connecting children’s experiences beyond school with recognition in their learning environment.

Wellcomm is one of the programmes the school may use with nursery children to develop receptive language, meaning their understanding of what they hear. Speech therapists can also provide programmes, with communication teaching assistants working individually or with small groups towards children’s targets. These are specific support options for families whose children need help with communication.

Across the school, teachers adapt learning with support from the SENDCo. Visual timetables are used in classrooms, providing a visible guide to routines. The building and grounds are on a single ground-floor level, a practical consideration for children with mobility needs.

The school uses the THRIVE Approach for social and emotional support and has a Thrive room. Targeted activities can include painting, sand play and making models; action plans are shared with parents, who are encouraged to try activities at home. Parents can raise concerns with their child’s teacher or contact the SENDCo through the office. A Family Support Worker is another point of contact, giving families a route to discuss wider difficulties affecting their child.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate application through their local authority’s admissions process. Familiarity with the school should therefore be kept separate from the question of securing a place.

For the 2025–2026 admissions cycle, nursery attendance did not confer priority among the oversubscription criteria. Worcestershire residents applied using the online Common Application Form, CA1; families elsewhere applied through their home authority. That cycle’s deadline was 15 January 2025.

Transition support is a different matter. Children with SEND can receive additional help when changing classes, potentially including transition booklets and meetings involving parents, new staff and professionals. This gives families a way to prepare for a change of classroom, independently of the admissions decision.

The nursery sits at Matchborough Way, Redditch, B98 0GD. Contact the school office on 01527 883880 or email office@matchborough.worcs.sch.uk for a nursery enquiry. A contact form provides another route.

For families considering the school who want to discuss additional needs, meetings are available to talk through their child’s circumstances and the support the school can offer. This is a useful starting point for planning individual support.