Tanworth-in-Arden CofE Primary School Nursery

Songs, stories and practical number activities helped Tanworth’s early years children learn through doing at the September 2022 inspection. The nursery includes provision for two-year-olds and forms part of Tanworth-in-Arden CofE Primary School on The Green, next to St Mary Magdalene church. It is a school nursery with a Christian context: the school aims to support children of all world views as they explore beliefs.

Ofsted graded the school’s early years provision Good at the inspection on 21 and 22 September 2022. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Play and adult guidance share the learning day. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together physical development, communication, relationships and emotions with early literacy, mathematics, creative expression and understanding the world. For parents, this means learning extends beyond letters and numbers to how children express themselves, move and relate to others.

In September 2022, staff planned activities around children’s existing skills and knowledge. Practical tasks, singing and stories helped children develop their language and understanding of number; care and learning for two-year-olds were effective. These familiar activities served a learning purpose, with planning that started from what each child could already do.

Creative work includes opportunities to explore texture, colour and line using different materials and tools. The school’s art progression begins in Nursery, giving these early experiments a place in the longer learning sequence. Outdoors, the on-site Forest School provides a physical setting for exploration within safety boundaries. All children at Tanworth have access, bringing outdoor discovery alongside their other learning.

Clear routines helped early years children settle successfully in September 2022. Staff combined these routines with high expectations, giving children a predictable introduction to school life. The nursery’s management structure includes a manager and deputy manager, both with deputy safeguarding responsibilities. This connects nursery leadership with the school’s arrangements for protecting children.

Additional needs deserve close attention. The school aims to identify children whose progress is limited and provide focused help. Parents receive updates about their child’s learning during the year, and the school works with health professionals, community organisations and the local authority to organise support.

Timely support. In September 2022, a small group of younger pupils experienced delays in getting the help they needed, limiting their achievement. This was a concern about younger pupils within the school, rather than a finding confined to nursery children. For families whose child needs additional help, the practical issue is agreeing how support will begin and how progress will be reviewed.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process, handled by Warwickshire County Council. The council manages applications, decisions, offers and waiting lists against the school’s admission criteria. Treat choosing nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions, even when the preferred school is the same.

The nursery is at The Green, Tanworth-in-Arden, B94 5AJ. Enquiries can be made through the online contact form, by calling 01564 742284 or by emailing tanworthschool@welearn365.com. Tours of the school and nursery can be arranged by telephone, giving families an opportunity to meet the team and see the setting. School and nursery closure days form part of the term calendar, so include those dates in childcare planning.