Tudor Grange Primary Academy, St James Nursery

Stories, early number work and a Christian ethos give the nursery at St James its context. This is the nursery provision within Tudor Grange Primary Academy, St James, on Halifax Road in Shirley, Solihull. It belongs to a Church of England school whose values are Love, Faith and Courage.

The academy aims to help children develop resilience and values their individual experiences and needs. For families, that sets the nursery within an explicitly Christian school community, with an emphasis on both learning and personal development. The ethos is a practical part of the choice, alongside the early learning itself.

Early reading begins with sounds and stories. In March 2024, Ofsted identified phonics teaching and substantial story sharing in the early years, with vocabulary development as a clear purpose. For a young child, that means learning about the sounds in words alongside hearing language through books. These are connected foundations for later reading.

Mathematics also starts early. Children were developing their first understanding of measures, shapes and numbers in March 2024. This gives families a concrete picture of the learning priorities: language and early mathematical ideas, rather than simply preparation for formal lessons.

The early years foundation stage, or EYFS, is the setting’s early learning context. Staff had arranged the learning environment around curriculum priorities and children’s needs. That connection matters: the space supports what children are learning, rather than functioning only as somewhere to spend a session.

Reading has a physical presence across the academy, too. Classes have access to the library, and reading corners form part of the school’s reading provision. These spaces sit alongside the early-years emphasis on shared stories, giving books a place in the wider school experience.

Knowing the children is central to the early-years care described in March 2024. Staff understood individual needs and used that knowledge when shaping the learning environment. For parents, the useful connection is between understanding a child and planning the space and learning around them.

A school Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator provides a contact point for families with additional-needs concerns. Parents can make contact through the academy office, giving them a route to discuss their child’s circumstances.

A separate application matters. Attending this nursery does not guarantee a Reception place at St James. Families must apply again through the normal Reception admissions process and meet the relevant deadline.

Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as two separate decisions. Nursery attendance should not be treated as an offer of a school place. This distinction matters even when a family hopes their child will remain within the same school community.

The academy office can be contacted on 0121 744 7897 or by email at office@stjames.tgacademy.org.uk. The address is Halifax Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 2BT.

Prospective parents are invited to visit the academy. A visit offers families an opportunity to consider the school’s Christian ethos and early learning context together before deciding whether the nursery suits their child.