Little Owls at Wilden All Saints CofE Primary School

Growing plants, counting chicks and exploring stained glass gave early years learning a practical, curious character at the April 2025 inspection. This is Wilden All Saints CofE Primary School’s own pre-school in Stourport-on-Severn, available from the September before children start Reception. Its place within a Church of England school also shapes learning: nursery children have visited the local church to investigate its windows.

Ofsted judged the school’s early years provision Outstanding following its inspection on 1 and 2 April 2025. That judgement covers early years within the school, rather than a separate nursery inspection.

Play and early learning work together here. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision combines activities guided by adults with those children choose themselves. In everyday terms, that means room for children’s own ideas alongside planned opportunities to develop what they already know. Independence matters: in April 2025, children in early years were making their own learning choices with considerable confidence.

Super Sonic Phonic Friends is the school’s phonics programme, and learning about sounds begins in Nursery. The early years team uses practical experiences to introduce phonics, connecting this work with other learning. Reading therefore starts to become part of the nursery experience before children move into school.

Outdoors supplies concrete things to investigate. The school grounds include a Forest School area and a Nature Area with a pond; early years Forest School activities encourage discovery, making and building. In April 2025, children grew plants and watched their development, while chicks supplied opportunities to count and compare sizes. These are tangible ways to explore change and number. Ocean-themed water play has also featured in pre-school activities, adding splashing and exploration to the picture of the day.

Staffing includes a Preschool Lead and an EYFS Lead, giving the provision a place within the school’s early years team. Support for children with special educational needs and disabilities is included within early years care. The school aims to adapt activities and visits through discussions with families and relevant specialist agencies, so participation can reflect individual needs.

For communication, the school encourages conversations through parent meetings and workshops, alongside learning diaries and invitations to celebrations. These provide several ways for families to engage with learning. Safeguarding responsibilities include an early years deputy designated safeguarding lead. Families can also access the school’s Early Help support, including an assessment through which staff and parents agree outcomes together.

Attending Little Owls does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route.

For Worcestershire residents, that route is Worcestershire County Council. Families living elsewhere apply through the local authority for their home address, which passes the application to Worcestershire for consideration. Choosing the nursery and applying for school therefore remain separate decisions.

Little Owls offers 15 and 30 hour places, with pre-school wraparound running from 8:30am to 4:30pm. That longer window is useful when comparing the nursery with a family’s working day.

Nursery enquiries and applications go through the school office. Contact 01299 822638 or office@wil.saet.co.uk; school tours can also be arranged through the office.