Holland House Infant School and Nursery

This is an infant and nursery setting with a clear emphasis on giving children a strong start, academically and socially, before they move on to junior school. It serves ages 3 to 7 and sits in Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield, with places in Reception allocated through Birmingham’s coordinated admissions process.

Leadership has been through a recent handover. Adrienne Smith took up the headteacher role in June 2024, alongside leadership responsibilities within the trust, following the departure of the previous head.

The latest inspection picture is best read as consistently positive, with the framework-style grades across all key areas. The March 2025 Ofsted inspection graded the school Good for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

The tone here is organised, warm, and purposeful, with pupils encouraged to be curious and to take pride in their school. External evaluation describes a friendly, welcoming culture where staff build strong relationships with families and pupils feel safe and happy.

There is also a distinctive wellbeing strand running through school life. The school frames mental health and emotional wellbeing as central to learning, for children, families, and staff, rather than an add-on that appears only when problems arise.

Children are also given small leadership roles in ways that make sense for infant age groups. The inspection describes roles such as sports crew and well-being ambassadors, aimed at building responsibility and modelling the school’s values.

Because this is an infant school, it is not a setting where parents should expect the typical end of Year 6 performance tables to do the heavy lifting. The most meaningful “results” evidence is how well children learn to read early, how well the curriculum is sequenced, and whether children are ready for junior school.

The school places clear weight on early reading. External evaluation notes that reading practice is frequent, books are matched to pupils’ phonic knowledge, and staff deliver the phonics programme consistently, with swift additional support when pupils need it.

At whole-school level, the curriculum is described as ambitious and logically organised so pupils can build knowledge over time, with ongoing professional development supporting staff expertise. One practical area for improvement was also identified, checks on pupils’ learning are not always effective, which can make it harder to judge whether pupils are fully secure before moving on.

Early years practice is a key strength to understand here, given the nursery provision and the age range. The inspection describes strong adult-child bonds and a focus on early language development through carefully selected stories, rhymes, and songs, supported by a stimulating indoor and outdoor environment that encourages curiosity and independence.

Outdoor learning is not just occasional. The school runs Forest School sessions and describes them as a long-term programme, supporting exploration and age-appropriate risk-taking in a natural setting. In practice, that tends to suit children who learn best through hands-on experiences and who benefit from frequent movement and practical tasks alongside classroom routines.

Physical education is also structured in a way that fits infant pupils, with daily routines such as a “wake-up-shake-up”, break-time opportunities supported by a PE mentor, and after-school sport options influenced by pupil voice.

For most families, the main transition question is the move from Year 2 into junior provision. The school presents itself as part of a pathway within Broadleaf Partnership Trust, with links through to Town Junior and onward to Plantsbrook, which helps some families think for continuity rather than a single stand-alone phase.

In practical terms, parents should still treat junior transfer as a separate decision that depends on your child and the options available in your area, including travel time, wraparound needs, and whether your child thrives in a smaller infant setting or wants a larger junior environment.

Reception entry is coordinated by Birmingham City Council. For September 2027 entry, applications open on 1 October 2026 and the statutory closing date is 15 January 2027; offers are issued on 16 April 2027, with an acceptance deadline of 30 April 2027.

The current route gives the application window and offer timetable rather than fresh demand figures. Families relying on a place should still read the oversubscription criteria closely and plan realistic preferences.

For parents who like to plan, FindMySchool’s Map Search can still help you sanity-check travel time and day-to-day practicality, even when a precise last-distance figure is not available.

Open events appear to run in the autumn in line with common patterns, with at least one open event listed in early November on the school’s events calendar. Dates can shift year to year, so treat this as a typical timing and check the school’s latest calendar before you commit.

Pastoral support is closely connected to the school’s wider wellbeing work, including explicit attention to relationships, belonging, and emotional regulation. The school has taken part in trauma-informed and attachment-awareness training, positioning staff to respond consistently when children need extra help settling, managing feelings, or coping with change.

Support for pupils with SEND is described as effective, with needs identified quickly, staff knowing pupils well, and pupils accessing learning alongside peers and participating fully in school life.

The inspection confirmed safeguarding as effective.

For an infant setting, enrichment is unusually easy to spot because it is tied to specific programmes and roles, rather than generic “lots of clubs” claims.

Clubs vary over time, but examples published by the school include Musical Theatre and Art for Reception through Year 2. That kind of provision tends to suit children who gain confidence through performance, making, and shared routines, and it gives parents a practical option for stretching the day beyond the final bell.

Outdoor learning is a second, clear pillar. Forest School sessions add a different rhythm to the week, with space for exploration, teamwork, and language development through real experiences. For children who struggle with long periods of sitting, this can be a genuine asset.

There are also community-facing activities. The school describes choir involvement in the local community, and it has a rights-respecting strand that includes pupil ambassadors, which can help children practise speaking up, taking turns, and understanding fairness in age-appropriate ways.

The school day for Reception and Key Stage 1 begins at 08:40, with gates closing at 08:55; the Reception timetable published by the school shows a 15:15 finish.

Wraparound care is offered on-site through Prime Time, with provision stated as 07:45 to 18:00 for 39 weeks of the year.

Term dates are published in advance, including the full set of 2025 to 2026 dates.

• Recent change and improvement focus. Leadership has been through a handover since mid 2024, and the school is also managing the normal workload impact that comes with trust-led improvement activity. For parents, it is sensible to ask how changes have affected staff capacity and consistency.

• Competition for Reception places. If your plan depends on this school, build a realistic set of preferences and understand the Birmingham timetable early, including the 15 January 2027 application deadline.

• Curriculum checks are an area to probe. External evaluation highlights that assessment checks are not always effective. On a visit, ask how staff spot gaps early and how they decide when pupils are ready to move on.

• Outdoor learning is a feature, not a side note. Forest School and outdoor provision will delight many children, but a small minority prefer more predictable indoor routines. It is worth understanding how the school supports children who find outdoor transitions tricky.

A caring, structured infant and nursery setting with a strong early reading emphasis, a visible wellbeing strand, and a meaningful commitment to outdoor learning. It suits families who want an organised start to schooling, value wraparound care on-site, and like the idea of a trust pathway into junior provision. The limiting factor is admission competition rather than day-to-day quality.