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Nursery at Whitehouse Common Primary School
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A woodland session each week, snacks on a picnic mat and a tambourine signalling tidy-up give Whitehouse Common’s nursery day its own rhythm. Outdoor play features repeatedly, alongside small-group songs, stories and activities chosen by children or directed by adults.
The nursery belongs to Whitehouse Common Primary School on Cotysmore Road in Sutton Coldfield. Its full-time provision has 26 children. Families can also choose morning or afternoon sessions, making the length of the nursery day a practical choice rather than a single fixed pattern.
Family Group Time brings children into two groups to register, recognise their names and discuss the weather. Games and songs introduce early number and phonics skills. A session theme then shapes the activities, with time for children to choose what they do as well as join adult-led learning. Stories and singing return towards the end of each session.
The outdoor deck, climbing equipment and wheeled toys provide different ways to play and move. Children can explore the field and woodland too. Weekly Forest School continues throughout the year in woodland on the school site, with activities including shelter-making, outdoor games and using tools. This gives outdoor learning a regular place in the week. Library visits and physical activity in the hall also vary the routine.
Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), personal, social and emotional learning includes building relationships, developing self-awareness and managing feelings. Here, those themes sit alongside circle time and everyday group activities, so learning includes how children share their day with others.
In June 2023, Ofsted found that early-years teaching had clear learning goals and that children learned familiar stories and rhymes by memory. Adults also established consistent expectations and routines. These findings concern early years across the school, rather than a separate nursery inspection grade.
Starting nursery is gradual. A staggered intake gives children reduced hours over the first two to three weeks, with an individual induction plan setting their dates and times. That allows families to prepare for a shorter initial day while children become familiar with the adults and routines.
Fruit and milk are provided for one daily snack; children attending full-time bring another snack and a packed lunch. Two lunchtime supervisors care for the full-time group, who eat at tables in the nursery room. Handwashing precedes snacks. In the afternoon, Sleepy Lion time offers a pause with calming music.
Class Dojo carries daily activity photos or videos, updates and private messages between parents and teachers. A weekly planner explains activities, while a half-termly newsletter and home-learning poster help parents follow the themes. Consultation evenings also bring together staff assessments and parents’ views. Observations, games and focused tasks inform what each child needs next.
Families must tell staff about allergies and medical needs. Regular prescribed medication kept at nursery requires an office medication form. Parents must also notify staff when someone different will collect their child, keeping the handover arrangements clear.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Birmingham’s online admissions system. Applications begin in October, with a mid-January cut-off; the exact final date is set each year. Keep this application separate from nursery registration when planning the next step.
Full-time sessions run from 9:00am to 3:00pm, and afternoon sessions from noon to 3:00pm. Morning children are collected at 11:45am. Drop-off and collection use the nursery playground, with the deck used in wet weather.
Uniform is optional in nursery. Choose clothes suitable for messy play, label removable items and leave Wellington boots there. Children bring a labelled backpack and a water bottle containing water only.
Squirrels provides additional care for nursery children, starting at 7:30am before nursery and taking children from 3:00pm afterwards. Afternoon collection options are 4:30pm, 5:30pm or 6:00pm. Bookings use Magic Booking, are made monthly one month ahead and depend on availability. Contact squirrels@whitehousecommon.bham.sch.uk for registration and current charges. For nursery enquiries, use enquiry@whitehousecommon.bham.sch.uk; nursery applications use the school’s application form.
No. Reception requires a separate application through Birmingham’s online admissions system, with a mid-January cut-off and an exact deadline set each year.
Children start through a staggered intake, attending reduced hours over the first two to three weeks. Each child has an individual induction plan.
They bring a packed lunch and an extra snack. Nursery provides fruit and milk for one snack each day.
No. Uniform is optional. Clothing should allow children to manage it easily and be suitable for messy activities; removable items should be labelled.
Yes. Before-nursery care starts at 7:30am, and afternoon care starts at 3:00pm, with collection at 4:30pm, 5:30pm or 6:00pm. Bookings depend on availability.
