Alumwell Nursery School review

Woodland activities, a garden allotment and books to take home give Alumwell’s nursery day its character. Children aged two to four attend this nursery school on Primley Avenue in Walsall, beside Alumwell Infant School. It is a nursery school in its own right, with the day organised around young children’s learning and care.

The main nursery has an open layout, with children moving between indoor activities and outdoor play. A grassed area and two canopies support outdoor access through different weather conditions. Since September 2025, Alumwell and Rowley View Nursery School have shared a federation, an executive headteacher and a governing body.

Each session starts and finishes with children spending time in their family group alongside their key worker, known here as a Group Leader. Between those points, adult-guided activities sit alongside play that children choose themselves. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework, with Development Matters guiding planning: adults consider each child’s development and interests when deciding what to introduce next.

Language runs through that play. The 1000 stories initiative introduces vocabulary through books, while Booktrust stories and library books taken home each week extend reading into family life. Children dress as story characters, explore environmental sounds and make marks using different tools. Maths is equally practical: sorting dinosaurs and pebbles, building with blocks and using timers give children things to count, compare and discuss.

Forest School uses woodland within Alumwell’s grounds, with opportunities to visit the woodland area at Alumwell Infants. Bug hunts and imaginative potion-making sit alongside making objects with tools. Tool activities receive individual supervision from the trained Forest School leader. In the garden allotment, children plant, grow and record changes, connecting outdoor exploration with caring for living things.

Visitors have included Zoolab, the Guide Dogs association and a veterinary nurse accompanied by a rabbit. These encounters give children concrete experiences to talk about. Ofsted’s November 2023 findings described sustained engagement in activities and language development supported by frequent conversation and individual adult attention.

Settling begins before the first nursery session. A home visit usually involves the Parent Support Adviser and a nursery staff member; children then meet their Group Leader, and open days let families join a session. That creates opportunities to share a child’s needs before regular attendance begins.

Daily conversations with key workers keep information moving between home and nursery. Half-termly open days provide time to discuss development, with appointments possible between them. Stay and play, craft workshops and story sessions give parents activities to try together; workshops also address toilet training, sleep and changes around bottles or dummies.

Food can be part of the learning. The snack area gives children opportunities to prepare and taste healthy foods from different countries. An autumn 2024 Alumwellies account describes children chopping vegetables with plastic knives for soup and rolling chapattis before eating together. Preparation brings textures, coordination and tasting into the same activity.

In November 2023, children’s close relationships with their key workers supported quick settling. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities had needs recognised promptly, with support balancing help and independence. Safeguarding arrangements were effective at that time.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the relevant deadline for their chosen primary school.

Transition support is a separate matter. Alumwell works with the schools children move to and provides parents with information about preparing for primary school. This supports the next stage of education; it does not secure admission.

Morning sessions run from 8.40am to 11.40am; afternoons run from 12.20pm to 3.20pm. The 30-hour timetable includes both sessions and a lunch period between them. Nursery admissions information describes funded places for eligible two-year-olds and a 30-hour offer for three-year-olds meeting its criteria.

Children aged three to four are asked to wear uniform: a red jumper, white or red polo shirt and black or grey bottoms. Alumwellies children wear clothes suitable for messy play instead. Suitable footwear matters for accessing play equipment; sandals and crocs are excluded. For nursery enquiries, contact 01922 721264 or postbox@alumwell-n.walsall.sch.uk.