St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School Nursery Review

Play, conversation and outdoor exploration give this nursery its starting point. St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School in Brownhills added nursery provision for three-year-olds from September 2026, bringing an earlier starting age to its Catholic school setting. Families of any faith, or none, can apply.

This is a new chapter within the school's early years provision. Ofsted judged early years Good during its inspection on 30 April and 1 May 2024, before the nursery opened. That judgement belongs to the early years provision inspected then; it is not an assessment of the new nursery.

The school's early years approach centres on learning through play. Development Matters and the Characteristics of Effective Learning guide it, alongside the Early Learning Goals. In parent terms, the emphasis is on children exploring, persisting with something difficult and testing their own ideas, rather than simply completing an adult's task.

The EYFS curriculum brings together seven learning areas. Language, movement and emotional development sit alongside early mathematics, literacy, creative expression and understanding the world. Indoor and outdoor spaces support children in choosing resources and following an interest. Independence is part of the learning itself.

Conversation has a clear place in this approach. Adults extend play with questions and model language, while storytelling, imaginative role-play and discussions give children ways to practise expressing themselves and listening. Outdoors, the early years provision includes access to a forest school area with a qualified forest school teacher. Physical activity is linked to developing the smaller movements needed for writing, connecting outdoor learning with work inside.

For families concerned about additional needs, the school's SENDCo provides a route into discussion and planning. A Wednesday SEND clinic runs from 9.00 to 10.00 am, with appointments booked through the office. The school's approach follows a cycle of assessing needs, planning support, putting it into practice and reviewing its effect with parents. At the April and May 2024 inspection, some school SEND targets lacked precision about learning and the support required, slowing some pupils' progress. This school-wide finding predates the nursery's opening.

The Woodland Room is a school support space with a quiet reading garden and a tepee among tree stumps. Its purpose includes helping children regulate their emotions and providing focused interventions. These are school arrangements, rather than a promise that every nursery child will use the room.

Safeguarding concerns can be raised through the office or by requesting a callback by email. At the April and May 2024 inspection, safeguarding was effective, but oversight of child protection records needed attention because staff could lack a current understanding of risks. This school-wide finding predates the nursery's opening.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal local authority process. Walsall coordinates applications for its residents; families living elsewhere apply through their home authority, including when choosing a Walsall school. Treat that application as a separate decision from joining the nursery.

For children with known SEND, the school arranges discussion with new parents before entry. That gives families an opportunity to raise concerns and plan support ahead of a change of setting. Support with transition and entitlement to a school place are separate matters.

Both 15-hour and 30-hour funded places form the nursery offer. These are funded-hour options, so families should distinguish the entitlement from their chosen attendance arrangement when planning childcare.

The school office handles nursery enquiries. Contact it on 01543 452921 or email postbox@stbernadette.walsall.sch.uk. School tours can also be booked by telephone or online, giving families a practical way to explore the setting before applying.