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Nursery at St Francis Catholic 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Play, early language and Catholic faith shape the nursery at St Francis Catholic Primary School in Shelfield, Walsall. Part-time and full-time attendance are offered within the primary school, giving families two broad patterns of attendance. The nursery has its own class teacher, while its learning combines activities directed by adults with play chosen by children.
Ofsted graded early years provision Good at the inspection on 1 and 2 March 2022. That judgement covers the school's early years provision rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Indoor and outdoor activity both form part of each nursery day. Children spend time in each environment, with a mixture of independent choices and activities guided by an adult. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) brings together early communication, physical skills, social and emotional development, reading and writing foundations, mathematics, creative expression and learning about the world. Here, play gives those areas practical expression.
The nursery's examples are concrete: children dramatise Pumpkin Soup, experiment with mixing colours and tackle jigsaws using spatial reasoning. Religious education includes exploring Baptism and holy water. These activities give parents a picture of learning through stories, materials and practical problems, alongside the school's Catholic identity.
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised supplies the phonics approach. Nursery work includes poems, stories, action rhymes and listening activities, including oral blending: hearing sounds and bringing them together as a word. The emphasis is on language and attention as foundations for later reading. In March 2022, early years children were developing secure foundations in numbers and the sounds represented by letters.
Half-term curriculum questions connect learning to children's surroundings. Themes include seasonal change, growing things and caring for animals. They give everyday observations a place in the nursery's learning, rather than treating early literacy as the whole curriculum.
Emotional and physical wellbeing are explicit priorities for the nursery. For communication with home, the school promises both informal updates and formal information about children's progress. A termly safeguarding newsletter also gives families advice and directs them towards support.
A school SENDCO provides a contact for special educational needs and disabilities. Families can consult the SEND Information Report for 2025, the Accessibility Plan for 2024 and Walsall Council SEND Local Offer. These give parents routes into discussing support and understanding the school's provision.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet the applicable deadline. Treat choosing the nursery and applying for Reception as separate decisions.
The governing body acts as the school's admissions authority. Its admissions committee considers school applications, and the admissions page directs families to the admission arrangements. Read those arrangements before applying; familiarity with the school does not itself secure admission.
Attendance pattern. The nursery offers part-time and full-time attendance. Choose the pattern around the care your family needs.
Enquiries. Contact the school office on 01922 682583 or email postbox@st-francis-p.walsall.sch.uk. The school is on Mill Road, Shelfield, Walsall, WS4 1RH. The office handles enquiries from parents and the public.
Calendar. Use the school's term calendar when planning family commitments. Teacher days close the school to pupils, and additional teacher days may be added to the listed dates.
No. Nursery attendance does not guarantee admission to Reception. A separate application is required through the normal admissions process.
Both part-time and full-time nursery attendance are offered.
Children combine adult-guided activities with play they choose themselves, spending part of each day indoors and outdoors. Examples include dramatising Pumpkin Soup, mixing colours and completing jigsaws.
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. Nursery activities build listening and language through stories, poems, rhymes and oral blending.
Contact the school office on 01922 682583 or email postbox@st-francis-p.walsall.sch.uk.
