St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Bloxwich: Nursery Review

Remote-control cars, cameras and a creative area shared with Reception give this nursery a practical character. Children can choose activities as well as work with an adult, making exploration part of the learning day rather than an occasional extra.

St Peter's nursery belongs to the Catholic primary school on Lichfield Road in Bloxwich. Children can start in the term after turning three, with entry points in April, September and January. Morning, afternoon and whole-day places give families different ways to organise attendance, although the preferred session depends on space.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) takes concrete form here through making, technology and practical exploration. Barefoot Computing introduces computing ideas through hands-on tasks intended to develop reasoning and problem-solving. The nursery and Reception computing plan includes moving items on a screen and discussing information presented as words or pictures. These are small, accessible starting points.

Tablets and cameras are available for recording learning, alongside battery-powered toys, remote-control cars and older mechanical equipment. Children explore technology independently and with adult help. The plan places these resources within activities children choose themselves and those an adult directs, so technology has a place across the day.

Art materials sit in a creative area between the nursery and Reception classrooms, accessible to both groups. The school sets out early-years activities including mixing colours, joining materials and drawing increasingly detailed pictures. Its emphasis on children explaining their creations connects making with conversation: the finished picture is only part of the activity.

In February 2024, Ofsted described a positive early-years start in number learning, including outdoor maths on Welly Wednesdays. One example involved collecting branches and ordering them by length, giving children a physical way to explore measurement. The visit was ungraded and retained the school's Good judgement, while warning that a graded inspection could result in a lower outcome; this was not a separate nursery rating.

For children attending through the day, lunch forms part of the nursery timetable. Families also have access to a potty-training booklet through the early-years page, providing a practical resource for a care routine that can span home and nursery.

Support has a clear contact route. The school's SEND policy describes education matched to individual needs, including support for sensory, physical, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Parents can contact the school's special educational needs coordinator through the school email address to discuss their child's needs.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate online application to Walsall Children's Services and return a Supplementary Information Form directly to the school. For a child baptised Catholic, a baptismal certificate must accompany that form so the application receives the appropriate priority.

The shared creative area gives nursery children access to resources also used by Reception. That connection concerns the learning environment; it does not secure admission.

The nursery offers the 15-hour funded entitlement and 30 funded hours for eligible families. An application for a whole-day place using the latter requires the funding code and the specified parent details alongside the application.

Nursery uniform combines a green sweatshirt with a white polo top and joggers in green or black. Shoes must suit play and practical activities. Clothing should carry the child's name, helping belongings find their way home.

Applications go to the school office, either using a form collected there or by emailing the completed form with the required certificates. Contact the office on 01922 710872 or postbox@st-peters.walsall.sch.uk.