St Benedict Biscop CofE Primary School Nursery Review

A purpose-built nursery, its own playground and daily stories give St Benedict Biscop’s youngest children a distinct starting point within the school. This is the nursery provision at a Church of England primary in Wombourne, with entry possible from the term following a child’s third birthday, subject to spaces.

Nursery belongs to the school’s Foundation Stage. At the Ofsted inspection on 28 and 29 March 2023, early years provision received an Outstanding judgement. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.

Stories, rhymes and conversation are central to the learning. Children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, with Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Foundations for Phonics providing a named approach to early literacy. In Nursery, this means daily oral blending and language development: listening to sounds and combining them aloud, alongside stories and rhymes. The emphasis is on foundations for reading.

An interactive whiteboard supports teaching indoors, while the nursery playground provides space for outdoor learning. A phonics area that children can access themselves brings sounds into their play. Outdoor activities include hunting for sounds or letters, forming letters in sand and creating signs. These give children different ways to explore the same ideas, rather than confining early literacy to a lesson.

In March 2023, adults in early years used timely intervention to extend learning and strengthen children’s language. Storybook choices from Nursery also developed vocabulary for learning across subjects. There was a reading concern in the same inspection: for a small number of pupils beginning to read, books did not consistently match the sounds being taught, making fluent reading harder. This was a school finding, not a nursery-specific criticism.

Class Dojo connects classroom learning with home. Updates give parents something concrete to discuss with their child, and families can message the class teacher for help with phonics and arrange a meeting. For additional needs, the school works with its local hub team through Staffordshire’s Local Offer, connecting education with health and care support.

Lunch occupies the interval between nursery sessions. Miquill Catering provides the school’s catering service, and dietary requirements can be discussed through the school or directly with the caterer. Packed lunches are also permitted. The school excludes nuts and products containing them, so lunchbox choices need to follow that restriction. Foundation Stage children receive fruit each day, and children under five qualify for free milk.

A nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place at St Benedict Biscop. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions route and meet the normal deadline. Treat that application as a separate decision when planning your child’s next step; nursery attendance should not be taken as an assurance of admission.

Morning nursery runs from 8:45am to 11:45am. Lunch follows until 12:30pm, when the afternoon session begins; that session finishes at 3:30pm. These are distinct session boundaries for planning the family day.

The pre-school club welcomes children aged 3 to 11, starts at 7:30am and includes breakfast. After-school club runs from 3:15pm to 6pm, with a drink and light snack. Its staff have NVQ childcare qualifications at levels 2 and 3, plus first aid training and food hygiene certificates. Because the club starts before afternoon nursery finishes, coordinate the handover with the office. Contact the school for current club charges.

Nursery applications go through the school office, which also arranges school-day visits. For enquiries, call 01902 892197 or email office@st-benedictbiscop.staffs.sch.uk.