Little Crickets Forest School

Den building, vegetable growing and a Mongolian yurt give Little Crickets Forest School its character: outdoor learning with practical shelter close by. This Bournemouth nursery takes children aged two to five, with daily Forest School sessions that use nature for hands-on, child-led learning. The outdoors shapes the day, rather than providing a break from it.

At its 10 April 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged all six assessed areas to be at the expected standard and found safeguarding standards met. That is the official inspection position, rather than an overall grade. The practical appeal is clear: children can explore natural materials, practise physical skills and learn to judge risks with adult guidance.

Attendance spans full days, school days and morning or afternoon half days, across 51 weeks of the year. That gives families several ways to fit an outdoor nursery into their week.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning through play, including language, physical development and relationships. Forest School adds an outdoor, child-led approach: children explore natural surroundings and develop practical skills through hands-on experiences. Here, daily sessions include learning about wildlife and plant life cycles, building dens, growing vegetables and practising safe use of a fire pit.

Counting, sorting and recognising patterns use natural objects, while stories and creative writing bring literacy into the same setting. Shelter building presents a practical problem to solve; nature art gives children another way to express an idea. These activities connect learning to things children can handle and change, rather than keeping it separate from their play.

In April 2026, children experimented with colours and discussed what might happen when they were combined. Staff also introduced words about size and weight as children compared resources. Those examples show how a conversation around an ordinary activity can carry language and mathematical learning together.

Choice matters here. Structured group activities sit alongside independent exploration, with storytelling, nature walks, climbing and crafts made from natural materials. Children have opportunities to work with others, then pursue their own interests. That balance will appeal to families who want outdoor activity alongside time for imaginative play.

Outdoor and Community Life

Weather is part of the nursery model. Tarpaulins provide extra protection during wet or cold spells, and the Mongolian yurt offers an enclosed retreat. During severe storms, children move into the yurt; the Cricket Pavilion provides an additional private indoor space if more shelter is needed. These are practical provisions for an outdoor day, rather than a promise that children remain outside in every condition.

In April 2026, children practised balancing on logs and learnt to recognise nettles as something to avoid. A sit-on digger gave another physical challenge as they worked out how to move soil. The emphasis was on learning how to approach a challenge, with adults helping children understand the risk involved.

Stay and Play events and Taster Sessions give families a way to experience activities together. They take place frequently, and an accompanying adult usually stays throughout. Open Events also welcome families, with advance registration for an approximate visiting time.

Settling sessions are arranged after registration, giving the start of attendance its own preparation. The nursery has a SENCO role, alongside designated safeguarding lead and deputy roles. The support structure includes both safeguarding and special educational needs roles.

At the April 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that teaching adapted to individual needs supported progress for children with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, but found that staff needed to adapt teaching more consistently to individual next steps, alongside further staff professional development and stronger links with other settings. The balance matters: individual support was working, but the work to strengthen practice and continuity was still developing.

During April 2026, staff exchanged information with parents about care routines and shared children's learning and achievements. Observations helped identify starting points and shape subsequent activities. For families, the useful connection is between what a child needs at home, what staff notice during play and what they plan next.

Rest and personal care have physical provision on site. Children who need a nap sleep in the yurt, with a sleeping bag or blanket supplied from home. A toilet block has warm running water, and there is a nappy-changing area; parents bring nappies and wipes each day.

Meals use fresh ingredients, menus change with the seasons, and meals, snacks and drinks are included in session fees. Lunch can be eaten outdoors or under cover in the yurt, depending on the weather.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Cooper Dean Pavilion, Dean Park, Cavendish Road, Bournemouth, BH1 1RB. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with provision running for 51 weeks each year.

Full-day bookings run from 8am to 6pm. The school-day option starts at 8.30am and ends at 3.30pm; half days run either 8am to 1pm or 1pm to 6pm. The school-day label describes the session length, rather than a term-time-only arrangement.

The minimum attendance is four sessions each week. This can mean four mornings, four afternoons, two full days or a mixture. That requirement is a significant part of the decision for families considering occasional attendance, even though the individual session choices are flexible.

Families can make an enquiry using the online form or telephone the nursery. Registration is followed by discussion of the attendance arrangement and settling sessions. Visits can also be booked directly with the team.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, with 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements stretched across the year to 11 and 22 hours respectively. The annual offer also includes 570 hours of early education from the term after a child's third birthday. Entitlement and the child's attendance pattern need to be considered together: a stretched allocation is different from taking the same weekly hours during term time.

Meals, snacks and drinks are included in session fees, while nappies and wipes come from home. The fees page sets out the session choices and funded-place offer.

• An outdoor day in changing weather. Tarpaulins, the yurt and additional pavilion shelter support the outdoor model. On a visit, discuss the clothing your child will need and how staff decide when to move indoors.
• A minimum weekly commitment. Four sessions are required, with two full days counting as one permitted pattern. Consider whether that commitment fits your week as well as the individual session times.
• Continuity between settings. In April 2026, links with other providers and staff professional development remained improvement priorities. Families whose child attends another setting can ask how learning information is now shared.
• Funded attendance and charges. Funding is stretched, while session fees include food and parents supply nappies and wipes. Ask how meal and consumable arrangements apply to your child's funded hours before agreeing the booking.

Little Crickets suits families who want nature to shape their child's nursery experience and can meet the minimum weekly attendance. Full days, school days and morning or afternoon half days give that commitment several possible forms. Daily Forest School activity, practical outdoor learning and sheltered rest provision make the offer recognisable.

The April 2026 assessment gives a measured basis for choosing it: expected standards across the assessed areas, with staff development and links between settings still needing further work. For a child who enjoys exploring, making and moving, the strongest attraction is the substance of the day: natural materials, real physical challenges and room to follow an interest.