Grasshoppers in The Park

Daily park walks, artist-led projects and a parent co-operative give Grasshoppers in The Park its character. This not-for-profit nursery in Hackney brings families into its organisation while practitioners handle everyday care. Children share their learning and play across ages rather than being divided into fixed age groups. The emphasis is on making, exploring and having a say.

Grasshoppers welcomes children aged two to five and has capacity for 20 children in total. At its May 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good overall, found safeguarding effective and recognised a curriculum that developed children's learning progressively. That judgement is a dated assessment, while the current offer centres on creative activities, outdoor experiences and partnership with parents.

Short days and long days give families two attendance options.

Learning and Activities

EYFS provides the framework for learning and care, with children building skills through play and everyday experiences. Grasshoppers draws inspiration from Montessori and the Reggio Emilia approach, giving children materials and opportunities to express ideas through movement, artwork and play. These influences sit alongside EYFS rather than replacing it. The mixed-age arrangement lets children spend their day together instead of moving through separate age-based groups.

Art Hoppers gives that creative emphasis a clear weekly shape. A local artist leads sessions throughout the year, with a fresh theme each term and visual material or a story to start children thinking. Children make their own responses rather than filling in a prepared design, then gather to discuss what they have made. The conversation matters as much as the finished piece: children have something of their own to explain.

Cooking, gardening, gym and music also feature daily, and children can choose art and craft activities throughout the day. Afternoons allow time for self-directed play. Dance sessions use movement games, music and imaginative activities adapted to young children, adding another way to explore rhythm and movement.

In May 2022, children experimented with materials including charcoal and watercolour, and used utensils to investigate a mixture of cornflour, water and paint. Pouring and measuring brought mathematical language into a hands-on activity. In May 2022, larger-group teaching needed better adaptation to individual children, and staff practice needed closer monitoring: some children grew restless and gained less from these activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

The daily park walk is a substantial part of the routine, including wet-weather days. Children leave for their morning outing before returning for lunch; outdoor learning is therefore part of an ordinary nursery day rather than an occasional excursion. Weekly Forest School sessions add hands-on exploration in woodland, with opportunities to practise independence and communication through outdoor experiences.

After lunch, some children nap while older children use the garden or join age-suitable indoor activities. Rest and play both have a place in the afternoon.

Library visits and occasional trips to Little Angel Theatre, Hackney City Farm and Discover Children's Story Centre extend children's experiences beyond the park. Parents can join outings when able.

Music + Play opens the nursery to local families on Fridays, from 10.30am to 12.30pm. This free outreach session includes creative activities and visiting musicians, with chances to sing, dance and explore instruments. Monthly swap shops and an annual summer party give the parent community further occasions to meet; the summer celebration also marks older children's departure for school.

Relationships and Communication

A settling week gives children time to become familiar with the people and routine. Parents can stay longer if needed, and families can spend time at the nursery beforehand.

Regular conversations, Friday emails with activity descriptions and photographs, and written progress reviews at least twice yearly keep parents connected to their child's experiences and development.

Families can help with gardening, social events, management or outings, while the parent committee works alongside practitioners. Participation is a choice, leaving room for different schedules and interests.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Two SENCOs and a SEND support worker provide defined support roles. Staff plan adjustments with parents, and children with SEND learn alongside their peers.

All team members have first-aid training, and safeguarding lead roles are part of the staff structure. Access arrangements include a locked gate and buzzer, alongside daily risk assessments. These are practical arrangements; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the May 2022 assessment.

Toilet training is coordinated with families so that nursery practice follows what is working at home, and cloth nappies can be accommodated. Medication requires a conversation with parents and a signed form. Both arrangements put information from home into the child's everyday care.

Meals are cooked in the nursery's own kitchen, with vegetarian food and an emphasis on organic, locally produced ingredients where possible; fruit and vegetables feature in the morning and afternoon snacks. The allergy arrangements include notes for the cook and information displayed for staff, so individual dietary requirements are part of meal planning.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, for 48 weeks annually. A Short day runs from 9.30am to 3.30pm; a Long day runs from 8am to 6pm. The booking choices include two days for Long days only, or three, four or five days, making the distinction between opening hours and the pattern a family books important.

Christmas, Easter and the late-August summer break interrupt the annual schedule. Fees are spread across 12 months, with payments continuing during those closures, and are paid by standing order. Families therefore need to plan for both a regular monthly payment and childcare during nursery breaks. Leaving requires two months' written notice.

Getting There

The address is Ground Floor, Wrens Park House Community Hall, Warwick Grove, London E5 9LL. Enquiries can be made by email or telephone through the nursery manager, and a viewing can be booked.

There are no dedicated parking spaces, although free parking outside is permitted for drop-off. Buggy storage is available for collection later, which is useful for families bringing children on foot.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 15 hours weekly for all three- and four-year-olds, and 30 hours for eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds. The nursery also offers funded places for two-year-olds from low-income households. Eligibility remains a condition of the relevant offer.

Private fees use four household-income bands, with proof of income required to establish the band. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, and final fees are agreed with the contract. The fees and application information explains the income-based structure and participation options.

Parent Days allow a parent to work alongside trained staff for one day each week, with a DBS check required and at least six hours of work that day. The child's attendance on that day is not charged, and the arrangement also reduces the monthly fee. A sibling discount applies when children attend during the same period.

• Co-operative involvement. Parent participation can mean gardening, outings or organisational work, while Parent Days involve work alongside staff. At a viewing, clarify how the fee assumption about a small parental role and meetings fits the invitation to participate at a level that suits your family.
• Individual attention during shared activities. The May 2022 improvement points concerned larger-group planning and more precise adaptation of teaching. Ask how today's shared activities accommodate children with different needs and interests.
• The full childcare budget. Income bands, funded hours and Parent Days can affect the contract. Ask how funding is spread through the year and what the quotation includes for meals, nappies and other consumables.
• Food requirements. Meals are vegetarian and cooked on site, with allergy information shared among staff. Families managing allergies should confirm current preparation and serving arrangements before joining.

Grasshoppers suits families seeking short day or long day sessions alongside a creative, outdoor-led nursery life. Weekly Art Hoppers, Forest School and daily park walks give that offer substance, while mixed-age play and the parent co-operative shape how children and families participate.

The choice is as much about the relationship as the timetable. Parents can contribute skills or take a more hands-on role, with settling and regular communication supporting the connection between home and nursery. Balance those strengths against the dated concerns about adapting group teaching, and consider the annual closures and contract structure alongside the session you need.