Grant Thorold Forest School

Sticks became measuring tools and storybook wands at Grant Thorold Forest School in June 2021, giving its outdoor approach a practical connection to language and numbers. At its June 2021 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, made excellent progress.

The Grimsby setting has capacity for 52 children aged two to four. Its strongest inspection-era characteristics were children's independence, carefully developed vocabulary and consideration for one another. These are useful points of reference for families weighing an outdoor approach alongside preparation for children's next stage.

In June 2021, the forest school approach supported children's confidence and learning through practical experiences. Collected sticks became props for retelling stories, while measuring their length brought mathematical language into children's activities. The objects children handled gave staff concrete starting points for conversation.

The setting follows the early years foundation stage: in June 2021, its day connected stories, speaking, counting and comparisons of size and position. Staff checked children's understanding of words, introduced new vocabulary in short sentences and helped them use more complex language. During a dinosaur story, children drew on earlier learning about plant-eating dinosaurs and recognised an initial sound.

Resources were selected and arranged to encourage exploration. Children also managed practical tasks themselves, including changing wet clothes and using the toilets. Independence had a tangible expression in the day.

At the June 2021 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, describing staff training, recruitment checks and contact with families and other agencies that supported children's protection. Children also practised safety themselves, recalling how to position a stick away from their bodies when breaking it.

In June 2021, emotional wellbeing included yoga poses, breathing techniques and a calming foot massage activity in a room illuminated by tea lights. Children remembered techniques from earlier sessions and could explain how breathing helped them feel calm. Consideration for others was equally concrete: one child understood a friend's preference for eating away from noise.

Parent communication at that time included conversations and electronic feedback. During the pandemic, staff shared activities families could use at home and worked with parents so children could celebrate birthdays with their peers. These examples show how relationships extended beyond the children's activities themselves.

The address is Grant Thorold Forest School, Durban Road, Grimsby, DN32 8BX. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the setting closes for school holidays. That calendar is a substantial consideration for families organising care around work.

In June 2021, the setting provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four.

• Term-time calendar. The nursery closes for school holidays. Families needing care across the year should factor those breaks into their arrangements.
• Outdoor independence. In June 2021, children changed their own wet clothes and learnt safe ways to handle sticks. A visit can explore how these practical expectations work for a child joining now.
• Funded attendance. Funding provision covered two-, three- and four-year-olds in June 2021. What funded attendance arrangements apply now?

Grant Thorold Forest School suits families seeking term-time care for a two- to four-year-old, with an inspection-era picture of outdoor exploration, language development and practical independence. Its June 2021 examples give that character substance: stories grew from collected objects, mathematical conversations followed hands-on activity, and children practised ways to manage their emotions. The school-holiday closures are the clearest practical constraint.