Humberston Country Club Pre-School

In July 2024, access to a dance studio and playing fields gave Humberston Country Club Pre-School a strong emphasis on physical activity. In July 2024, children used those spaces alongside a large outdoor area, with tennis and yoga adding different ways to practise movement and coordination.

At its July 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good and judged safeguarding effective. Based at Bannatyne Health Club & Spa in Humberston, Grimsby, the preschool accepts children aged two to five and has 20 places in total across the whole setting.

In July 2024, physical development threaded through the day: children practised balancing, jumped from steps and ran to warm up. The dance studio, outdoor space and playing fields gave them different settings for practising larger movements. Smaller movements mattered too. Turning nuts and bolts in the loose parts area called for control, while rolling dough and making shapes combined hand movements with early mathematical ideas.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children’s learning, development and care. Here, the July 2024 activities illustrated how play could bring physical skills, language and early mathematics together. Staff used questions with several possible answers to encourage conversation, and children chose activities and helped tidy away.

Adult-led learning needed greater precision. In July 2024, some expectations were poorly matched to younger children’s development, reducing their involvement. Planning the next step for each child was an improvement priority.

In July 2024, staff responded kindly to children and offered encouragement when tasks were difficult. Everyday routines gave children practical responsibility: putting on outdoor clothing, washing their hands and managing simple personal-care tasks. These were opportunities to practise independence alongside play.

Communication extended beyond the setting. In July 2024, a parent app carried updates about children’s routines and learning. Staff also reviewed development from each child’s starting point to identify gaps and plan activities. Managers held staff meetings and supported wellbeing, although professional development needed clearer direction to build practitioners’ knowledge and skills.

The address is Bannatyne Health Club & Spa, Humberston Avenue, Humberston, Grimsby, DN36 4SX. Opening hours are 8.15am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the setting closes for school holidays. That calendar is a central consideration for families organising childcare around work.

In July 2024, the setting provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. This is a dated account of its funding provision.

• Term-time calendar. School-holiday closures mean the preschool’s opening pattern needs to fit the family’s childcare arrangements beyond term time.
• Individual learning. Matching adult-led activities to each child’s next step was a July 2024 improvement priority. During a visit, ask how activities are adapted for younger and older children.
• Staff development. More purposeful professional development was also a July 2024 priority. Ask how coaching now shapes everyday practice.

Humberston Country Club Pre-School suits families seeking term-time childcare for children aged two to five, especially those who value opportunities for movement. Its July 2024 account combines unusually useful physical spaces with practical independence and parent communication. The balance to weigh is how effectively adult-led learning is tailored to individual children, alongside the fit of its term-time calendar.