Humberston Pre-School

Storytelling with wands, counting sandwich choices and learning to manage lunch boxes give Humberston Pre-School's inspection-era day a practical character. Its purpose-built premises are on Church Lane in Grimsby, at Humberston C Of E Primary School (DN36 4HZ). The setting has capacity for 34 children, with an age range of 24 to 60 months.

At its November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities made good progress. That assessment also came with two clear priorities: reducing waiting during routines and bringing safeguarding topics forward in staff induction.

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday activities support learning alongside practical independence.

In November 2022, stories became participatory activities, with children using wands and exploring unfamiliar vocabulary. Counting was woven into storytelling and lunch, including comparing children's sandwich choices. These examples connected language and mathematics to things children were already doing, rather than keeping learning separate from the day.

The detail matters: practitioners explained the meaning of furious during a story, giving children a word for a powerful emotion. Children then carried the storytelling into outdoor play, repeating a magic spell about stopping the rain. Wands also became counting tools as children counted taps during the story. For parents, these examples illustrate how one activity could bring together listening, speaking, imaginative play and number work. The emphasis was on children joining in and using ideas themselves, with adults extending the activity through conversation.

Outdoor exploration and yoga sessions also featured in November 2022. Children practised taking turns, while a bell and music marked tidying time. However, moving indoors together created congestion where footwear was changed, and snack routines left some children waiting too long. Predictable routines needed a better pace.

In November 2022, staff helped children talk about emotions and tackle everyday tasks, including washing their hands and opening lunch-box packaging. Calm spaces and toothbrushing resources were examples of how additional funding was used. These were concrete supports for wellbeing and growing independence.

Discussions about feeling happy or sad gave children a starting point for talking about their emotions. Practical help was equally specific: staff described how to pinch a packet's sides to open it, while children used the bathroom independently. Toothbrushes bought with additional funding were used after meals, connecting oral hygiene with a familiar daily routine. These examples show the small steps involved in learning to manage personal care. For families encouraging independence at home, the connection is useful: lunch, handwashing and talking about feelings all supplied opportunities to practise.

Communication extended beyond conversations with staff. In November 2022, parents received updates through an online application and activities to try at home; practitioners also worked with health visitors and social workers. More experienced colleagues supported apprentices, although early safeguarding training needed fuller coverage, including responsibilities under the Prevent duty.

At that time, assessments recorded children's learning in detail, helping staff identify areas needing attention and offer advice to parents. The manager understood local referral routes, providing a way to connect families with additional support. This is a more useful picture of inclusion than a general promise: assessment, discussion with parents and contact with other professionals formed the practical mechanisms. Home activities also gave families something concrete to try between preschool days, extending communication beyond an update about what their child had done.

The address is Humberston C Of E Primary School, Church Lane, Grimsby, DN36 4HZ. Opening hours are 8.15am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closure during school holidays. Families need an attendance arrangement that fits that school-day window.

In November 2022, children brought lunch boxes, and staff encouraged healthier contents by giving parents ideas. The setting also provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four at that time.

• Term-time care. The setting closes during school holidays. Families needing care across the year will need a separate holiday arrangement.
• The pace of routines. In November 2022, snack-time waiting and crowded footwear changes interrupted the day. During a visit, ask how these transitions now work.
• Safeguarding induction. November 2022 brought a recommendation to introduce all safeguarding elements earlier in employment. Ask how new practitioners now receive that training.

Humberston Pre-School suits families whose childcare needs fit term-time opening and a school-day finish. Its November 2022 assessment offers useful detail about language, everyday mathematics and practical independence, alongside specific improvements needed in routines and induction. Those concrete examples give families a sound starting point for assessing how the setting works today.