Grasshopper Club

Tyre swings, bug hunting and a wooded outdoor area give Grasshopper Club's February 2025 account a clear character: physical play sits alongside learning to cooperate. At its 7 February 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Good and found safeguarding effective.

Based in Castle Donington, the setting accepts children aged 24 to 60 months and has 40 places in total. These are whole-setting places, rather than a measure of the size of any individual group.

In February 2025, communication and social development were central to the planned activities. The early years foundation stage is the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care; here, play offered opportunities to practise language, sharing and taking turns.

A veterinary role-play area gave younger children a reason to share toy animals. Searching through shredded paper for hidden objects prompted naming and discussion, with staff adjusting their questions for younger and older children. These examples connected conversation to something children were doing.

Outdoor play was equally concrete in February 2025. Scooters, balancing beams and ride-on cars supported movement, while toy tractors in the wooded area brought cooperation into play. Staff helped children identify bugs and return them to plants. The tyre swings gave older children opportunities to judge physical risks with adults nearby.

The curriculum needed greater consistency, however. In February 2025, some practitioners did not fully understand the intended learning, and adults sometimes supplied solutions too quickly. When children imagined their vehicles had run out of fuel, adults promptly suggested using the petrol station, reducing the opportunity for children to devise their own solution.

In February 2025, settling sessions helped staff get to know families and gather information about children's care. Familiar relationships mattered alongside activities: staff supported children with sharing and used reminders and praise to guide behaviour.

Parent communication was an improvement priority at the February 2025 inspection. In February 2025, families needed clearer explanations of what their children would learn next and ways to build on that learning at home. That matters because a friendly daily exchange and a useful explanation of learning serve different purposes.

Grasshopper Club's address is The Old School House, Mount Pleasant, Castle Donington, DERBY, DE74 2LN.

In February 2025, opening hours were 8am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. The setting also provided places for children receiving government funding at that date. This describes the attendance window and funding participation at that point, rather than a particular bookable session package.

• Curriculum consistency. In February 2025, staff understanding of the intended learning varied. On a visit, ask how practitioners now agree what an activity should help children learn.
• Independent thinking. Adults sometimes stepped in with answers too quickly in February 2025. Look for how staff give children time to test ideas and solve difficulties themselves.
• Learning links with home. February 2025 brought a recommendation for clearer next-step information. Ask what a family receives to help continue that learning at home.

Grasshopper Club suits families drawn to a preschool setting with outdoor movement, imaginative play and opportunities to practise social skills. Its February 2025 examples are tangible, from balancing beams to veterinary role play. The same account makes the decision points clear: consistent teaching intentions, room for children's own thinking and more useful learning communication with home.