Little Explorers

Water, mud and sand give Little Explorers its outdoor character, while a sensory area offers somewhere quieter for individual learning or a break from the main room. This Grantham nursery combines child-led play with space to pause. Activities develop from children's interests, with practitioners choosing resources to extend what captures their attention.

At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the provision Good and safeguarding effective, while identifying improvements needed in information gathered when children join and in preschool group conversations. Those findings give families two concrete points to explore alongside the nursery's play-based approach.

Little Explorers accepts children from birth to five and has 62 places in total. It operates independently within the grounds of Belton Lane School.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: everyday play supports communication, physical skills and growing independence. Little Explorers adds an approach in which practitioners plan as children's interests emerge. Resources are selected to build on that interest, giving children a part in shaping their experiences.

In September 2023, practical activities made physical development tangible. Children in the lower toddler room practised standing with adult help; in the upper toddler room, transferring water encouraged broad arm movements; preschool children handled a screwdriver and learnt to adjust a spanner. These were different challenges for different stages, from gaining balance to controlling tools.

Language and mathematics also appeared within play that September. Repeated words accompanied play dough in the lower toddler room, while bubbles provided an opportunity for mouth movements in the upper toddler room. Conversations about a wooden railway's length and the circular route around a water tray connected mathematical ideas to something children were doing.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor learning and adventure space centres on materials children can handle and explore: sand, mud and water. It gives the child-led approach a physical setting, with scope for investigating textures and experimenting with materials.

Indoors, the sensory area serves a different purpose. It supports individual learning and quiet time, including a break from the activity of a child's main room. That combination of active exploration and a calmer alternative is useful for families weighing how their child responds to a busy nursery day.

In September 2023, children sought comfort from staff and joined in playful exchanges, including peekaboo around a tent. Staff shared daily routines and learning with parents, helping connect the nursery day with life at home. For children learning English alongside another language, practitioners collected familiar words from home to help them understand conversations.

At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that additional funding supported some children's emotional wellbeing through individual help during transitions and sessions encouraging interaction with peers. The current sensory area provides a practical space for quieter support, and staff responsibilities include learning and development and special educational needs.

Independence was practised through useful tasks in September 2023. Preschool children used safety knives to prepare snacks for others and learnt how to handle a vegetable peeler. The emphasis was on learning how to do a task safely, with adult demonstration, rather than simply having everything done for them.

Two weaknesses also mattered that September. Staff collected home-language vocabulary but did not gather enough detail about children's existing knowledge and abilities when they joined. During some preschool group discussions, children answered together because adults did not consistently organise conversational turns. The first affected how precisely learning could begin; the second reduced opportunities to hear another child's ideas.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates for 50 weeks each year, with a two-week Christmas closure alongside the school. Families needing care during that closure will need another arrangement.

Paid patterns include a full day from 8am to 6pm, half days from 8am to 1pm or 1pm to 6pm, and an all-day session from 9am to 3pm. Funded sessions have six time windows: 9am to noon, noon to 3pm, 9am to 3pm, 8am to 1pm, 1pm to 6pm, and 8am to 6pm. This offers shorter attendance as well as longer days.

Breakfast club runs from 8am to 9am, with an hourly charge when that period falls outside funded hours. After School Club runs from 3.30pm to 6pm; the nursery's after-school provision extends to Year 6 children aged 11.

Getting There

The address is Little Explorers, Green Lane, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 9PP, within the grounds of Belton Lane School. Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place.

Enquiries can be made through the contact form, by telephone on 01476 575711 or by email to little.explorers@childrenslinks.org.uk.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and additional paid hours are offered. Lunch carries a separate charge, so it needs to be included when comparing the cost of attendance. Families should request a current written quotation from the nursery.

• Starting-point information. In September 2023, staff needed a fuller picture of children's existing learning when they joined. On a visit, ask how your child's interests, abilities and home routines now inform their starting plan.
• Preschool conversations. Group discussions needed more consistent turn-taking in September 2023. Ask how practitioners help quieter children contribute and encourage children to listen to each other.
• Christmas cover. The 50-week operating year includes a two-week Christmas closure. Match this against your work commitments before choosing an attendance pattern.

Little Explorers suits families seeking child-led play, outdoor exploration and a quieter sensory space, with attendance choices spanning half days, a 9am-to-3pm day and an 8am-to-6pm full day. Its September 2023 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by specific weaknesses in starting-point information and preschool conversation. Those are useful visit priorities for parents deciding whether the approach fits their child.