Little Crickets Nursery

Seasonal discovery and preparation for school give Little Crickets Nursery its character: children investigate ice, handle shells and explore the changes that come with moving into Reception. Based at Walsall Cricket Club on Gorway Road, it caters for children from age two up to school readiness and has 36 places in total. This is provision aimed at the years immediately before school.

At its March 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding and found that teaching shaped around children's interests and next steps helped them make rapid progress. That judgement gives a strong foundation for considering Little Crickets, while the present programme retains practical, hands-on themes. Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside term-time funded attendance and a wraparound arrangement involving Tiny Crickets.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for learning and care, bringing language, physical development and preparation for school into children's activities. Here, everyday materials make those learning goals tangible. The Sea and Sand theme in June 2026 used shells for sorting and counting, alongside digging and sandcastle making. Children could explore a familiar holiday subject while practising mathematical ideas and handling different materials.

Winter work takes a similarly practical route. In January 2026, Splish, Splash, Icy Discoveries included making dinosaur icicles and observing changes in ice. Snowflake Shapes and Frosty Fun brought shape-making and texture exploration into the same seasonal programme. These are concrete starting points for conversation: children have something to handle, change or describe, rather than an abstract topic alone.

Jumping Jimmy Fit returned to the programme in May 2026 for a fortnight of activities. Earlier descriptions explain it as a sports circuit combining balancing, climbing, running, hoop jumping and ball batting. Its value for parents is the clear physical emphasis, with different movements brought together in one named activity. The circuit has also been used for fundraising towards outdoor equipment.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outside play continues through summer, with families supplying suncream and a sun hat. In March 2023, children explored nearby woods, planted marigolds and painted tulips; staff used the flowers to introduce vocabulary for their different parts. Nature connected observation, making and conversation within the same subject.

Community experiences also featured in March 2023, including visits to a Sikh temple and a church, with music, food and dual-language stories supporting discussion of different cultures. These were experiences beyond the nursery's immediate play space. The approach gave children real examples to connect with the celebrations and family experiences discussed indoors.

The group-wide Fun Week, included in Little Crickets' July 2026 programme, brought Face Painting Day and a Teddy Bear Picnic into the end-of-year celebrations. Children were invited to bring a favourite teddy to the picnic. The named days give families a specific way to join in, with a familiar object from home becoming part of a shared occasion.

Relationships and Communication

Keyworkers form part of Little Crickets' staffing structure, with responsibilities organised around colour groups. For families, that gives a recognisable contact within the wider team. Weekly updates explain learning and events, and encourage parents to continue the subjects at home. A theme therefore need not end when a session finishes: parents can connect a child's nursery conversation with something they do together.

In March 2023, children made choices about their play, while older children handled their own clothes and personal hygiene. Those examples show the everyday independence being practised at that point. It is preparation for school through ordinary tasks as well as planned activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the March 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised support for children learning English as an additional language, including individual time for new vocabulary and the use of words from home languages. Actions accompanying group songs helped children participate, and staff coordinated children's support with other professionals. These are useful examples of how support operated at that visit, rather than a general promise about every child's needs.

In March 2023, the nursery employed five staff members, with two holding level 6 qualifications and three holding level 3 qualifications. Those staffing figures belong to that inspection period.

Moving on to school is an explicit part of the programme. Imagining School Life in July 2026 introduced conversations about growing older and moving into Reception. The emphasis was on helping children understand the change and recognise what they had already learned. This gives families a starting point for talking about the next stage, alongside the nursery's work on everyday independence.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Walsall Cricket Club, Gorway Road, Walsall, WS1 3BE. Little Crickets' main opening window is 8.50am to 2.50pm, with a morning session from 8.50am to 11.50am and an afternoon session from 11.50am to 2.50pm. Before-school care runs from 7.50am to 8.50am, and after-school care from 2.50pm to 5.30pm.

For eligible children using 30 funded hours, the term-time pattern is five six-hour days each week, following Walsall Council's term dates. A second arrangement combines three six-hour days at Little Crickets with four hours of Tiny Crickets wraparound care, forming three ten-hour days. The distinction matters: that extended funded pattern involves the other setting's service.

The 15-hour entitlement is arranged as five three-hour sessions each week during term time. A weekly attendance pattern is agreed beforehand, and preferred hours are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Enquiries can be made by telephone or email through the nursery's contact service.

Funding and Paid Extras

Little Crickets offers 15 hours and 30 hours Free Early Education Funding for eligible children. Funded care is not conditional on buying additional services, and the nursery separates those hours from privately paid wraparound care. The funding and charges page sets out the arrangements; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Lunch is charged separately, as are breakfast and tea during wraparound care. Families provide suncream for summer outdoor play. Party days are offered once per term with a suggested donation, allowing families to distinguish the funded entitlement from event contributions.

• The extended funded day involves Tiny Crickets. The three-day arrangement combines attendance at Little Crickets with the other setting's wraparound service. At a visit, ask how the handover and continuity of care work for your child.
• Term-time funding shapes the week. The 15-hour pattern uses five short sessions, while the 30-hour pattern can cover five six-hour days. Compare those arrangements with your family's weekly commitments.
• Settling with a keyworker. Colour groups have designated keyworkers. At a visit, ask how your child's first sessions will be introduced and how their keyworker will share settling updates.

Little Crickets suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions, as well as those wanting a six-hour term-time day. Its strongest appeal is the combination of practical seasonal learning and an explicit interest in helping children prepare for school. Sea and Sand and Jumping Jimmy Fit give that offer recognisable substance.

The Outstanding judgement dates to March 2023, and the extended funded option requires a clear understanding of the Tiny Crickets arrangement. For parents whose routines fit the session patterns, Little Crickets offers a well-defined preschool choice with useful links between nursery learning and family life.