Starlings Pre School

Mud kitchens, water walls and a quiet place to share a book give Starlings Pre School a clear outdoor character. Based on the grounds of Manor Field Infant and Junior School sites in Basingstoke, this preschool combines practical play with an emphasis on speaking, friendships and doing things independently. Parents have a role in its running too: an elected committee puts major decisions in the hands of families using the setting.

At its 18 November 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated Starlings Good overall. That is a dated judgement, with useful detail behind it: children chose activities independently, staff drew on their interests, and physical play included outdoor climbing equipment and an indoor soft-play area.

Starlings accepts children from two years to school age and has 40 places in total. Its attendance choices include morning, afternoon and all-day sessions during term time.

Rooms and Ages

Caterpillar Room, Butterfly Room and Star Room are the named rooms. The emphasis across the preschool is on children becoming more independent, developing friendships and finding the words to express themselves. These are practical priorities for children preparing for school: managing personal care, joining other children in play and coping with separation from parents all feature in the curriculum.

The physical offer extends beyond tables and toys. Two outdoor play areas contain mud kitchens, sand pits and water walls, alongside space for quieter conversation, books and mark making.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS framework shapes the day through play, covering communication, movement, relationships and the foundations of literacy and mathematics. Adult-led activities sit alongside children's own choices, indoors and outside.

Sparkle Den sensory room is used for both communication and personal, social and emotional learning. Elsewhere, puppets support conversation, games practise sharing and taking turns, and role-play gives children opportunities to act out familiar situations. These are concrete ways to practise listening to others and joining a group, rather than treating school preparation as a set of worksheets.

Physical activities include a climbing frame, bikes, trikes and scooters. Cooking, modelling with Play-doh and mark making offer a different kind of practice, involving hands and fingers as well as whole-body movement. Mathematics is similarly practical: children encounter weighing, measuring, matching and counting through activities and songs. Letters, sounds and name recognition form part of literacy learning.

The daily rhythm combines circle time, children's choice, adult-led zones, snacks and stories. Storytelling, cooking and outdoor learning are part of the activity programme.

In November 2022, staff used a child's colour-matching activity from home with children at preschool. A take-home book system also allowed families to share books children had enjoyed. Those examples show how home interests could become starting points for activities, and how learning could continue through an ordinary shared story rather than a separate task for parents.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a personal key person and a second named key person. This gives families an identified contact for their child's day and development. Settling is a joint process involving parents, staff and the key person: parents may stay while they and their child become comfortable with separation, although this arrangement is not indefinite, and the preschool contacts them if their child needs them during a session.

TAPESTRY is the online learning journal, containing photographs and observations with parental consent. Parents have their own login and can add information about learning at home. There is an important communication distinction: staff do not answer comments within the journal, so conversations about a child's needs take place directly with the key person. The journal documents experiences; it does not replace discussion.

A monthly newsletter brings together topics, dates and activities, while text messages cover unexpected closures and other information. Parents can also contribute by reading stories, sharing cultural experiences or bringing a skill such as playing an instrument. Involvement can therefore be practical and occasional, as well as through the committee.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described individual assessment, planning and prompt referrals when developmental concerns arose. The current support structure includes a SENCO contact, and the admissions form asks about disabilities, additional support and professionals already involved with a child. This gives families a way to explain existing needs before attendance begins.

In November 2022, children needing help with emotions used sensory areas and soft play. However, staff sometimes had difficulty responding to disruptive behaviour when their strategies did not work; building staff confidence in handling this was the improvement action. That concern matters alongside the positive observations, especially for families whose child needs consistent help with behaviour or emotional regulation.

Lunch is brought from home, and the preschool provides snacks, with a daily menu displayed for parents. Its lunchbox policy excludes peanuts and products labelled as possibly containing nuts, and children must not exchange food; families managing allergies should discuss current practice at their visit.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is c/o Manor Field Infant School, Haydn Road, Basingstoke, RG22 4DH. Main opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Morning sessions run from 9am to midday, afternoon sessions from midday to 3pm, and the all-day option runs from 9am to 3pm. A separately charged breakfast club runs from 8.30am to 9am.

The application form allows families to request sessions across the weekdays. Submitting it places a child on the waiting list and does not guarantee a place. Once an offer is accepted, further admission details and the child's birth certificate are required. Enquiries go to the preschool by telephone or email, including starlingsmanager21@gmail.com.

There are five in-house training closure days each year. Term-time attendance therefore needs to be considered alongside the family's arrangements for school holidays and training days, rather than simply matching the weekday session times to work.

Funding and Paid Extras

Starlings accepts Early Years Education funding and children attending on a private basis. The term-time funding offer includes 15 hours for eligible children and the 30-hour working-family entitlement; enrolment starts at age two. Universal funding begins in the term after a child's third birthday; two-year-old support begins in the term after the second birthday and depends on qualifying government support. Working-family funding also depends on eligibility.

Fees apply to sessions outside funded hours, and breakfast club is chargeable separately. Current prices come in the preschool's written quotation; the fees page sets out the charging structure. For children who do not receive the Early Years Grant, a deposit is required when a place is accepted. Booked fees and breakfast club remain payable during absence, with prolonged absence discussed with the manager. Late collection also attracts a charge.

Parents supply lunchboxes. Snacks are provided, with the daily menu displayed for families.

Being on school grounds does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to apply through the local authority admissions process, keeping the preschool application and the school application separate.

• Behaviour support. The November 2022 improvement action concerned staff confidence in responding to disruptive behaviour. At a visit, discuss how the team now responds when a child struggles to regulate emotions, particularly if consistent strategies are important for your child.
• The term-time fit. Morning, afternoon and all-day sessions offer different attendance patterns, with breakfast club adding an earlier start. Consider the five annual training closures and school holidays alongside those session choices.
• Food and the quotation. Lunchboxes come from home and the preschool has a peanut and possible-nut-content restriction. At a visit, discuss allergy practice and ask how snacks and non-food consumables are treated in your written quotation, including during funded hours.
• Settling and communication. Parents can remain while their child settles, and each child has a key person plus a second contact. Use the visit to discuss separation and the handover between those contacts; TAPESTRY comments require a direct conversation if you need a response.

Starlings suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon preschool, as well as those wanting the all-day option. Outdoor water and mud play, practical learning and parental participation give it character, while named key-person contacts make communication personal. The November 2022 Good judgement provides a useful quality reference, balanced by the behaviour-management improvement action. For parents happy to prepare lunchboxes and work within a term-time calendar, it offers several attendance patterns and a clear emphasis on independence before school.