Starlight's Pre-School

A climbing wall, vegetable growing and children checking their outdoor play space: in May 2025, practical independence gave Starlight's Pre-School its character. This Kirk Sandall setting has 32 places in total, with its base at The Beak Childrens Centre in Doncaster.

At its 23 May 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the pre-school Outstanding. Children attending then were aged two to four, and the emphasis was on making choices, solving problems and developing the confidence to try things for themselves.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care, connecting play with communication, physical skills and growing independence. In May 2025, the curriculum followed children's interests, giving them opportunities to choose activities and work out solutions rather than simply follow instructions.

Conversation ran through the day. Staff allowed thinking time after questions, introduced vocabulary through songs and stories, and encouraged children to recount experiences. Familiar pictures and words from children's home languages helped children learning English take part.

Outside, the garden brought learning into concrete tasks. In May 2025, children grew vegetables and plants, built obstacle courses and tackled the climbing wall. They also showed visitors the garden's frogs. These were opportunities to observe living things and practise physical skills.

Local shopping added another practical dimension: children visited shops to buy snack fruit. Outdoor checks involved clipboards and high-visibility clothing, with children looking for hazards before play. Responsibility was something to practise, alongside exploration.

At the May 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective, identified SEND support as a strength and judged children's progress exceptional, with resources purchased to address developmental gaps and close working relationships between staff, families and other professionals.

In May 2025, emotional support combined gentle reminders about behaviour with encouragement to recognise and express feelings. Staff sought children's opinions and gave them choices, making participation part of everyday care.

In May 2025, daily updates helped parents understand what their children had done, the care they needed and how to encourage further learning at home. Information about oral health, healthy eating and online safety extended that communication. Children washed their crockery after snacks and brushed their teeth after meals; older children practised self-care that would help with the move to school.

The address is The Beak Childrens Centre, Graham Road, Kirk Sandall, Doncaster, DN3 1JH.

In May 2025, opening hours were 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. The pre-school offered government-funded childcare places and received additional funding for disadvantaged children at that time. Those hours describe its opening window rather than a particular bookable session.

• Term-time fit. The May 2025 timetable followed term time, with weekday opening from 9am to 3pm. What attendance pattern can families now book within that timetable?
• Practical independence. In May 2025, children checked outdoor hazards and handled their own crockery after snacks. Families who value children taking an active role in everyday tasks have concrete examples to weigh here.

Starlight's suits families drawn to child-led exploration and practical preparation for school. Its May 2025 experience combined language-rich play with gardening, physical challenges and everyday self-care. The term-time timetable recorded then makes it especially relevant to families whose childcare needs follow the school year, while the children's active role in daily tasks gives the educational approach a clear identity.