Little Stars Preschool

In July 2025, bug hunts in the garden and shopping lists taken to the supermarket gave Little Stars Preschool a practical character: children had reasons to explore, talk, read and write. Based at the Hythe & Dibden Community Centre in Hythe village, it accepts children aged two to four and has capacity for 24 children in total.

At its July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the preschool Good and found safeguarding effective. The strongest detail lies in everyday experiences, from shared books to encounters with people in the surrounding community. There are also clear priorities for families to weigh: teaching consistency and the implementation of individual support plans.

Full-time and part-time attendance are both offered. This is a preschool-year arrangement rather than an offer extending across the school holidays.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care; here, play, conversation and practical activities give those requirements everyday form. Musical instruments, construction materials and resources for mathematics sit alongside puzzles, technology and creative materials. These give children different ways to investigate an idea, whether they are building something, making a sound or working out how pieces fit together.

A spacious main room has bathrooms designed for young children. Sand and water resources add hands-on exploration to the indoor provision. The physical arrangement matters for this age group: child-sized facilities make routine tasks more manageable, while the equipment supports both quieter activities and practical play.

In July 2025, singing and shared reading were woven through the day. Children also helped produce a shopping list, read it and use it during a supermarket outing. Writing had an immediate purpose. Remembering what to buy connected early literacy with an experience children could understand and take part in.

Outdoor and Community Life

In July 2025, the garden gave children space to investigate living things through bug hunts, using checklists to identify their discoveries. That made observation part of the activity, rather than simply time outdoors. Regular library outings also connected books with a place beyond the preschool.

Community contact had substance at that date. Children encountered a local fruit and vegetable stallholder, and volunteers associated with local retirement provision visited regularly. These experiences widened the people children met and the conversations available to them, complementing the resources inside the main room.

In July 2025, children sought comfort from their key person before returning to play. Those relationships offered a familiar adult when reassurance was needed. Children also chose their own resources and played together, with shared behaviour expectations helping them include others.

At the July 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND were supported well through individual plans and timely referrals, including speech and language therapy, but asked leaders to make staff teaching more consistent and ensure individual plans were understood and used consistently. These are meaningful qualifications to the Good judgement. Having a plan matters; children also need the adults working with them to understand how to put it into practice.

School preparation was practical in July 2025. Children worked on managing shoes and coats, following feedback about the independence skills useful for their next stage. This gives families a concrete picture of preparation: everyday self-care alongside learning activities, rather than a claim about securing a school place.

Sessions and Attendance

Little Stars operates from the community centre in Hythe, Southampton, SO45 6DU. Opening hours are 8.45am to 3.15pm, Monday to Friday, for 39 weeks each year. Full-time or part-time sessional attendance provides two different ways to fit preschool into the family week.

The opening window is useful for planning work and collection, but the annual pattern matters just as much. Families needing childcare through school holidays should weigh the 39-week arrangement when deciding whether this preschool fits their routine.

Funding and Paid Extras

Early Years Education Funding is accepted. At the July 2025 visit, funded early education covered children aged two, three and four. The current offer therefore includes participation in early education funding, while individual eligibility remains a separate matter.

Enquiries and visits can be arranged directly with the preschool by telephone or email. Families considering paid attendance should obtain a current written quotation before committing to a pattern.

• Teaching consistency. The July 2025 improvement priorities included more consistent teaching and staff understanding of the curriculum. At a visit, ask how staff support now translates into the activities children experience.
• Individual support plans. In July 2025, some staff needed a clearer understanding of children's individual plans. Families whose child needs additional support should ask how the key person and other practitioners share and apply that plan.
• The preschool year. Opening runs for 39 weeks, with full-time and part-time attendance offered. Consider how that annual pattern fits work and family commitments.
• The total cost and daily supplies. Funding is accepted. Before joining, request a written quotation covering the intended attendance pattern, meals and non-food consumables.

Little Stars suits families seeking either full-time preschool attendance or part-time sessions within a 39-week year. Its appeal is concrete: a child-sized indoor setting and, in July 2025, learning linked to bug hunts, shopping and community contact. The Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, balanced by specific work needed on teaching consistency and individual support plans. Those priorities deserve a focused conversation before joining.