A-Star Kids

Weekly Forest School sessions and an Islamic faith ethos give A-Star Kids on Lees Road a clear character. These are shared elements of the group's nursery offer: outdoor learning sits alongside faith, cultural experiences and preparation for primary education. For parents, that combination is a more useful starting point than the wider organisation's tutoring reputation.

At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated A-Star Kids Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that assessment and targeted support helped children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress. The nursery accepts children aged two to five at 77 Lees Road, Oldham, OL4 1JW.

This is a term-time preschool, with morning and afternoon sessions offered during the working week. Its practical appeal rests on shorter attendance patterns as well as its educational character.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning and development, covering the skills they build through play, conversation and everyday routines. Alongside it, the group's Forest School offer adds weekly outdoor sessions, while its Islamic faith ethos and emphasis on British Values give the curriculum an explicit cultural context.

In June 2024, communication and language shaped much of the nursery day. Children revisited familiar stories through construction and pretend play, including making a home for a storybook wolf. Practitioners introduced vocabulary connected to the task and encouraged children to think about strengthening their construction. The story became something children could discuss, test and act out, rather than simply listen to.

Early mathematics also grew out of practical activity that month. Water play prompted counting and discussion about how much containers held; sorting materials brought comparisons of quantities, shapes and sizes into conversation. These examples show how ordinary resources gave children reasons to use mathematical language.

There was an important qualification. The June 2024 inspection identified uneven delivery of the intended curriculum and called for staff support to be matched more closely to individual development needs. That matters because a clear curriculum intention needs consistent practice across the staff team.

Outdoor and Community Life

In June 2024, children had opportunities to cycle and climb, and regular visits to a local forest school included organised activities. These gave physical learning a place beyond indoor play. The current group offer specifies weekly Forest School sessions, making outdoor learning a recurring part of attendance.

Social play was equally visible in June 2024. Children played hide-and-seek together, negotiated turns and invited friends into their games. Cooperation had a practical purpose: it helped the game continue. That is a useful picture of how relationships and learning connected during the nursery day.

Relationships and Communication

In June 2024, the key-person arrangements supported close relationships between children and practitioners who understood them. Children were comfortable with staff and familiar with the nursery's routines. For a preschool child, that familiarity can make it easier to join activities and communicate a need.

Family backgrounds also entered the day that month. Children could use photographs of their families, and cultural celebrations formed part of their learning. Dual-language books were supplied to families using English as an additional language. This gave home languages a practical place in the nursery's work with parents.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

During June 2024, regular assessments were used to recognise learning needs and plan additional help. Work with parents also informed the use of extra funding. These were specific mechanisms for identifying and responding to needs, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

Independence was encouraged through small tasks in June 2024: children cut fruit, fed themselves and cleared spilled soil using a dustpan. Practice was uneven, however, with some adults intervening in tasks children could manage, such as putting on shoes or aprons. The distinction matters. Helping a child learn a task and completing it for them offer different opportunities.

Mealtimes in June 2024 included children serving food and pouring drinks, with conversations about handwashing and healthy eating. Food therefore provided another occasion to practise independence and social interaction.

Sessions and Attendance

The Lees Road setting at 77 Lees Road, Oldham, OL4 1JW accepts children aged two to five and operates during term time. Morning sessions run from 9am to noon, while afternoon sessions run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday. Breakfast and after-school care are also included among the booking options.

Registration uses an online form: families select the Lees Road preschool, enter their preferred attendance pattern and provide details of any additional support or allergies. The nursery aims to respond within 48 hours of an enquiry. Advance registration is recommended, so families can begin the process before their intended start date.

Funding and Paid Extras

Both 15-hour and 30-hour funded childcare entitlements are accepted, alongside private paying arrangements. The Lees Road preschool's term-time model is the relevant attendance pattern for families considering funded sessions; entitlement participation does not itself guarantee a particular booking.

Families should obtain a written quotation for their chosen arrangement. Comparing the whole attendance pattern, rather than funded hours alone, gives a clearer basis for budgeting.

• Term-time attendance. Lees Road serves term-time families, with separate morning and afternoon sessions. Consider how that calendar and the midday gap fit work and other childcare commitments.
• Consistency of adult support. June 2024 improvement priorities concerned curriculum delivery and staff development, alongside examples of adults completing manageable tasks for children. During a visit, ask how practitioners now balance help with independence.
• Faith and outdoor learning. The group's Islamic faith ethos and weekly Forest School sessions are central to this offer. Families should weigh both elements when deciding whether its educational character fits their preferences.
• The complete cost. Funded and private paying arrangements are offered. What does the written quotation include for meals, non-food consumables and any additional attendance?

A-Star Kids suits families seeking term-time preschool through morning or afternoon attendance, with an Islamic faith ethos and recurring outdoor learning. Its June 2024 Good judgement provides a positive inspection position, while the practical examples show language, mathematics and independence being developed through everyday activity.

The decision also needs to account for the identified inconsistencies in adult practice. Families who value the faith and Forest School combination have a clear reason to consider Lees Road, with curriculum consistency an important subject for a visit.