Little Stars Day Nursery

Outdoor experiences, a chef-prepared lunch and care extending into the school years give Little Stars Day Nursery a practical family brief. This Dogsthorpe Road setting in Peterborough combines nursery and preschool provision with after-school and holiday clubs. Its appeal lies in that breadth, alongside a choice of shorter sessions and attendance across the year or during term time.

Ofsted rated Little Stars Outstanding at its March 2020 inspection. That judgement belongs to that date. Today, the nursery has capacity for 90 children aged 3 months to 5 years; the separate clubs cater for children aged 4 to 11. Those total places should not be read as the size of a child's room or daily group.

Learning and Activities

ASPIRE is the Stars Day Nurseries group curriculum used here, with learning tailored to individual children's needs. It sits alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage, the shared foundation for learning through play. Here, activities build on children's interests, helping them develop confidence and independence in preparation for school. The useful distinction for parents is between that shared foundation and the nursery's own approach to planning around each child.

Children's interests shape activities, and the emphasis is on developing independence ahead of school. Forest school experiences, meaning learning through outdoor exploration, and excursions are included within children's sessions. These add opportunities beyond indoor play, rather than requiring families to buy a separate activity package.

Outdoor and Community Life

Little Stars has outdoor space as well as indoor facilities, giving children settings for different kinds of play. Central Park is nearby, but proximity should be treated as a location advantage rather than a promise of trips there. The excursions and forest school experiences are the actual additions to the nursery offer.

Communication with home has a concrete channel: a free parent app carries updates about children's activities and development. That gives families a way to follow nursery life between conversations with staff. Parents and carers are also encouraged to contribute to their child's development, so communication is intended to work in both directions.

Food has a clear place in the care arrangements. A chef prepares the hot lunch, and paid nursery sessions include lunch and afternoon tea; breakfast and snacks are free, while families using funded hours can buy optional lunch and tea or supply a healthy packed lunch instead. The distinction matters for a child staying across mealtimes: the food arrangement depends on how the session is paid for.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 124-128 Dogsthorpe Road, Peterborough, PE1 3AL. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and the nursery operates for 51 weeks each year. Closures include bank holidays and a week at Christmas, so year-round attendance still needs to accommodate those breaks.

Morning, afternoon and all-day sessions are offered, with both term-time-only and year-round childcare. Families can pay privately without funding or purchase additional sessions alongside funded hours. This gives a meaningful choice between shorter attendance and whole days, rather than a single attendance pattern for everyone.

The After-School Club and Holiday Club extend childcare beyond the nursery years for children aged 4 to 11. They may be useful to families with children at different stages, although they remain separate from the nursery's provision for babies and preschool children.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 30 hours for eligible working families from 9 months, 15 hours for families receiving qualifying government support, and the universal 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds. The latter is offered over 38 weeks. Little Stars also allows funding to be stretched across the year, making the delivery pattern relevant to families comparing term-time attendance with care through the holidays.

Consumables, resources and materials carry no extra charge, including on funded sessions. Meals need a separate distinction: breakfast and snacks are free, paid sessions include hot lunch and tea, and funded-only sessions have optional meal charges with a packed-lunch alternative. Current prices belong in the nursery's written quotation, alongside the chosen attendance and meal arrangements.

• Funded hours and mealtimes. Lunch and tea are optional paid additions during funded-only sessions, with food from home required if those meals are declined. Compare the written quotation for your intended pattern with the packed-lunch alternative.
• Outdoor experiences. Forest school experiences and excursions form part of sessions. During a visit, ask how these work for your child's age and how they fit into the nursery day.
• Attendance through the holidays. Both term-time-only and year-round childcare are offered, but bank holidays and the Christmas closure affect planning. Match those breaks to your family's working arrangements.

Little Stars suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as all-day attendance, with term-time and year-round options. The free app, outdoor experiences and clear distinction between funded and paid-session meals provide useful practical reasons to consider it. Its Outstanding judgement is dated March 2020; the strongest current decision points are the attendance choices, included consumables and provision extending into after-school and holiday care.