Shining Stars Pre-School

In May 2023, language, independence and outdoor learning helped define Shining Stars Pre-School's day. This Peterborough setting has capacity for 24 children aged 2 to 5, placing its emphasis on the preschool years rather than baby care. At its 23 May 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated it Outstanding overall, with communication and language central to the teaching.

The current offer combines a key person for each child, an app for development updates and outdoor space. Breakfast and snacks are included in sessions, alongside resources and materials at no extra charge. For parents, those are useful practical details: communication has a clear route, and everyday food and learning materials are part of the arrangement.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the expectations for children's learning, development and care: here, reading, phonics, play and outdoor activities turn that framework into a child's day. Shining Stars also uses the group's ASPIRE curriculum, organised around Learn, Achieve, Protect, Develop and be Ready. Its stated purpose is to prepare children for their next stage with confidence and curiosity; it sits alongside the statutory framework.

Structured learning shares the day with freely chosen play and exploration. Reading and phonics contribute to preparation for school, while play gives children opportunities to investigate and make choices. The combination matters for families seeking early learning that includes both adult guidance and space for children's own interests.

In May 2023, staff used conversation throughout activities, including stories, songs and play dough. New vocabulary came through the activity itself, so words had an immediate meaning rather than being taught in isolation. Children learning English as an additional language practised unfamiliar words in their play. That is a concrete example of how the language emphasis worked at the time.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor space supports the current offer, with forest school experiences, meaning learning through outdoor exploration, and excursions included in sessions. These additions extend the day beyond reading and indoor play.

In May 2023, children planted cress in outdoor flower beds, filled watering cans at a tap and discussed what plants needed to grow. Staff prompted them to connect earlier planting with the care their plants needed next. The physical task gave children something real to explain and remember.

Community experiences also featured in May 2023. Children made regular visits during the year to a care home, a mosque and a local church, meeting people beyond their immediate families and nursery group. These outings brought differences in people's lives into children's experience rather than leaving them as an abstract topic.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who works with them across their development. That gives parents a clear practitioner relationship around their child's learning. An online app shares activities and development updates, allowing families to follow some of what happens during sessions.

In May 2023, communication also included consultations each term and learning packs to use at home. Parents received continuing feedback about development and could discuss concerns with staff. The packs connected nursery activities with family time, giving parents something practical to share with their children rather than only a progress summary.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities exceptionally strong, including individual assistance when needed and cooperation with parents and other professionals. This is a dated judgement, with a clear explanation of what the support involved.

Everyday independence was visible in May 2023 too: children managed handwashing and bathroom use themselves, and cut fruit with knives at snack time. These were opportunities to practise personal care and hand control within ordinary routines. When sharing became difficult, staff helped children consider kindness and taking turns. The care described was practical as well as conversational.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 101 Garton End Road, Peterborough PE1 4EZ. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and attendance is term-time, with closure during school holidays. The calendar is therefore an important part of the fit for families, even with the broad weekday opening window.

Flexible sessions are offered, and additional paid sessions can be arranged beyond funded hours. These are separate decisions: a funded entitlement determines the hours a child may qualify for, while the family's attendance arrangement determines how those hours and any extra sessions fit together.

Parent enquiries and tour bookings can be made directly with the branch on 01733 746364. A visit offers a chance to discuss the child's needs with the team before joining.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered. The universal entitlement for children aged three and four is 15 hours each week over 38 weeks, beginning in the term after their third birthday, for a maximum of six terms before their fifth birthday. The offer also includes 15 funded hours for families receiving qualifying government support. Eligibility conditions apply; funding does not itself promise a particular attendance arrangement.

Breakfast and snacks are included in sessions, including funded sessions. The group's policy, applied here, makes resources, materials and consumables free of additional charges. That separates the everyday session inclusions from any extra attendance a family buys.

Additional sessions beyond funded hours are paid childcare, and a sibling discount is offered. Families should obtain the nursery's current written quotation for their intended arrangement. The useful comparison is the whole attendance package: funded hours, extra sessions and the inclusions that accompany them.

• Term-time calendar. Shining Stars closes during school holidays. Families needing care throughout the year should weigh that calendar against their working commitments.
• Flexible attendance. The weekday opening window runs from 8am to 6pm, with flexible sessions and paid additions to funded hours. At a visit, ask how the proposed session pattern would fit your family's routine and funded entitlement.
• Outdoor experiences. Forest school experiences and excursions are included in sessions. Ask the team to explain how these activities work for your child's age and needs, and what participation involves.

Shining Stars suits families seeking term-time preschool care with flexible sessions, including those combining funded hours with additional paid attendance. The key person, parent app and included breakfast and snacks make the current arrangement easy to understand. Its May 2023 observations add substance: conversation during play, practical independence and community visits. The holiday closure is the clearest practical consideration for parents balancing preschool learning with year-round work.