Shooting Stars Pre-School

Painted frogs, counting games and stories that spill into play give Shooting Stars Pre-School its character. Based at Paston & Gunthorpe Community Centre in Peterborough, it brings early learning into a neighbourhood setting, with outdoor facilities and regular opportunities for parents to take part.

Ofsted rated the preschool Outstanding on 29 September 2025, with ambitious teaching and communication among its strengths. The useful detail is how learning happens: a story becomes the starting point for songs, conversation and practical activities, rather than remaining a separate reading session.

Children aged two to five attend, and there are 34 places in total. Morning, afternoon and full-day attendance are offered during term time. That makes this a choice for families seeking preschool sessions alongside home life, as well as those wanting a longer preschool day.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, children learn through play and supported activities that develop language, early number skills, physical confidence and relationships; it is the common framework for early years provision.

In September 2025, teaching revolved around a central story, with repeated phrases carried into singing and play. Children used binoculars as part of an activity about what they could see. This gives a shared story a practical life beyond the book: children have something to look for, talk about and remember together.

Language teaching was woven into those activities. In September 2025, adults left gaps in songs for children to complete and expanded children's short answers by adding descriptive words. During wand-making, new vocabulary accompanied handling leaves. These are concrete ways to give children more words for what they are doing, while leaving them an active part in the conversation.

Early maths was equally practical. In September 2025, children counted scoops of rice during imaginative frog play and compared lengths using wooden planks. Decorating frogs also became a counting task, with adults discussing how many eyes were still needed. Number and measurement were connected to things children could handle and change.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor facilities are part of the current offer, alongside forest school experiences and excursions included within sessions. The forest school experiences bring an outdoor learning element to the preschool day. For children who enjoy exploring beyond indoor activities, this adds another setting for play and discovery.

In September 2025, experiences beyond the usual activities included finding pumpkins on the grass beside the setting, farm visits and trips to the pantomime. Those examples show the breadth of experiences used to introduce children to the world around them. They also provide new subjects for conversation back at preschool.

A free toddler group runs on Mondays from 9.30am to 10.30am, with no advance booking needed. It adds a regular community activity alongside the preschool's childcare sessions.

Relationships and Communication

An online parent app provides updates about children's development and activities. Regular parent consultations and stay and play sessions offer opportunities for discussion and shared play too. Families therefore have both a way to follow the day remotely and occasions to participate in person.

In September 2025, parents were invited to shared experiences at least once each half term, including Mother's Day events and a Christmas workshop. These were opportunities to join children's activities, rather than relying entirely on conversations about them afterwards.

Behaviour routines were made visible. In September 2025, pictures illustrating the preschool's golden rules were displayed at children's height, and adults used consistent reminders and praise. A child could see the expectations as well as hear them, helping make ideas such as sharing and taking turns easier to understand.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2025 inspection, Ofsted found effective safeguarding and strong support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including collaboration with families and external agencies and help with school-transition paperwork. This is meaningful for parents whose child needs support that continues beyond the preschool day.

Current support includes staff training for special educational needs, including speech and language difficulties. The emphasis on communication also connects with the practical language activities described above. For families preparing for school, the September 2025 work included sharing strategies that had helped children at preschool, giving transition support a concrete purpose.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time only. Families can choose morning, afternoon or full-day sessions, and an early bird session begins at 8am for children aged two to four. The term-time calendar is a central part of the decision: childcare arrangements need to fit the school-holiday breaks as well as the daily timetable.

Lunch club runs from 11.30am to 12.30pm and carries an additional charge. Breakfast and snacks are included at no extra cost, while families supply a healthy packed lunch for lunch club.

Getting There

The address is Paston & Gunthorpe Community Centre, Hallfields Lane, Peterborough PE4 7YH. Parking is provided, making the community-centre location a practical consideration for families travelling by car.

Enquiries can be made through the preschool's contact form or by calling 01733 578215. This is the branch's direct contact number.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered on a term-time basis, including 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds over 38 weeks, 15 hours for families receiving qualifying government support, and 30 hours for eligible working families. Eligibility conditions apply; the preschool's accepted age range remains two to five.

Additional sessions beyond funded hours can be arranged privately. The charge structure separates those extra sessions from the funded entitlement and from lunch club, so the total booking needs to be considered as a whole. Obtain a current written quotation for the attendance pattern you choose.

The group-wide consumables policy applies here: resources and materials carry no additional charge. Forest school experiences, excursions and the parent app are included within sessions. These inclusions help families distinguish the session offer from the separately charged lunch club.

• Term-time attendance. Morning, afternoon and full-day sessions sit within a term-time calendar. Families needing childcare during school holidays should weigh that calendar against their working arrangements.
• Lunch arrangements. Lunch club is charged separately and requires a packed lunch from home. This adds both a booking cost and a daily preparation task for families using the midday period.
• Language support and settling. Staff training includes speech and language difficulties, and shared parent sessions are part of the offer. During a tour, ask how settling would be planned around your child's communication needs and how support would be shared with you.

Shooting Stars suits families wanting morning or afternoon preschool sessions, as well as those choosing full-day attendance within a term-time routine. Its strongest appeal is the combination of practical learning and parent participation: stories lead into conversation and counting, while consultations and shared sessions give families a role in the experience.

The September 2025 Outstanding judgement adds weight to that choice. The practical limits are clear too: the preschool day ends in the afternoon, school holidays fall outside the attendance calendar, and lunch club involves a separate charge and food from home. For families whose timetable fits, this is a compelling preschool option.