Stars Day Nurseries t/a Stars Pre-School Parnwell

Community support gives Parnwell its character. Based in the community centre on Salters Gate, this setting combines early learning with practical help for families: in November 2022, that included food parcels and gifts marking Eid and Christmas. Its appeal extends beyond what happens during a child's session.

Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding on 30 November 2022, with teaching that followed children's interests and effective support for communication and language. That judgement belongs to the provision at that date. Today, Parnwell welcomes children from 9 months to 5 years. There are 52 places in total.

The current offer includes outdoor space, a parent app and breakfast and snacks included in sessions. Flexible sessions support funded attendance, with additional paid sessions possible beyond funded hours.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children's learning and care, bringing together play, communication, physical development and growing independence. Alongside it, Parnwell uses the group's ASPIRE curriculum, which combines learning about themselves and their community with social interaction, quieter thinking activities and healthy living sessions. Children have opportunities both to join others and to develop their imagination independently.

School preparation includes phonics, early maths and reading, alongside outdoor play. These are concrete parts of the educational offer, rather than a promise of a particular outcome. The balance matters: preparation for school includes becoming comfortable with other children and developing independence as well as exploring letters and numbers.

In November 2022, the book of the week gave children repeated encounters with a story, helping them become familiar with its content. Singing and instruments introduced rhythm and changes in volume. Train-track construction became a way to explore length, while letters from children's names gave writing a personal connection. Learning drew on things children already wanted to do.

Play dough, sensory materials and creating aliens also featured in November 2022. These examples show how practical exploration sat alongside early literacy and maths, rather than the day being organised solely around formal teaching activities.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor space is part of Parnwell's facilities. Sessions also include the group's forest school experiences, an approach to learning outdoors through exploration, and excursions. These extend children's experiences beyond indoor activities without implying a fixed timetable or a particular destination.

In November 2022, outdoor activities challenged children's physical skills and involved solving problems with staff. The community-centre setting also shaped relationships beyond the nursery: staff worked with the centre's owners, while outreach connected local families with support. That community connection is a useful part of Parnwell's identity for parents who value relationships close to home.

An online parent app is included in sessions and shares children's activities and development. Parents and carers can contribute to their child's development, giving home interests a place in conversations about learning. This makes communication about what a child enjoys part of the educational offer, rather than limiting it to practical messages.

At the November 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) highly effective, with parents and professionals helping identify needs and arrange support promptly. The practical mechanism matters: support was connected to an individual child's needs and brought together the adults involved in their care.

In November 2022, leaders were developing the sensory room further for children with SEND. Families also received help accessing services beyond the setting. These are dated examples of support, rather than a description of every child's current arrangements.

Today's curriculum includes sessions promoting healthy living. In November 2022, children explored toothbrushing, food choices and safety in cars, linking care with everyday habits they could recognise at home. Breakfast and snacks are included in sessions at no additional charge, including funded sessions.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is The Community Centre, Salters Gate, Parnwell, Peterborough, PE1 4YH. Branch enquiries use 01733 348598, and tours can be arranged through the nursery's contact form or by telephone.

Flexible sessions can be used for funded attendance, and families can arrange additional paid sessions beyond their funded hours. In November 2022, the setting operated on weekdays during term time, with session times running from 8.30am to 3pm. Those hours describe that period and should not be treated as the current timetable.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 30 hours for eligible working families from 9 months, 15 hours for families receiving qualifying additional government support, and the universal 15-hour entitlement for three- and four-year-olds. The universal entitlement is described over 38 weeks. Eligibility conditions remain part of these arrangements; participation does not mean every family qualifies for the same hours.

Breakfast and snacks are included in sessions. The group-wide arrangement used here also provides consumables, resources and materials at no extra cost, including within funded attendance. Additional private sessions are separate from funded hours, and a sibling discount is offered. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Getting There

Parking is provided at the setting. Parnwell sits next door to Lime Academy Parnwell and close to Tesco Regional Distribution Centre, useful landmarks for families planning their journey.

• Matching attendance to family routines. Flexible funded sessions and additional paid sessions are offered. What current session timetable and lunch arrangement would apply to your child's proposed attendance?
• Support tailored to your child. The November 2022 findings included prompt coordination with parents and professionals, plus development of the sensory room. At a visit, discuss how your child's needs would translate into daily support and communication.
• Included costs. Breakfast, snacks and consumables carry no extra charge, while additional sessions beyond funded hours are paid separately. Use a written quotation for the attendance pattern you intend to book.

Parnwell suits families seeking flexible funded attendance, including those who want to add paid sessions beyond their entitlement. Its community-centre base, outdoor learning and parent communication give the offer practical substance. The strongest quality judgement dates to November 2022, so it belongs alongside the current offer rather than standing as a description of every present-day arrangement.

For parents who value local family support as well as early learning, the community work observed in November 2022 was a strength of the setting at that time. The decision turns on how its flexible sessions fit your family's routine and how individual support would work for your child.