Stars Pre-School Paston Ridings

A garden and a primary school on the same site give Stars Pre-School Paston Ridings a clear character: early education with independence and the move to school woven into everyday life. This Peterborough pre-school takes children aged two to five and has 30 places in total. Its indoor play spaces are airy, with outdoor space extending the opportunities for play.

Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding on 5 December 2024. The detail behind that judgement matters more than the label: children took responsibility for their belongings, adults developed conversations through play, and contact with school teachers helped prepare children for their next step. Those examples belong to December 2024; the current offer includes a key person for each child, an online parent app and forest school experiences.

Term-time opening and flexible sessions make the practical fit as important as the educational appeal. This is a pre-school for families whose childcare needs can work around the school calendar.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for learning and development, with maths, literacy and understanding the world forming part of the child's day. It is the common foundation for early education. Alongside it, the group-wide ASPIRE curriculum places emphasis on learning about the community, developing language and practising independence ahead of children's next steps.

In December 2024, mornings included a brief gathering for songs and books. Children also discussed the golden rules, the shared expectations that helped them understand why keeping play spaces tidy mattered. Adults returned to these expectations during the day. This made routines an opportunity to explain behaviour, rather than simply issue instructions.

Conversation also developed through practical play. In December 2024, adults asked children building in the sand pit to explain their plans and think through how to carry them out. The activity gave children a reason to put their ideas into words. For parents interested in language development, that is a useful example of teaching embedded in something a child has chosen to do.

Outdoor and Community Life

A garden complements the indoor play areas, while sessions include forest school experiences, an approach to learning through outdoor exploration, and excursions. These additions extend learning beyond the indoor spaces. They also give families a concrete outdoor element to weigh alongside the pre-school's preparation for primary education.

In December 2024, children frequently went to nearby shops and a care home to discover more about the people around them. Road safety was explored outdoors too. Community learning therefore had practical subjects: people, places and how to move safely beyond the setting.

Small physical arrangements carried another lesson. In December 2024, mirrors had tissues nearby so children could attend to their faces, while labelled coat pegs were positioned within their reach. Those details put ordinary self-care and looking after belongings into children's own hands. Independence had something tangible to practise.

Each child has an assigned key person who works closely with them. An online app shares development and activities with parents, connecting pre-school learning with family life.

At its December 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and judged support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities highly positively, with shared targets, involvement from other professionals and guidance helping parents continue learning at home. The useful mechanism was collaboration: staff and parents worked towards agreed aims rather than approaching support separately.

School preparation also involved relationships. In December 2024, children visited the school, teachers visited the pre-school, and staff passed on information about children's development and needs. Children watched the school's nativity and sports day as part of becoming familiar with school life. Meeting adults and experiencing school activities made the next setting less unfamiliar.

Free breakfast and afternoon snacks are included in sessions. Consumables, resources and materials also carry no extra charge, including within the funded offer; these are useful inclusions when families assess the overall cost of attendance.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Paston Ridings Primary School, Paston Ridings, Peterborough, PE4 7XG. Opening hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with closure in school holidays. The finish time is an important boundary for parents arranging collection around work.

Flexible session options support funded hours, with additional paid sessions beyond a child's allocation. Paston Ridings does not run an after-school club, which limits the fit for families needing later care.

Enquiries can be made directly to the pre-school on 01733 306044. Parking is provided, a practical consideration for families travelling by car.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered, including 30 hours for eligible working families and 15 hours for families receiving qualifying government support. Three- and four-year-olds can receive the universal 15-hour entitlement over 38 weeks. Attendance here is term-time, so the funding offer needs to be considered alongside the holiday closure rather than as year-round childcare.

Breakfast and snacks are included in funded sessions, and consumables are included at no extra cost. Additional sessions beyond funded hours are paid childcare. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, allowing families to assess the cost of their intended attendance rather than assume funding covers every session they need.

Sharing a site with Paston Ridings Primary School is useful for familiarity with school life. Attending the pre-school does not guarantee a Reception place; families still apply through the local authority admissions process.

• Term-time coverage. Opening ends at 3.30pm and the pre-school closes during school holidays. Families need to match those boundaries to their working hours and holiday arrangements.
• Outdoor experiences. Forest school experiences and excursions are included in sessions. During a visit, ask how these fit into the routine for a child of your child's age.
• School familiarity. The shared site and December 2024 transition activities offer a practical introduction to school life. They do not confer a Reception place at Paston Ridings Primary School.

Stars Pre-School Paston Ridings suits families seeking flexible term-time early education, whether using funded sessions or adding paid sessions beyond their entitlement. Its garden, individual key-person arrangement and school-site setting give that offer substance. The December 2024 examples of conversation, self-care and teacher contact show what preparation for school looked like in practice.

The deciding constraint is the calendar and collection time. For families who can work with those, this is a compelling pre-school choice with a clear emphasis on helping children do more for themselves.