Stars Pre-School Ravensthorpe

A large outdoor area, Gardening Club and a dedicated baby room give Stars Pre-School Ravensthorpe a broader identity than its pre-school name might imply. At Brigstock Court in Peterborough, it welcomes children from nine months to five years and has capacity for 42 children in total. The outdoor space gives play and movement room alongside indoor learning.

Ofsted rated the setting Good on 25 April 2023, with communication, independence and relationships prominent in its account, but called for more consistent learning during changes between activities. That judgement predates the current baby-room offer. It is a useful assessment of the pre-school provision at that time, rather than an assessment of today's youngest children's experience.

Funded childcare and additional paid sessions are offered, with flexible session options. Free breakfast and snacks, a key person for each child and an app for development updates are useful practical elements for families.

Rooms and Ages

The baby room takes children from nine months, while the pre-school room serves children aged two to five. This gives babies a dedicated room alongside the provision for older children. For a family choosing care for a younger child, that room is an important part of the decision, rather than a detail to overlook because of the setting's name.

Indoor learning sits alongside a large outdoor area. Activities take place outside regularly, including Gardening Club, an outdoor gardening activity, and little P.E classes intended to help children prepare for school. These give the outdoor offer concrete shape: it includes organised activities as well as space for play.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care, so education here involves play and activities that develop communication, physical skills and social confidence. Alongside that common framework, Ravensthorpe uses the group's ASPIRE curriculum, organised around Learn, Achieve, Protect, Develop and Be Ready. Its stated aim is preparation for children's next stage with confidence and curiosity; the name alone should not be read as a separate inspection judgement.

Activities are tailored to individual children, and included experiences extend to forest school experiences, an approach to learning outdoors, and excursions. These add opportunities beyond the indoor setting. They are part of the session offer, rather than a reason to assume a particular timetable or destination.

In April 2023, communication received substantial attention during play: staff started conversations, listened to children's replies and used picture cards to help them communicate. Children learning English as an additional language had their language development monitored. This made interaction with adults part of learning, with visual support alongside spoken conversation.

Independence also had everyday expression in April 2023. Children prepared their own fruit, cleaned their plates after snacks and managed handwashing. Such tasks gave them opportunities to practise doing things for themselves. However, some lost interest while adults prepared lunch or helped other children leave, making the organisation of those intervals a material point for parents to explore.

Relationships and Communication

Each child has a key person who works with them across their development, giving parents a specific practitioner with whom to discuss progress. The parent app provides updates about activities and development. Together, those arrangements provide both personal conversation and a way to follow what a child has been doing between those conversations.

In April 2023, children sought comfort from their key person, and practitioners planned activities for nursery and home. Learning was therefore shared with families rather than confined to the session. Children also approached adults for help and shared their achievements with others, giving a concrete picture of how those relationships worked at that time.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

The setting has a SENDCO lead role, providing a specific point of responsibility for special educational needs and disabilities. At the April 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND made good progress through professional collaboration, parent review meetings and individual targets, and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. Those are dated findings; the current SENDCO role is a practical mechanism for discussing a child's support.

Breakfast and snacks are included at no additional charge, including within the funded session offer, and a kitchen team prepares varied meals. For families, the included breakfast and snacks remove those items from the additional-cost calculation, while meals remain a separate subject to cover in the written quotation.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Brigstock Court, Westwood, Peterborough PE3 7NB. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, during term time, with school holidays closed. The term-time calendar matters as much as the daily opening window when matching childcare to work commitments.

Flexible session options support use of funded hours, and additional paid sessions can be arranged beyond them. An opening window is useful for planning, but the agreed attendance pattern belongs in the family's booking arrangements. Direct enquiries can be made on 01733 330345.

Getting There

Parking is provided, and the setting is next to Ravensthorpe Primary. Its position is also relevant to families with children at Highlees Primary School, although proximity should be treated as a practical location detail when organising the family day.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare includes 30 hours for eligible working families from nine months and 15 hours for families receiving qualifying government support. Three- and four-year-olds can receive 15 hours a week over 38 weeks. Eligibility conditions matter: the funded offer should not be read as a promise that every family's chosen attendance pattern is covered.

Consumables, resources and materials carry no additional charge, including in the funded offer. Breakfast and snacks are also free within sessions. Additional sessions beyond funded hours are paid separately, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. A sibling discount is offered, which may be relevant when calculating care for more than one child.

• The baby-room decision. The dedicated baby room accepts children from nine months, while the April 2023 judgement concerned older children. During a visit, ask how settling, sleep and the youngest children's daily routines work in this room.
• Changes between activities. In April 2023, some children became distracted around lunch preparation and home time. Ask how children are occupied during those intervals now, because this was the specific improvement required.
• Term-time planning. School holidays are closed, and flexible sessions can include additional paid attendance beyond funding. Ask for a written booking plan showing the sessions agreed, the funded allocation and the meal arrangements so the package fits the family calendar.

Stars Pre-School Ravensthorpe suits families seeking term-time childcare with outdoor activities, a dedicated baby room and a pre-school room, whether using funded sessions or adding paid attendance. Gardening Club and little P.E classes give the outdoor space a clear purpose, while a key person and development app provide practical routes for parent communication.

The Good judgement from April 2023 offers a useful starting point for assessing the older children's provision, with a specific reservation about changes between activities. For parents of babies, the dedicated room deserves equal weight in the decision. The strongest case here is the combination of outdoor experiences, individual contact and included everyday extras.