Stars Pre-School Welland

An outdoor space, excursions and a place within Acorn Children’s Centre give Stars Pre-School Welland a clear preschool identity. Children aged two to five learn through play, with a regular adult contact and an app connecting parents to their activities and development. The emphasis is on preparation for the next stage, alongside the everyday work of making friends and finding words to express ideas.

At its 7 January 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the setting Good and found safeguarding effective. There was a specific teaching issue to address: some changes between activities were poorly organised, and staff sometimes missed children’s waning interest. Relationships and the organisation of learning need to be considered together.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for children’s learning and care: play supports language, physical development, relationships and early understanding of numbers and the world. Alongside it, Welland uses the group-wide ASPIRE curriculum, organised around Learn, Achieve, Protect, Develop and Be Ready. Each child has a regular point of contact supporting their development, so the curriculum has an individual relationship attached to it.

Topics include food, traditions, culture and relationships. These connect learning to things children encounter in family life rather than treating preparation for school as a separate exercise. The stated aim is to develop confidence, curiosity and sociability through interaction and play.

In January 2025, children explored dough with their hands and moved mud and sand between containers using wooden spoons. Adults supplied words to describe those actions, linking physical exploration with vocabulary. Counting also involved children’s fingers, including counting in both directions. These are concrete examples of learning through ordinary materials and movement.

Small-group activities in January 2025 involved listening to instructions and hearing other children identify shapes and colours. Children had opportunities to speak among their peers as well as listen. For a parent weighing preschool preparation, that combination matters: taking part in a group involves communication as well as knowing an answer.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor space and trips are part of the offer. Sessions also include excursions and forest school experiences, an outdoor learning activity offered alongside the other additional experiences. These give children opportunities beyond indoor play.

In January 2025, outdoor movement included running, jumping and practising controlled stops. Staff then drew children’s attention to their heartbeat. Physical play became an opportunity to notice how their bodies responded to exercise, linking movement with an early understanding of health.

The teaching concern deserves equal weight. In January 2025, some children drifted away from activities while preparations for the next part of the day interrupted learning. Improving consistency across staff practice was the required next step. An appealing activity needs adults who sustain children’s involvement, including through the less structured moments between tasks.

Relationships and Communication

A regular adult contact gives each child a continuing relationship within the setting. Parents’ input is welcomed, and the app provides updates about development and activities. Together, these offer personal contact and a way to follow learning beyond conversations with staff.

In January 2025, staff adjusted their responses to children’s moods and gave those returning after an attendance break time to explore and become familiar with the preschool again. Settling was responsive to the child rather than simply moving everyone straight into the same activity.

Family involvement also extended to practical learning workshops in January 2025. Staff shared activity ideas that parents could use at home, while information flowed between families and practitioners. This made home learning a shared task, with examples parents could put into practice.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the January 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children with SEND received effective support through close work with families and professionals, early steps towards education, health and care plan assessments, and adapted targets that helped them participate and make good progress. That is a useful account of the support process, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 20 Scalfords Drive, Welland, Peterborough, PE1 4TR. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and attendance is term-time, with school holidays closed. The calendar therefore matters as much as the daily opening window for families planning care around work.

Flexible session options are offered, and additional sessions beyond funded hours can be arranged. Enquiries and tour bookings can be made directly with the preschool on 01733 667356. The flexible arrangement allows families to consider funded attendance and further paid sessions as separate parts of their childcare plan.

Getting There

Acorn Children’s Centre houses the preschool, which adjoins Welland Primary School; parking is provided. Attending the preschool does not guarantee a Reception place.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered within Welland’s accepted age range. This includes 30 hours for eligible working families, 15 hours for families receiving qualifying government support, and the universal 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds over 38 weeks. Universal funding starts in the term after the child’s third birthday.

Breakfast and snacks are included at no extra cost, including within funded sessions. The group-wide consumables policy also applies here: resources and materials carry no additional charge. Paid attendance beyond funded hours can be arranged; current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Teaching between activities. January 2025 practice included interruptions to learning when children moved towards the next activity. On a visit, ask how staff now keep children engaged during these changes.
• Term-time planning. The preschool closes for school holidays, despite its weekday opening window extending to 6pm. Families needing care throughout the year should weigh the calendar against their working pattern.
• Outdoor experiences. Excursions and forest school experiences are included in sessions. Ask what these involve for your child’s age and how they fit into their attendance pattern.

Welland suits families seeking term-time preschool education, whether through flexible funded sessions or additional paid attendance beyond their entitlement. Its regular adult contact, parent app and included breakfast, snacks and materials make the practical offer easy to understand. Outdoor experiences add another dimension to the day.

The January 2025 teaching concern is the balancing point: children’s involvement was not sustained consistently through every activity and change of routine. The strongest fit is for parents who value play, family communication and flexible attendance, while giving the organisation of the nursery day careful attention.