Derwent Stepping Stones
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Derby for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2024. Open since 2006, with 128 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Derby
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Derby from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
DE21 6AHWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
- 9 August 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 11 January 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Leaders and staff take the time to find out about the children who attend nursery, and their families. They learn about what the children enjoy, what they can do and if parents have any concerns, so that they can prepare to welcome the children into the nursery. Children settle in well. Staff know what helps to comfort each individual child if they become upset during the day, which creates a supportive and secure environment for children. For example, staff use children's interests, such as trains, to distract them when they become upset. Staff are so engaging that children soon become engrossed in play. Staff continuously assess risks as children play, and help children to follow simple rules to keep themselves and others safe, such as using 'walking feet' indoors.
Staff create an interesting and inviting environment to spark children's curiosity.
Children are busy all day as they explore what is available. They are interested in newly introduced resources, but also return to more familiar activities, such as reading books, which they talk to staff about. Children take delight in creating models with recycled boxes and choosing the texture of play dough when they are making it. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are assisted by knowledgeable staff to join in and achieve through carefully planned next steps.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- increase the information shared with all parents to include children's next steps in learning n provide staff with strategies to help them to develop younger children's understanding of how their actions and behaviour affect other people.
- 11 January 2024Good
- 16 August 2018Good
- 4 December 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Derwent Stepping Stones
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.