First Step Pre-School Ltd
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Bristol for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2021. Open since 2007, with 38 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 South Gloucestershire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in South Gloucestershire 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
BS35 2HQWhat 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.
Ofsted inspector, 9 December 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children receive a warm welcome by the caring staff team and enjoy attending this nurturing and inclusive pre-school. Children separate from their parents and carers with ease and settle in quickly. They show excitement as they see their friends and familiar adults.
Staff provide a safe and enabling environment for children to freely explore indoors and outside. They listen to children's interests and adapt their planning accordingly to capture the child's voice. Staff have high expectations of all children. They ensure children are very much at the centre of their own learning and encourage them to make decisions, solve problems and develop their thinking skills. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress and gain the necessary skills for their future learning.
The pre-school adopts a creative method of supporting child development. They implement the 'curiosity approach' to learning, where children get to explore a range of everyday items to encourage their natural curiosity. For example, children make connections to real-life situations as they dress up in adult-size clothes, hats and shoes and pull suitcases around the room. These opportunities enable staff to gain a real insight into a child's life and staff use this to help inform their planning and support children's individual needs.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff further to develop their understanding of the key-person role, particularly to help build their confidence in sharing information with others n provide children with clear and consistent messages about the importance of making healthy food choices.
- 9 December 2021Good
- 24 February 2017Good
- 11 March 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for First Step Pre-School Ltd
- 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.