First Steps Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Manchester for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 2005, with 89 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 Manchester
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Manchester 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
M13 9WLWhat 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, 6 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and eager to start their day. Staff greet children warmly and sensitively, helping them to feel safe and secure. Children behave very well. Staff share their high expectations for positive behaviour clearly and consistently.
Children remember and discuss the golden rules with confidence and remind each other of their importance. Children are quickly learning how to build good relationships based on respectful behaviour. These are important qualities needed for the next stage in their development.
Communication and language development is a real strength throughout the nursery. Staff use a lot of narration to expose children to a broad range of vocabulary. Babies learn new words, such as 'scoop' and 'pour'. Two-year-old children learn familiar phrases, such as 'ready, steady, go'. Pre-school children are incredibly confident communicators. They talk at length about their experiences at nursery and things they enjoy doing at home.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review the organisation of circle times, particularly in the toddler room, to help children remain engaged and motivated to learn n provide staff with more feedback on their practice to raise the quality of education to a higher level.
- 6 December 2022Good
- 24 June 2022Inadequate
- 29 September 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for First Steps Day Nursery
- 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.