First Steps Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in St. Leonards-On-Sea for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2022. Open since 1997, with 92 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 East Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in East Sussex 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
TN37 7RDWhat 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, 25 February 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Since the last inspection, the nursery has relocated to new, purpose-built premises in the hospital grounds. Children enjoy their time in the new building. They receive a warm welcome at the door and on entering their classroom. Children feel safe and secure. Younger children increase in confidence as they explore their environment and make choices about what they would like to do.
Children are kind, caring and respectful to each other. They follow the good social skills displayed by staff and respond well to the praise they receive. Children play happily with their friends. Any minor disagreements are quickly sorted out. Staff are always on hand to help resolve any upsets and support children to share and take turns. For example, they encourage children to look at the green number eight and the red hand on the clock to know when their turn will start.
Children enjoy learning and are curious about what is happening all around them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- monitor and take action to minimise the distractions, primarily caused by high noise levels, in the group rooms of the youngest children to support their language development more effectively n provide support for individual staff to improve their skills in planning so that activities are targeted more effectively and have a clearer intent for children's learning.
- 25 February 2022Good
- 16 May 2017Good
- 9 June 2016Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for First Steps 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.