First Steps Pre-school
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Crewe for babies from 9 months up to 5 year olds, open 08:45 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2025. Open since 2014, with 38 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 or 30 hours of government funding for children from 9 months old, depending on eligibility.
What childcare usually costs in Cheshire East
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cheshire East 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
CW1 3RBWhat 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, 11 February 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy, curious learners thanks to the tailored support and encouragement they receive from staff. The management team is committed to delivering a curriculum that meets the needs of every child. The setting cares for a high number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
The management team and staff have high expectations for every child. They are passionate about all children having the best start in life. This includes all children accessing a curriculum that is ambitious, supportive, individualised and successfully designed to promote their ongoing development. This helps all children to embrace a positive attitude to learning.
Staff secure warm bonds with children. They use thoughtful praise to lift the selfesteem and confidence of children. Children thrive in this culture. They beam with pride as they show off their creations and achievements to staff. Staff use the embedded daily routine to help children prepare the skills that help them to succeed in later learning, such as in primary school. This looks different for every child, but what is uniform is the impressive progress all children make from their starting points. Staff model good behaviour to children during their care and social interactions. Children show respectful behaviour in turn to their peers and adults.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- organise free-play times more effectively so all children are supported to access learning and engage positively with their peers.
- 11 February 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 2 April 2019Good
- 8 June 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for First Steps Pre-school
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.