Footsteps Nursery & Pre-School
Good★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Leighton Buzzard for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 February 2023. Open since 2009, with 45 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 Central Bedfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Central Bedfordshire 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
LU7 1NSWhat 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, 17 February 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the nursery excited and eager to go inside. Staff know all children and families well. They greet them warmly and are welcoming. This helps children to settle, feel safe, and secure. The children enjoy playing outdoors. They spend time using magnifying glasses to look at insects. As they do this, they engage in rich conversations with each other and adults. The children also enjoy counting the insect's legs and talk about, and compare, the various shapes and sizes of them.
This supports their understanding of the world and mathematics.
Younger children confidently move around the garden in a range of ways. They jump, crawl and enjoy climbing in and out of cars. They also delight in playing hide and seek with each other. This supports their physical development and social skills. Babies enjoy playing with balls and instruments. They use their increasing physical skills to reach, grab, crawl and shake them. As they do this they say
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to develop their teaching skills, so that they consistently use skilful questioning techniques n strengthen opportunities for children to learn about cultural diversity in their community and the wider world.
- 17 February 2023Good
- 7 July 2017Good
- 8 April 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Footsteps Nursery & Pre-School
- 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.