Footsteps Nursery (Paulton)
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Paulton 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 March 2023. Open since 2011, with 39 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 Bath and North East Somerset
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Bath and North East Somerset 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
BS39 7QYWhat 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, 21 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
New children are provided with lots of sensitive reassurance and support to help them settle into the nursery. Staff obtain lots of information from parents. They get to know children very well and quickly build relationships with them, including on useful visits to the children's homes when children are in their more confident environment. Children build strong bonds with staff who are caring and kind. Staff are attentive to babies' needs, quickly fulfilling these to ensure babies' well-being remains high. New babies thrive on this and eagerly explore the thoughtfully set out resources, their confidence quickly growing.
Children are motivated to learn and develop their skills. The curriculum lead practitioner and room leaders work closely with staff in the children's 'key families'.
They link their curriculum and stimulating environment carefully to children's learning needs and interests. Children test out their ideas and explore different materials. Babies splash in water outside and learn to fill moulds with sand with attentive support from staff. Children create with natural resources outside producing imaginative mixes, such as a strawberry pie. They are inspired to make marks in flour and older children write letters of their name. They use scissors well and combine materials as they explore junk modelling and painting. Children develop their dexterity and strength in readiness for early writing.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- review adult-led group activities and develop toddlers' and older children's attention and involvement to higher levels n support staff to help the younger toddlers and quieter children to consistently share their views, building their confidence and communication even further.
- 21 March 2023Good
- 2 August 2017Good
- 27 August 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Footsteps Nursery (Paulton)
- 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.