Footsteps Stafford
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Stafford for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2025. Open since 2017, with 81 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 Staffordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Staffordshire 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
ST16 1BAWhat 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.
- 19 August 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 20 June 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 6 July 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 12 January 2023 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 20 April 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 9 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Relationships within the setting are positive. Staff are good role models for children. They communicate well with each other and demonstrate kindness and respect to all. Babies enjoy cuddles from staff when they need comfort, and staff are attentive to their needs. Pre-school children introduce themselves to visitors, showing confidence in their environment.
Established routines help children to know what is coming next. As a result, children generally respond well to directions from staff. For example, pre-school children know to line up for outdoor play and wait for their headcount before proceeding outside. This contributes to a calm and positive learning environment.
Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play. Children of all ages learn about the natural world around them as they go on a bug hunt. Younger children enjoy digging in the soil during a planned activity. They practise their fine motor skills as they use pens to tick off the bugs they see. They squeal with excitement when they find real life insects and watch with wonder as they crawl up their arm. Older children confidently explore their outdoor environment, leading their own play. They work together as a team to lift logs and tree stumps, asking for help when required.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- provide children with more consistent support to work towards their development targets and promote their learning to the highest possible level n embed a more highly focused supervision process to further support staff development and continue to raise the quality of teaching.
- 9 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 1 November 2023Good
- 21 June 2023Inadequate
- 3 February 2022Good
- 8 August 2019Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 5 graded inspections.
Still missing for Footsteps Stafford
- 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.