Little Footsteps of Dereham
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Dereham for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 June 2025. Open since 2012, with 94 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 Norfolk
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Norfolk 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
NR20 3AEWhat 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.
- 23 July 2024 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 11 June 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff ensure that children are warmly greeted on arrival at the nursery. They support children's sense of belonging and provide children with nurturing interactions. Babies and children demonstrate that they have formed reassuring attachments with staff. They show they feel safe and secure as they happily explore the activities on offer.
Songs and rhymes are an integral part of the daily routine and are used well to support children's communication and language development. Babies benefit from regular exposure to repetitive rhymes that help them to develop early listening and attention skills. They respond with smiles, gestures and vocalisations, showing clear enjoyment and engagement. Toddlers enthusiastically participate in familiar action songs, using props to help them to choose the next song to sing.
Children benefit from plentiful and purposeful opportunities to learn outdoors. Staff ensure the outdoor environment is well resourced and thoughtfully organised to support all areas of learning, particularly physical development, exploration and imaginative play. Children confidently engage in activities that promote their independence and curiosity. They dig in the sand and experiment with water, splashing with their hands and jumping in puddles. Children fill and empty containers in the large outdoor mud kitchen areas. With staff's support, children carefully balance along wooden blocks.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- continue to support staff to promote more frequent and meaningful discussions with children about their learning to check children's understanding and comprehension of what is being taught.
- 11 June 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 14 June 2023Good
- 21 February 2023Inadequate
- 20 February 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 4 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Footsteps of Dereham
- 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.