Little Steps Pre-School
OutstandingBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Basildon for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in April 2024. Open since 2016, with 28 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 Essex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Essex 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
SS14 1SAWhat 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, 29 April 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are given the best start in life at this fully inclusive pre-school. Leaders have developed a curriculum that supports every child to make incredible progress and prepares them for the next stage in their education. The manager, who is passionate about her role, and her team show high levels of enjoyment and engagement as they skilfully bring the ambitious curriculum to life for all children through their highly effective teaching.
Children enjoy a range of experiences and activities that stretch and challenge their current skills and knowledge. For example, when throwing balls through hoops, staff raise the hoops higher and higher to continually extend the challenge. Staff organise the environments to consider children's interests, learning styles and talents. They use their expert judgement to decide when they should observe children and when they should step in and support learning. As a result, children remain highly sustained in their play and learning, showing positive attitudes and enjoyment.
Children have secure attachments with their key person. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the pre-school. Staff value children's voices. When deciding on the 'promises', staff consult with children on the pre-school rules, which are written in children's words. This helps children to successfully know and remember the 'promises'. Consequently, children's behaviour is impeccable. They respect one another and show kindness and empathy to their friends.
- 29 April 2024Outstanding
- 6 June 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Steps 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.