PCC St Stephen's - STEPS
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Tonbridge for children from birth to 8+, open 08:45 to 15:45, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 1979, 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 Kent
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Kent 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
TN9 2SWWhat 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, 14 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the setting. On arrival, they are excited to see their friends. Children receive a warm welcome from staff, which helps them to confidently separate from their parents. Children who are upset on arrival, receive cuddles and reassurance from staff and quickly settle. Children have positive relationships with staff. A well-established key-person system helps children to form secure attachments. This helps children to feel safe.
Children thoroughly enjoy a range of activities and resources, which help them to learn across all areas. For example, young children develop their imaginations and language skills when they make 'cakes' in the mud kitchen. Children show high levels of confidence as they move freely around the environment choosing what they would like to play with. Children who are less confident are successfully supported by staff to make choices in their play and learning.
Children learn about healthy lifestyles. They spend long periods learning outdoors where they benefit from fresh air and develop their physical skills. For example, they ride trikes and chase each other in the garden. Additionally, they plant vegetables and herbs in the growing garden, which helps them to understand about healthy foods.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve strategies to ensure all staff consistently encourage children to develop their independence skills and try things for themselves n develop procedures for monitoring staff performance to ensure all staff are supported to teach to the highest level.
- 14 November 2022Good
- 23 March 2017Good
- 13 January 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for PCC St Stephen's - STEPS
- 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.