Step by step children's nursery Ltd
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Polegate for babies from 7 months up to school age, open 07:30 to 17:30, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2025. Open since 2023, with 21 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 hours per week Government funding for 2/3/4 year olds; 30 hours per week for 9 months to 4 year olds. Term time.
Worth knowing. 30 hours can be stretched to 22.5 hours per week over 50 weeks; 15 hours can be stretched to 11 hours per week over 50 weeks; any hours over the stretched amount charged at hourly rate.
What childcare usually costs in East Sussex
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in East Sussex 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
BN26 6NJWhat 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 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff are enthusiastic as they welcome children into the setting. The caring interactions of staff helps children to settle quickly. Staff effectively support all children to make good progress in their learning, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They place a high priority on children's emotional security. Staff show genuine care and affection for children and respond sensitively when children need more support.
Staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour, and they model this well.
They listen to what children have to say. All children, particularly younger children, are given time to process instructions. This allows them to contribute their own thoughts and opinions. Staff support children to be curious in their play. For example, children become excited when finding worms in the soil. Staff use this time to encourage children to think about the characteristics of other small creatures. They learn that insects have six legs and worms live underground. Staff remind children to always be kind and gently replace creatures where they have found them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support all staff to plan more precisely for what they want children to learn and to understand how to reflect this in the delivery of the curriculum.
- 29 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
Still missing for Step by step children's nursery Ltd
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.