Stepping Out
Good★ 4.2 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in London for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023. Open since 2018, with 30 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 Croydon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Croydon 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
SE25 6XXWhat 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, 12 September 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are warmly welcomed into the setting by attentive and friendly staff.
Children are quick to settle and eagerly choose an activity from the stimulating learning environment. They experiment when using the corn flour, commenting that it has lost its 'stickiness'. They collect items from their 'shop' with friends and enthusiastically push their trolley around. They learn to play cooperatively while sharing tools in the mud kitchen. Children form strong bonds with staff. They receive praise and encouragement throughout the day. This helps to build their self-esteem and confidence.
Staff help each child to develop a good understanding of the behaviour and routines they expect in the setting. For example, sand timers are used to help children to take turns. Staff provide children with time and space to explore their feelings. For example, they help children to use a quiet, safe space if they need to calm down. Staff know children and their families well. They plan carefully for children's learning and for any areas of development that need support. Staff use what they know about children's needs and interests to organise the resources and activities to motivate children to learn. There are secure arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to provide consistent interactions with quieter, less confident children, to maximise their learning and to help them remain fully engaged.
- 12 September 2023Good
- 12 October 2022Needs improvement
- 2 November 2021Needs improvement
Rated Good or Outstanding at 1 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Stepping Out
- 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.