Stepping Stones Day Nursery & Out of School Club
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in York for children from birth to 8+, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 2005, with 50 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 North Yorkshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in North Yorkshire 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
YO51 9EBWhat 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, 31 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive at the setting eager and ready to learn. Children have strong bonds with staff. They show that they feel secure and safe. Babies crawl onto staff's laps or reach out their arms for a cuddle when they need reassurance. Children are motivated and curious. When a member of staff sets up an activity using recyclable materials, children eagerly join in. They explore and investigate, finding things out for themselves, and developing their own ideas. For example, children test out whether their boat made from cardboard boxes will float or sink in the water.
Babies investigate sensory toys such as the various-sized textured balls. Older children develop early literacy and mathematical skills well. They make marks and practise writing in many different areas of the nursery, including outside. Older children develop their fine-motor skills as they manipulate play dough and practise using scissors. They are confident to ask staff for assistance if they need it, and enjoy staff's positive involvement in their play. For example, children show delight and anticipation as they make towers with bricks, giggling with their friends as the tower wobbles and falls over. Children gain independence. For example, they wash their hands before eating, serve themselves at mealtimes and tidy away the toys.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- persevere with efforts to establish effective working partnerships with other early years settings that children also attend, to ensure that all opportunities to support children's ongoing progress are fully used n enhance opportunities for children to learn about cultures, traditions and different ways of life beyond their own.
- 31 January 2023Good
- 4 January 2018Good
- 7 February 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Stepping Stones Day Nursery & Out of School Club
- 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.