Stepping Stones Day Nursery
Good★ 4.5 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Manchester for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023. Open since 2014, with 47 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 Salford
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Salford 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
M28 1LWWhat 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.
- 31 July 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 14 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy, safe and contented at this welcoming nursery. Babies beam and grin as they shake musical instruments in time with music and song. They concentrate and persevere as they construct towers from cans. Babies develop the small muscles in their hands as they learn to turn the pages and lift the flaps in their favourite book. They laugh as they make the noises of the animals they find.
Older children relish opportunities to get messy as they produce unique works of art. They scream with delight as they undertake science experiments. As children add ingredients to beakers and the bubbles overflow, children exclaim 'it's fizzing and bubbling'. They use knowledge from prior learning to recreate the reaction, mixing colours and scents to enhance the sensory experience.
Children develop both their strength and confidence during outdoor play. They squelch through mud, climb trees, negotiate obstacle courses they create and swing from the tyre swing. This helps children learn to challenge themselves and take managed risks. Children benefit from experiences and outings in the local area. They visit the library, which helps to embed a love of reading. They also visit a retirement home where they perform songs for the residents and learn about the residents' own childhoods. Children are well supported to make good progress in their learning and development.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- help children to develop a greater understanding of their own cultural heritage and that of those in the local community n consistently provide children with the correct pronunciation of words to help further enhance their speaking skills.
- 14 March 2023Good
- 29 April 2022Needs improvement
- 13 February 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Stepping Stones Day Nursery
- 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.