Stepping Stones Day Nursery
OutstandingBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Pontefract for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 17:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 2016, with 88 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 Wakefield
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Wakefield 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
WF8 4DAWhat 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 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children feel settled and secure at this setting. The well-planned environment considers children's current interests and supports their learning. For example, children show an interest in the change in seasons. Staff create a 'winter area'
inside where children can practise skills such as putting on their own hats and gloves. Outside, children continue learning about cold weather. Staff model rubbing ice between their hands for children to watch it melt. Children are consistently engaged in the activities that staff provide. They are given opportunities to become independent learners. Children access resources that challenge their thinking and enable them to practise new skills. For example, children use scissors to cut around images of body parts that they have coloured in. They then independently use a tape dispenser to stick the body parts together to create a person. Younger, lessconfident children are given time to become familiar with new activities, such as playing with ice. They are then encouraged and supported to join in by the nurturing staff team. This helps all children to have the confidence to enjoy new experiences.
All children are consistently exposed to language-rich activities. Songs and rhymes are used to calm children. Staff recognise when children are interested in books and cuddle them as they read together. Toddlers repeat familiar phrases in songs that they know. Staff encourage the use of new language. For example, they introduce the word 'decay' during a discussion around the importance of oral hygiene and 'dumper truck' when exploring vehicles with toddlers. Children's communication skills are consistently high across the setting because of this.
- 12 December 2022Outstanding
- 17 May 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 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.