Stepping Stones, Lewes Community Nursery Ltd
GoodTakes funded hours★ 4.3 on GoogleBirth to 5Long established
A day nursery in Lewes for babies from 3 months up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. £10.00 an hour, and they take the funded hours. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2024. Open since 2013, with 38 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Our nursery fees are £10 per hour, reflecting our enhanced level of care and provision.
One published rate. What you pay depends on the days you need and the funded hours you can claim.
Funded hours
15 or 30 hours of funded childcare, depending on their child's age and family circumstances; Universal 15 Hours (All 3–4 Years Old); 30 Hours for Working Families; 15 Hours for Families Receiving Additional Support (2-Year-Olds); Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP); Disability Access Fund (DAF).
Worth knowing. The government funding covers early education hours only. It does not include: Meals, Snacks, Consumable resources, Extra activities or services. These optional extras may incur a charge, but funded hours can always be taken without additional services if you prefer.
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
BN7 2ATWhat 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.
- 25 June 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 29 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are safe and happy in this friendly and welcoming nursery. They settle very well and transitions between each room are very well managed. For instance, children's key persons move with the children. As a result, children develop a deep sense of security and staff know them very well. Children know what is expected of them. They are polite to visitors and behave extremely well.
Leaders and staff implement an exciting curriculum for all children. They effectively use children's interests to provide stimulating learning experiences. For instance, an interest from older children in den building results in a purposeful outing to the woods. Attentive staff encourage children to talk about their ideas and help them to problem-solve, such as how to tie ropes to tree trunks.
Babies and toddlers are well cared for. Staff are very focused on their needs and help them to understand how to behave towards each other. Children's independence is encouraged from an early age. For example, toddlers use cutlery with confidence. They clear their plates away after meals and snacks. Older children use real porcelain crockery and glasses. This helps them to understand how to look after items and provides them with a sense of responsibility.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to develop a more consistent approach to helping children join in with activities, particularly those who are quieter, so that their voices are heard.
- 29 February 2024Good
- 11 April 2018Good
- 15 July 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Stepping Stones, Lewes Community Nursery Ltd
- 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
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.
- Is £10.00 an hour still the rate? 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.