Stepping Stones Pre-school
OutstandingBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Kettering for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in July 2022. Open since 2009, with 40 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 Northamptonshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in North Northamptonshire 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
NN16 9DHWhat 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, 11 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are excited when they arrive to see what is on offer for them at preschool. Staff provide a very warm welcome for all children. Staff swiftly notice children who are upset and provide sensitive reassurance and comfort, which results in children quickly settling to their play. Children have close friendships and play exceptionally well together. They confidently invite others to join their play and become fully engaged, cooperating with one another to build models with wooden bricks. Together they search in the box for suitable bricks to use as wheels and to build furniture for their 'car house'. This independent and cooperative play significantly promotes children's deeper thinking, and enables them to develop their creative ideas.
Relationships between children and staff are very positive and actively promote children's feelings of well-being. Staff teach children to successfully use small tools, such as hole punches and scissors. Children are eager have a go and try using tools for themselves. They show great pride in their achievements as they press the hole punch and use it to make paper shapes for their caterpillar pictures. Staff show children how to use pegs to display their picture for everyone to see.
Staff keep children's interests at the heart of the curriculum, and always consider ways to extend and enhance children's learning. For example, children are fascinated by a story about a caterpillar. Staff extend their discussions to include other insects. Children develop their mathematical skills as they count the spots on ladybirds, and find out how many legs spiders have.
- 11 July 2022Outstanding
- 11 November 2014Outstanding
- 15 September 2009Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Stepping Stones Pre-school
- 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.