Stepping Stones Preschool, Littleport
GoodBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Ely for children from birth to 5, open 08:30 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2024. Open since 2022, with 42 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 Cambridgeshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Cambridgeshire 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
CB6 1EWWhat 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, 10 July 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The staff team creates an environment that enables children to flourish and build on the skills and knowledge they already have. Staff use children's interests effectively to create activities. As a result, children engage in activities for long periods. There is a clear focus on communication and language in the setting. Staff use their knowledge to enhance this. For example, staff talk to children all the time and support them to develop the art of conversation.
Children are curious learners. They embrace the activities set out for them and enjoy exploring anything new. At the discovery area, children explore different objects set into ice. They use hammers to try and smash them free, including petals and toy animals. Staff talk with children about how they made the ice.
Staff discuss the rules of the setting with children each morning. This gives children a good understanding of the expectations of them. Children behave well. They are kind to each other and successfully share toys with each other. In the forest school programme, staff talk regularly to children about how to keep themselves safe.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to consistently allow children sufficient time to think and respond to questions to help develop their thinking skills further n strengthen staff deployment during busier times of the day so that children's needs are met more consistently during these periods.
- 10 July 2024Good
Still missing for Stepping Stones Preschool, Littleport
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.