Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Two sensory rooms and three large outdoor spaces give Stepping Stones Day Nursery a character built around choice: children can move between indoor activities and outdoor play, with covered areas keeping that choice open in wet weather. Set within the grounds of The Regis School in Bognor Regis, it cares for children from 3 months to 5 years and has capacity for 133 children. This is a substantial setting, spread across three buildings rather than gathered into one shared room.

At its 6 February 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged inclusion to be at Strong standard, the other assessed areas at Expected standard, and safeguarding standards met. Those are separate judgements, rather than an overall grade. The practical strengths include age-specific environments, an established key-person system and regular discussions with parents; the development priorities concern consistency of staffing and more purposeful teaching.

Morning, afternoon and longer daytime bookings sit alongside funded-only arrangements. The choice matters, but so do the conditions attached to it: the minimum booking is two sessions across two days, and funded attendance has its own timetable and meal charges.

Rooms and Ages

An under-the-sea theme connects the rooms, while their equipment changes with children's development. The youngest children have spaces for early movement and rest; older children gain more opportunities to manage practical tasks and choose activities together. The room sequence makes those changes concrete.

Dolphin Room supports the youngest children with a black-and-white play area, books and messy activities, alongside a quieter sleeping area equipped with cots and pull-out beds. Seahorse Room, for children approaching their first birthday, adds the mole hill, climbing equipment with steps and slopes that gives emerging walkers something purposeful to practise on.

Puffin Room serves children approaching two, combining planned and self-chosen play with messy activities and access to the nursery garden. Rainbow Fish Room, for younger children approaching three, brings role play, construction and a feelings area together with access to a sensory room and outdoor play involving a caterpillar tunnel and mud kitchen.

Angelfish Room serves older children approaching three, pairing a sandpit and a choice of bikes with practical independence supported by low sinks, toilets and a readily accessible bathroom. Jellyfish Room and Starfish Room serve children aged three and over in their final nursery year, combining small-group learning and garden access with preparing snacks, using cutlery and getting drinks independently.

These are useful distinctions for families choosing care at a particular developmental stage. A baby learning to move, a toddler practising pouring and a preschool child managing self-care need different equipment and expectations. Here, the room descriptions attach those experiences to specific spaces.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play, covering communication, movement, relationships and emotions alongside early reading, mathematics, creativity and understanding the world. It is the shared foundation for early-years education. Stepping Stones uses Development Matters to plan activities around children's interests and stages of development, with both adult-directed and child-chosen experiences.

Its core book approach uses a shared story to develop language and communication. Motivated Monkey, Curious Crocodile and Creative Chameleon give children recognisable characters through which to explore different ways of learning, including trying things, persisting and developing ideas. Preschool children receive stickers connected with these characters, making achievements something they can talk about at home.

The daily pattern gives play a recognisable rhythm. Children choose indoor or outdoor activities, help with snacks and come together for short periods of stories, singing, dancing or conversation about their interests. After lunch, the timetable makes space for sleep or quieter play. The balance offers both activity and pauses, rather than expecting children to remain in a group throughout the day.

In February 2026, toddlers used dough and cutters in pretend cooking, while preschool children explored shapes through matching games. Some opportunities to extend children's ideas were missed, and staff did not consistently help them stay with an activity long enough to develop their thinking. Plans to strengthen more deliberate teaching were still being put into practice. That is the key educational question beneath an otherwise busy day.

Outdoor and Community Life

Inside Out is the partly covered outdoor area shared by Dolphin Room and Seahorse Room, giving younger children protection from rain and strong sun while they explore. It includes a music house. As Seahorse children become more confident, they also use the larger nursery garden, with its sandpit, low hill and mud kitchen.

Physical activity extends beyond garden equipment. Sticky Kids and Tumble Tots support children's physical development through activities alongside group games. The Living Eggs project has returned to the nursery, allowing children to see chicks hatch and learn about their care; a past pizza-making class with Zebedees also connected food preparation with play, followed by turning the preschool playhouse into a pizza restaurant. These are examples of experiences already undertaken, rather than a promised future timetable.

Relationships and Communication

Every child has a key person who works with the family and maintains their learning journal. A monthly journal page celebrates learning, while termly meetings give parents a regular opportunity to discuss development and next steps. Families are invited to contribute what their child enjoys at home, so communication has a role in planning as well as reporting.

Settling begins with at least two sessions before the child starts. One option is a 30-minute stay-and-play visit with a parent; further visits and a home visit can also be arranged where helpful. A later visit can give the child a short period with staff on their own. This phased approach gives relationships time to develop before the usual booking pattern begins.

Dolphin Room follows children's home routines and has facilities for preparing bottles and warming food brought in by families. That is a practical advantage for babies whose feeding and sleep patterns are still individual. During February 2026, children rested in quiet surroundings with regular checks, and rooms had places where children could take a break from activity.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the February 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that staff identified individual needs promptly, coordinated targeted help across the team and used additional funding for resources and extra adult support. This gives substance to the inclusion judgement: support involved adjustments to everyday provision, rather than relying solely on a written plan.

SENCO and inclusion-coordinator roles work with key people on One Page Profiles and Individual Plans, with reviews and parental involvement built into the process. Communication support includes Makaton, visual timetables and choice boards. For children learning English alongside another language, families can supply familiar words for staff to learn and use in the room.

Staff undertake first-aid and child-protection training, alongside regular professional development. The team holds Level 3 or equivalent early-years qualifications, with some higher-level degrees. In February 2026, staff absences were identified as a potential source of disruption to daily continuity, and leaders were working on staffing arrangements; this remains a material point for families assessing how consistently their child will see familiar adults.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is on South Way, Bognor Regis, PO21 5EZ. Enquiries go through the main office on 01243 871044. It opens Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year, closing on bank and public holidays, over Christmas and for one training day.

Morning bookings run from either 7.30am or 8am until 1pm. Longer daytime options finish at 3.30pm or 6pm, again with either start time; afternoon bookings run from 1pm to 6pm. Full-time attendance runs Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm. These are booking choices, separate from the nursery's daily activity timetable.

A booking must cover at least two sessions on two days. Joining involves a deposit, part of which is retained as an administration charge and the remainder credited against the final month's fees; the deposit is not refunded if the reserved place is declined. Leaving requires four weeks' written notice. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding includes 30 hours Working Families Early Years Funding for children aged 9 months-2 years and for 3-and 4-year-olds, 15 hours Universal Early Years Funding for all 3-and 4-year-olds, and 15 hours Early Years Funding for eligible two-year-olds whose families receive additional government support. These offers have separate eligibility conditions; participation does not establish an individual family's entitlement.

Funded-only patterns include 10am to 3.30pm all year round, plus term-time options of 1pm to 6pm and 8am to 6pm. A separate statement restricts the claiming window to 10am to 3.30pm, so the funded timetable needs resolving before a booking is agreed. The sessions and fees page sets out the charge structure, including separately charged meals on funded-only arrangements and additional charges for special dietary meals.

Zebedees supplies meals; the paid-session table includes the relevant meals for children over one, while parents provide meals and milk for babies under one. Parents also supply nappies, wipes, nappy sacks and cream for children who need them, so these consumables should form part of the family's practical planning.

Getting There

Access includes slopes, accessible toilets and changing facilities, plus a disabled parking bay. Steps lead to the preschool gardens, making the route to outdoor activities a useful point to discuss for a child with mobility needs.

Although the nursery occupies The Regis School grounds, attending does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still need to follow the relevant school's admissions process. Preschool preparation here concerns independence and readiness for the move, rather than an admissions advantage.

• Teaching and familiar adults. February 2026 development priorities concerned staffing continuity and more precise teaching. During a visit, ask how staff now extend children's play and maintain familiar relationships when colleagues are absent.
• Funded attendance. The funded-only table includes all-year and term-time patterns, while another statement limits claiming to 10am to 3.30pm. Before committing, agree the funded timetable and any privately paid hours or meals in writing.
• Settling and access. At least two settling sessions are offered, and preschool garden access includes steps. Use the visit to discuss the settling sequence and the outdoor route your child would use.

Stepping Stones suits families seeking morning sessions, afternoon care or longer daytime bookings, with a minimum commitment across two days. Its strongest practical attractions are the progression through named rooms, covered outdoor play for younger children and a clear system for involving parents in development.

The February 2026 position also gives families a useful test for their decision: how well everyday teaching builds on children's interests, and how reliably staffing supports continuity. For a family whose child needs tailored support, the coordinated inclusion arrangements deserve close attention. For every family, the funded timetable and charge structure should be settled before joining.