Stepping Stones

In July 2025, outdoor potion-making, caterpillars turning into butterflies and music shared with care-home residents gave Stepping Stones a recognisable character. This Blacon pre-school combines a purpose-built base in the grounds of J. H. Godwin Primary School with learning that reaches beyond its classrooms. The practical emphasis is on children doing things for themselves, exploring their surroundings and building relationships.

At its July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated Stepping Stones Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that staff worked closely with families and professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The main improvement concerned the consistency of adults' questioning during play.

Stepping Stones has 41 places in total and welcomes children from age 2 until they begin Reception. Its two classrooms and enclosed outdoor play space provide the physical base; opening hours are 9am to 3pm, five days a week during term time.

Rooms and Ages

The 2-3 Year Old Room emphasises physical development, communication and social confidence, using puzzles, music, books and toys to encourage exploration and increasing independence. Each child has a designated Key Person. For younger children, that gives individual care a clear point of responsibility rather than leaving it as a general promise.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, play provides opportunities to practise language, movement and relationships. The toddler room's emphasis fits that everyday approach, with children encouraged to try skills, develop confidence and learn consideration for others.

In July 2025, a story became a practical investigation. Children explored The Very Hungry Caterpillar, watched living caterpillars become butterflies and learned vocabulary connected with that transformation. That links a book with something children can observe, giving new words a concrete meaning.

Physical activity had similarly tangible resources. In July 2025, children used soft play and logs for balancing and climbing. Outdoor potion-making involved squeezing water through pipettes and investigating the feel and smell of plants. These are small, purposeful tasks: hand movements, sensory exploration and imaginative play happen together.

Outdoor and Community Life

The enclosed outdoor area extends the classroom day. In July 2025, children regularly investigated the pre-school's woods and pond, alongside visits to a local park and library. The outdoor experiences offered different things to notice and discuss, rather than confining exploration to tabletop resources.

Care-home visits added a different social setting. In July 2025, children sang and made music with residents. This gives the community element substance: children were taking part in a shared activity with people beyond their familiar staff and families.

Relationships and Communication

A designated Key Person supports each child's individual needs in the toddler room. This is a useful arrangement for families seeking a consistent relationship around their child's care, especially while confidence and independence are developing.

In July 2025, staff built relationships with families before children started, helping them understand children's circumstances. Children shared songs and stories with adults and sought physical reassurance from them. Familiar relationships were part of the everyday experience, alongside routines that children understood.

Family participation also had concrete forms. In July 2025, parents joined children's learning through Ready Steady Read events as well as stay-and-play sessions. Ready Steady Read was a parent-participation event, rather than simply a name attached to the curriculum.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In July 2025, visual cards helped children understand communication and express their needs. These give spoken instructions another form, which can matter when a child needs support to understand or respond.

Independence was practised through ordinary routines. In July 2025, children chose resources for themselves and tidied their plates and rubbish after snacks. Adults modelled the expected behaviour. The value is in repeated opportunities to take responsibility for manageable tasks, rather than expecting independence to emerge on its own.

Sessions and Attendance

Stepping Stones opens five days a week, 9am to 3pm, during term time only. Children attend different sessions within that provision. The term-time calendar is a central decision for families: this is care organised around term dates, with a daytime opening window.

Getting There

The nursery occupies a purpose-built unit in the grounds of J. H. Godwin Primary School on Melbourne Road, Blacon, Chester, CH1 5JG. Families can make enquiries by telephone or email.

Sharing the school's grounds does not guarantee a Reception place. Families still use the local authority admissions process for a state-school application, so nursery attendance and the school application remain separate decisions.

Funding and Paid Extras

Stepping Stones accepts funding for early education for children aged two, three and four. Funding participation is useful for families considering this term-time provision; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Term-time calendar. Opening hours are 9am to 3pm, five days a week, during term time only. Weigh that calendar against the hours and holiday cover your family needs.
• Adult interaction. In July 2025, staff needed to develop more consistent questioning because some opportunities to extend children's ideas and language were missed. During a visit, ask how adults now sustain conversations during play.
• Funded-place costs. Funding is accepted for two-, three- and four-year-olds. Ask for a written breakdown covering your intended attendance, meals, non-food consumables and any additional charges.

Stepping Stones suits families seeking term-time pre-school care with outdoor exploration and practical community experiences. The toddler room's named Key Person arrangement gives individual care a clear structure, while the July 2025 examples show children learning through books, living things, movement and everyday responsibilities.

The July 2025 questioning improvement deserves attention. For parents whose schedules fit the daytime, term-time opening window, the strongest reasons to consider Stepping Stones are its enclosed outdoor base and the purposeful play and parent-participation opportunities seen in July 2025.