Footsteps Childcare Centre

A converted Sunday School, a Tiny Toes room for babies and a jungle gym for older children give Footsteps Childcare Centre a recognisable character. Based in Tywardreath, near Par, it combines baby care and preschool provision with separate wraparound and holiday clubs. The nursery has capacity for 42 children, with its current early-years age range running from three months to five years.

At its September 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated Footsteps Good and found safeguarding effective. The detail behind that judgement matters: books attracted children across the age groups, babies had a calm space to explore, and older children practised doing things for themselves. There were also improvements to make in organising physical activities and giving individual children the right help during their chosen play.

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, across 51 weeks of the year.

Rooms and Ages

Tiny Toes is the named baby room, with key workers allocated to children. This gives families a clear point of contact within the youngest children's care. The building is a converted Sunday School, with bright, airy surroundings.

Pre-School serves children aged two to five and emphasises confidence, social interaction and language. Its outdoor provision includes a large jungle gym with a slide and soft play area, alongside water play and a large sand pit. These give children different ways to move, experiment and play together.

In September 2023, babies explored in a calm atmosphere, while changes to the toddler and preschool space had created more room for imaginative play with small-world resources. Children stayed with that play for longer. Room organisation therefore had a practical effect on how children used their time, rather than simply changing the appearance of the space.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS guides preschool learning: children develop skills through play, conversation and everyday experiences. At Footsteps, the preschool emphasis on language and social skills sits alongside its physical play facilities.

In September 2023, children repeatedly sought out books, discussing characters and pictures with adults. Babies and toddlers heard nursery rhymes, and staff paired spoken language with signing. This offered several ways into communication, including listening, joining in and expressing an idea.

Independence also appeared in ordinary routines that September. Children used cutlery when preparing snacks, managed toileting and made choices about their play. When toddlers moved the pencils away, preschool children found crayons to use instead. It was a small example of children solving a practical problem for themselves.

The weakness was uneven adult attention. In September 2023, some chosen activities needed more timely help or challenge to take children's learning further. Physical activities could also become too noisy and excitable, making it harder for other children to hear conversations at the snack table.

Relationships and Communication

Key workers are allocated in the baby provision, and preschool families are invited into the setting before enrolment so that adults and children can become familiar with it. That makes the relationship with the nursery part of the preparation for starting, rather than something left entirely to the first booked day.

In September 2023, children approached adults for help and celebrated completing tasks independently. Staff also kept parents informed about achievements and development. Those are useful elements of the care picture: children could seek assistance, while families received information about what their child was doing.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the September 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that staff recognised gaps in development, involved other professionals when needed and regularly reconsidered individual plans and targets. This was a specific support mechanism, rather than a general promise of inclusion.

Health was addressed through everyday habits in September 2023. Staff worked with families on healthy eating and encouraged children to taste different foods. Older children also remembered handwashing before eating and the footwear needed for outdoor play, with adults giving reminders when necessary.

For babies, the current provision includes healthy eating plans. The calm baby-room atmosphere observed in September 2023 is also relevant to families weighing the youngest children's experience, although it belongs to that dated visit.

Sessions and Attendance

Footsteps operates at The Old Sunday School, Well Street, Tywardreath, Par, PL24 2QH. It opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm, for 51 weeks annually. These are opening hours, distinct from the separate clubs offered alongside nursery care.

Breakfast and after-school clubs run each day in term time, with flexible collection and drop-off arrangements. Holiday Club adds care during school holidays, with activities including sports, games, field trips and visits to the library or cinema. These older-child services should be considered separately from the baby and preschool day.

Wraparound Club includes arts and crafts and outings into the local community, including beaches, woods, parks and duckponds. Breakfast is provided for the pre-school club and snacks for the after-school club. Families can enquire through the contact form or by telephone on 01726 816 911.

Funding and Paid Extras

In September 2023, Footsteps received early education funding for free places for children aged two, three and four. That establishes its participation at that point in time; families planning funded attendance should use the funding question below when discussing a booking.

• Activity organisation. In September 2023, lively toddler and preschool activities sometimes disrupted quieter conversations. On a visit, ask how physical play is organised so that children can participate and concentrate.
• Individual attention. The September 2023 improvement points included recognising when a child needed help or extra challenge during chosen play. Ask how practitioners decide when to join in and when to let children continue independently.
• A funded booking. Funding supported two-, three- and four-year-olds in September 2023. Before agreeing attendance, ask which current entitlement applies, how its hours are arranged, and what the written quotation covers for food and non-food consumables.

Footsteps suits families seeking baby or preschool care in Tywardreath, as well as those combining term-time breakfast and after-school clubs with holiday care for older children. Tiny Toes, the preschool outdoor equipment and the converted Sunday School give the offer concrete shape.

The September 2023 picture combines children's interest in books and everyday independence with clear weaknesses in activity organisation and individual challenge. Those improvement points deserve attention during a visit. The most useful assessment is how well the current day balances active group play, quieter conversation and the help each child needs.