Step by Step Day Nursery

A climbing frame and slide in the baby room give Step by Step Day Nursery a concrete starting point: its youngest children had space to practise moving, climbing and standing in June 2023. That physical detail is more useful than a broad promise about learning through play. It shows how the room was arranged around an important stage of baby development.

At its 26 June 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received support that helped them progress. The nursery has capacity for 54 children, accepting ages from 3 months to 5 years in Hither Green, Lewisham. Full-time and part-time attendance are offered.

Rooms and Ages

In June 2023, the baby room combined furniture that supported babies practising standing with a climbing frame and slide for developing movement skills. These were practical opportunities to use growing strength, rather than simply toys to occupy children. For families choosing care for a baby, the arrangement of the room deserves attention alongside its equipment.

The wider age range extends through toddlerhood to preschool. That makes the nursery an option across several stages of early childhood, although a child's day will change considerably between starting as a baby and preparing for school.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the framework for children's learning, development and care here: play, conversation and everyday routines provide opportunities to develop skills. In June 2023, creative work involved experimenting with materials and adding children's own ideas, while adults prompted them to explain what they were making. Art therefore also became an opportunity to practise speaking and telling a story.

Familiar songs and stories brought children together with adults in June 2023. Sharing and taking turns were also part of the day, giving children opportunities to practise being alongside others rather than treating social development as a separate activity.

Outdoor learning was a weaker part of the picture. In June 2023, children were keen to use the outdoor space, but the activities there did not provide the same breadth of learning as those indoors. Ofsted's June 2023 inspection identified two priorities: broader learning opportunities wherever children played, and more chances for children to contribute to ordinary routines. Those are useful, specific points to explore on a visit.

Relationships and Communication

In June 2023, settling centred on relationships with a key person. Children turned to adults when distressed, and staff responded with patience and gentle speech. For a child beginning nursery, having a familiar adult to seek out gives settling a clear relational basis.

Adults also demonstrated considerate behaviour in June 2023, helping children practise sharing and respectful interaction. Regular updates about children's days connected nursery experiences with home. That communication matters beyond a list of activities: it gives parents something concrete to discuss with their child and helps the two parts of the child's day fit together.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

In June 2023, support for developmental delays involved individual plans, learning targets agreed with parents and referrals to outside agencies. Further staff training formed part of that process. The practical mechanism was collaboration around the individual child, rather than a general statement about inclusion.

Self-care had a place in daily routines in June 2023. Children practised handwashing around meals, while older children were encouraged to manage toileting with greater independence. Opportunities to help with clearing toys and mealtime tasks needed more attention, however. Independence meant more than managing personal care; contributing to the shared day was the next step.

School preparation in June 2023 included conversations with older children about moving to Reception. This addressed the coming change through discussion, without implying an admissions advantage or a relationship with a particular school.

Sessions and Attendance

Full-time and part-time nursery attendance are offered. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with year-round operation and closures for bank holidays and Christmas. The opening window describes the nursery's operating day; it should be kept separate from an individual child's agreed attendance pattern.

Getting There

The address is Monument Gardens, Benden House, Lewisham, SE13 6PY. Enquiries can be made through the contact form or by telephone on 0208 297 5070.

Funding and Paid Extras

In June 2023, the nursery received early education funding for children aged two, three and four. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Outdoor learning. Breadth of learning outdoors was an improvement priority in June 2023. On a visit, ask how outdoor activities now give children opportunities to develop different skills.
• Everyday independence. In June 2023, children practised personal care but had fewer opportunities to help with shared routines. Ask how children now take part in tidying and mealtime tasks.
• Your attendance package. Full-time and part-time care are offered across a year-round opening pattern. Ask which hours and funded arrangements would apply to your booking, including the treatment of meals and consumables.

Step by Step suits families considering either full-time or part-time care from babyhood through preschool. Its June 2023 picture combines a physically purposeful baby room, key-person relationships and learning through creative activity and conversation. The balance rests on two practical questions: how outdoor learning has developed and how children contribute to the daily routine. Those give a visit a clear purpose.