Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Sensory play and practical help for families give Stepping Stones Day Nursery in Totton its character: scented water, paint exploration and books to borrow featured in October 2024. The setting has capacity for 30 children aged 3 to 60 months.

At its October 2024 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. The strongest practical detail is the combination of hands-on exploration and support that extends beyond nursery activities.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care, connecting play with the skills children build. In October 2024, younger children explored textures while staff introduced words to describe them. Tea-set play with scented and flavoured water, alongside tools used in foam and paint, gave children opportunities to practise small movements and coordination.

During that inspection, counting tower blocks brought early mathematics into construction play. Threading and ribbon dancing introduced shape and space through movement. These examples put learning into activities children could handle, investigate and choose for themselves. Numbers were connected to the blocks children were using, rather than treated as a separate exercise. The same account connected physical development with handling tools and exploring materials: children could practise coordination while investigating what objects and substances felt like. Staff also used songs, stories and conversation about children's activities to introduce vocabulary. That matters because the learning opportunity rests partly in the adult's response to the play. A textured object gives a child something to examine; the conversation supplies language for that experience. Taken together, these October 2024 examples describe learning through construction, sensory exploration, listening and movement. They also explain why the language improvement point matters across the day, rather than only during a story or a planned conversation.

Ofsted's October 2024 inspection identified two improvements: stronger staff practice in developing language and vocabulary, and more precisely targeted coaching and mentoring. Some adults pronounced words incorrectly or moved on before children had time to answer questions. For parents, the issue is the quality of conversation around the activities, as well as the activities themselves.

In October 2024, key-person relationships helped children settle into familiar routines, and staff responded to individual needs and choices. Praise and encouragement supported confidence, while children practised doing things independently. The relationships and the routines worked together: children had an adult who knew them well and a familiar pattern to settle into. Support included attention to what children wanted to do, as well as help with their needs. Independence therefore sat alongside adult involvement, with children encouraged to explore and attempt things themselves. For parents weighing care alongside learning, these are useful examples of how the two connected during the inspection. Staff had team meetings, supervision and access to training, although the coaching concern shows that these arrangements did not consistently translate into the expected practice.

Practical support reached home, too. At that time, families could use a clothing bank, borrow from a lending library and take home activity bags. These gave parents tangible resources for everyday needs and shared learning. The clothing bank addressed a practical family need, while borrowed books and activity bags extended opportunities to learn together at home. Older children also helped assess garden risks, giving them a part in thinking about safety rather than leaving every decision to adults. Daily health routines included handwashing before food and wiping noses. These were concrete opportunities to practise caring for themselves, with staff supporting the habits as part of the nursery day.

The address is 74 Eling Lane, Totton, Southampton, SO40 9GF. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year.

In October 2024, the nursery provided government-funded early education for children from nine months to four years. That is a dated account of its funded provision, rather than a promise of eligibility for an individual family.

• Language development. The October 2024 findings raised pronunciation and children's time to respond. On a visit, ask how staff now extend conversations and support vocabulary.
• Staff coaching. More targeted mentoring was another October 2024 improvement point. Ask how managers observe practice and follow up their guidance.
• Attendance fit. The opening window runs from 8am to 6pm on weekdays. Ask which booking pattern would fit your child's routine.

Stepping Stones suits families who value hands-on play and practical links between nursery and home. Its October 2024 account offers concrete examples of both. The Good judgement provides a useful quality reference, balanced by clear improvement priorities around language and staff coaching.