First Steps Private Day Nursery, Broughton Road

A climbing wall, balancing apparatus and a garden for growing herbs and vegetables give First Steps Private Day Nursery, Broughton Road a practical, active character. Inside, four rooms sit alongside one another on a single floor. That layout and the outdoor provision are useful starting points for families who value movement, hands-on exploration and space for different stages of nursery life.

At its 24 July 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The positive judgement came with specific priorities: more consistent hygiene teaching, less background noise during communication activities, and more chances for children to manage everyday tasks themselves. Those details matter as much as the grade.

The nursery accepts children from three months to five years at 49 Broughton Road, Skipton, BD23 1TE. Opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays.

Rooms and Ages

Four separate rooms share one floor at Broughton Road, while the School Holiday Club occupies a different area. The club serves children aged five to ten, extending the setting's offer beyond its nursery-age provision. For parents considering both younger and older children, the separate club area is a useful distinction: the two age groups have their own spaces.

In July 2025, babies explored a sand tray positioned at floor level, crawling through it to investigate the texture with their bodies. Elsewhere, children reached and jumped for bubbles from a machine. These were physical experiences as well as sensory ones, giving children reasons to move, stretch and explore rather than simply watch an adult demonstrate.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, it connects play and exploration with developing communication, physical skills and increasing independence. The July 2025 activities show how that can work: water play introduced vocabulary about sea creatures, while a cornflour activity gave children something tangible to investigate.

During that cornflour activity, staff discussed changes in consistency and introduced the ideas of solids and liquids. The value lay in the conversation alongside the play. Children could connect unfamiliar words with something they were handling, rather than encounter the vocabulary in isolation.

In July 2025, visiting professionals led singing and signing activities each month. A mini library also let children take books home to share with their families, and staff read stories during the nursery day. Together, these experiences linked listening, language and books with participation and family life.

Continuous background music was a weakness identified in July 2025 because it could interfere with developing listening and speaking skills. The practical issue is clear: lively activities need space for children to hear voices and contribute their own words.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor play area includes a climbing wall and equipment for practising balance. A separate garden has been used by children to grow vegetables and herbs. These features offer different kinds of involvement: physical challenge in the play area, and opportunities to participate in growing food in the garden.

The garden is more than decorative planting. Children have contributed to what grows there, giving them a concrete connection between an activity and its result. Families who want outdoor experiences beyond running around have useful detail to weigh here.

At the July 2025 inspection, Ofsted found that children settled readily, staff adapted learning and activities to individual needs, and collaboration with parents and specialists helped children make good progress. That included work with speech and language therapists on support plans, rather than relying solely on informal encouragement.

In July 2025, an online app carried children's next learning steps to parents and allowed families to contribute milestones from home. This made communication two-way: practitioners could learn about developments outside nursery, while parents could see what staff were working towards during the day.

Comfort was part of the care observed that month. Staff responded to children's emotional needs and offered cuddles when reassurance was needed. Children also received encouragement for completing challenging tasks, including jigsaws, and celebrated their friends' achievements. The account gives parents concrete examples of how relationships supported participation.

Independence needed more consistent treatment. In July 2025, babies used beakers with lids and toddlers handled cutlery, but adults sometimes opened yoghurt pots or put aprons on older children. Those small interventions removed opportunities to practise skills children would need later.

Health routines showed a similar unevenness. In July 2025, older children brushed their teeth after lunch through an oral health programme, but babies were not consistently encouraged to clean their hands before snacks. The menu was nutritious, and children had daily opportunities for exercise; hygiene teaching still needed to become more consistent.

The July 2025 team included practitioners with early years qualifications. For families, the more revealing detail is how staff used their knowledge: discussing activities with children, planning next steps and working with specialists where additional support was needed.

Sessions and Attendance

Broughton Road opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 6pm, across the year. It closes on bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. The opening window gives families a clear boundary for planning their working day, while the Christmas closure requires separate arrangements.

The School Holiday Club is for children aged five to ten and uses a separate area from the nursery rooms. It is a relevant option for families whose childcare needs span nursery and school ages.

Getting There

The address is 49 Broughton Road, Skipton, BD23 1TE, and there is a large parking area for collection and drop-off. The Broughton Road telephone number is 01756 700956; enquiries and appointments can also be arranged by email.

Funding and Paid Extras

Broughton Road offers 15 funded hours a week from the term following a child's third birthday. That starting point matters when planning the move into funded childcare: the offer begins by term, rather than immediately on the birthday itself.

• Everyday independence. In July 2025, adults sometimes completed tasks that older children could practise themselves. On a visit, ask how children now take responsibility for aprons, food packaging and other daily routines.
• Listening and hygiene. The July 2025 priorities included reducing background noise and making handwashing messages more consistent. Ask how these changes work during busy play and snack periods.
• Matching the day to your child. Four nursery rooms share one floor, and the holiday club has its own area. Ask which room your child would use, how settling works there and which attendance patterns can be booked within the weekday opening hours.

Broughton Road suits families seeking an active nursery day, with climbing and balancing equipment, gardening and a single-floor room layout. It also merits consideration by families needing weekday childcare within the 7.30am to 6pm opening window, or a holiday club for an older child.

The July 2025 Good judgement sits alongside useful examples of sensory play, shared reading and communication with families. The decision points are equally concrete: quieter conditions for language learning, consistent hygiene routines and enough time for children to attempt everyday tasks themselves.