Adorable Steps Childcare

A community-centre setting with direct outdoor access gives Adorable Steps Childcare a clear practical identity. Based at Marlborough Street Community Centre in Oldham, it cares for children aged two to five and has 28 places in total. Its outdoor equipment includes a climbing frame, slides and a sand pit, giving physical play a concrete place in the day.

At its 10 March 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities received good support. The useful detail lies beneath that judgement: staff adapted everyday communication, worked with speech and language therapists and helped children tackle tasks for themselves.

Morning and afternoon sessions sit alongside daily care and shorter funded sessions. That gives families several attendance patterns to weigh against their working day.

Rooms and Ages

The main room accommodates children aged two to five and connects easily with the outdoor play area. Indoor activities and outdoor movement can therefore share the same daily setting, rather than outdoor play depending on a trip elsewhere.

Butterfly Group, for ages three to five, emphasises independence, solving problems, communication and cooperation as preparation for Reception. These are practical foundations for moving into a classroom: managing tasks, expressing a need and joining an activity with other children.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care. Here, its everyday meaning includes learning through play, developing language and practising physical and social skills; it is the baseline for the nursery's work rather than a separate enrichment programme.

In March 2025, children explored textures by combining paint, water and cornflour. Staff shaped activities around children's interests and developmental needs, giving investigation a place alongside more familiar routines. Stories and connections between objects and words supported speech, including for children learning English as an additional language.

The same month's activities included multilingual books and conversations about buildings in different countries. These gave children concrete starting points for discussing differences in cultures and traditions. Learning was connected to things they could see, handle or talk about.

In March 2025, staff did not consistently deepen children's understanding of the ideas within activities. Enjoyment and engagement were present, but the next step was to help children gain more knowledge from those experiences. That distinction matters when assessing how play develops into learning.

Outdoor and Community Life

The outdoor play area includes slides, a sand pit and a climbing frame, with toys supporting exploration and movement. Access from the main room makes this a useful part of the environment for this age group.

In March 2025, regular dance classes complemented outdoor play with bikes, scooters and climbing equipment. Those experiences gave children different ways to practise balance, coordination and control of their bodies. The frequency of dance was regular, rather than a fixed weekly promise.

In March 2025, staff used a calm, considerate manner and clear behavioural expectations. Turn-taking was encouraged through adults' own example, helping children practise sharing attention and interacting with one another.

Support could be very concrete. During that month, showing a child a nappy helped explain an approaching change in the routine, while cooperation with speech and language therapists connected nursery activities with targeted help. This is more useful to understand than a broad promise of inclusion: the support involved adapting communication to the child.

Everyday independence also featured in March 2025. Children practised feeding themselves, washing their hands and putting on coats, with encouragement recognising their efforts. These ordinary tasks gave them repeated opportunities to do something successfully for themselves.

Communication with parents included meetings, regular exchanges and discussion of children's needs in March 2025. Five childcare staff were employed at that time, and professional development included training, discussion of practice and observing colleagues at work. These are dated staffing arrangements, separate from the nursery's current capacity.

An on-site chef prepares meals using fresh groceries and takes dietary requirements into account. Meals and snacks are charged separately, so food needs to sit alongside attendance when families compare the overall arrangement.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, throughout the year apart from Bank Holidays. Standard morning sessions run from 8am to 1pm; afternoon sessions run from 1pm to 6pm. Daily and half-day attendance are also offered.

Funded session patterns include mornings from 9am to noon and afternoons from noon to 3pm or 1pm to 6pm. The breakfast club runs from 8am to 9am, and the afterschool club from 3pm to 6pm. These are separate attendance options, rather than different descriptions of the opening window.

Getting There

The address is Marlborough Street Community Centre, Oldham, OL4 1EG. Contact is through the nursery's enquiry form, telephone, email or WhatsApp, providing several ways to begin arranging care.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government-funded childcare and paid attendance are offered. Meals and snacks carry separate charges; current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Comparing the session pattern and food charges together gives a clearer picture of what an attendance arrangement involves.

• Learning beyond participation. The March 2025 improvement point concerned deepening understanding during activities. On a visit, ask staff to show how they extend a child's thinking after the initial exploration.
• Session fit. Standard morning sessions begin at 8am, while funded mornings begin at 9am. Consider which pattern matches your day before discussing an attendance arrangement.
• Support for individual needs. March 2025 practice included visual objects for routines and work with speech and language therapists. Ask how those approaches would be adapted for your child during settling.

Adorable Steps Childcare suits families considering morning or afternoon sessions as well as daily attendance, with shorter funded patterns adding another option. Direct outdoor access and the Butterfly Group's practical preparation for Reception give the offer substance. The March 2025 learning improvement point remains a useful subject for a visit: engaging children is one part of the job, extending what they understand is the next.