Footsteps Dosthill Nursery & Pre-School

Imaginative play and everyday outdoor exploration give Footsteps Dosthill Nursery & Pre-School its character. Age-based rooms provide the setting for imaginative games, early conversation and growing independence, with outdoor play woven into the day rather than reserved for an occasional outing. This is a nursery where learning starts with what interests a child.

On Old Hedging Lane in Dosthill, Tamworth, the nursery has 55 places in total and accepts children from 2 to 60 months. Ofsted rated it Good at its 16 May 2023 inspection. That dated judgement sits alongside a current offer centred on play, communication and practical independence.

Families can book full days, mornings or afternoons. The minimum attendance requirement matters, however: the nursery expects a regular weekly pattern that includes a Monday or Friday.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage guides learning through play, including creative experiences, language development and learning to do things independently. It is the foundation for the child's day; the nursery's additional curriculum priorities give that day more specific direction.

The group-wide Confident Communicators commitment emphasises helping children express themselves in ways that work for them. Explorers of Our World connects learning with nature and outdoor experiences. These priorities sit alongside a mixture of adult modelling, guided learning and children's own play, so the emphasis is on both following an interest and introducing something new.

In May 2023, a favourite story became a sensory activity called Gruffalo crumble. Children mixed and scooped while staff introduced vocabulary from the story and ideas about quantities. The point was larger than making a pretend recipe: the same activity brought together conversation, early mathematical understanding and hand control.

Older children also used garden finds to make models in May 2023. Sorting materials and drawing on their understanding of recycling led into imaginative space play. Their ideas shaped what happened next. This gives parents a concrete picture of learning through play: an everyday object can prompt a discussion, a construction task and a story rather than a single prescribed activity.

Outdoor and Community Life

Regular outdoor play is part of the current daily offer, giving children opportunities to move and investigate their surroundings. The indoor and outdoor environments are organised around play, with children's interests helping to shape activities.

In May 2023, children investigated insects beneath large logs and learnt their names, while babies moved between indoor and outdoor spaces. Local park visits also extended outdoor learning and helped children develop awareness of safety. These were practical encounters with the natural world, with movement and observation working together.

Communication with families forms part of everyday care. Staff work with parents to keep information flowing and maintain a consistent approach between home and nursery. For a family choosing childcare, that connection matters as much as an appealing activity: routines need to make sense to the adults caring for the child.

In May 2023, staff gathered details about children's routines and existing skills when they started, then exchanged information with parents about their needs and development. Preschool children made story sacks at home to share with other children. This gave families a concrete way to contribute to nursery learning, rather than simply receive updates about it.

At the May 2023 inspection, Ofsted found that teaching supported good progress, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and that safeguarding arrangements were effective. The nursery currently includes SEN support among its facilities and services.

Everyday self-care was also part of learning in May 2023. Children practised handwashing and served food for themselves, using utensils at lunch. These small tasks gave them opportunities to take responsibility, with adults supporting skills that would also be useful beyond nursery.

Meals are made fresh on the premises each day using seasonal ingredients. That makes food preparation part of the nursery's daily operation.

The behaviour guidance needed more consistency in May 2023: younger children did not always receive clear explanations when their actions were inappropriate. The improvement point concerned helping them understand expectations and manage their responses, a useful subject to explore during a visit.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is Old Hedging Lane, Dosthill, Tamworth, B77 1LD. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday; booked full days run from 8am to 6pm, mornings from 8am to 1pm and afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. The opening window and the standard booked day are therefore different.

A weekly booking must include at least four morning or afternoon sessions, or two full days, with a Monday or Friday included. That requirement shapes whether the nursery fits a family's working week, especially when only shorter sessions are wanted.

The nursery operates for 51 weeks, closing for public holidays and a week at Christmas. Onsite parking and a buggy store support practical journeys with young children. Families can make an enquiry or book a tour.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged 9 months to 4 years through the Government's Early Education Entitlement, with 15-hour and 30-hour entitlements stretched across the nursery's operating weeks. The nursery also accepts 2 Help funding. Funded hours can be used alone or alongside privately paid sessions; hours beyond the funded allocation are charged separately.

Private session fees are all-inclusive, covering meals and consumables. During funded hours, food and consumables are charged separately through the optional Essentials Package, alongside enrichment; its consumables cover wipes, nappies, nappy bags and creams, including suncream.

Families can opt out of that package by contacting the manager before term begins. Depending on nursery policy, opting out may involve supplying alternatives or taking responsibility for collecting and disposing of consumables. The Enrichment Programme may include gardening, baking, celebration days or visits from local specialists; these are possible experiences, rather than a fixed timetable.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Permanent session changes and cancellations require one calendar month's notice.

• Behaviour explanations. In May 2023, younger children needed clearer, more consistent explanations of expectations. During a visit, ask how staff now help children understand boundaries and manage difficult moments.
• The weekly commitment. The minimum is four morning or afternoon sessions, or two full days, including a Monday or Friday. Compare that requirement with the days your family actually needs.
• Funded extras. The Essentials Package separates food, consumables and enrichment from funded childcare and permits an opt-out before term begins. Discuss the practical alternatives before choosing that route.

Footsteps Dosthill suits families seeking full-day care or a regular pattern of morning or afternoon sessions, with play, outdoor exploration and communication shaping the nursery day. Freshly prepared food and practical facilities add to its everyday usefulness.

The May 2023 Good judgement provides a dated quality benchmark, while the behaviour improvement point deserves attention when visiting. The decisive practical fit is the weekly booking commitment: this offer works best when a family's timetable can accommodate its required sessions and Monday-or-Friday attendance.