Stepping Stones Day Nursery, Lingley Mere

A bespoke sensory room and outdoor areas with different surfaces give Stepping Stones Day Nursery, Lingley Mere its clearest character: children have space for physical exploration alongside learning in separate age-group areas. The purpose-built, two-storey building stands on Lingley Mere Business Park in Great Sankey. Its provision extends from babies to children preparing for school.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found safeguarding effective and praised support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including work with the local authority and understanding of children who communicate without words. There was a clear improvement point, too: staff training needed more forward planning so that knowledge and skills were consistent.

The nursery has 120 places in total, with a current age range of 3 to 60 months. That is whole-nursery capacity, rather than the size of an individual room. A private car park and outdoor access from every room add practical value for families.

Rooms and Ages

Under 2s follows each child's individual routine and uses daily diaries to connect home and nursery; this gives families a way to share the details of a baby's day as care moves between the two settings.

Toddlers combines a bright room with experiences shaped around children's interests, emphasising early language, relationships and growing independence rather than treating the move beyond babyhood as simply a change of room.

Preschool concentrates on independence, decision-making and social and emotional development ahead of school, giving children opportunities to practise managing choices as well as taking part in learning activities.

The building has four ground-floor classrooms as well as the sensory room. These are physical spaces, not a statement about how many children share any one group. For parents weighing the scale of the nursery, the separation of age groups is more useful than the whole-setting place count alone.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning and development: play and everyday routines become opportunities to develop language, physical skills and independence. It is the foundation of the nursery day. French lessons and physical activities add specific experiences alongside it, while trips include zoos and museums.

In November 2024, mathematics cropped up in ordinary activities rather than being confined to a separate lesson. Toddlers counted while washing toy dinosaurs, younger children encountered numbers in songs and books, and preschool children worked out whether there were enough biscuits for dessert. These examples give parents a concrete picture of how counting can acquire a purpose children understand.

Language received similarly practical attention that November. Staff introduced unfamiliar words to preschool children and encouraged babies' attempts to join in songs before they could sing the words. The emphasis was on participation as well as vocabulary: a child could take part before mastering the task.

Outdoor and Community Life

Outdoor play areas are divided by age, have different surfaces and can be reached from all rooms. Waterproof clothing supports their use in wet weather. Outdoor activity can therefore sit alongside indoor play throughout the day, rather than depending on a single shared outdoor session.

In November 2024, babies took walks to a nearby park and duck pond, and children visited the library. Physical play also used the sensory room, where children built towers with soft cubes. Small obstacle courses gave toddlers chances to decide how much adult help they wanted, while preschool children tackled larger courses. The examples span movement inside the building and exploration beyond it.

Daily diaries are a useful part of the Under 2s arrangement because they connect the child's nursery day with home. Following an individual routine also gives baby care a different emphasis from the growing independence encouraged in the older rooms. Parents can weigh that continuity alongside the physical spaces when considering the youngest age group.

In November 2024, care routines included babies practising with open cups, toddlers developing cutlery skills and older children serving themselves food. Toddlers also used mirrors to clean their faces after lunch, while preschool children practised cutting bananas and cucumbers with adult modelling and encouragement. Independence was built through small, repeatable tasks, not just through organised activities.

The nursery supports toddlers and preschool children to help themselves at mealtimes. Food is also used to explore healthy living and where ingredients come from, making eating part of the learning day rather than solely a pause between activities.

Collection arrangements restrict handovers to authorised people, with changes communicated through the nursery's procedure. These are practical controls families need to follow; the dated safeguarding judgement belongs to the inspection.

Training remains the material caution in that otherwise positive assessment. In November 2024, leaders sometimes arranged training after an incident or concern rather than anticipating staff development needs, leaving gaps in knowledge and skills. For parents, the useful follow-up is how the nursery now identifies those needs and plans learning across the team.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year and closes on bank holidays. This gives families an opening window beyond the school day, while the actual attendance arrangement needs to fit their working and caring commitments.

Getting There

The address is Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington, WA5 3UZ, on Lingley Mere Business Park. Access is from the main road, and a private car park supports collections and drop-offs.

Enquiries can be made directly on 01925 712683, and families can book a nursery visit. The nursery's preschool provision includes preparation for school, with independence and social and emotional skills as explicit priorities.

Funding and Paid Extras

In November 2024, the nursery offered funded early education for children from nine months to four years. Families considering that route should assess the attendance arrangement and its associated costs together, so that the nursery day fits both their schedule and budget.

• Staff development. The November 2024 improvement point concerned training that anticipated needs rather than responding to incidents. At a visit, ask how training priorities are now identified and reviewed across the team.
• Your baby's routine. Under 2s combines individual routines with daily diaries. Use a visit to discuss how your child's feeding and daily care would be carried through into nursery life.
• Attendance and costs. Year-round opening and bank-holiday closures provide the broad calendar. What attendance pattern can you book, how would any funded entitlement be delivered, and what are the arrangements for meals and non-food consumables? Request a current written quotation for the arrangement you are considering.

Stepping Stones Day Nursery, Lingley Mere suits families seeking year-round weekday care, age-specific spaces and a day that combines physical play with practical independence. The sensory room, accessible outdoor areas and French lessons give the offer substance beyond its size. Individual baby routines and preschool preparation address different stages of family life.

The November 2024 assessment was positive, with staff development the clear reservation. That makes the training discussion useful alongside a visit to the rooms: families should weigh the nursery's everyday arrangements and its response to that improvement point together.