Stepping Stones Day Nursery Speedwell

Starting in the baby room and now in the toddler room. Since the first day, she’s so thrilled to go and so pleased after such a fun and entertaining day. She comes home with the cutest artwork. The contact with the team is incredible. The attention and attention she receives is second to none. She has learnt so much and is thriving there. My girl has been attending Stepping Stones Day Nursery Speedwell for just over a year now. She is so delighted and self‑assured and I know this is down to the professional, experienced and loving personnel.

Additionally, the app they use to record activities that your kid has done used to be updated weekly with photos and notes; now, you maybe receive an update once a month, if that. The nursery setting crew are always cordial and caring and definitely have helped my child’s progress. Overall, I am extremely pleased with this childcare centre and its sites and the lovely crew. My youngster joined this early‑years hub when he was one, and he is now about to turn three and is in the preschool room and adores it. Lately, there have been a few changes in personnel, and the email correspondence has become quite poor when you email any queries; this previously was extremely quick and supportive.

It is a great setting for kids to grow. My little one has been with them since she was 10 months old and she will be four next month. Interestingly, I have never had a reason to complain about support at the setting.

The childcare centre were absolutely brilliant with him. They did everything to help him thrive. My young lad came to this childcare centre when he was two years old, he has now just turned five and is thriving. I honestly cannot thank this childcare centre enough for everything they did for him. They were kind, loving, caring and he just adored going there to see the crew and his friends. They never, ever treated him any differently to the other youngsters and always made an effort to try and understand what he would be trying to say to them. Thank you. I will always be forever grateful to them. He came to the childcare centre with educational needs and speech delay!

My young lad adores the setting and always has a varied day of activities to keep him engaged. Settling back in after the spring and summer lockdown was made easier by the interest being taken in the health and well-being of the entire household and my son’s progress since he had been away. They are incredibly engaging with the little ones and make the difficult and rushed mornings so much easier. Although the childcare centre is owned by a larger company, it doesn’t feel like it. They are caring, nurturing and empathetic. They are truly child-led and I don’t feel rushed or pressured to “potty train” or distress him to bring him to an unrealistic expectation I have seen at other settings. I can’t express enough how great this early‑years hub is. There is so much I could say about the wonderful team. The leadership are responsive and compassionate as are the personnel. The leadership of the childcare centre is just as remarkable and takes a holistic approach to the care of the little ones.

No place is perfect so I would say that their organisation could be strengthened with respect to email updates. My little one joins baby class there and she is certainly thriving there and seems to treasure all the team. Overall it is a lovely place and is wholly focussed on the kids and their progress and is great value for money, The food has been hit and miss, it was exceptionally limited until my baby turned one but seems to be improving now and I know other kids in the older classes have a great menu. Also, I know other nurseries do use apps and such to log baby sleep and food etc during the day and that would certainly be a nice bonus but perhaps it is best they are focussing more on the youngster and not updating an app. The crew are exceptionally cordial and supportive to us parents too.

The personnel is nice and there was an improvement since the manager joined this early‑years hub. There have been several cases where they didn’t change my daughter’s nappy in time and didn’t wipe her properly. Also when I pick her up I always wait around 20 minutes (not great when is raining and windy outside). The outdoor space for babies is small and exceptionally dated. My little one adores the personnel and she seems thrilled here, but here is where the good part ends. The building is exceptionally dated and in urgent need of repairs and TLC. They seem understaffed most of the time, once even closed its doors the room with short notification (I received an email at 8pm) due to lack of personnel. The menu is truly repetitive and based on carbs, not protein and veggies.

My kids have always cherished going to nursery setting there, and I feel the personnel genuinely care about their wellbeing. Over that time, we’ve seen quite a few changes and gone through all the difficulties of 2020 and 2021. Even though my eldest is now at school, the crew who worked with her remember her and greet her warmly when we’re at the morning drop-off for my youngest. We have been using Stepping Stones Day Nursery Speedwell for the preceding six years for both my kids. It would be good if the Learning Book was updated more regularly, but appreciate it takes time out of focusing on the little ones. I am always impressed by how the crew know all the children’s names, even those of the kids that are not in their “rooms” or the personnel that are only there a few days a week. The sites are a bit tired and dated, but since the new manager started, there have been some new initiatives introduced, such as the time for stories book bags, which my boy absolutely adores.

The crew are fantastic, caring and hard working. As a result, my Universal Credit payments have been held up which has been most unwelcome and could have been avoided had management been better at responding to emails and remembering to complete tasks discussed over the phone. Also, sometimes my youngster is handed over to me at the end of the day (6pm) without his coat, hat or jumper on (they are just handed to me) so I have to dress him at the early‑years hub front door – often in the cold (it’s November), to prepare him for his journey home. This doesn’t happen with all just all childcare centre team. The contact from management is not so good. Very frustrating. The nursery setting crew have been great at settling my little one into his first childcare centre period. Twice I requested receipts for my nursery setting payments via email to the management, and twice by a telephone call in order to send to Universal Credit. The absorbing book is great! I still have received nothing.

I feel really safe knowing that my girl is in good hands. She enhanced in all ways. Well done team! From the first day my little one started, I could see how pleased she was. I’m totally recommending Stepping Stones Nursery. All the crew is really welcoming and always there to help with any questions or concerns.