Stepping Stones Day Nursery

152 Nine Mile Ride, Finchampstead, Wokingham RG40 4JA
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10 74 Reviews
  • Stepping Stones Day Nursery, Wokingham
Stepping Stones Day Nursery is a smaller scale and very personable style children’s day nursery.

Set in a bungalow with expansive gardens, there are lots to do for all ages from three months to five years. The pre-schoolers have their own separate building in the grounds, whilst babies and toddlers benefit from bright and airy rooms in the main building.

Home-cooked meals, cook school, Boogie Mites and outdoor learning in the nursery gardens and wild play spaces are all included. All professionals are well-trained to support key EYFS goals.

The nursery received an 'outstanding' grade in all areas from Ofsted in August 2017.

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Care Provided by Stepping Stones Day Nursery

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Lauren Doe (Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 11
  • Total Places for Children
  • 50
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:30-18:00
    Tuesday 07:30-18:00
    Wednesday 07:30-18:00
    Thursday 07:30-18:00
    Friday 07:30-18:00
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for Stepping Stones Day Nursery

  • We offer spaces as a standard day (8 am to 5.30 pm) or extended day (7.30 am to 6 pm). Funded only spaces are limited.
    Please contact the nursery direct for a copy of our fees sheet.
  • Parking

  • Please use the entrance and exit as advised on the signs.
    Parking can be allocated outside the front of the nursery.


Stepping Stones Day Nursery Reviews (74)

Total of 74, showing 1-20
10

Stepping Stones Day Nursery has a Review Score of 10 (9.955) out of 10, based on 17 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Stepping Stones Day Nursery has 74 reviews.

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Review from A T (Mother of Child) published on 17 February 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I cannot express how happy we are with the Stepping Stones Day Nursery. As he is our 1st child, I was a bit nervous about nursery and how well he would adjust. From the beginning, I was always reassured and greeted warmly, which made us feel we made the right decision.
The staff are incredibly friendly,
attentive and genuinely invested in the well being of and development of each child. My child's key worker has contributed massively to him settling in so well at nursery. She regularly takes the time if I want to have a longer chat, she understands my parenting style and what I like for my child. It's clear the curriculum is engaging and thoughtfully designed, incorporating a perfect balance of play based learning and structured activities.
My child comes home everyday from nursery with a massive smile on his face, and responds with a massive "yeaaaahh" when I ask if he had fun at nursery.
Thank you.

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Review from Kerry D (Mother of Child) published on 12 February 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son absolutely loves coming to Stepping stones and is thriving more and more as the weeks go past. He has such good bonds with the staff and even speaks about them at home which is lovely. The staff are so caring and kind and treat my son as if it's their own.
The app is great to see what my son
is doing and learning and I always look forward to hearing about his day.

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Review from B M (Mother of Child) published on 11 February 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter started Stepping Stones back in September 2024 and she absolutely loves it. Even in the baby room (Nest) they do so many activities with the children from cooking to painting and we always get great updates at the end of the day when we collect her. The staff also try to take the children
outside/into the garden as much as they can which is something we were keen for when we were looking at nurseries. Our daughter has built great bonds with so many of the staff, we couldn't recommend this nursery enough!

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Review from M C (Father of Child) published on 4 February 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

There is not a bad word to say about Stepping Stones Day Nursery or the staff here who are always lovely and friendly. My son has good bonds with the staff and even asks for them when he is at home which shows they can be trusted to take care and look after him.
The app is great with all the regular
observations to be able to see what activities he has been up to and enjoying and also see how he is developing and interacting without mummy or daddy around which is great to see.

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Review from Liam C (Father of Child) published on 3 February 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff at Stepping Stones Day Nursery are absolutely amazing, our son has started to show some great improvements since being here. A special thanks to all involved in our son's learning.

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Review from Anne L (Mother of Child) published on 22 January 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My 1.5-year-old son has settled in so well since starting nursery in September 2024. We were a little nervous about him starting nursery but he absolutely loves it. The team members all form strong relationships with the children and they organise fun activities for the little ones eg cooking school,
painting, exploring the garden etc. There is an app where you get regular updates on meals, naps etc plus we get updates on his day when we collect him. We also had a parents evening a couple of months after he started where we could see the setting again and find out and discuss in more depth about his progress etc. Our experience has been that the nursery provides a caring and fun place for our son to be.

Reply from Lauren Doe, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you so much for a lovely review, we are so happy you love it here. Thank you again for your kind words.


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Review from H B (Mother of Child) published on 21 January 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has settled in so well at Stepping Stones. The staff are so lovely, and have been really supportive. I also really appreciate the updates provided through the app of how he's getting on in the day. He always has a smile on his face when we pick him up. Would highly recommend to any parent.

Reply from Lauren Doe, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you so much. It's so lovely to see how he has settled and we love always keeping you updated. Thank you again.


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Review from J M (Father of Child) published on 21 January 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter (1yo) has been attending for nearly 5 months now and we couldn't be happier with how it's gone. The staff are exceptional, they provide the best care and attention to the kids and our daughter's key workers have made so much effort to get to know our daughter and understand her. My daughter
attends four days a week and cannot wait to get to this nursery, every day she is genuinely excited to get there and I have peace of mind that her development and wellbeing is in safe hands.

Reply from Lauren Doe, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you so much for the lovely review, it's so lovely to hear how much she loves coming to see us. We are so pleased with how well she has settled and how far she has come. Thank you so much.


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Review from C C (Mother of Child) published on 21 January 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

All the girls at Stepping Stones (nine mile ride) are fantastic and welcoming! My little dude appears to have the best time and always has a huge smile on his face. He is developing well and that's with a huge help from the staff. They always have such lovely activities suitable for all the children
and at big events like Christmas and Halloween they involve all the parents/ carers and it feels like a huge family!
In this day and age trusting people to look after your loved ones is not something that is done easily but everyday they reassure us and prove they are one of the best nurseries with the happiest caring staff.

Reply from Lauren Doe, Acting Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you so much for such a lovely review. We absolutely love having him here and so pleased how well he has settled, Thank you again.


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Review from Jess E (Mother of Child) published on 24 June 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son started with Stepping Stones in January and the biggest praise I can give is that within a few short months he loves the place. The team are dedicated, kind and lovely and so reassuring to first-time mums like myself who are nervous about leaving their child for the first time. He's come on so
much in his time there so far and I'm so pleased at how happy he is. Thank you.

Reply from Lauren Doe, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you so much for such a lovely review, It's great to hear how much you love him coming to Stepping Stones, we for sure love having him here at the setting.


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Review from Joe P (Father of Child) published on 28 November 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

One of the scariest things for parents is handing them over at nursery. But we had nothing to worry about with Stepping Stones.
The staff are all lovely and so welcoming. You can tell all the children at the nursery have such a genuine bond with the staff too. We also love that the staff want to get
to know the parents as well, putting on activities and seasonal events during the week and on weekends.
The nursery setting is fantastic. Our daughter loves playing in the long garden and gets stuck into lots of fun activities, which have helped develop her social skills with children of all ages.
The manager and the rest of the staff have already done so much to help our daughter settle into a new environment and develop in all areas. Our daughter’s bond and relationship with all staff members is already so strong and genuine, and it’s only been two months.
The highlight of our day is getting the app updates about all the fun and amazing things our daughter gets up to at Stepping Stones.

Reply from Lauren Doe, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you so much for your lovely review, she has settled amazing! We are so pleased you are so happy and thankful for such kind words.


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Review from Laura J (Mother of Child) published on 14 November 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

As a first time parent I wasn’t sure what I was looking for in a nursery but the deputy manager (now manager) at the time showed me around and she was so warm and welcoming that I knew my daughter would be safe and cared for.
Fast forward nearly a year and my daughter is a happy, confident little girl
and I put this down to the excellent care and encouragement she receives from all of the team at Stepping Stones. We get regular updates on the app about what fun things she has been up to, from French lessons, baking, singing, messy play and playing outdoors. The garden is huge and there is so much for the children to do, which was also a big tick for me. The menu is varied and my daughter seemingly loves it.
As a full time working parent, it’s important to know your child is in good hands as they spend more awake time at nursery than at home and I’m 100% confident this is the case at Stepping Stones. My daughter doesn’t even wave bye to me half of the time at drop off, which says it all!

Reply from Lauren Doe, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

A big thank you for this. She has the best time at nursery and we are so pleased you are so happy with what is offered daily. So lovely to see your feedback, Manager of Stepping Stones Day Nursery.


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Review from Sandrine D (Mother of Child) published on 23 May 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has gone to Stepping Stones for two years, and we could not be happier about how she has been looked after. The staff really deserve their outstanding Ofsted grading! They organise a range of interactive activities for the children (cooking, exploring, French, singing...) and have a different
focus each week. Their food is healthy and varied, and the outdoor area is big and safe. We also really appreciate that their communication is excellent.

Reply from Kirsty Cordery, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you for your review of our nursery.
I am pleased your daughter has enjoyed her time here at Stepping Stones.
We will be sad when she leaves for school this year and hope the next transition goes well for you all.


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Review from A G (Mother of Child) published on 22 March 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our toddler joined Stepping Stone in January after a big move from London. As with any big move, finding the right nursery is super important, and after visiting several nurseries, we decided Stepping Stone was the perfect solution for us: not many kids, a caring team, and big outdoor. I have to say
we have been very happy so far! My child is thriving in the preschool room: the manager and the team are very caring, and I am pleased with her progress so far. Their observations are detailed and accurate, and I get quite a lot every week! On Fridays, I get a plan for the week ahead: it’s great to see what she will be doing the following week! Next Monday, there is a tea organised for mums and grandmas that will give us the chance to see the kids in their rooms. Yesterday I got a biscuit and card for Mother’s day (very cute even if she eats it all!). Thanks to the manager and the team for looking after our baby so well!

Reply from Kirsty Cordery, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you for your review, and I am really pleased your daughter has settled in well to the nursery after your big move.
I am pleased your child is thriving, and you are pleased with her progress and her observations.
We hope you enjoyed the mothers day tea and your daffodils yesterday.


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Review from Dippy D (Mother of Child) published on 22 March 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

As a first-time mum with no prior experience with babies, I was extremely nervous about sending my daughter to a nursery. I have delayed and postponed the start date several times, but the manager reassured me and gave me the confidence to send my daughter to Stepping Stones Day Nursery. My daughter
joined the nest and quickly settled in; she has learnt many new things, and her social skills improved a lot.
My daughter attends preschool now, and she loves being at preschool; she is the youngest there and loves to play with older children and learn new things. The staffs are lovely and very helpful, the app gets updated with all the details, and I can call them anytime if I have any queries.
I highly recommend Stepping Stones Day Nursery to anyone who is looking for high-standard and high-quality childcare.

Reply from Kirsty Cordery, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and review.
I am pleased that you made the decision to send your daughter to us after reassurance and confidence was given.
Your daughter is very happy here and is really enjoying her time at Stepping Stones.


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Review from Hollie S (Mother of Child) published on 22 March 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son joined Stepping Stones in August 2022; the staff have been amazing, and they have really helped us with his development. They have guided us through a number of processes in order to access more help and support for him as he transitions towards school.

Reply from Kirsty Cordery, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and review. I am pleased you feel with all supporting you and your son with all the help and support for your child's development and his next transitions to school.


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Review from Alex B (Mother of Child) published on 21 March 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has been at Stepping Stones since she turned one, and we have been delighted with the experience. The manager and her staff are brilliant! They are a lovely team who all get to know the children and families so well. They have been fabulous in helping prep and support my daughter for the
arrival of the new baby too.
Daily communication and termly progress updates are great, and the use of the app makes the whole process easy.
My daughter loves going to the nursery; she is also welcomed so warmly at the door. The activities they do every day are so imaginative, and there a plenty of themed days for them to enjoy. My daughter loves the outdoors, and this was also a real selling point for Stepping Stones.

Reply from Kirsty Cordery, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and review; it's much appreciated by myself and the team.
I am pleased your daughter enjoys her time at Stepping Stones; she comes to the door every morning with the biggest smile and really enjoys all the activities we have on offer.


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Review from Charlotte H (Mother of Child) published on 17 March 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

All 3 of my children have attended Stepping Stones over recent years, and my daughter is currently attending. She goes into nursery happy every day, it is such a warm, caring environment where she is thriving. They plan lovely activities every day, and she gets to experience new tastes and textures
through play. She really enjoys the dancing sessions too. She has grown in confidence since joining, and I am sure she will be a confident independent girl by the time she is ready for school. The staff are wonderful, they really know her personality and cater to her needs.

Reply from Kirsty Cordery, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you for your kind words and your review regarding Stepping Stones Nursery.
I am pleased we have been able to support you and your family over recent years.
I am happy you feel the setting is a warm and caring environment and that your daughter enjoys all the activities we have on offer.


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Review from L S (Mother of Child) published on 9 March 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 3.0 out of 5

We joined Stepping Stones during the pandemic, so could only view the premises from the windows, so took a gamble from reading all these positive reviews and wanted to add our experience. Our child really enjoyed being there, absolutely loved the staff and was never sad about going. They had quite a
high staff turnover while we were there, including the kitchen staff, so the meals became quite basic. There was an incident that happened when our child could not be seen and issues with images on social media. The French lessons by a wonderful external teacher were actually on a laptop (fine during Covid but remained so after people could enter the setting), which was disappointing as we could do this at home. We moved to another preschool, and the jump in our child's ability was huge in just a few weeks. Our child always came out with a smile, and the nursery ticked all our boxes initially, but the whole experience for us has just constantly felt chaotic.

Reply from Kirsty Cordery, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.
We are pleased your child enjoyed coming to Stepping Stones and loved our staff team. It is disappointing to read about your issues with the nursery– we wish you had raised them at the time, as this would always be our preferred way forward. We wish your child all the best at their new preschool.


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Review from A K (Mother of Child) published on 6 December 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Stepping Stones has a wonderful, caring and nurturing environment. It is a joy to pick up my child at the end of the day, and to see she has been well looked after, encouraged and has had a cracking, good time. All the staff, including the management, are friendly and welcoming. They want to know how
you and your child are, and you can really see how well they know her, her traits and her areas for development. I can drop her off and feel calm and trust in the knowledge she is well looked after.

Reply from Kirsty Cordery, Manager at Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Thank you for your review of our setting and the kind words you used to describe the setting and the team.
I am pleased to hear you are encouraged to see your child has a cracking good time here and feel that we know her, her traits and areas of development well.


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Current Review Score: 10.0 (9.955)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 10 (9.955) out of 10 for Stepping Stones Day Nursery is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 5.0 out of 5 from 17 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 17 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.955 for Stepping Stones Day Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (194 Excellents x 5) + (7 Goods x 4) + (1 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 202 Ratings = 4.955

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 5 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Stepping Stones Day Nursery is based on 17 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 50 number of registered child places is 10, which has been reached with 17 Positive reviews. Points = 1

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Stepping Stones Day Nursery

What is the Age Range of Children that Stepping Stones Day Nursery accepts?

Stepping Stones Day Nursery accepts Children aged from 0 years 3 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Stepping Stones Day Nursery Open?

Stepping Stones Day Nursery is open: Monday 07:30-18:00, Tuesday 07:30-18:00, Wednesday 07:30-18:00, Thursday 07:30-18:00, Friday 07:30-18:00.

How many Children does Stepping Stones Day Nursery have capacity for?

Stepping Stones Day Nursery has capacity for a total of 50 Children.

How far is Stepping Stones Day Nursery to the centre of Wokingham?

2.7 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Stepping Stones Day Nursery to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Stepping Stones Day Nursery has an Enhanced Service – more info.