Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Ash Cottage, Walmley Ash Lane, Minworth, Sutton Coldfield B76 2AA
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9.1 51 Reviews
  • Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School, Sutton Coldfield
Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School, rated Good by Ofsted (May 2019), offers a bespoke environment full of character and space, complete with modern facilities.

Highly trained staff continually strive towards the development of an idyllic environment in which all children are provided with the necessary support, time and space to grow and develop their self-confidence, esteem, and independence.

The team of early years professionals provide high standards of care and education and are carefully selected for their ability to provide that extra level of care.

The nursery prepares healthy meals every day using fresh produce, while the menus are constantly changed to give the children an opportunity to try all kinds of different foods.

All of the children are offered forest school sessions where they can experience den building, managed risk and challenges.

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Care Provided by Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

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

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Louise Humby (Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 28
  • Total Places for Children
  • 86
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 1 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 07:30-18:30
    Tuesday 07:30-18:30
    Wednesday 07:30-18:30
    Thursday 07:30-18:30
    Friday 07:30-18:30
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

  • Nursery fees are dependent on the age of your child and your specific childcare requirements. Funding options are available, including the government’s 30 hours funded childcare, for working families with 3-4-year-old children and we also accept the Government Tax Free Childcare Scheme and childcare vouchers.


    To request pricing and availability, please call us or visit our website.
  • Parking

  • The nursery has on-site parking for easy drop off/pick up.


Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School Reviews (51)

Total of 51, showing 1-20
9.1

Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School has a Review Score of 9.1 (9.106) out of 10, based on 10 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School has 51 reviews.

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Review from E O (Mother of Child) published on 14 February 2025
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Since starting at Footsteps, our son and we as a family have had nothing but a positive experience. Our son loves nursery, and it's great to see him growing both in confidence and skills every week. This is down to the happy and positive environment. All the caregivers are fantastic. Everyone is friendly
and it seems they have genuine care for all the children. At pickup we always get a detailed rundown of the day which we love and they are always prompt at letting us know of any key information we know to know. We also enjoy the daily diaries.


The facilities at Footsteps are brilliant. A deciding factor for us when choosing a nursery was the outdoor space. The playgrounds and forest school are something our son loves. We're really happy we chose Footsteps.


Reply from Jennifer OShea, Customer Experience Team Leader at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you for your wonderful feedback! It's amazing to hear how much your son loves nursery and how he's growing in confidence and skills each week. Creating a happy, positive environment where children thrive is our top priority, and we're so glad you feel that care and dedication.


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

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Footsteps Walmley have been amazing with my daughter. She settled in so easily and quickly and genuinely loves going on her days. The staff have built such strong bonds with her and I never worry about leaving her with any of the staff there. She does so many fun activities and the communication between
the nursery and us is brilliant. Highly recommended.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you so much! We really appreciate your lovely kind words.


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

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Amazing nursery, they have helped myself and my daughter through the SEN process the whole way through and she is now thriving, after having problems at home with her and not much support outside of nursery, they have arranged a meeting for myself to seek advice, my son also goes here and was very shy
at first but has bonded so well with the staff and doesn't stop talking about it when he gets home! Overall brilliant nursery would not want my kids anywhere else!

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you for your lovely review, we love having both of your children here with us - they really do brighten up our days and are doing so well!


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Review from H B (Mother of Child) published on 20 November 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff at this nursery are incredible! We couldn't be happier with our choice of nursery! Our little boy has settled so well and is very happy there! Communication on drop off and pick up is fab too!


The only piece of slightly negative feedback I have is about the really hard floor in the baby

room. It feels like concrete with a really thin floor tile on top so when my baby bumped his head it came up with a bruise that lasted a couple of days whereas normally when he bumps his head it is red for about 10 minutes then goes. However, the staff were brilliant at dealing with this - we had a courtesy phone call, he had cold compress and was monitored frequently afterwards and we were given a bump note at the end of the day.


I totally appreciate babies who are learning to sit and starting to crawl and walk are going to bump their heads and gets bruises etc but I just feel a softer floor would help prevent further injuries to the babies.


Thank you to all staff for your hard work!


Reply from Jennifer OShea, Customer Experience Team Leader at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're so sorry to hear about your baby's bump but are glad the team responded promptly and kept you informed throughout. Ensuring the children's safety and well-being is always our top priority.We take your comments about the flooring seriously and will review this to explore ways we can make the environment even safer for our little ones. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and for your understanding as babies navigate their early milestones.


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Review from Jade F (Mother of Child) published on 14 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My two girls love the nursery and look forward to going in, they settled perfectly and are comfortable and have become very confident since joining.
The staff are amazing, the setting is clean and tidy and they will always do their best to suit the children’s needs.
100% best nursery in the Walmley
area.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you so much for your lovely response, we love having both of your girls here just as much as they enjoy coming!


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Review from Vicky G (Mother of Child) published on 11 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

A wonderful nursery which has lovely, caring staff who have really helped my daughter to learn and develop and not forgetting all the fun stuff. My daughter loves going there and can't wait to go the next day when picking her up. We take great comfort knowing she is being so well looked after and cared
for all in aspects whilst we are at work. Can't recommend highly enough.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you so much for the lovely review, it is very much appreciated and we are glad you are happy with everything we offer.


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Review from G M (Mother of Child) published on 11 March 2024
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son started not long after his first birthday and has flourished with the help of the amazing team. He has now been attending for almost two years and has loved each room and staff team. Activities are always highly engaging and from experience, themes have been adapted to meet the interests of the
children.
Staff have always kept us very well informed of day-to-day events and strive to give personalised details of each child’s day.
During toilet training, staff were on board, flexible and also suggested ideas to support the process.
Overall, a fantastic facility and highly recommended. Staff are clearly passionate about what they do.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you so much, this is so lovely to hear that you are happy with what we do for you here at Footsteps. He really has developed so well and we love having him here. Thank you.


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Review from M M (Mother of Child) published on 28 April 2023
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 1.0 out of 5

Sadly gone downhill. Poor parental communication and documentation. Fail to take an individualised approach or put the child’s needs first. When concerns raised told “staff don’t have time”. The food provided is also poor. There are many other better nurseries in the area. Serious previous issues were
also raised by Ofsted.

Reply from Harjit, Digital Marketing Executive at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you for your review which is important to us, and we appreciate your feedback, please do contact us at feedback@familyfirstnurseries.com so we can discuss concerns.


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Review from S I (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2023
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I have nothing bad to say about this place! The staff are lovely! The actual nursery is lovely with a great outdoor space! My son has come on leaps and bounds since joining!

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

What a lovely review, thanks for taking the time to write one, we love having you as part of our Footsteps family and enjoy watching him grow into the confident little boy he is becoming.


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Review from N A (Mother of Child) published on 18 April 2023
Submitted via Postal Card • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We are thrilled with Footsteps. All the staff are so friendly and welcoming. We feel so at ease when dropping our son off each day. We have seen such a difference in our son's confidence and are so pleased with how well he is doing. The staff are informative each day and we feel we have positive relationships
with staff as does our son. Thank you for all your hard work.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you so much for your lovely review, we are so pleased that you feel happy with the service we offer and we love having him here with us every week!


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Review from Abi S (Mother of Child) published on 30 September 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter came to this setting after being at home with me from birth to just after her first birthday. I was really nervous about her starting nursery but from the first settling, the ladies in the baby room and others covering, they were friendly, bubbly and very interested in my daughter's needs
and wants whilst she was under their care. My daughter has now been at the setting for a week, she has enjoyed every minute, had no tears, received good handovers of what she has been doing and can tell she has enjoyed her time there.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Many thanks for your wonderful review, she is settling in amazingly and we can't wait to have lots of fun with her!


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Review from Kat S (Mother of Child) published on 8 July 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Really good nursery with friendly staff and great activities for kids. My youngest loves forest school, playground and all the crafting. The nursery has good size parking for drop-offs and pick-ups. The app that we are getting all the notifications is good compared to some that other schools/nurseries
use.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Many thanks for your lovely review, we are pleased you are happy with the nursery and love having you as part of our Footsteps family.


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Review from L H (Mother of Child) published on 7 July 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son started full-time at Footsteps Walmley shortly before his second birthday having previously been at another nursery for one day a week.
The onboarding process couldn’t have been more of a breeze. The staff at Footsteps Walmley made me feel so at ease with my son starting full-time nursery and
relieved a mass amount of pressure from me having just started a new job role after time off that he would be in safe hands and having the best time at nursery!
Since then they’ve supported myself and him throughout different stages and have been nothing short of amazing!
The manager in Rising 3’s as well as the staff within her team have been great with him and he thoroughly enjoys going and is thriving every day. I’ve noticed a massive change in his speaking and general desire to learn and play more since being at Footsteps Walmley, and I can’t thank the staff enough there!
I also love the amazing outdoor space available at the nursery and know that’s a favourite too!

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you so much for such a lovely review, I am sure the team will really appreciate your very kind words. We love having him here too.


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Review from Tosin A (Father of Child) published on 5 July 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The nursery staff are friendly and knowledgeable.
They offer the kids a range of activities - forest school, trips, lots of outdoor play in the garden and a wide range of toys including kitchen corner, building blocks, sand play etc.
The food menu seems to be quite nutritious including a good selection
of fruits and vegetables.
They provide good information to the parents about the development of the children and areas to help them work on and we appreciated it when they provided a workshop to the parents on potty training when my eldest was the appropriate age.
Pre-school was great and my eldest was more than ready for reception when the time came.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Many thanks for your lovely review, it has been and continues to be a pleasure having both of your girls here with us.


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Review from Neil T (Father of Child) published on 1 February 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both my young kids attended Footsteps Nursery (Walmley) and really enjoy their time here. The staff are very friendly and engaging with the kids, and the facility is very clean and modern, with lots of outdoor spaces and activities. Thanks to all the wonderful staff for all the great work you do!

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Thank you so much for your review, we have enjoyed having both your children as part of our Footsteps family - thanks for choosing us to help support them with their learning and development, both have been an absolute pleasure to work with every day.


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Review from Suzanna C (Mother of Child) published on 31 January 2022
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My 2-year-old daughter has been at Footsteps Nursery since she was 9 months old and my son (now 6) was there previously. They provide a wonderful environment for the children and do an amazing job of getting to know them individually. My daughter has had to wear glasses from a young age and they were
so supportive in encouraging her to do so, even buying books about children wearing glasses to read to her whilst she was getting used to them. Would highly recommend.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Many thanks for your wonderful words, we have loved having you as part of our Footsteps family for the last few years and are so pleased that she loves her glasses now, she wears them so well.


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Review from Craig S (Father of Child) published on 21 September 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My child has recently started at this setting and I’m so impressed with how well she has settled. This is because the staff really do care about what they do, they put the effort and time into settling my child and have made me as a father feel very comfortable! I know she’s in great hands. They have
taken the time to get to know my child and I know she’s happy when goes there as she just walks right in! She has become much more confident and independent since starting and I’m so happy to see her thriving in their care.

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Many thanks for your wonderful review, she really has settled in so well and really enjoys her days with us.


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Review from Jessica K (Mother of Child) published on 21 September 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter has recently started in the movers room. With my daughter being born just before the first pandemic, I was nervous that she would be unsettled and wouldn’t enjoy herself but I couldn’t be any more wrong. She absolutely loves her time at nursery and has formed such lovely bonds with the staff.
The staff have been attentive and supportive to settling my little girl and made me feel so at ease. I love seeing what she had done on her day at nursery, by looking at their learning book app and I always get informative feedback at the end of the day. I would highly recommend this nursery to anyone!

Reply from Louise Humby, Manager at Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

Many thanks for your lovely feedback, it is a real pleasure to see how well she has settled in and enjoys her days with us.


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Review from Joy A (Mother of Child) published on 29 April 2021
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I am glad my children are attending Footsteps. The children have appropriate levels of stimulation and are blossoming. The staff are caring, approachable, attentive and experienced. It will be great once the country opens up again to enable the mini day trips.

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Review from Meg J (Mother of Child) published on 28 April 2021
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Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Lovely nursery setting and great staff. My daughter has really settled here and all the staff have been amazing at helping with any request I've had. As a parent your always apprehensive about where you send your child but I’m so glad I chose here.

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Current Review Score: 9.1 (9.106)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.1 (9.106) out of 10 for Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.7 out of 5 from 10 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.4 out of 5 from 9 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 4.683 for Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School is calculated as follows: ( (105 Excellents x 5) + (3 Goods x 4) + (5 Satisfactorys x 3) + (3 Poors x 2) + (4 Very Poors x 1) ) ÷ 120 Ratings = 4.683

  • 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 4.423 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School is based on 9 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 = 3.9

    • 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 86 number of registered child places is 17.2. 9 Positive Reviews ÷ 17.2 = 0.523

  • 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.

Child Vacancies

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Awards / Recognitions (3)

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Meet the Team (2)

Louise

Louise Humby

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2013

My name is Louise Humby, and I am the Nursery Manager here at Walmley. I joined Footsteps in 2013 initially as a Manager at our Fazeley setting and bring over 22 years of experience working within early years.


I hold a Level 5 Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies and I am passionate about developing children into confident, resilient, and independent learners.


Jack

Jack Pye

Job Title: Deputy Manager

Joined: 2019

My name is Jack Pye, and I joined Walmley nursery as Deputy Manager in March 2019. Alongside this, I am also a Level 3 qualified Forest School Leader, offering unique experiences and opportunities for all our children through weekly forest school sessions.


I hold a BA Honours in Primary Education and started my career working in primary schools before moving into my early years.


Frequently Asked Questions about Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School

What is the Age Range of Children that Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School accepts?

Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School accepts Children aged from 0 years 1 month to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School Open?

Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School is open: Monday 07:30-18:30, Tuesday 07:30-18:30, Wednesday 07:30-18:30, Thursday 07:30-18:30, Friday 07:30-18:30.

How many Children does Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School have capacity for?

Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School has capacity for a total of 86 Children.

How far is Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School to the centre of Sutton Coldfield?

2.6 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 Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Footsteps Walmley Nursery & Pre-School has a Platinum Service – more info.