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First Steps Day Nursery

First Steps Day Nursery is a day nursery in Crewe for children aged 0 to 4, with 41 registered places. Ofsted report card, 1 July 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met.

West Street Christian Fellowship, West Street, Crewe, CW1 3HE

Key facts

Type
Day nursery (Full day care) (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Ages
0 to 4 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered places
41 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
7 January 2025 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 1 July 2026

Latest inspection

  • Inclusion: Expected standard
  • Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
  • Achievement: Expected standard
  • Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard
  • Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard
  • Leadership and governance: Expected standard
  • Safeguarding standards met

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 1 July 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children who attend this setting thrive in their emotional wellbeing, because they are lavished with plenty of attention and warm affection. Older and younger children mix together, and there is an inviting home-from-home atmosphere throughout the setting. Friendships between children flourish. Children are helpful and considerate of their peers. For example, younger children hold hands while they play, showing reassurance from this peer support. Staff prioritise children's personal, social and emotional development, ensuring they feel cared for and safe.

Every child achieves and progresses in all areas of their learning. In particular, children make excellent progress in their speech and language because staff create and maintain a language-rich environment. Children are active and enjoy exerting themselves physically outdoors. The curriculum is varied and stimulating. Staff observe children and assess their abilities. They use this information to inform their teaching. Children enjoy their learning because activities are well planned and interesting. Typically, children make steady progress.

Children show a sense of belonging. They confidently wave goodbye to their parents, and without hesitation, they skip off to explore the bright and inviting toys displayed for them. Children are happy and show wonderfully positive self-esteem, nurtured by warm and affectionate staff. All children are included, and there is sense of community created because children of different ages mix together. Staff know children very well, and adapt routines to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to thrive. This is a busy, well-led setting in the heart of the local community. Children who attend are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Expected standard

This is a diverse and inclusive setting. Every child's uniqueness is celebrated. Staff and leaders have a deep appreciation for the local context and community in which they operate. They understand the challenges that families face, and work hard to guide and assist families wherever possible. Inclusion is at the heart of this setting's ethos and culture. Staff and leaders collaborate closely with a range of external professionals. They implement specialist advice into their planning and teaching to strengthen provision and raise attainment levels for all children.

Leaders carefully spend any additional funding, with close consideration of the needs of the children who access the setting. For instance, a recent project to convert a storage room into a sensory space has been planned and executed, to extend opportunities and learning experiences for all children.

Typically, leaders strive to ensure that disadvantaged children achieve well. They assess and identify children's needs through professional observations. Talents are quite-rightly celebrated, and gaps in learning successfully narrowed through sensitive adaptations to the environment and teaching. Generally, everyone makes steady progress. Children who face barriers to their learning have written support plans in place for them. However, occasionally, these support plans are not updated regularly. This means that, sometimes, support plans do not include the most up-to-date information to help staff target their already effective-teaching with consistent precision.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum for language is a notable strength. Staff purposefully use ongoing narration to immerse children in a language-rich environment. They repeat words with clarity to extend children's vocabulary. Staff use plenty of age-appropriate questions, and respond to children's ideas and comments to engage them in discussions and conversations. As such, children from an early age are heard babbling and practising their language skills. Children make better-than-expected progress in this area of learning, supported by high-quality teaching.

Leaders plan, and staff implement, an ambitious curriculum. Children benefit from a broad range of activities indoors and outside. Children's learning experiences are further enriched during trips in the local community. Generally, staff plan and deliver a fun, stimulating and varied curriculum. Overall, children are supported to make steady progress. However, sometimes during transition times, particularly before and after eating, children are not always engaged in purposeful play.

Staff adapt their teaching and interactions to meet children's different needs and stages of development. To exemplify, they use flash cards and visual prompts, alongside verbal instructions to ensure that everyone understands and can follow the instructions. Teaching is accessible to all children.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children enjoy daily fresh air and exercise, contributing to their physical health. They roll balls down drainpipes and anticipate which ball will go faster. They are mesmerised during this activity and master their critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they play. Children enjoy exploring age-appropriate climbing frames. They show courage and resilience as they climb up and over the frame. Children navigate their way across a pathway of blocks, negotiating different spaces and levels. This is a challenging task and helps to extend children's coordination and physical strength.

Children use tools to cut and shape dough. They confidently manipulate the dough by rolling, patting and creating different shapes. This requires concentration and promotes their dexterity and fine-motor skills. Children make better-than-expected progress in their speech and language development and, overall, make typically-steady progress across all areas of learning. Children hear and use different descriptive words, such as 'squish', 'squash' and 'stretch'. They develop their language skills during this largely creative art activity. Children benefit from a broad and interesting programme of play.

Children benefit from carefully-adapted activities to meet their differing needs. For instance, babies who are developing their core strength are bolstered by soft cushions so they can access toys safely. Children consistently benefit from this sensitive teaching.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders closely monitor children's attendance. They act swiftly when any absences or concerns arise to minimise the impact on children's learning. They work sensitively and closely with families to address difficulties related to attendance. There is a collective understanding among parents, staff and leaders about the value of punctual and regular attendance.

Staff work well as a team. They show immense respect and courtesy for one another. Children witness these considerate interactions between the adults who care for them. This means that children learn first hand how to treat others. For instance, staff are extremely polite and they model manners in every interaction. Children copy and effortlessly say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children learn to treat others with courtesy, kindness and respect.

Staff confidently manage behaviour using a number of age-appropriate and effective strategies. They frequently praise children, providing lots of animated encouragement. Staff use visual prompts, such as traffic light flash cards and sand timers, to indicate to children what is expected of them. Children respond to this well, and behaviour is typically cooperative and harmonious. At times, staff do not effectively manage routines, such as transition times before and after meals, to promote children's continual engagement and extend their positive attitudes to learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children benefit from warm attachments with staff. The key-person system is established and effectively fosters children's emotional wellbeing through nurturing and positive relationships. Staff are kind and affectionate. Children respond well to this attention and are emotionally settled.

Mealtimes are carefully managed to promote children's welfare. Children are securely seated in low chairs, and waist straps help to promote their safety when eating. Prior to children getting up from the table, staff check that they are not still chewing, minimising the risk of choking. Children remain safe and secure through this cautious and vigilant practice at mealtimes. Safety is equally prioritised during sleep times. Babies and children benefit from calm and quiet spaces to rest. Staff remain nearby, monitoring children's wellbeing continually when they sleep. Safety procedures are well embedded into staff's everyday practice.

The menu is nutritious and healthy. Children enjoy their food and are provided with more if they desire. This great appetite, promoted by tasty food, helps to foster children's health. Staff teach children about their emotions and feelings in age-appropriate ways. Books and toys help children to learn about how they feel, extending their emotional wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Professional development and staff-training opportunities are offered to all staff by supportive and encouraging leaders. Many staff are completing further qualifications to enhance their skills. This continual investment in staff training boosts staff morale, and creates a dedicated workforce who feel valued. In turn, staff work hard because they are happy.

Leaders and staff continually evaluate and reflect on the quality of their practice. For instance, a new scheme has recently been introduced to optimise staff talents and interests. Staff now undertake additional responsibilities to enhance the curriculum and raise standards even more. Together, leaders and staff are committed to ongoing improvements to benefit the children and families who attend.

Leaders work hard to establish positive partnerships with parents. They publish updates in regular newsletters, to ensure that parents are kept informed of important information. Children's online learning records are conveniently accessible, to enable parents to receive information about their children's progress in a timely manner. Parents comment 'We feel, as parents, our child is safe, heard and understood. Every member of staff is excellent with our child; each morning, he receives a warm welcome'. This comment exemplifies the positive experiences of families and children who access this setting. Parents share basic information with staff about their children's abilities when they first start attending. However this basic information does not fully assist staff to support children's seamless enrolment at the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders should ensure staff effectively manage transition times, particularly before and after snack and mealtimes, to ensure that children remain continually engaged in purposeful learning.
  • Leaders should strengthen the already effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities by updating care plans more frequently to enable children to make rapid progress.
  • Leaders should strengthen communication with parents when children first start attending, to gather more detailed information about children's needs and abilities from the outset to provide even more targeted support for children from the very beginning.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 1 July 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Ofsted report cards (England, from November 2025)

Since 10 November 2025 Ofsted has graded nurseries and pre-schools on a report card. There is no single overall grade. Instead, each of six areas gets one of five grades: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement.

The six areas are inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines; children's welfare and wellbeing; leadership and governance. Safeguarding is judged on its own, as met or not met.

Expected standard means the setting does what Ofsted expects of every setting. Strong standard and Exceptional are above that; Needs attention and Urgent improvement mean Ofsted found things the setting has to put right.

Source: Ofsted reports

Funded childcare hours in England

All 3 and 4 year olds in England can get 15 hours of free childcare a week, for 38 weeks of the year.

Working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years old can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year (Free Childcare for Working Parents), if they meet the earnings rules. You confirm your details every 3 months.

Some 2 year olds can get 15 hours a week when the family gets certain kinds of extra support.

The hours are used at a registered provider that offers them, so ask each nursery how it offers the funded hours.

Source: GOV.UK: Free Childcare for Working Parents, check if you're eligible · GOV.UK: Free childcare and education for 2 to 4 year olds (checked 31 October 2026)

Other nurseries nearby

  • Smart Start Nurseries & Preschool - Day nursery, Crewe CW1 3JX, ages 2 to 4, 26 places, 0.3 miles
    Ofsted, 3 July 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Dinos Nursery and Preschool - Day nursery, Crewe CW1 3JT, ages 1 to 4, 106 places, 0.3 miles
    Ofsted report card, 30 March 2026: Strong standard in 3 areas, Expected standard in 3 areas; safeguarding standards met
  • Little Cherubs - Day nursery, Crewe CW1 3TN, ages 1 to 4, 40 places, 0.3 miles
    Ofsted, 11 May 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Rainbow Childcare & Preschool - Day nursery, Crewe CW2 7RL, ages 3 to 4, 36 places, 0.4 miles
    Ofsted, 15 June 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Rainbow Childcare & Preschool - Day nursery, Crewe CW2 8LT, ages 0 to 3, 22 places, 0.5 miles
    Ofsted, 24 November 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective

Schools nearby

First Steps Day Nursery on the Ofsted website