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Footsteps 123 LTD

Footsteps 123 LTD is a day nursery in Hatfield for children aged 0 to 4, with 61 registered places. Ofsted report card, 16 April 2026: Strong standard in 1 area, Expected standard in 5 areas; safeguarding standards met.

Jimmy Macs Activity Centre, Jim McDonald Centre, McDonald Court, High View, Hatfield, AL10 8HR

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
61 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)
Registered
8 December 2023 (Ofsted childcare register, as at 30 June 2026)

Opening hours

Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30

Source: Ofsted report, inspection on 16 April 2026

Who runs it

Footsteps 123 LTD is run by Footsteps 123 LTD (Ofsted register).

Latest inspection

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

Source: Ofsted, inspection on 16 April 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 arrive happily and are welcomed into a homely and caring nursery where they settle quickly and feel safe. Children, including babies, build warm relationships with staff and seek them out for reassurance, cuddles and support. Children separate from their families with increasing confidence. Transitions are thoughtful and familiar, with home visits, detailed handovers and close communication, helping children and parents feel secure from the start.

Children enjoy their learning and show curiosity across the day. Children listen closely to familiar stories, join in with repeated words and are remembering favourite books. Children become absorbed in outdoor play, digging in soil and sand, riding bikes and exploring climbing equipment. Children use home-made binoculars and minibeast charts to search for bugs and talk about what they have found. Children develop physical skills in the hall as they use mats, tunnels, hoops and balls, and in yoga sessions where they stretch, balance and move with control.

Children play alongside and with their peers, beginning to take turns, share resources and help one another. Older children show pride in being independent, choosing their own snack, washing plates and helping younger children with shoes. Children develop confidence in communication and language, using new words, signs and familiar songs to express themselves. Children remember the signs for each day of the week they have learned.

Generally, most children with barriers to learning are included and supported to take part. Children benefit from visual prompts, Now and Next cards, favourite books and some strategies that help them manage transitions and join in. Children make progress from their starting points and become more confident, independent and ready for their next stage. Children feel valued at this setting. Their interests and personalities are recognised and fostered.

What Ofsted found in each area

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children's needs are identified early. Children are assessed on entry, and staff notice when there are gaps in learning or barriers, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those previously known to children's social care. Children benefit from staff who know them well and begin to put some strategies in place, such as visual prompts and familiar resources. Generally, adaptations are made well in the moment overall, which supports them to take part.

Children who are disadvantaged are supported through the use of additional funding. Children access experiences such as physical development opportunities, local trips, resources and targeted activities that help them make progress from their starting points. Children's progress is monitored and reviewed, with staff beginning to identify what is working and where further support is needed.

Children with SEND and those with emerging needs are supported through partnership working. Children benefit from staff who seek advice from external professionals and work closely with families to understand their needs. Some staff have recently attended inclusion training, which is beginning to inform how children are supported in the setting. However, targeted support, such as for those children with barriers to learning, is not always consistently planned for or embedded. This means that, at times, some children become dysregulated and are not always able to fully join in with learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and managers have a clear understanding of their curriculum and what they want children to learn. Children's communication and language are prioritised. They listen attentively to carefully chosen texts that are repeated over time. Children retell familiar stories, using story language, and are demonstrating a growing love of reading. Staff model vocabulary throughout the day and support children to communicate their ideas. Early mathematical concepts are introduced across the curriculum. Children learn through everyday experiences, such as filling their cup halfway at snack time and counting how many children are present.

Children benefit from experiences that broaden their understanding of the world. They enjoy trips to the woods, where they have the freedom to explore nature and understand the world around them. Children also develop their thinking and problem-solving skills through self-selected activities, where they explore their own ideas using a range of tools. This helps to promote positive attitudes to learning and encourages independence.

Staff assess what children know and use this to plan next steps. Typically, teaching supports children to develop confidence, communication and curiosity, preparing them for their next stage of education. However, interactions and teaching are not always adapted in the moment or consistently effective across the setting, which means children are not always building on their learning and skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children settle well and become confident and secure in the setting. They make steady progress from their starting points and develop the skills needed for their next stage. Children develop communication and language as they begin to initiate conversations, share their ideas and use new vocabulary in their play. They talk confidently with staff and peers, and build on their language through everyday experiences.

Most children, including those with barriers to learning, take part in activities and make progress over time. Children develop fine motor skills through a range of experiences. This includes using small scoops and pots in sand, threading cereal hoops on spaghetti and exploring mark-making activities that prepare them for early writing. Children show increasing independence and confidence in their learning. They explore inviting areas, such as play dough, selecting real-life tools, squeezing bottles and using small brushes. They develop their knowledge and skills as they experiment, for example mixing colours and solving problems through play.

Children are developing the skills they need to be ready for school and are well prepared for this transition. However, not all age groups and children with barriers to learning consistently experience high-quality teaching, which means they are not always as well prepared for the next stage of education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders promote a positive culture where respect and kindness are embedded. Children work together, help one another and show enthusiasm for learning. They celebrate each other's achievements and demonstrate a secure sense of belonging. Leaders are reflective and consider how the environment supports different groups of children. They make regular improvements so the curriculum continues to build on what children know and can do.

Practitioners have high expectations of all children and establish clear boundaries from the outset. Children understand these expectations well and encourage each other to follow them, for example taking turns and listening attentively during stories. Children are content, behave consistently well and ask to do 'learning'. Attendance is high and children enjoy spending time at nursery.

Children are given time and space to concentrate and remain engaged in activities. Play is open ended and follows children's interests, enabling them to share ideas and express themselves clearly and confidently. Children collaborate effectively, cheering each other on as they play and learn together, whether performing with instruments, sharing stories or building structures. They take pride in shared achievements, such as creating a loose-parts collage. Staff use praise effectively, identifying what children have done well and encouraging positive attitudes. Children show sustained concentration, motivation and enjoyment in their learning, supported by warm and respectful relationships with both staff and their peers.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff provide a calm and attentive environment where children follow instructions and take responsibility, such as using the washing-up station after snack time and collecting their own belongings at the end of the day. They support children to become increasingly independent and help them to understand how to keep themselves safe during outdoor walks. Staff promote positive behaviour at mealtimes, where children are encouraged to be polite, sociable and follow expectations.

Staff build positive relationships with children from a young age. Babies are comforted quickly and receive warm, nurturing care. Staff know children well and respond to their needs, for example rocking babies to sleep and providing milk with reassurance. They support younger children to learn each other's names during group time, helping them to feel included. Staff help children to recognise and express their emotions, encouraging them to talk about how they feel during stories and understand what helps them, such as using timers to support turn-taking. Staff are responsive during care routines and ensure children feel safe and respected.

Staff begin to introduce healthy choices and talk to children about foods that are good for them. However, teaching about healthy choices is not always consistently embedded or explicit across all age groups, which means children do not always develop a clear understanding of how to make informed choices about their health.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders and managers are dedicated and passionate. They demonstrate secure knowledge and share this with the staff team, acting as positive role models. They are collaborative and reflective, with a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and the areas that need to improve. Leaders take action to address these, including reviewing routines, the environment and how the curriculum is delivered.

Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and workload. Staff feel supported through regular communication, supervision and guidance. Professional development is generally in place and includes relevant training. However, it is not always precise enough to ensure consistency in how all staff deliver teaching or support the individual learning needs of children.

Leaders typically make decisions in the best interests of children, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and work effectively with other professionals. They support partnerships with parents effectively. Parents speak positively about the communication they receive, including updates from key workers and accessible home learning. They value how leaders support them with areas such as healthy eating and online safety. Children are prepared for their next stage of learning, and leaders ensure information is shared effectively, helping children move on with confidence.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

  • Leaders should strengthen professional development so it is more precise and impactful, ensuring all practitioners consistently deliver high-quality teaching.
  • Leaders should develop staff knowledge and skills further in supporting children with barriers to learning so strategies are implemented consistently and make a greater difference to children's experiences and outcomes.
  • Leaders should ensure teaching about healthy choices is consistently embedded and made more explicit across all age groups so children develop a clear understanding of how to make informed decisions about their health.

Ofsted's words, from the report on the inspection on 16 April 2026. Read the full report on the Ofsted website. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Inspection history

  • 16 April 2026: Full inspection, report card: Strong standard in 1, Expected standard in 5

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

  • Apple Daycare Ltd (Oxlease House) - Day nursery, Hatfield AL10 8TJ, ages 0 to 4, 40 places, 0.3 miles
    Ofsted, 6 March 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Little Lions Pre-School & Nursery - Pre-school, Hatfield AL10 8NA, ages 2 to 4, 38 places, 0.5 miles
    Ofsted, 10 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • University Day Nursery - Day nursery, Hatfield AL10 9AB, ages 1 to 5, 62 places, 0.5 miles
    Ofsted, 26 October 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • De Havilland Pre School - Pre-school, Hatfield AL10 8TQ, ages 2 to 5, 30 places, 0.7 miles
    Ofsted, 25 May 2021: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
  • Squirrels Day Nursery - Day nursery, Hatfield AL10 8ES, ages 0 to 4, 50 places, 0.8 miles
    Ofsted, 27 March 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective

Schools nearby

Footsteps 123 LTD on the Ofsted website