Nursery Advice
Claim Your Nursery

First Steps Day Nursery & Big Steps Out Of School Club

Ofsted: Expected standard·Unit 2, Carlton Miniott Business Centre, Thirsk, YO7 4NF · North Yorkshire
Number of places
69 places
Age range
0–5 yrs
Last inspected
Dec 2025
Local authority
North Yorkshire

About this early years setting

First Steps Day Nursery & Big Steps Out Of School Club, registered in 2006, provides childcare on non-domestic premises in Thirsk for children aged 0–10 years. Open Monday to Friday from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, this all-year setting offers a warm and caring environment where children have wonderful opportunities to experience the wider world.

The nursery operates with a curriculum based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and leaders and staff are dedicated to ensuring children acquire essential life skills, aiming for them to become competent and socially aware citizens. The setting places a high priority on children's wellbeing, fostering strong bonds between babies, toddlers, and their key persons.

Staff demonstrate warm affection and provide comfort to children when needed. They ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are active and fully participate in all activities.

The team adapts routines sensitively, swiftly identifies individual needs and interests, and offers resources for emotional regulation tailored to children's specific interests. The nursery collaborates with parents, monitors progress, and refers to external agencies when necessary to support children's development.

This commitment to an inclusive environment helps children make progress across all aspects of the curriculum.

What it's like

Children have wonderful opportunities to experience the wider world in this warm and caring setting. Leaders and staff are passionate about ensuring children gain essential life skills. They aim for children to be competent and socially aware citizens of the future. Children speak about their experiences with great enthusiasm.

Warm & caring environmentLife skills focusedStrong parent communicationEngaging outdoor playSEND inclusive

Pricing & funding

Pricing on request

This nursery doesn't publish its fees online. Contact them directly for an up-to-date price list and availability.

Request pricing →

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 07:30 - 18:00

Term time / All Year

All_year

Registered with Ofsted

2006

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected Dec 2025

Headline: Expected standard

Grade summary

Exceptional
—
Strong standard
—
Expected standard
Needs attention
—
Urgent improvement
—

Each dot represents one of the six inspection categories. Headline is the average of the six grades, rounded up.

Category grades

AchievementExpected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routinesExpected standard
Children's welfare and wellbeingExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
InclusionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Age range
0 to 10
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted report for First Steps Day Nursery & Big Steps Out Of School Club

Last inspected 3 December 2025 · Ginny Robinson

Safeguarding effective

What it's like to attend

Children have wonderful opportunities to experience the wider world in this warm and caring setting. Leaders and staff are passionate about ensuring children gain essential life skills. They aim for children to be competent and socially aware citizens of the future. Children speak about their experiences with great enthusiasm.

Inspector highlights

  • Children are well prepared for the next stages in their learning and transitions to school.
  • Children speak with clarity and can sing a range of rhymes and simple songs.
  • Staff show great respect for children, and this is reciprocated by children towards staff.
  • Leaders have designed a curriculum that meets all the development and learning needs of children, with books and stories as a core aspect.
  • Children have many opportunities to visit the local farm and gather eggs and learn where milk comes from.

Areas to develop

  • 1Leaders should ensure staff consistently plan activities and select resources that precisely match the intended learning outcomes, skills and abilities of the children taking part in order that learning is maximised.
  • 2Leaders should train staff to refine their questioning techniques so that children frequently benefit from long back-and-forth conversations in order to enhance their conversational skills.
  • 3Leaders should consider ways to further develop older children's sharing skills so that they can resolve minor conflicts and disagreements independently.
Inspection #10098266 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are active members of the setting and fully participate in all activities. Staff are sensitive to individual needs, adapt routines for a calm entry, and identify needs and interests quickly. Support for emotional regulation is provided through resources matching children's specific interests. Staff identify developmental gaps, communicate with parents, monitor progress, and refer to external agencies when needed.

Outdoor space

Children competently use devices such as stop watches to integrate numeracy into their games as they play outdoors. They have many opportunities to visit the local farm to gather eggs and learn where milk comes from. In winter, a snow plough visits the nursery.

EAL / language support

Children speak with clarity and can sing a range of rhymes and simple songs, with toddlers beginning to internalise the rhythm of songs and older children singing with confidence and expression. Staff focus on developing vocabulary through frequent repetition and naming objects, and babies and toddlers are encouraged to use language through babbling and attempting to copy new words.

Inspection history

Date: November 2009

  • December 2025Expected standard
  • January 2020Good
  • May 2015Good
  • November 2009Good

Frequently asked about First Steps Day Nursery & Big Steps Out Of School Club

Nearby day nurseries in Thirsk

Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to First Steps Day Nursery & Big Steps Out Of School Club.

Are you the owner of this nursery? Claim this listing to manage photos, hours and contact details.

Claim listing

Share this nursery

Send to a partner, friend or family member.

This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more