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First Steps Nursery in High Peak

Ofsted: Outstanding
(Feb 2025)
·
5.0(5 parent reviews) ·1 Hibbert Street, New Mills, HIGH PEAK, SK22 3JJ · Derbyshire
Number of places
68 places
Age range
0–4 yrs
Last inspected
Feb 2025
Local authority
Derbyshire

About this day nursery

First Steps Nursery operates two facilities, one in New Mills and another in Furness Vale, both dedicated to providing high-quality care and education for children aged 3 months to 5 years. The nursery places a strong emphasis on fostering emotional well-being, self-esteem, and a love of learning in every child, recognising each as a unique individual.

Their approach, centred around "Play, Nature, and Nurture," prioritises outdoor experiences, believing a connection to nature is crucial for physical and psychological health. Children at both locations engage in daily outdoor activities, with older children at New Mills visiting the Furness Vale forest sessions.

This outdoors-focused philosophy is also believed to reduce the spread of illnesses. The nursery maintains a high adult-to-child ratio (1:4 for older children) to support individual learning and skill development within a safe environment.

They offer flexible options, including both term-time and all-year care, and strive to accommodate diverse shift patterns for parents. Swimming lessons are also offered to children over three years old.

First Steps Nursery actively partners with parents to ensure each child reaches their full potential.

Our ethos

At First Steps Nursery we are passionate about working in partnership with you as parents/carers to ensure your child develops to their full potential. We value every child as a unique individual and our aim is to provide high quality care and education where ‘childhood is valued’. We strongly believe that children need three things for their well-being: ‘Play, Nature and Nurture’.

What it's like

Children make strong progress in all areas of their learning. Staff support children to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge that equip them well for their future learning, setting high expectations for all through a systematic, exciting and well-planned curriculum. They build strong bonds with children and their families, providing supportive and carefully considered induction activities.

Forest School Holiday ClubStrong focus on outdoor learningHigh adult-to-child ratiosOpen all year roundSupports different shift patterns

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)
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

7:30 am and 6:30pm from Monday to Friday. Open all year round (except for Bank Holidays and 1 week between Christmas and New Year).

Age range

3 months to 5 years

Term time / All Year

All Year

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for First Steps Nursery

Last inspected 14 February 2025 · Andrew Clark

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding

What it's like to attend

Children make strong progress in all areas of their learning. Staff support children to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge that equip them well for their future learning, setting high expectations for all through a systematic, exciting and well-planned curriculum. They build strong bonds with children and their families, providing supportive and carefully considered induction activities.

Inspector highlights

  • Staff build children's learning with a clear focus on children's personal and social development.
  • Staff provide purposeful support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for those who may be vulnerable.
  • Staff develop children's speaking and listening skills thoroughly.
  • Leaders are highly ambitious for the progress of every child.
  • Staff place books at the heart of much of children's learning.
  • Staff strongly nurture children's physical skills and confidence in their movement.
  • Staff plan and support children's developing mathematical skills.
  • Staff build strong partnerships with parents.
Inspection #10372349 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

They typically comment that their children learn through fun and play.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff provide purposeful support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for those who may be vulnerable and need further support. They identify gaps in children's development at an early stage and set incisive targets to help address them, working very closely with other professionals, such as social workers and speech and language therapists, and carefully planning the use of additional funding.

Outdoor space

Older children learn to mix and name primary and secondary colours using large sweeping brushes to create vibrant paint patterns all around the playground. Children build core body strength through, for example, their forest school and swimming activities, and are supported to recognise and manage risks in their physical play.

Parent Reviews of First Steps Nursery

5.0
(5)
Kate Grindley
2 years ago

My little girl has been going here for 2 years now and she’s just gone from strength to strength under their care. She comes home with new words and skills every week. She does different activities daily and though she’s always encouraged to try new things, she’s never forced or left out with nothing to do. My daughter has a nut allergy which obviously causes me extra worry but I trust the staff there implicitly, just as I trust my husband or parents. The staff know my little girl inside and out, her personality, her sense of humour, her limits and her likes/dislikes and they use/adapt to that. The connection she has with them is beautiful and I’m dreading the day she has to leave there for school!

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Lauren Flak
a year ago

My child has been going here for over 3 years and soon to be going to school. I've always felt he's being well looked after, having fun, learning, and safe. The older kids performed a Xmas play last year and we were all really proud to see how hard they'd worked. The start and finish times can be built around your schedule, and they've always been there if I've needed to book an extra day. The kids are well fed with lots of varied and nice freshly cooked meals. We've been very happy here.

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Cheryl Hanson
8 years ago

My daughter has been at First Steps Nursery for four years. The love, care and support the team shared with her during this time was invaluable. The quality of care and dedication in the growth and development of our very independent little girl has more than prepared her for her next steps in life. They have given her some amazing messy play opportunities, helped her create a gallery of art work, introduced her to forest school and taught her a wealth of new songs! They have taught her about caring for herself and others and what it means to be part of a community. They have also given her the confidence to voice her thoughts and ideas and engage with her peers. The time and patience they have invested in our daughter has given her a solid foundation for future learning. We definitely made the right decision sending our daughter to First Steps Nursery and we would strongly recommend their childcare services to other families.

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Finley Blackburn
8 years ago

I couldn't recommend First Steps more highly. My first 2 children spent their pre-school time here from 6 months old until starting school many years ago. They were so happy here, so when I had my 3rd child more recently, there was no doubt she would go here. A perfect start to a childs life, so many opportunities such as forest school, swimming lessons. And with the messy play and things I could never do at home, I'm sure she would much rather be here than at home with us all! She already has so many friends and is perfectly socialised. If I could give more than 5 stars, I absolutely would!

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NotQuiteHere
7 years ago

My son was here for about two years prior to us moving out of the area. He was very happy here, receiving good care and support as he developed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this nursery to anyone who needs childcare in the area. They are excellent.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for First Steps Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history
Improved from Good → Outstanding in 2025

Date: July 2007

  • February 2025Outstanding
  • April 2019Good
  • April 2017Good
  • April 2015Good
  • August 2011Outstanding
  • July 2007Outstanding

Frequently asked about First Steps Nursery

About the setting

First Steps Nursery (New Mills) Ltd registered in 2007 and is located in High Peak, Derbyshire. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff, nine of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year around, except for a week at Christmas, from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

URN
EY346962
Registered person
First Steps Nursery (New Mills) Limited
Day care type
Full day care
Register
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register
Establishment type
Childcare on non-domestic premises
Previous rating
Good

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