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Partou Stepping Stones Day Nursery & Pre-School

Ofsted: Expected standard·
4.5(11 parent reviews)
·155 Whitefield Road, BRISTOL, BS5 7UB · Bristol
Number of places
38 places
Age range
1–4 yrs
Last inspected
Apr 2026
Local authority
Bristol

About this day nursery

Partou Stepping Stones Day Nursery & Pre-School, located in Speedwell, Bristol, has been providing childcare since 2009. The nursery, which caters to children aged 0-5 years, received a 'Good' rating in its latest Ofsted inspection on 23rd August 2022.

The nursery operates Monday to Friday, from 7:30 am to 6 pm, all year round, closing only for bank holidays. It offers both 15 and 30 hours of funded childcare.

The curriculum follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach, fostering a stimulating environment where children learn through play. The nursery has a dedicated Special Educational Needs Coordinator who ensures children with additional needs receive appropriate support.

Outdoor learning is a key part of the curriculum, with toddlers and pre-schoolers engaging in activities that encourage exploration, experimentation, and risk assessment. The setting prides itself on strong relationships between children and staff, and a management team committed to continuous improvement and effective communication with parents.

What it's like

The new manager is working with staff to embed the curriculum to inspire children to achieve and grow. She has reflected on what was working well and not so well and is making positive changes. This includes supporting staff to improve teaching for the children. She has also made improvements to how staff share information with parents.

Good Ofsted ratingExperienced staffOutdoor learning encouragedStrong parent communication

Pricing & funding

Funding accepted

15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)

Key facts

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, except for bank holidays.

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2009

Ofsted Inspection — new report card

Expected standard

Last inspected Apr 2026

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
1 to 4
Registers
Early Years Register
Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for Partou Stepping Stones Day Nursery & Pre-School

Last inspected 30 April 2026

What it's like to attend

The new manager is working with staff to embed the curriculum to inspire children to achieve and grow. She has reflected on what was working well and not so well and is making positive changes. This includes supporting staff to improve teaching for the children. She has also made improvements to how staff share information with parents.

Inspector highlights

  • The new manager is working with staff to embed the curriculum to inspire children to achieve and grow.
  • Staff add photographs to online systems and meet with parents more regularly.
  • Babies join in with action rhymes and songs and eagerly choose toys.
  • Outdoors, toddlers and pre-school children explore and experiment.
  • Babies form good relationships with staff, who respond to gestures as well as words.
  • Toddlers develop physical skills and use their imaginations, using tools like rolling pins, moulds, and shapers while playing with dough.

Areas to develop

  • 1Improve the way that staff take notice of and encourage children to join in activities.
  • 2Make sure staff provide children with clear messages and support to help them care for their play spaces and manage their emotions.
  • 3Improve how staff use planned activities to extend all children's learning and development further.
Inspection #10235300 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Outdoor space

Outdoors, toddlers and pre-school children explore and experiment, learning to assess risks and keep safe while balancing planks on tyres. Staff actively engage with children, guiding them to balance planks more safely and offering support as they walk along and jump off.

Parent Reviews of Partou Stepping Stones Day Nursery & Pre-School

4.5
(11)
Denise I
a year ago

My son started attending Stepping Stones nursery in Jan 24. Overall, we were happy with how he was looked after in the baby room. Although, communication and handover could have seen an improvement, the baby room keyworker, Ashley, provided excellent care for our baby, and was always happy to work with us to meet his needs and foster his development. She patiently listened to all of requests and showed an interest in helping our child develop his bilingual skills. Ever since Carly took over as a manager, we have noticed a great improvement in communication and staff morale. Carly has been extremely helpful with prompts replies to all my emails, and even arranged a meeting for me to discuss my baby's transition into the toddler room. Anusha, toddler room's keyworker, has been great at looking after our child in the last months or so. Updates on the nursery portal are thorough and time effective, with detailed information on how nursery activities are aimed at improving language and social skills. Overall, I am really happy with my son's experience at Stepping Stones.

Read on Google
emilie lauren howell
a year ago

My daughter has been attending Stepping Stones for nearly four years, and every room she’s been in has been fantastic, even during the challenging early days of Covid. The early years sector is facing serious challenges with funding and staffing across the country, and it’s clear that those working in this field are underpaid for the crucial job they do. We’ve seen some turnover at Stepping Stones as a result, but despite this, my daughter has been happy from day one. She continues to amaze me with everything she has learned and the strong bonds she has formed with both the staff and other children. While it would be wonderful to have more facilities like a larger play area or a forest school, our top priority is our daughter’s happiness and development. The building itself is clean, bright, and welcoming, with a lovely outdoor space full of activities. The variety of food offered is excellent, and I’m pleased to say that it has made my daughter a great eater who is open to trying new things. For the cost, I believe Stepping Stones is doing a great job. With new management taking over, there might be a few bumps during the transition, as with any company, but I’m optimistic that by the end of summer, things will improve even more, especially in terms of communication and processes.

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debra west
a year ago

The team at Stepping Stones are amazing! Ash, Carly (manager), Clare, Vindi, Jamie …the list goes on, from day one the team have been friendly, knowledgable, professional and caring. They are great with helping them development and learning. The food menu is varied ). I really recommend this nursery. Thank you to the team at Stepping Stones.

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Aiste Marija Augustinaite
a year ago

This used to be a nice nursery but since the change of hands it has gone down hill. Lots of agency staff who keep on changing and there’s no consistency… poor communication from the management team about the staffing and new policies… often my son would could back home hungry because his pack lunch would not be heated for him… again, no communication from their team about it. The fact that the older team members were leaving the nursery and the new management are the reasons why I decided to pull out my second child (baby) from this nursery and seek childcare elsewhere…

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Charlene Perkins
7 years ago

Amazing nursery. So loving and caring towards my 2 year old son. I know when I leave him there that he is in excellent hands and I have no worries. Plenty of cuddles and affection. He's very contented when he's there and loves interacting with all the other children and making friends. His development has come on leaps and bounds and I owe it all to the brilliant staff. 100% recommend.

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for Partou Stepping Stones Day Nursery & Pre-School. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history

Date: January 2010

The most recent inspection point has been hidden because the parsed entry didn't match the headline Ofsted rating (Good). We're re-checking it against the original report.

  • September 2022Good
  • August 2022Good
  • December 2016Good
  • November 2016Good
  • January 2014Good
  • December 2013Good
  • July 2013Good
  • May 2013Good
  • March 2010Good
  • January 2010Good

Frequently asked about Partou Stepping Stones Day Nursery & Pre-School

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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