Step By Step Nursery in Bushey

Opening hours

7:30am – 6.30pm, 52 weeks per year

Term time / All Year

All_year

Established

2005

Naiya Walsh

3 months ago

This nursery is in dire need of improvement. The facilities are consistently unhygienic, with cleanliness being a major concern throughout the premises. The staff-to-child ratios are frequently not met, leaving children unsupervised and unsupported. Furthermore, the qualifications of the staff appear questionable, and the management demonstrates a significant lack of competence in handling their responsibilities. It's apparent that the manager is not equipped for her role, and there are concerns that favoritism within the management structure may be impacting operational effectiveness and the overall well-being of the children. Consequently, the children are not being looked after to an acceptable standard. The manager is not strong enough for her job, and lacks common sense. This nursery falls significantly short of acceptable standards. The environment is consistently unhygienic, raising serious concerns about the children's health and safety. Management appears to be ineffectual, failing to maintain proper staff-to-child ratios and ensuring staff are adequately qualified. The overall lack of oversight and poor management practices mean that the children are not receiving the quality of care they deserve. It's a deeply disappointing experience, and I cannot recommend this nursery.

Sarah

6 months ago

am genuinely disappointed with our experience at this nursery. From the start, it was clear that the staff are in desperate need of further training and support. There’s a noticeable lack of understanding when it comes to child development, communication, and basic professionalism. Management, unfortunately, is completely disorganized. There seems to be no clear structure or accountability—information constantly gets lost or contradicted, and no one ever seems to take ownership of problems. When issues are raised, they’re either brushed off or handled inconsistently, which is incredibly frustrating as a parent who just wants the best for their child. The overall atmosphere feels chaotic and poorly managed, and it’s evident that staff morale is low. This directly affects the quality of care and attention the children receive. I expected a nurturing, reliable environment, but instead found confusion, lack of professionalism, and a real sense that the leadership simply doesn’t have things under control. Sadly, I cannot recommend this nursery to any parent looking for a safe and well-managed setting for their child. Until major improvements are made in training, management, and professionalism, I would advise looking elsewhere.

Roxana

6 months ago

Unfortunately, our experience with this nursery was not good. Both my friend and I decided to move our babies to another nursery. We were not satisfied with the care and overall experience here. This review reflects my honest and personal experience and I stand by it. I also want to note that the reply from the director claiming “the real Roxana” did not write this review is unprofessional. I find it unusual and concerning that management claims to call parents and ask whether they wrote a review, this is not a standard or appropriate practice.

Hannah Noonan

7 months ago

I wouldn’t recommend this nursery to any other parents. At the time, this was the only nursery in Bushey with available spaces, and I now realise there was likely a very good reason for that. Our experience was consistently disappointing. The staff did not seem to have the proper training or understanding to support young children effectively. Rather than working with parents to help the children grow, they often blamed us for any behavioural concerns, which felt both unprofessional and unfair. The management was disorganised with no clear structure or effective communication. I regret having to leave a negative review, but I sincerely hope this helps other parents avoid the stress and frustration we went through. Both the staff and management would benefit from proper training, not just in early years education, but also in how to work supportively with families.

Kristin Hefferon

10 months ago

My second child to spend her toddler years with Step by Step just had her last day here. To say we're all emotional to officially close our Step by Step chapter is an understatement. The level of care they showed both my girls was so much more than I ever expected. The staff are incredible, supportive, and helpful with every request. But more importantly, they took such amazing care of my children and helped them develop skills and get prepared for big school. My child looked forward to nursery, loved going to the "hair dresser", loved playing in the garden with her friends and all the messy play they got to do. She loved the baby chick's and getting to take Remi bunny home. She formed real bonds with her teachers and friends. When we went to the nursery for events, I could see the bond and trust she had formed with the teachers, and she's the type to be gaurded and take a while to warm up so to see this was beautiful. They made nursery a home away from home. The staff supported us through everything- nap times, saying goodbye to the dummy, potty training, picky eating habits, learning to share and forming friendships, speech challenges, and everything else a child goes through when they grow from ages 1 to 4. I want to thank every single staff member, from Riz and Kelly who run the day to day to every teacher who helped her grow. She loved her time here and we're really going to miss you all. If you are looking for a nursery to care for your babies the way you do, this is the place.