Stepping Stones in Sittingbourne

About this day nursery

Stepping Stones Sittingbourne is a privately owned nursery that came under new ownership in June 2023, providing care for children from two years old up to school age. The nursery operates Monday to Friday, from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, during term time.

The team at Stepping Stones is dedicated to creating a welcoming 'home from home' atmosphere, fostering a safe and nurturing environment where children can learn and play. They strongly believe in stimulating children's growth through play and embrace families from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.

The nursery emphasises building strong relationships with families, recognising them as their children’s primary educators, a principle deeply embedded in their ethos. Stepping Stones is led by Manager Tunde Oyefolu-Alukwu, who joined in 2023 and brings over 15 years of experience in the childcare industry.

Tunde is passionate about delivering high-quality, comprehensive, and secure childcare, focusing on supporting each child's individual growth and potential. The nursery prides itself on its dedicated staff who are chosen not only for their qualifications and experience but also for their enthusiasm and genuine love for children.

The staff's main goal is to ensure that every child's time at Stepping Stones is happy, enjoyable, and filled with opportunities for development and thriving. The nursery also maintains strong connections with families, inviting them to participate in their child’s learning journey by sharing information, ideas, and comments, or simply spending time with the children.

They believe that these close ties with parents and carers are crucial for providing children with the best possible start in life. The nursery was rated 'Good' by Ofsted, highlighting the inspiring leadership, dedicated staff, excellent manners and behaviour of the children, and an innovative environment that meets children's evolving needs.

Our ethos

We pride ourselves on our welcoming home from home atmosphere, where the children can play and learn in a safe and nurturing environment. We work hard to maintain a fun and accessible environment that stimulates the growth of our children through play. We welcome families from all cultural and religious backgrounds, and believe that our children’s families are their first educators, building strong family relationships are firmly embedded in our ethos.

What it's like

Children arrive happy at the nursery, with a positive attitude to learning and immediately settle into their chosen activities. Staff use highly effective strategies, including signing, picture cards and translation pens, to support children's speech and language development, including those who speak English as an additional language. Children's behaviour is excellent; they are friendly, caring, and understand the rules of the setting, forming strong attachments with their key person.

Pricing & funding