Business Details
14 Years
experience
Trusted Childcare and Preschool Services in Buckinghamshire
At Footsteps Nursery & Pre-School, we are committed to providing a nurturing and educational environment that supports children's development through positive outdoor experiences. Our home-from-home settings across Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire prioritise spacious outdoor areas to align with government health initiatives, offering free-flow gardens, playing fields, and allotments for physical activity. We implement a Forest School approach, fostering independence and controlled risk-taking while developing physical, social, and problem-solving skills.Each child is assigned a dedicated staff member for personalised care and progress updates, ensuring a seamless settling-in process. Our qualified teams deliver flexible childcare solutions, combining structured learning with authentic natural resources to ignite curiosity and individual growth. With sites in Bierton, Chalfont St Peter, Farnborough, Leighton Buzzard, Maple Cross, Oving, and Watermead, we provide accessible, high-quality early years education tailored to local community needs.
Services
Day Nursery
Preschool Education
Forest School Programmes
Extra-Curricular Clubs
Flexible Sessions
Details
- Year established: 2012
Highlights and features
- We implement a Forest School approach with dedicated outdoor learning spaces
- Our qualified staff provide personalised care and development tracking
- Seven locations with purpose-selected outdoor facilities for physical development
- Flexible session options accommodate diverse family needs
- Government-funded childcare available for eligible families
What people say
Wonderful outdoor spaces
Dedicated staff support
Excellent Forest School
Flexible session options
Great child progress tracking
Services
Day Nursery
Our day nursery provides full-time care for children aged 3 months to 8 years. Qualified staff deliver structured learning alongside free-flow outdoor play in purpose-built facilities. Each child receives individual attention through dedicated key worker support and regular progress updates for parents. The service operates across seven UK locations with flexible session options.
Preschool Education
Preschool education focuses on foundational skills through Forest School methodology. Children engage in hands-on outdoor learning while meeting EYFS curriculum requirements. Activities develop social skills, creativity, and physical coordination through natural environments. Sessions prepare children for school transition with individualised learning plans aligned to developmental milestones.
Forest School Programmes
Forest School programmes promote independence through controlled risk-taking in natural settings. Children develop problem-solving abilities and teamwork skills while exploring woodland environments. Qualified practitioners guide activities that build confidence and environmental awareness. This approach supports physical development and aligns with government exercise recommendations for young children.
Extra-Curricular Clubs
Extra-curricular clubs extend learning beyond core hours with sports, music, and language programmes. These activities enhance physical development and cultural awareness in a fun environment. Clubs operate before and after standard nursery hours to accommodate working parents. Participation encourages social interaction and skill development through structured play.
Flexible Sessions
Flexible session arrangements cater to diverse family requirements with part-time and full-time availability. Parents can select morning, afternoon, or full-day options across operating days. Funding options help reduce costs for eligible families while maintaining consistent care quality. Sessions maintain staff-to-child ratios to ensure safety and individual attention.
People
Kelly Smith
Co-founder
Kelly Smith co-founded Footsteps in 2012, bringing extensive childcare expertise. She oversees staff training and quality assurance across all sites. Her leadership focuses on maintaining high educational standards while implementing innovative outdoor learning approaches that align with current child development research.
Questions
What age groups do you cater for?
We care for children from 3 months to 8 years across our nursery and preschool settings.
How does your Forest School approach benefit children?
Our Forest School methodology builds independence, problem-solving skills, and physical development through structured outdoor learning experiences in natural environments.
Are government-funded childcare places available?
Yes, we offer government-funded childcare for eligible families with children aged 2-4 years across all our locations.
What safety measures are in place?
We maintain strict staff-to-child ratios, secure premises with controlled access, and regular safeguarding training for all personnel.
Do you provide meals and snacks?
We offer healthy snacks and meals prepared on-site, accommodating dietary requirements and allergies.
What extra-curricular activities are available?
We provide sports clubs, music sessions, and language activities before and after standard nursery hours.
Reviews (3)
Nicki Charge
Jan 21, 2020
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Footsteps is an excellent nursery and I could not recommend it highly enough. Our son started there at 10 months old and is now approaching his second birthday. They monitor numerous steps of there development through the online tapestry journal. Regularly updating it with detailed accounts of how they have achieved key milestones such as communication and language, physical development, expressive art and design, personal social and emotional development, shape space and measure and understanding the world. As well as receiving a written journal each day about what he has been up to. Being a first
Olivia Ferres
Jan 16, 2020
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My son moved to Footsteps last summer from a different childcare provider in the village, which he had attended for 2 years. I moved him to Footsteps on positive recommendations from friends with older children who had attended the nursery. The staff were amazingly supportive of him and me during his settling in period. The staff are friendly and kind. There appears to be low staff turnover, which was a big problem in my son's previous care setting. This is important formy child , to ensure he feels secure and gets to know the staff really well . The nursery are very flexible and accommodating
Emma Burge
Feb 14, 2018
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My daughter started at Footsteps when she was 9 months old. She is now 18 months and is always very happy going in to nursery. All the staff are so caring and friendly and I never worry about leaving her in their care. They keep us regularly informed about what she's been up to and I love seeing photos of her playing on the Facebook page and Tapestry.
