Ofsted Outstanding nursery in Higham Ferrers

A safe, loving place for their first little steps

Little Steps is a real home from home for children aged 3 months to 5 years. Set in a spacious, light-filled listed building in the heart of Higham Ferrers, near Rushden.

Book a visit Call 01933 357 400 Contact Us

Ages 3 months – 5 years
Open Mon–Fri, 7:45am – 6pm

RatedOutstandingby Ofsted

Home from homeNatural light in every room

OutstandingOfsted rated in every area
5-star hygienePlus Gold Heart Beat for nutrition
Sing & SignTrained to boost early speech
Since 2008Owner-run by Heather & Karen

Welcome to Little Steps

A real home from home in the heart of Higham Ferrers

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Little Steps day nursery is located in a spacious listed building on the main route through Higham Ferrers, near Rushden. It has a real home from home atmosphere, with natural light in every room.

The nursery is extremely well equipped with all the latest quality resources, and is registered with Ofsted for 99 children between 3 months and 5 years of age.

Natural light in every room
All staff First Aid trained
Preschool led by a teacher
Outstanding SEND support

Meet our team

Our units

A room for every little stage

From Blossom to Mulberry to Olive, every child follows their own path, and we support them every step of the way.

3 months – 2 years
Blossom Unit
Our baby unit has three rooms: a sleep room, a room for smaller babies and a room for toddlers. Each is bright and stimulating, with activities suited to every age.
Explore Blossom
2 – 3 years
Mulberry Unit
Designed especially for 2–3 year olds, with five themed areas where children learn, explore and have lots of fun through their play.
Explore Mulberry
3 – 5 years · Preschool
Olive Unit
Fun, exciting and challenging activities based on the Early Years Foundation Stage, led by a qualified early years teacher. They also have their own outdoor play area.
Explore Olive

Our vision & values

Helping every child
be the best
they can be

Our four Es guide everything we do: excellence, enjoyment, enrichment and equality, in every room, every day.

Excellence
Highly qualified, dedicated and caring staff, in a safe, inviting and challenging environment.
Enjoyment
Children are free to have fun and to initiate their own play and learning, at their own pace.
Enrichment
Enriching children's experiences as they take their first 'little steps', every day and in every room.
Equality
Every child and family is welcomed, valued and supported to reach their full potential.

Our pledge

Six values we live by, every day

Our whole team chose these values together, and we ask everyone at Little Steps, children and families too, to share them.

AcceptingPolite
Respectful
Considerate
OpenDiverse
Inclusive
FairEquality
FunEnthusiasticHappy
Positive
WillingEnjoyment
PatientKindEmpathetic
Nurturing
CaringCompassionateUnderstanding
SafeTrustReliable
Integrity
HonestyLoyalApproachable
UnitedTeamworkInvolvement
Partnership
FriendshipCommitment

We will act with integrity and work in partnership with you.

Ofsted inspection · May 2023

Outstanding. In every single area.

Ofsted rated Little Steps Outstanding across the board at our latest inspection, just as they did at our previous one. We're incredibly proud of our team, and of the children and families who make Little Steps what it is.

Quality of educationOutstanding
Behaviour & attitudesOutstanding
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership & managementOutstanding

Read our Ofsted report

The little extras

Happy tummies, happy voices

Award-winning food and specialist Sing & Sign training. Two of the things our families love most.

5★ food hygiene
Gold Heart Beat award

Delicious, nutritious meals

We've been awarded 5 stars for food hygiene by Northamptonshire County Council, plus the Gold Heart Beat award for nutrition and food standards. Meals are served in our large dining room, where the Olive and Blossom units eat together. The Mulberry unit has its very own dining room!

Speech & language
Fully trained staff

Sing & Sign

Little Steps staff are fully trained in Sing & Sign. Speech and language experts recognise signing as beneficial in encouraging the development of a child's speech. The songs make it so much fun that little ones join in without even noticing they're learning.

Find out more

Meet the team

Owner-run, and here every day

Little Steps is owned and managed by Heather Woolston and Karen Bounds and they are both part of the working team in the nursery.

Heather
Director & Owner
Many years in primary education, bringing a wealth of knowledge as a Level 4 HLTA.
Karen
Director & Owner
BEd (Hons) Primary, with years of experience teaching children aged 4 to 9.
Jo
Deputy Manager & SENDCo
Leads our support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Highly qualified team
All staff First Aid trained
Continual training & support

About us

Kind words

What our parents say

You offer a friendly, caring, nurturing environment for my little one, where nothing feels like it’s too much trouble.
A Little Steps parentParent
The amount of activities the children are exposed to is brilliant, you have an excellent team who all work together.
A Little Steps parentParent
We would like to say a massive thank you for all of your help and support over the years. You do an amazing job and often go above and beyond. I always knew our daughter was in incredibly safe hands.
A Little Steps parentParent