Stepping Stones
Day nursery in Maidstone, ME14. Part of the Kent council area.
48 Wheeler Street, Maidstone, ME14 1UAWhat Ofsted found
Good Inspected 5 June 2025
| Judgement | Grade |
|---|---|
| Overall effectiveness | Good |
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
The second of the four grades: a good standard of care and learning. Ofsted now gives report cards instead, so this grade stays until the next inspection.
What a place could cost
Stepping Stones sets its own prices. These are the averages for day nurseries in South East, for 50 hours a week in term time once the 30 funded hours are taken off.
| Child's age | You pay a week | About a month |
|---|---|---|
| From 9 months to 2 | £161 | £511 |
| 2 years old | £152 | £480 |
| 3 to 4 years old | £144 | £457 |
A month here is 38 term-time weeks spread over 12 months. Work out your own hours or check your free hours.
Stepping Stones against Maidstone
| Stepping Stones | Maidstone average | |
|---|---|---|
| Places | 24 | 60 |
| Ofsted outcome | Good | 85% rated Good or better |
Other nurseries close by
Questions parents ask about Stepping Stones
- What Ofsted grade does Stepping Stones have?
- Stepping Stones was rated Good at its inspection on 5 June 2025, under the grading Ofsted used before report cards.
- How many children can Stepping Stones take?
- Ofsted registers Stepping Stones for 24 places at any one time. The average day nursery in Maidstone has 60.
- How much does Stepping Stones cost?
- Stepping Stones sets its own fees, so ask it for a price list. As a guide, the average nursery in South East charges £202 a week for 25 hours for a child under 2, before any free hours.
- Does Stepping Stones offer 30 hours free childcare?
- Any nursery on the Ofsted Early Years Register can offer the funded hours, but each one chooses how many funded places it has and what it charges for meals and extras. Ask Stepping Stones how it offers them.
- When was Stepping Stones last inspected?
- Ofsted last inspected Stepping Stones on 5 June 2025. The full report is on the Ofsted website.
- Which nurseries are near Stepping Stones?
- Nearby in ME14: Alphabets Nursery, Ringle Rainbow Nursery, Bright Horizons Maidstone Turkey Mill Day Nursery and Preschool.
Nursery list and inspection outcomes from Ofsted's register of childcare providers, as at 30 June 2026.
Fees shown are regional averages from the Coram Family and Childcare Survey 2026, not any one nursery’s price. Confirm with the nursery before enrolling.
Eligibility rules are the government’s (childcarechoices.gov.uk). Whether a nursery offers the funded hours, and what it charges for meals and consumables, is the nursery’s decision; ask for its funded-hours terms in writing.