OFSTED Report
Good Provider
Footsteps Atherstone
Nursery & Preschool
Old Watling Street
Atherstone
Warwickshire
CV9 2PA
Opening Times:
Monday – Friday: 07:30 – 18:00
To book a tour our Customer Care Team are available during Christmas! Christmas Opening Times
Drop-Off Directions & Parking
The nursery is located on Old Watling Street in Atherstone, between Tamworth and Nuneaton.
The nursery is an easy walk from Atherstone Town Centre and the Atherstone train station. We are in easy access of the A5 and M42.
We have on-site parking for easy drop off/pick up.
Call Us
Footsteps Atherstone
This beautiful nursery (previously Ashleigh Nursery School), rated Good by Ofsted (March 2023), is comprised of two main buildings, all on the ground floor, and provides quality childcare in a cosy home from home setting for children from birth to 5 years.
We offer a broad range of activities for children to explore and expand their natural curiosity and learn through play.
We love the great outdoors, and all our rooms have free flow access to our gardens. There is a separate forest school area with an outdoor classroom where children enjoy taking part in activities led by the forest school leaders.
Our fabulous nursery has a wonderful team of early years practitioners, with a wealth of experience. Your child is allocated a ‘Key Person’, and this member of staff is the main care giver for your child, as well as being the main point of contact for your family. This is the start of us building a collaborative relationship between nursery and home life.
We promote close parent partnerships and provide daily updates and photos about your child’s routine and activities through our online parent portal. Our parent forum also provides a platform to give feedback and share ideas, and our ‘breakfast on the go’ days are popular and fuel our parents for a busy day ahead
Nursery Facilities
NAPPY WIPES & CREAM
We will provide nappies, wipes and nappy cream.
Car Park
We have on-site parking available for easy access and convenience.
CCTV
We have CCTV installed within the nursery to ensure the safety and security of all our children and staff.
Meals & Snacks
We provide healthy meals and snacks as well as fresh water and milk. Our menus are seasonal and are certified by a children’s dietician ensuring the right balance of ingredients for the children. All dietary requirements are catered for by our professional chefs.
Outdoor Garden
Our outdoor space offers an environment to explore and develop and provides a place where imagination comes to life.
Extra Curricular Activities
We provide fun and interactive extra-curricular activities that the children will enjoy and love, this can include language classes, dance, music and movement sessions, a variety of different sports classes, science and cooking sessions, and much more!
Fees & Availability
Nursery fees are dependent on the age of your child and your specific childcare requirements. Funding options are available, including the government’s 15 and 30 hours funded childcare, and we also accept the Government Tax Free Childcare Scheme and childcare vouchers.
To request pricing and availability, please call us or complete the request a call back form below.
How we learn at Footsteps Nursery & Preschool
Babies & Movers
- For our babies we provide a calm, relaxing but stimulating environment for children aged 0-24 months, and our nursery is the perfect place for children to begin their nursery journey
- We offer settling in sessions for you and your child to feel comfortable and happy in a new environment, and the key person works to follow home routines with you
- We offer a stimulating environment and a variety of resources for our babies to explore, develop, and discover through play
- We promote sensory play from a very young age, helping children to make sense of the world by connecting what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel
- We promote movement and balance and focus on early wellbeing awareness and physical development
- The children have access to books and stories, music, and rhymes introducing early literacy and communication skills.
Rising 3’s
- Our rising 3’s can thrive as they become more independent, curious and begin developing their confidence
- We provide a variety of activities to develop the children’s speech and language to enhance their ability to form friendships, take turns and encourage them to become ‘Confident Communicators’
- We feel it is important to offer a range of natural resources and provide plenty of messy play opportunities to encourage learning through creative play
- We encourage independence and free thinking by allowing the children to choose and lead activities based on their own interests. Observed by our practitioners’ children become ‘Independent Investigators’
- We promote physical creativity through music and movement which is key in helping to develop children’s fine motor skills.
Preschool
- Our preschool environment supports ‘school readiness’ through a wide range of quality resources and equipment that promote all areas of the EYFS including maths and literacy
- We embed maths and literacy into everyday routines providing opportunities for letter, sound and number recognition
- We give encouragement and praise to our children inspiring them to investigate and be curious of the world around them
- We promote an inclusive environment where we take part in a variety of cultural and international celebrations
- Through experiences the children learn to become more emotionally resilient and can overcome and solve problems in their play, encouraging them to become ‘Resilient Resolvers’
- We provide school readiness initiatives focusing on learning life skills to prepare children for their next step into school.
Outdoor Space
- Our children get ‘one step ahead’ and can wander, splash and run in our spacious outdoor learning environments
- Whatever we do indoors can also be taken outdoors allowing children to adapt their play to the world around them
- Children have free flow into our gardens which are essential for healthy development and wellbeing and children explore the outdoors in all weathers
- Our outdoor space allows children to understand and take risks safely, and our outdoor equipment encourages physical activity and challenges
- We offer discovery and investigative play opportunities, and our children are encouraged to try new things through activities such as role play, water play and sand play
- We promote a ‘grow your own’ initiative for children to plant their own vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
Our Team
Katie Jones
Joined: 2022
Hi, I am Katie and I have over 14 years’ experience working in childcare settings and been a manager since 2020, I joined Atherstone Nursery in October 2022.
I have a foundation degree in early years education, and being a mother myself, I relate to and understand our families’ requirements at nursery, always remembering the little extras that go a long way.
I take great pride in being a part of each child’s growth and development as they progress and achieve during their time with us at nursery, until eventually they graduate on to their further education at school.
I am passionate about working with our team to bring the best out in all of their abilities and really help them in their individual careers celebrating their wealth of knowledge and experiences.
Lisa Stringer
Joined: 2006
Hi, my name is Lisa, I have worked at the nursey for 17 years and am currently the Deputy Manager.
I started as a student on a college placement. I was offered a position of Nursery Practitioner before becoming Head of Preschool, a role which I held for over 8 years before stepping up to Deputy Manager in 2018.
I love working at the nursery because I am passionate about helping children and giving them the best possible start in life.
Our Team
We have a passionate team, who aim to create something special and different, ensuring every child’s individual needs are met. We provide children with the support needed to grow and develop and give them the confidence, independence, and resilience they need to succeed.
We have a dedicated senior team who support the nursery management in striving for delivering excellence by enriching home from home environments with an expertly trained team.
All staff complete comprehensive training, further developing their knowledge and understanding of children’s development, covering all key aspects in keeping children safe.
We can provide advice and support for all our families on a vast range of topics by pulling together our combined experience.
Food & Nutrition
Our delicious, healthy and nutritious food is prepared and cooked by our onsite chef. All dietary and religious needs are met.
Our experienced team would love to meet you and your little one, so book a visit today and we will show you everything our nursery has to offer during your own personal tour at a time to suit you.
Join us at our next Open Day
Saturday 18th January 2025 (9am-1pm)
Call Back Request
If you would like us to give you a call back at a time which is more convenient for you, please fill in the form below.