Full-day nursery in Blackheath Park, Greenwich
First Steps
1 Pond Road, London, SE3 9JL · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted inspection, before November 2025
Good
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
What does this mean?
This grade is from before November 2025, when Ofsted replaced single grades with report cards. The nursery's next inspection will give a report card, with a separate grade for each area instead of one overall grade.
Official records
- Ofsted registrationRegistered since May 2018Reference EY557077Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Inspections on record1 inspectionlatest 28 March 2022Ofsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Registered places32 placesthe most children it may care for at onceOfsted · checked 30 June 2026
- Food hygiene rating5 (Very good)inspected 27 January 2026Food Standards Agency · checked 13 November 2026
Fees
| Age | Full day | Half day | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £95£9.50 an hour | £48 | £10 |
From nursery website, November 2026 · see the fees page. Price per hour is the day rate over a 10-hour day, from the nursery's opening hours.
- Registration fee
- £30
- Deposit
- £50
Funded hours: 2-year-olds, 30 hours
Hours and ages
- Mon08:00–18:00
- Tue08:00–18:00
- Wed08:00–18:00
- Thu08:00–18:00
- Fri08:00–17:30
- Ages
- 9 months to 5 years
- Weeks open
- Term time only
- Sessions
- Full day, half day and per hour
Getting there
1 Pond Road, London, SE3 9JL · More nurseries in SE3
Stations
- Blackheath6 min walk · 0.2 miles
- Kidbrooke16 min walk · 0.6 miles
- Lee24 min walk · 1.0 miles
Buses
5 bus stops within 400 m, including Blackheath Station and Priory Park.
Parks and playgrounds
- Blackheath8 min walk
- Playground3 min walk
- Playground9 min walk
- Playground9 min walk
- Playground10 min walk
© OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026 · Powered by TfL Open Data, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In Greenwich there are about 3.1 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
Reviews on Toddly
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Write a reviewAbout First Steps
First Steps is a full-day nursery at 1 Pond Road, London, SE3 9JL, in Blackheath Park, Greenwich. It is registered for 32 children and takes children aged 9 months to 5 years. It opens 08:00–18:00, Mon–Thu; 08:00–17:30, Fri, term time only. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection in March 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. Its published full-day fee is £95 (nursery website, November 2026). It offers funded places for 2-year-olds and the 30 funded hours for 3 and 4-year-olds, and accepts Tax-Free Childcare. It has a Google rating of 5.0 from 23 reviews (November 2026).
A day here
Our summary of the nursery's website and Ofsted reports. Each feature links to where it came from.
Learning and approach
- Early phonicsSource: nursery website
Food
- Healthy snacks providedSource: nursery website
Outdoors
- Own gardenSource: nursery website
- Daily outdoor playSource: nursery website
- All-weather outdoor playSource: nursery website
Care and routines
- Key person systemSource: nursery website
- Term-time onlySource: nursery website
- Half-day sessionsSource: nursery website
- Sibling discountSource: nursery website
- After-school clubSource: nursery website
- Breakfast clubSource: nursery website
SEND and inclusion
- Inclusive settingSource: nursery website
Extras and activities
- Cooking activitiesSource: nursery website
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First StepsThis nursery | Good | £95 | 08:00–18:00 | 9 mo–5 yrs | This nursery |
| N Family Club BlackheathFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | 07:00–19:00 | not shared yet | 0.2 miles |
| The Conservatoire NurseryFull-day nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 0 mo–5 yrs | 0.2 miles |
| My Childcare and MeFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 0 mo–5 yrs | 0.2 miles |
| Blackheath Montessori CentreFull-day nursery | Report card 2026 | £110 | 08:00–18:00 | from 33 mo | 0.3 miles |
| Bright Horizons Blackheath Day Nursery and PreschoolFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:45–18:30 | 3 mo–5 yrs | 0.5 miles |
| Manor House Day Care (St Margaret's)Full-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.5 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
- All nurseries in Blackheath Park5
- All nurseries in Greenwich126
- All nurseries in SE322
- Nurseries near Blackheath station
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Heath House Preparatory School ages 3–11has a nursery class 0.2 miles
- Brooklands Primary School Primaryages 2–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected January 2024 0.2 miles
- John Ball Primary School Primaryages 2–11has a nursery classOfsted: Outstandinginspected May 2024 0.4 miles
- Wingfield Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Outstandinginspected November 2022 0.5 miles
- St Margaret's Lee CofE Primary School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: Outstandinginspected July 2024 0.5 miles
- Blackheath Prep ages 3–11has a nursery class 0.5 miles
- All Saints' Church of England Primary School Blackheath Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: Standards maintainedinspected March 2025 0.5 miles
- St Matthew Academy All-throughages 4–16Ofsted: Quality of education: Outstanding; Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding; Personal development: Outstanding; Leadership and management: Outstandinginspected March 2025 0.6 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
How much does First Steps cost?
First Steps publishes these fees: full day £95 for all ages, half day £48 for all ages, half day £65 for all ages, half day £45 for all ages, half day £16.50 for all ages, half day £17.50 for all ages and per hour £10 for all ages (nursery website, November 2026). Funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare can reduce what you pay.
Does First Steps offer 30 funded hours?
Yes. First Steps offers the 30 funded hours for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds.
Does First Steps take funded 2-year-olds?
Yes. First Steps offers funded places for eligible 2-year-olds.
What are First Steps's opening hours?
First Steps opens 08:00–18:00, Mon–Thu; 08:00–17:30, Fri.
Is First Steps open all year?
No. First Steps is open term time only.
What ages does First Steps take?
First Steps takes children aged 9 months to 5 years.
What is First Steps's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated First Steps Good at its inspection on 28 March 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
How many children can First Steps take?
First Steps is registered with Ofsted for up to 32 children at any one time.
Does First Steps accept Tax-Free Childcare?
Yes. First Steps accepts Tax-Free Childcare payments.
Is there a registration fee or deposit at First Steps?
Yes. First Steps lists a registration fee of £30 and a deposit of £50.
What approach does First Steps follow?
First Steps's website describes its approach as: Early phonics.
Does First Steps have outdoor space?
First Steps lists: Own garden, Daily outdoor play and All-weather outdoor play.
Does First Steps support children with SEND?
First Steps lists: Inclusive setting.
What is the nearest station to First Steps?
Blackheath is the nearest station we know of, 0.2 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact First Steps?
You can call 020 8852 1233 and visit www.firststepsgroup.co.uk.
Tools for parents in Greenwich
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
- Funded hours checkerWhich schemes you qualify for
- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in GreenwichFees by age in Greenwich
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Fees, hours and features: the nursery's website (www.firststepsgroup.co.uk) · 11 November 2026
- Rating and review themes: Google · 11 November 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Powered by TfL Open Data
- Food hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Read reviews on Google
- From the nursery's website, with the page link and date checked
Last checked 11 November 2026 · Ofsted URN EY557077 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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