Stepping Stones Nurseries Inverurie

17/03/2026

📸 Mini Photo Sessions — Fundraising for Stepping Stones Nursery 📸

We are delighted to be working alongside the wonderful Louise Smith Photography to bring you a fantastic opportunity to capture beautiful, natural photos of your children while raising funds for our nursery.

Louise a mum herself is amazing at putting children at ease and capturing genuine smiles and personalities. These photos make perfect gifts for family and loved ones! There will also be an opportunity for graduation photos in gowns for our school leavers 🎓

🗓 Saturday 25th April
⏰ 10:00am — 4:00pm (pre-booked time slots)

💷 £60 per session
✔️ 10 high-resolution digital images
✔️ Private online gallery
✔️ 20% of all proceeds donated to nursery fundraising

If you would like to book a slot, please speak to me directly or send a message, spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come basis.

Thank you for supporting our nursery

01/03/2026

✨ World Book Day Thursday 5th March ✨📚

We’re excited to be celebrating World Book Day at nursery this Thursday! To join in the fun, children are welcome to come along in their PJs and bring their favourite books to share and enjoy together.

If your child would also like to dress up as a character from their favourite story, please feel free to do so! we absolutely love seeing all the amazing outfits!

We know not everyone attends nursery on a Thursday, so don’t worry we’ll be celebrating throughout the week so everyone can take part in the fun.

We can’t wait to read some of your favourite stories… mine will definitely be a Julia Donaldson book! 📖💛

20/01/2026

🌟Please share 🌟

If you’re looking for a caring and nurturing environment for your little one to grow, learn and play. We’d love to hear from you.

We’re also pleased to offer funded places for eligible families.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like more information or to arrange a visit, we’re here to help!

09/01/2026

Please be careful on the approach up to the nursery as it is very icy. We have been out and gritted the area, but there are still some slippery patches. Thank you.

Kayleigh & Josie

06/01/2026

‼️Weather Update for Wednesday 7th January‼️

As we head into another night of snow and ice, we are continuing to closely assess the weather conditions.

Unfortunately, tomorrow we will again be working with Skelton staff. With this in mind, we kindly ask that if you do not require childcare tomorrow, please let us know as soon as possible. This will help us ensure we can maintain safe staff-to-children ratios.

We have also made the decision to have a delayed opening time of 9:00am tomorrow. This will allow us more time to assess the situation in the morning and ensure it is safe for everyone to travel. The safety of our children, families, and staff is always our top priority.

Thank you once again for your continued support and understanding.

Thanks
Kayleigh & Josie

06/01/2026

Thanks to Holland House electrical, the road and car park outside of the nursery has been cleared.
Parents should be able to drive right up to the nursery for pick up/ drop off.
The surrounding roads however are still quite bad so please be careful.

06/01/2026

Parking Update 🚗

The street and parking situation around the nursery is still the same as yesterday. If you’re able to parking at Morrisons and walking round may be the best option, but please only do so if it is safe for you and your child.

We can’t wait to see some of you back today ☺️

05/01/2026

‼️Weather Update‼️

We are continuing to assess the weather and road conditions and are hopeful that everyone will be able to make it in tomorrow. However, if conditions have not improved by the morning, we may again need to operate with a skeleton staff team.

The staff who were able to attend this morning have prepared the nursery for opening. We have managed to dig out a small pathway, but the surrounding estate roads and parking areas have still not been ploughed or treated and remain very deep in snow (up to knee height in places).

I will check conditions again before opening. If road conditions remain the same, we would advise parking at Morrisons and walking over only if it is safe to do so. Please take care and do not put yourself at risk.

If you are unable to attend tomorrow, please let us know as soon as possible so we can plan staffing safely.

We are hoping there is no further snowfall overnight and that everyone can return safely tomorrow. Thank you again for your continued understanding and support.

Thanks,
Kayleigh & Josie

31/12/2025

🎉 Happy New Year! 🎉

As we say goodbye to 2025, we would like to thank all of our wonderful families for your continued support throughout the year.

Here’s to another fantastic year ahead in 2026 filled with learning, laughter and special moments 🌟

We can’t wait to welcome everyone back on Monday 5th January.

Best wishes,
From all at Stepping Stones Inverurie ❤️

16/12/2025

Important Reminder: Illness & Medication

To help us keep all children, families and staff safe and well, we would like to remind parents and carers of our nursery illness policy.

If your child is unwell or showing symptoms of illness, they should not attend nursery. This includes (but is not limited to) fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, persistent cough, rash, sore throat, or general signs of being unwell.

We also ask that children who require medication to manage or reduce symptoms do not attend nursery. Medication such as calpol or ibuprofen can mask symptoms, making it difficult for staff to assess your child’s wellbeing and increasing the risk of illness spreading to others.

If medication is required for a long-term or ongoing medical condition, please ensure this has been discussed with the nursery in advance and the appropriate consent forms are in place.

We understand that it can be difficult to make childcare arrangements when your child is unwell, and we truly appreciate your cooperation and understanding. By following this policy, you are helping us create a safe, healthy environment for everyone.

Thank you for your continued support 💛

15/12/2025

08/12/2025

Spaces available!

If you would like to book a time to come and visit our setting please call on 01467 625295 or email [email protected]

📢 EARLY LEARNING & CHILDCARE FUNDED PLACES 2026/2027

Applications for funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) places for the 2026/27 school year are now open.

👶 Who is eligible?
Children born between August 19, 2021 and February 29, 2024 are entitled to free ELC in 2026/27.

If your child turns 3:
• By August 31, 2026 → Eligible from Aug 2026*
• By December 31, 2026 → Eligible from January 5 2027
• By February 28, 2027 → Eligible from April 12, 2027

*Children must have turned 3 the day before term starts.

Term dates vary each year and you can check here:

📅 Term dates:https://abshirepublications.blob.core.windows.net/acblobstorage/1f6d4157-412e-42c6-bf6e-90d099064c90/school-holiday-planner-25-30.pdf

🏫 Where can my child get a funded place?
Funded places are available in:
• Local authority nurseries
• Commissioned playgroups
• Private day nurseries
• Commissioned childminders

All funded ELC settings are regulated by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate, and quality assured by Aberdeenshire Council.

📝 When and how to apply

Local Authority Nurseries:

Apply online between December 8–19, 2025.

ℹ️ Info and forms will be available here:
https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/schools/childcare-and-early-learning/3-and-4-year-olds/

You will later need to provide:
• Your child’s birth certificate
• Proof of address (e.g. recent utility bill or bank statement)

Commissioned playgroups, private nurseries and childminders:

1️⃣ Apply directly to your chosen provider from December 8, 2025.
2️⃣ Once a place is secured, your provider will ask you to complete the online funded hours application. This funding will be paid direct to your chosen funded provider by Aberdeenshire Council.
(If you don’t complete this step, the provider may charge you full fees.)

📘 Full details and a list of providers can be found in the “Applying Early Learning and Childcare for Your Child” booklet here https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/schools/childcare-and-early-learning/3-and-4-year-olds/