For nurseries & early years settings
Expert training for your team. A free Stages 4 Ages account for your families.
Stages 4 Ages is the parent-facing platform from the people behind Stepping Stones Training, an NCFE-approved early years training provider. Settings on eligible Stepping Stones plans can connect their whole parent community with Stages 4 Ages — every family gets their own free account, with no seat limits.
How it works
From training plan to every family
One plan looks after your team's professional development and your parents' confidence at home — two sides of the same early years partnership.
Stepping Stones Training
Flexible, practical early years training from an NCFE-approved provider.
Your setting
joins an eligible Stepping Stones Training plan.
Your families
are invited by your setting and create their own private accounts.
A free account each
every parent gets Free Membership — no seat limits, and nothing for families to pay.
One plan, two winners
Good for your setting, good for your families
For your setting
Support that continues at home
Parents learn from the same early years expertise your team trains in — reinforcing your setting's approach between drop-off and pick-up.
Every family included
No parent seat limits and no choosing who gets connected. Every family at your setting can be invited.
A simple manager dashboard
Invite parents, see who has activated their account, and manage your setting's list in one private place.
For your parents
A free Stages 4 Ages account
Free courses and previews, the journal and podcast, and the option to upgrade or buy a course whenever they choose.
Support for every stage
Articles, podcasts, recipes, activities and resources for pregnancy through the early years and beyond.
Their own private account
Parents keep their own account and their own learning. Settings can never see course activity, purchases or personal details.
The Setting Manager experience
You manage access. Parents keep their privacy.
Every eligible setting gets its own private dashboard. It's deliberately simple: you look after who has access — what parents learn, buy or say stays entirely theirs.
What managers can do today
- Invite parents by email and track whether each family has activated
- See account status only — never course activity or personal details
- Add or remove parents as families join and leave your setting
What managers never see
Course progress, purchases, community activity and personal details — and one setting can never see another setting's families.
Your setting's dashboard
PrivateInvite parents
Send invitations and see activation status
Manage access
Add or remove families as your community changes
Privacy built in
Status only — never a parent's learning activity
Coming later for settings
- Share suggestions and feedback with the Stages 4 Ages team
- A closer link between your team and your families
Are you a parent?
Your nursery may have already connected you
If your child's setting uses an eligible Stepping Stones Training plan, they can connect you to a free Stages 4 Ages account. Create your account and follow your setting's invitation.
Create your free accountNot using Stepping Stones yet?
Stepping Stones Training supports early years teams with flexible, practical professional development — and eligible plans let you connect your whole parent community with Stages 4 Ages. We'd love to tell you more.