Best nurseries in Southampton
84 Ofsted-registered nurseries and pre-schools, best Ofsted result first: the latest report card or overall grade, then the most recent inspection. Childminders are not listed (Ofsted does not publish their addresses).
| # | Nursery | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holy Family Pre-School Full day care · 40 places · SO16 9LP | Outstanding (2025) |
| 2 | Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery Full day care · 55 places · SO15 3AR | Outstanding (2025) |
| 3 | Little Berries Preschool @ Bassett Full day care · 34 places · SO16 7DE | Outstanding (2025) |
| 4 | Mansbridge Community Pre-School Full day care · 30 places · SO18 2LX | Outstanding (2025) |
| 5 | The Shore Pre-School Sessional day care · 36 places · SO19 9JQ | Outstanding (2024) |
| 6 | Busy Bee Preschool Sessional day care · 120 places · SO15 3ND | Outstanding (2023) |
| 7 | Little Berries Pre-School Sessional day care · 32 places · SO16 6RL | Outstanding (2023) |
| 8 | Pixies Tree Full day care · 60 places · SO19 9BE | Outstanding (2023) |
| 9 | Paint Pots Preschool @ Harefield Sessional day care · 48 places · SO18 5NZ | Outstanding (2022) |
| 10 | Paint Pots Preschool @ St Marks Sessional day care · 31 places · SO15 5TE | Outstanding (2022) |
| 11 | Sticky Fingers Pre-School Full day care · 40 places · SO16 9QX | Good (2025) |
| 12 | Hopscotch Day Nurseries (Regents Park) Ltd Full day care · 80 places · SO15 8NY | Good (2025) |
| 13 | Paint Pots Preschool And Nursery Sessional day care · 38 places · SO15 8RL | Good (2025) |
| 14 | Dingley Family And Specialist Early Years Centres Sessional day care · 10 places · SO14 0EL | Good (2025) |
| 15 | Woolston Preschool Full day care · 28 places · SO19 9DB | Good (2025) |
| 16 | The Shore Woolston Sessional day care · 47 places · SO19 9FU | Good (2025) |
| 17 | Sticky Fingers Pre-school Tanners Brook Sessional day care · 24 places · SO15 4PF | Good (2025) |
| 18 | Harefield Community Pre-School Full day care · 52 places · SO18 5NZ | Good (2025) |
| 19 | Sticky Fingers Pre-School Full day care · 32 places · SO16 9BB | Good (2025) |
| 20 | Oasis Academy Lord's Hill Pre-School Sessional day care · 40 places · SO16 9FQ | Good (2025) |
| 21 | St James Nursery and Pre-School Full day care · 40 places · SO16 6UG | Good (2025) |
| 22 | Olive Tree Pre-School Full day care · 33 places · SO16 9DD | Good (2025) |
| 23 | Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd Full day care · 102 places · SO14 5FE | Good (2025) |
| 24 | Learningland Day Nursery Full day care · 45 places · SO16 4QF | Good (2024) |
| 25 | Woodberry Day Nursery and Preschool-Peartree Full day care · 74 places · SO19 7JJ | Good (2024) |
| 26 | Happy Bunnies Pre-School Full day care · 32 places · SO19 8FJ | Good (2024) |
| 27 | St Christopher's Pre-school Sessional day care · 26 places · SO19 6PJ | Good (2024) |
| 28 | Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery Full day care · 54 places · SO19 8NG | Good (2024) |
| 29 | Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery Full day care · 68 places · SO16 3AU | Good (2024) |
| 30 | Seedlings Montessori at Moorlands Full day care · 25 places · SO18 5RJ | Good (2024) |
| 31 | Southampton University Early Years Centre Full day care · 120 places · SO17 1BJ | Good (2024) |
| 32 | Taplins Day Nursery SGH Full day care · 63 places · SO16 6YD | Good (2024) |
| 33 | The Co-operative Childcare Southampton Full day care · 100 places · SO16 6AY | Good (2023) |
| 34 | Woodberry Day Nursery and Preschool-Sholing Full day care · 73 places · SO19 0NL | Good (2023) |
| 35 | Bright Horizons Southampton Day Nursery and Preschool Full day care · 81 places · SO15 5DF | Good (2023) |
| 36 | Barn Owls Pre School Full day care · 40 places · SO15 7QE | Good (2023) |
| 37 | Earlystarts Childcare Full day care · 110 places · SO18 4DJ | Good (2023) |
| 38 | Hardmoor Early Years Centre (Daycare) Full day care · 45 places · SO16 3EP | Good (2023) |
| 39 | Redbridge Preschool Full day care · 24 places · SO16 9RJ | Good (2023) |
| 40 | St Francis Pre-School Sessional day care · 36 places · SO19 0EQ | Good (2023) |
| 41 | Shirley Preschool Sessional day care · 40 places · SO15 5HE | Good (2023) |
| 42 | Tickleford Preschool Full day care · 30 places · SO19 9QP | Good (2023) |
| 43 | Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery Full day care · 51 places · SO15 5BB | Good (2023) |
| 44 | Squirrels Corner Pre School 2 Sessional day care · 34 places · SO18 2FH | Good (2023) |
| 45 | Bright Horizons Portswood Day Nursery and Preschool Full day care · 69 places · SO17 1EJ | Good (2023) |
| 46 | Honeybeez Pre-School Sessional day care · 46 places · SO16 3BZ | Good (2023) |
| 47 | Kanes Hill Pre-School Full day care · 26 places · SO19 6FW | Good (2023) |
| 48 | Hopscotch Day Nurseries (Portswood) Ltd Full day care · 76 places · SO17 1DP | Good (2023) |
| 49 | Brambles Community Pre-school Sessional day care · 40 places · SO19 6FH | Good (2023) |
| 50 | The Mulberry Bush Bitterne Park Full day care · 100 places · SO18 4QG | Good (2023) |
| 51 | Lordswood Community Centre Pre-School Sessional day care · 36 places · SO16 8FD | Good (2023) |
| 52 | Tiny Toes Day Nursery Full day care · 126 places · SO16 8GA | Good (2023) |
| 53 | Nursery @ Itchen College Full day care · 90 places · SO19 7TB | Good (2022) |
| 54 | Busy Bee Pre School Millbrook Sessional day care · 32 places · SO16 9JA | Good (2022) |
| 55 | Ladybirds Preschool Parkside Sessional day care · 40 places · SO19 7QR | Good (2022) |
| 56 | Brook Early Years Full day care · 52 places · SO18 4EG | Good (2022) |
| 57 | Sunshine Pre-School and Day Nursery Full day care · 35 places · SO15 5BR | Good (2022) |
| 58 | Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery Full day care · 64 places · SO17 2FZ | Good (2022) |
| 59 | Bevois Town Community Pre-School (With extended Day Care Provisions) Full day care · 46 places · SO14 6RU | Good (2022) |
| 60 | Ladybirds Pre-school (Porchester Road) Sessional day care · 26 places · SO19 2JB | Good (2022) |
| 61 | Sunrise Day Nursery Full day care · 81 places · SO14 1AR | Good (2022) |
| 62 | YMCA Woolston Day Nursery Full day care · 108 places · SO19 9EF | Good (2021) |
| 63 | Trust Taplins Childcare Full day care · 100 places · SO16 4XE | Good (2021) |
| 64 | Sholing Community Centre Pre-School Sessional day care · 40 places · SO19 1BN | Good (2021) |
| 65 | Redroofs Day Nursery Full day care · 65 places · SO19 2NX | Report card: 1 strong, 4 expected (Nov 2025) |
| 66 | Little Caterpillars Preschool Sessional day care · 34 places · SO16 6AB | Report card: 5 expected (Jan 2026) |
| 67 | Start Point Northam Sessional day care · 32 places · SO14 5SP | Report card: 5 expected (Dec 2025) |
| 68 | Hopscotch Day Nursery (Sholing) Ltd Full day care · 92 places · SO19 8LW | Report card: 5 expected (Nov 2025) |
| 69 | Foundry Lane Preschool Sessional day care · 30 places · SO15 3JT | Report card: 2 expected, 3 needs attention (Nov 2025) |
| 70 | Sticky Fingers Pre-school Spring Road Sessional day care · 24 places · SO19 2NZ | Report card: 2 expected, 3 needs attention (Nov 2025) |
| 71 | Bitterne Park Holiday Club Sessional day care · SO18 1BU | Not yet inspected |
| 72 | ComputerXplorers Full day care · SO14 1NF | Not yet inspected |
| 73 | Hayfield Forest School Full day care · 51 places · SO19 0SG | Not yet inspected |
| 74 | Hayfield Forest School Full day care · 41 places · SO19 7GQ | Not yet inspected |
| 75 | Heritage House Full day care · 31 places · SO14 3HY | Not yet inspected |
| 76 | Highfield Primary Wraparound and Holiday Club Full day care · SO17 1PX | Not yet inspected |
| 77 | My Ohana IKEA Southampton Sessional day care · SO15 1GY | Not yet inspected |
| 78 | Paint Pots Bitterne Sessional day care · 50 places · SO19 7BX | Not yet inspected |
| 79 | Paint Pots Preschool @ St Joseph's Sessional day care · 56 places · SO14 2AH | Not yet inspected |
| 80 | Rose Road Playscheme - Bradbury Centre Full day care · SO16 5NA | Not yet inspected |
| 81 | Southampton Tuition Centre Sessional day care · SO15 1HY | Not yet inspected |
| 82 | Sticky Fingers Pre-School Portswood Sessional day care · 35 places · SO17 3AA | Not yet inspected |
| 83 | Tiny Toes (Warren Avenue) Full day care · 120 places · SO16 6AG | Not yet inspected |
| 84 | Valentine Primary School Nursery Full day care · 48 places · SO19 0EQ | Not yet inspected |
How much does nursery cost in Southampton?
Typical weekly nursery prices for a child under two in South East, from the Coram Childcare Survey 2026. A guide only: ask each nursery for its own fees.
Working parents in England can get 30 funded hours a week in term time from when their child is 9 months old, so a 25-hour place can cost little or nothing in term time. Every 3 and 4 year old gets at least 15 funded hours. Funded hours cover 38 weeks a year; nurseries can charge for extra hours, meals and activities. Check what you can get at Childcare Choices.
Questions
What are the best nurseries in Southampton?
Of 84 nurseries and pre-schools in Southampton, 10 have Ofsted's top results (Outstanding, or mostly strong or exceptional on the new report card). Listed first: Holy Family Pre-School, Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery, Little Berries Preschool @ Bassett.
How much does nursery cost in Southampton?
In South East, a part-time place (25 hours a week) for a child under two typically costs £202 a week without funded hours (Coram Childcare Survey 2026). Working parents can get 30 funded hours a week in term time from 9 months.
How many nurseries are there in Southampton?
84 Ofsted-registered nurseries and pre-schools, 70 of them inspected so far.
Neighbourhoods
Aldermoor & Lordswood · Banister Park & Howard Road · Bassett Green · Bevois Town · Bitterne East · Bitterne South · Bitterne West · City Centre & The Polygon · Coxford & Lords Hill · Freemantle · Harefield · Highfield & University · Hightown · Hollybrook · Itchen · Maybush · Newtown & Nicholstown · Ocean Village & Town Quay · Redbridge & Millbrook West · Regents Park & Millbrook East
Source: Ofsted early years inspections. Ofsted's report card (from November 2025) grades curriculum, achievement, behaviour, children's welfare and leadership as exceptional, strong, expected, needs attention or urgent improvement; earlier inspections gave one overall grade.