Childcare in Southampton (Hampshire)
Southampton (Hampshire) has 50 day nurseries, 30 pre-schools, 5 school nursery classes, 29 childminders and 52 after-school clubs. Ofsted has inspected 90 of them and rated 83 Good or better, 5 of them Outstanding. 76 have never been inspected, which usually means recently registered. Across Hampshire there are 39 places per 100 children under five, better supplied than England as a whole at 32.
Places per 100 under-fives is registered capacity at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across Hampshire, divided by the children aged 0 to 4 who live there at the 2021 Census. It compares areas; it is not a count of free places today. It also leaves out the 81 school nursery classes across Hampshire, because nobody publishes how many children they take.
31 settings match. Search by postcode to sort them by how far they really are.
What has changed here
Ofsted does not publish closures, so we work them out by comparing releases. Worth knowing if you are working from an old list.
- Jun 2026Closed Little Gems Pre-School (West End) Full day care
- Jun 2026Closed 360 Degree Sports Coaching - Blackfield Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Closed ActiveMe 360 CIC @ Wildground Infant School Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Closed Little Gems Pre-School, Hedge End Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Closed Frog Activity Camps Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Applemore Early Years Centre Full day care
- Jun 2026Opened ActiveMe 360 CIC @ St John The Baptist CE Primary Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened 360 Degree Sports Coaching - LIFT Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Hawthorn Learning Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened Little Gems Pre-School, West End Sessional day care
- Jun 2026Opened GoSport Activity Centre - The Gregg School Out-of-school day care
- Jun 2026Opened Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School Full day care
What people ask about childcare in Southampton (Hampshire)
Answered from the figures on this page, so they stay in step with it.
Which nurseries in Southampton (Hampshire) take funded hours?
22 of the 166 settings in Southampton (Hampshire) are recorded as taking the government funded hours. Councils do not publish a list of approved providers, so the rest are unknown rather than a no.
Are any nurseries in Southampton (Hampshire) rated Outstanding?
Yes. 5 of the 90 settings Ofsted has inspected in Southampton (Hampshire) hold an Outstanding grade.
Which nurseries in Southampton (Hampshire) take babies?
134 settings in Southampton (Hampshire) are registered to take children under two. Ofsted's register does not say whether a setting runs a baby room or has space in it, so ring before you plan around it.
Is it hard to get a nursery place in Southampton (Hampshire)?
Hampshire has 39 registered childcare places for every 100 children under five, against 32 across England. That is registered capacity rather than free places, so it compares areas rather than telling you what is available this week.
Towns close to Southampton (Hampshire)
Worth widening the search to, especially if you drive to work.