Ashurst Pre-School
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Southampton for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in January 2023. Open since 2003.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
SO40 7EDWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 27 January 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are full of joy and excitement as they arrive at the pre-school. They confidently find their pegs and hang up their bags and coats. Children feel safe and secure. They respond warmly to devoted staff, who engage them in meaningful conversation while supporting them with self-registration.
Older children engage in craft and colouring activities with pure delight. They cut out shapes and patterns with care and precision. Children enthusiastically explain their rainbow picture designs and discuss what they know and have learned about boomerangs. Children are notably proud of their achievements and have highly positive attitudes to learning.
Activities are set up purposefully for children to extend their learning and inspire their curiosity. For example, younger children become fully absorbed when they explore coloured rice in a tray. They experiment with a range of different pouring and scooping equipment. Staff support this learning as they demonstrate how to use the variety of tools available. Furthermore, they add language such as 'mix'
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- promote the importance of story time, so that children's love of reading is supported to the highest level n build on how the pre-school rules are implemented by staff, to ensure they can be consistently understood by children.
- 27 January 2023Good
- 27 March 2017Good
- 3 February 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Ashurst Pre-School
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.