Bright Horizons Portswood Day Nursery and Preschool
Good★ 4.3 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Southampton for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2023. Open since 2004, with 69 places.
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 Southampton
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Southampton 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
SO17 1EJWhat 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.
- 14 September 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 7 April 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
- 12 September 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 5 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy and eager to start their day at nursery. They form secure attachments with the adults that care for them. Babies enjoy warm and nurturing support that gives them confidence to persevere in self-chosen challenges. For example, very young children show resilience as they practise their physical skills on the step and slide unit. They smile broadly in delight when they achieve what they set out to do.
Older children have good opportunities to develop their language skills. They receive support to use their working memory to demonstrate what they know. This builds on previous activities children have engaged in to find out about springtime and the natural world. For instance, during a still-life drawing session of spring flowers, children use descriptive language to refer to the daffodils on the table.
This prompts a discussion about 'growth'. Children explain that when seeds are planted, they need soil and water to grow. Furthermore, children receive exposure to new words connected to this experience, hearing words such as 'bloom' when referring to what happens when plants change over time. This contributes towards extending children's vocabulary.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop all staff's teaching skills even further so they are clear how to precisely sequence the planning and implementation of the curriculum to provide a sharper focus on well-curated next steps of learning for all children.
- enhance staff's awareness to consistently implement strategies to support children who speak English as an additional language to enable them to boost their communication and language development skills.
- take steps to ensure that children are taught how to recognise risks and what to do to keep themselves safe when accessing digital technology online.
- 5 April 2023Good
- 12 September 2019Good
- 3 January 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Bright Horizons Portswood Day Nursery and Preschool
- 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.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.