Hamble Village Playschool
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Southampton for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2022. Open since 1999, with 26 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 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
SO31 4JEWhat 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.
- 22 June 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 7 November 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children behave well and are happy and safe in the setting. They are extremely motivated and active learners. During the inspection, they proudly showed staff the animal masks they made using scissors, glue and glitter. Children often return to their favourite activities, such as the modelling dough, and practise what they have learned, such as cutting out shapes and counting them. They mix petals from fresh flowers donated by a local supermarket with water and use their imagination to pretend it is perfume.
There are high expectations for every child. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, are supported to feel settled and secure. Staff have taken action to reduce the noise level in the indoor play areas, which enables children to focus and learn. They encourage children to refocus when the noise level increases and regularly remind them to use 'indoor voices' and their 'listening ears'.
Children are supported well to understand the world. During outings, they enjoy collecting sticks that they use to build dens. They hunt for bugs using magnifying glasses and explore pumpkins hidden in leaves. Children make kites and discover what happens when they fly them in the wind.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to further improve planning so that children are consistently challenged and make the best possible progress in their physical development.
- 7 November 2022Good
- 10 May 2022Inadequate
- 24 January 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Hamble Village Playschool
- 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.