Little Drummers Pre-School
Good★ 4.6 on GoogleBirth 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 July 2024. Open since 1990, with 30 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
SO30 2ADWhat 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, 16 July 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
The pre-school has an inviting and friendly atmosphere and children come in looking forward to spending time with staff and their friends. Children receive support from staff where needed and are encouraged to be independent. For example, children hang their own coats up and add their water bottles to the box.
Children enjoy telling the staff about what they have been learning both in the setting and at home. Staff show a genuine interest in this information and extend children's thinking further by asking questions. This helps children to feel valued and gives them a sense of belonging.
Children choose to spend time with their friends in the 'feelings area'. Staff support children to understand how to regulate their own emotions using focused activities.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- build on staff's understanding of how to consistently promote children's communication skills and extend their language further.
- 16 July 2024Good
- 18 September 2018Good
- 19 November 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Drummers 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.