Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery
Good★ 4.4 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Southampton for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 2004, with 54 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
SO19 8NGWhat 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, 1 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily and separate from their parents with ease. Staff plan a broad curriculum that builds on children's interests and developmental needs. For example, when younger children find worms in the garden, staff support them to gently handle them. Staff encourage children's counting skills as they talk about how many worms the children have found.
Younger toddlers enjoy song-time activities. They wave their ribbons and jiggle their bodies to the music. This helps to encourage their language skills and physical development. Children explore the adjoining outside balcony freely. Toddlers access fresh air and develop their large motor skills as they ride the trikes and push the wheeled toys. Older children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills in the large garden area. They venture up the climbing net and confidently navigate the path on their bikes.
Children show sensitivity towards their friends, giving them hugs when they look sad. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings in small focus group activities. This helps to support children's emotional well-being and sense of security.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the deployment of staff, particularly in the baby room, to provide consistent and purposeful interactions for children n develop staff knowledge of questioning skills to allow children time to answer questions and think for themselves.
- 1 May 2024Good
- 6 January 2020Outstanding
- 11 April 2014Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Paint Pots Preschool & Nursery
- 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.