Squirrels Preschool
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in Southampton for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 16:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2024. Open since 1993, with 40 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
SO40 8WUWhat 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.
- 18 July 2022 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 25 June 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff greet children at the pre-school gate and support their transition into the building. Children separate from their parents with ease and walk into the preschool. They find their coat pegs and hang up their bags. Children enter the playroom and choose from the range of activities laid out for them. This helps to develop their independence.
Staff understand the importance of supporting children's emotional well-being.
Children confidently seek out staff for play and support. They share their personal stories and staff show genuine interest and always respond. This helps children to feel valued. Staff know the children well and respond to their individual requirements. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They reinforce positive behaviour through praise and encouragement.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop communication further between leadership to continue to support the smooth running of the pre-school n strengthen staff's teaching practice to focus more precisely on building on children's knowledge and skills, based on what they already know and can do n help staff to provide more consistent support for children's growing understanding of rules and boundaries.
- 25 June 2024Good
- 11 June 2019Good
- 21 January 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Squirrels 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.