St Christopher's Pre-school
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A pre-school in Southampton for from 2 years up to 5 year olds, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 1999, with 26 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
We accept government funded places for eligible 2, 3 and 4 year olds for 15 and 30 hours per week.
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 6PJWhat 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, 20 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happily and staff greet them warmly using their names and direct them to the carpet. They join in the 'welcome' song, singing along with their friends. Staff explain the choice of activities available and the routine for the day.
This helps children to become confident and independent as they explore.
Children spend much of their time outside, and staff plan a curriculum that builds on children's experiences and interests. Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. This includes access to tricycles and water play, to enhance their small motor skills. Children enjoy making 'ice creams' in the sand tray and talk excitedly about the different flavours they have available. They squeal with delight as they watch their bubbles disappear up into the sky.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- enhance the monitoring of teaching practices to identify and address minor inconsistencies in the support for children's language skills.
- 20 May 2024Good
- 11 July 2023Needs improvement
- 8 January 2018Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for St Christopher's Pre-school
- What it costs
- Meals
- Nappies
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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? 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.