Trust Taplins Childcare
Good★ 4.6 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Southampton for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2021, though that is 5 years ago now. Open since 2004, with 100 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
SO16 4XEWhat 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, 15 June 2021 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are happy and immensely enjoy their time at nursery. They build strong relationships with their friends and their key person. Children show eagerness when they first arrive and are keen to follow the new COVID-19 (coronavirus)
pandemic arrival procedure. For example, they stand with their parent patiently on one of the mathematical shapes in the hall. Their key person greets them and talks to their parent or carer. Children show motivation, excitement and focused attention during play because staff have high expectations of them. Older children independently handle books with ease. They join in the narrative of a favourite interactive story and take turns to select knitted props, which link to the caterpillar story.
Children are eager to talk and share their skills and talents with the staff and visitors. Those children with specific styles of learning can access the curriculum in their preferred way. For example, children lie on their backs under a table that has paper taped underneath and use pens to draw and make marks. Babies have fun splashing in water and touching and handling the fresh herbs. They enjoy the space they have to practise their walking and are given attentive support from the staff. Children are well behaved and are learning to label their feelings. This is because staff focus a lot on 'emotion coaching'. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment where there is high attention on their health and well-being.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen the quality of education to an outstanding level with higher emphasis on developing staff's knowledge of the learning intent and implementation of adult-led activities n develop staff's practice and skills to ensure that they can differentiate their teaching and can offer challenge to the most-able children.
- 15 June 2021Good
- 6 April 2017Outstanding
- 12 May 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Trust Taplins Childcare
- 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.