Kids Incorporated

A ball pool, sign language and baby scrapbooks give Kids Incorporated in Totton a recognisable character. This is a nursery where physical play sits alongside songs, stories and a practical promise to keep babies' familiar routines. The combination gives parents something concrete to weigh beyond a general childcare description.

At its 18 October 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. There were also two clear priorities for improvement: making planned activities teach their intended content more consistently, and helping children put feelings into words.

Kids Incorporated has 27 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. Its main nursery has two sections, each with its own staff team. That whole-setting capacity should not be read as the number of children in a particular group.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care: here, play, conversation and practical experiences give children opportunities to build skills. Stories, dancing and singing feature in the nursery's teaching, while sign language adds another form of communication. Preschool activities include art and cooking alongside early reading and maths, giving children different ways to practise and explore.

For babies, rhyme-based stories and music are part of the day. In October 2024, staff used objects alongside storytelling and introduced words for animals and their sounds. These are concrete ways to connect language with something a young child can handle or hear, rather than relying on spoken explanation alone.

Children's interests also shaped activities in October 2024. An interest in seasonal changes led to a walk collecting sticks and leaves, followed by making pictures with those materials. However, activities sometimes failed to communicate the knowledge staff intended children to learn. The important question is how an enjoyable experience becomes purposeful teaching.

Outdoor and Community Life

Physical play has an indoor base: the preschool playroom includes a slide, and the nursery also has a ball pool. Children can use the outside area in suitable weather. These facilities provide different ways to move and play alongside others.

In October 2024, limited outdoor space was supplemented by community outings to parks and other open areas, where children could climb and run. That distinction matters for families who place a high value on outdoor activity: the nursery's own space and its outings played different roles in the day.

Relationships and Communication

Baby care starts with continuity. Staff work with the routines families have already established and keep daily records covering development, nappy changes and sleep. Photographs are collected in a scrapbook, giving parents a record of experiences they have missed during the day. This is useful both for following care routines and for seeing what interests a child.

In October 2024, babies were spoken to and sung to during nappy changes, and staff responded to children who needed comfort while settling. Sleep routines were handled sensitively. These everyday interactions matter because much of a baby's nursery experience happens during care, rather than in a planned activity.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the October 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that assessments informed children's next steps, these were shared with parents, and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities involved plans developed with families and professionals. The practical strength was a shared plan linking nursery learning with support beyond the setting.

Independence had tangible expression in October 2024: children managed preparations for outdoor play and personal hygiene, while older children practised cutting fruit at snack time. Emotional support was less consistent. Staff sometimes missed opportunities to name feelings when children were distressed, leaving this as an improvement priority alongside activity planning.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, throughout the year, closing on Bank Holidays. That opening window is a useful starting point for families comparing care with their working day.

Kids Incorporated is at 71 High Street, Totton, Southampton, SO40 9HL. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 023 8066 6626, by email at kidsinctotton@aol.co.uk, or through the contact form.

Funding and Paid Extras

Private childcare and the grant for children aged three and four are offered. In October 2024, the nursery also received government early-education funding for eligible children from nine months to four years; that describes participation at that date rather than a promise of eligibility today. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation.

• Purposeful activities. In October 2024, some activities did not teach their intended content consistently. On a visit, ask how staff select a learning goal and recognise what a child has understood.
• Language for feelings. Helping upset children understand their emotions was an October 2024 improvement priority. Ask for an example of how practitioners now respond when a child is frustrated or distressed.
• Outdoor balance. In October 2024, outings supplemented limited outdoor space. Discuss how children use the outside area and how community trips fit into their attendance.
• The complete quotation. Funding and private childcare are both offered. Before joining, ask for a written breakdown covering your attendance pattern, funded hours, food and care supplies.

Kids Incorporated suits families seeking baby care that follows home routines and preschool experiences combining practical learning with physical play. The scrapbook approach gives parents a tangible connection to the nursery day, while the slide and ball pool give its indoor provision a clear identity.

The Good judgement is balanced by specific teaching and emotional-support priorities. Those deserve attention alongside the nursery's appealing everyday details, especially for families weighing how practitioners turn play into learning and help children manage difficult feelings.