Tops Day Nurseries: Fawley Nursery

Scented play dough, a large garden and small steps towards independence give Fawley’s nursery day its character in the August 2022 account. These are practical experiences: handling textures, finding words for them and learning to manage everyday tasks.

Ofsted rated Tops Day Nurseries: Fawley Nursery Good at its August 2022 inspection. The nursery has 67 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. Its Heather Road address places it in Fawley, Southampton.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage is the required framework for children’s learning, development and care; here, the August 2022 examples show learning through practical play and conversation. Children made scented play dough while staff introduced vocabulary for its texture and ingredients. That connects language to something children can handle and explore.

Physical play had a clear place in August 2022. Babies practised tummy time and used equipment to pull themselves upright, while older children ran and climbed in the large garden. The examples span early movement and more confident exploration, rather than treating outdoor time as a break from learning.

The same account included Hi fives, an after-school and holiday club. This was a separate part of the August 2022 offer, alongside care for younger children.

In August 2022, key-person relationships extended into everyday care: staff held and rocked babies during bottle feeds in ways that followed their routines at home. Familiar handling matters for babies whose nursery day needs to connect with family life.

At the August 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and children with SEND making good progress, supported by individual resources and timely referrals to external agencies. Those are dated judgements, with concrete support mechanisms behind them.

Independence also featured in August 2022. The potty academy used achievement markers beside children’s names, giving toilet training a visible way to recognise progress. At lunch, children served themselves and took turns with others; eating was also an opportunity to practise everyday skills.

An online platform gave parents access to information about their child’s nursery day in August 2022. This connected activities at nursery with conversations and learning at home.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery opens from 6am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with a Christmas closure. That early opening is a useful practical consideration for families whose working day starts before conventional office hours.

Getting There

The address is Heather Road, Fawley, Southampton, SO45 1DZ.

Funding and Paid Extras

In August 2022, the nursery offered up to 30 funded hours for two-, three- and four-year-olds. This describes the offer at that time, rather than establishing a current funding arrangement.

• Learning about the wider world. The August 2022 improvement point concerned children’s understanding of diversity beyond the setting. On a visit, ask how stories, activities and conversations now introduce different lives and communities.
• Early starts and Christmas. Opening begins at 6am and the nursery closes at Christmas. Consider how those arrangements fit your working year and ask which booking pattern would suit your routine.
• Baby care in practice. The August 2022 account described bottle feeding that followed home routines. Ask how your baby’s feeding and settling preferences would be shared with their key person.

Fawley suits families looking for an early opening and care across the year. Its August 2022 account offers concrete examples of language through play, physical activity and growing independence. The Good judgement provides a dated quality reference; the wider-world learning improvement point deserves attention alongside those strengths.