Nursery, Itchen College

Sand, water and construction play give this college-site nursery in Bitterne a practical, hands-on character. Nursery, Itchen College serves children aged three months to five years, with 47 places in total. Its setting within Itchen College grounds is part of its identity: this is childcare on the Southampton college site.

At its September 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children with additional learning needs received effective support. That dated judgement gives families a useful quality reference, alongside specific improvements concerning staff practice and healthy habits.

Term-time attendance is organised around morning, midday and afternoon sessions. The practical appeal is the choice of parts of the day, rather than a single attendance window.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage shapes learning through play, with children's progress monitored and activities planned around their development. Sand and water, construction toys and creative activities supply concrete ways to explore and make things. For parents, the useful point is the connection between play and planned learning: activities have a developmental purpose.

In September 2022, babies selected songs using pictures, while toddlers explored materials such as paint and shredded paper. Preschool children used tweezers with dried pasta and experimented with whisking foam. Those activities exercised finger control and coordination through manageable, playful tasks, rather than formal lessons.

Musical shakers supplied another example in September 2022. Preschool children practised following several instructions and explored position and movement through the activity. Language and early mathematical ideas were brought into the same experience. Babies also participated by choosing songs from pictures.

Outdoor and Community Life

In September 2022, the outdoor area included equipment for balancing, with older children negotiating planks and practising how to judge a manageable challenge. This gave physical development a clear place in the day. It also provided a different kind of learning from the small tools and sensory materials used indoors.

The limitations matter too. In September 2022, some interactions stopped short of extending children's language, and toddlers were not consistently encouraged to do as much for themselves as they could. These were specific weaknesses in putting the curriculum into practice, rather than a reason to overlook the engaging activities described above.

Relationships and Communication

In September 2022, staff discussed the development of their key children with managers and shared information with parents about children's needs and learning. Parent breakfasts gave families a way to take part in nursery life. Settling arrangements included individual reassurance and respect for children's preferences, making adjustment a matter of responding to the child rather than expecting one response from everyone.

Books and resources helped children express emotions in September 2022, including describing feelings through colours. In the baby room, a welcome song included each child individually. These are useful examples of how belonging and emotional expression were built into ordinary activities.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

A SENCO role sits alongside the nursery's safeguarding lead arrangements, and the team includes staff who speak Polish and French. Experience includes supporting children with visual impairment, language impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. For families, these are concrete starting points for a conversation about their child's communication and support needs.

In September 2022, staff used visual timetables and signing, followed advice from other professionals and directed additional funding towards individual learning and wellbeing needs. The mechanisms are worth understanding: communication aids and individually chosen activities can make participation more accessible.

Healthy habits also featured in September 2022. Staff worked with parents on toddlers' toothbrushing and encouraged children to try fruit and unfamiliar textures. However, work with families on lunchbox contents and healthy routines needed further development. This remains a useful topic for the visit conversation, rather than something to assume from the inspection grade.

Sessions and Attendance

The nursery is at Middle Road, Bitterne, Southampton, SO19 7TB. Opening hours are 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. That calendar matters as much as the daily finish: families needing care through holidays should weigh it against their working pattern.

Sessions run from 8am to 11am, 11am to 2pm and 2pm to 5pm. The midday session is a separate option, alongside morning and afternoon attendance. Opening hours and session boundaries are different, so the finish of the afternoon session should guide plans for that booking.

Nursery enquiries go directly to nursery@itchen.ac.uk or 023 8044 4544.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funding is offered for two-year-olds, with free places for three- and four-year-olds, subject to eligibility criteria. Attendance is term time. Paid sessions are also offered, and families should obtain a current written quotation for their chosen pattern.

Parents supply special food where required. The nursery does not provide hot meals but will heat home-prepared food.

• Term-time session boundaries. Morning, midday and afternoon bookings end at different points within the opening day. At a visit, discuss how the chosen sessions fit your working hours and holiday arrangements.
• Language and independence. September 2022 findings identified missed opportunities to extend conversation and encourage toddlers' self-help. Ask how staff now build these into daily activities.
• Food and healthy routines. The nursery will heat home-prepared food, and September 2022 findings called for stronger work with parents on healthy practices. Discuss your child's food needs and current lunchbox guidance.
• Support and everyday supplies. The SENCO role and Polish- and French-speaking staff offer specific routes into a support conversation. Ask how your child's individual plan would work and which non-food supplies you would need to bring.

This nursery suits families seeking term-time morning or afternoon care, with a separate midday session adding another useful pattern. Play materials, individual activity planning and communication support give the offer substance. The September 2022 Good judgement is a positive reference, balanced by clear questions about language development, toddler independence and partnership over healthy routines. The fit depends on both the child's needs and the family's calendar.