Paint Pots Pre-School and Nursery, Sholing

Paths, a platform and a playhouse give outdoor play a substantial role at Paint Pots in Sholing. The grounds have separate zones for different kinds of learning, making the outside space more than somewhere to burn off energy. Its Healthy Early Years Bronze award recognises work on exercise and healthy eating; Southampton's inclusion standard recognises provision for children with additional needs.

At its May 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, judged safeguarding effective and found that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, were progressing well. That positive judgement came with two clear priorities: more consistent adult support in the baby room, and questioning that gives children enough thinking time.

Based at 400 Bursledon Road, Southampton, SO19 8NG, the nursery has capacity for 54 children and accepts ages from 3 to 60 months. It opens throughout the year, with weekday hours of 7.30am to 6pm and closures for bank holidays and a week at Christmas.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care. In everyday terms, play, conversation and practical exploration help children develop language, movement, social skills and an understanding of the world. Sholing's outdoor zones support these different strands rather than separating learning from play.

In May 2024, activities drew on children's interests and their stage of development. Finding worms became an opportunity to count as well as handle living things gently. Stories about butterflies prompted children to ask about how they develop. These examples show how a small discovery can lead into both mathematical language and curiosity about nature.

Song sessions gave younger toddlers opportunities to move with ribbons and respond to music. Another activity involved feeling feathers before blowing them off their hands, with adults demonstrating the action. Learning was practical and sensory. The improvement priority around questioning matters alongside these examples: an engaging activity also needs space for a child to formulate an answer.

Outdoor and Community Life

The current grounds include paths, a platform and a playhouse, with space outdoors for different ages.

In May 2024, toddlers used an adjoining balcony for wheeled play, while older children rode bikes and climbed a net in the garden. Wooden gazebos offered covered places for stories. Those physical details help explain the nursery's outdoor character: movement and quieter activities both had a place.

A garden play truck also became a shared problem-solving task. When it would not move uphill, some children climbed out to push while others stayed inside. They repeated the game after succeeding. It was a concrete example of children persisting, cooperating and adjusting what they were doing to reach a goal.

Relationships and Communication

In May 2024, staff gathered information from families before children started, using it to establish what each child could already do and what to work on next. Key persons could explain children's development and progress.

An online learning platform allowed families to see progress and contribute their own information. Handovers also helped parents understand their child's day. These are complementary forms of communication: the online account records learning over time, while a conversation can cover what happened during a particular session.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Southampton's inclusion standard is a current part of Sholing's offer for children with additional needs. In May 2024, Ofsted identified inconsistent staff deployment in the baby room, meaning babies sometimes had less learning support from adults sufficiently familiar with them, and asked staff to improve their questioning so children had time to respond and think independently. For a family choosing baby care, continuity of adult interaction deserves close attention alongside the overall Good judgement.

Emotional support was visible in daily practice in May 2024. Children discussed feelings in small groups, comforted friends who were upset, and received help from adults when sharing became difficult. These experiences gave them opportunities to recognise feelings and practise managing play with other children.

Health routines were practical too. Children were encouraged to wash their hands around meals and toileting, and adults explained sun protection while applying sun cream. The value lies in children beginning to understand the reasons for everyday care routines, as well as following them.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year and closes for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. That annual pattern matters for parents arranging care beyond school terms, while the opening window gives a clear boundary for the working day.

Getting There

The address is 400 Bursledon Road, Sholing, Southampton, SO19 8NG. Bursledon Road is a commuter route into Southampton from the city's east, making the location relevant to families whose daily travel follows that corridor.

Enquiries can be made through the Sholing contact form, by telephone on 02380 018 742 or by email to pp2(at)paintpotsnursery.co.uk. The branch's express-interest route also provides a way to begin a childcare enquiry.

Funding and Paid Extras

In May 2024, the nursery received early-education funding for children aged two, three and four. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

• Baby-room continuity. The May 2024 improvement priority concerned how consistently babies received support from familiar adults. During a visit, ask how staff deployment now maintains that continuity through the day.
• Time to think. In May 2024, adults sometimes moved on before children could answer. Watching an activity gives parents a useful opportunity to see how practitioners pause, listen and build on children's responses.
• Funding and everyday costs. The nursery received early-education funding in May 2024. Ask for a written explanation of the current funded attendance arrangement and how meals and non-food consumables are handled within it.

Sholing suits families seeking care across the year, a substantial outdoor setting and activities that connect children's discoveries with conversation, counting and movement. The paths, platform and playhouse give that outdoor offer concrete substance, while its health award and inclusion standard add useful context for parents weighing exercise, eating habits and additional needs.

The May 2024 Good judgement is balanced by specific concerns about baby-room support and questioning. For parents of babies, consistent contact with familiar practitioners should carry considerable weight in the final decision. For older children, the combination of physical play, shared problem-solving and interest-led activities gives a clear picture of the nursery's character.