Explorers Day Nursery

A giant sandpit, a climbing frame and a quiet sensory space give Explorers Day Nursery a clear physical character: room for energetic play, with somewhere to step away from it. This purpose-built setting in Nursling combines large indoor play areas with a garden equipped for use in different weather conditions. The contrast matters for children who enjoy movement but also need quieter moments.

Explorers has capacity for 90 children aged 3 to 60 months. At its December 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall and found an ambitious curriculum, effective safeguarding and good support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Those findings provide a dated assessment of care and education, rather than a description of today's staffing or routines.

Morning, afternoon and full day attendance patterns sit alongside flexible sessions. The practical attraction is a choice of attendance arrangements, rather than one standard day for every family.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: learning through play sits alongside support with communication, physical skills and everyday independence. At Explorers, activities take account of children's interests and abilities, with both planned experiences and opportunities to pursue their own ideas. That gives children a part in deciding what they explore.

In December 2022, early drawing activities began with bigger arm and body movements before progressing towards finer hand movements as children developed. The sequence connected physical development with the skills needed for writing. It was preparation through activity, rather than simply asking younger children to produce letters.

Other December 2022 examples were equally practical. Older children selected ingredients and quantities to make play dough; younger children investigated flour and cornflour through pretend cooking. These experiences gave children something tangible to compare, choose and experiment with. Books and familiar stories also featured, with children joining in remembered phrases during reading.

Language teaching had a specific weakness in December 2022: support for hearing and practising speech sounds was inconsistent for children ready to learn about letter sounds. New vocabulary and nursery rhymes were part of the day, but that next step needed more consistent attention. This is a useful distinction for parents considering preparation for school.

Outdoor and Community Life

The garden brings climbing, digging and movement into the same outdoor space. A climbing frame and giant sandpit provide different kinds of physical and imaginative play, while all-weather flooring supports outdoor use in changing conditions. Large, adaptable indoor areas extend the space children have for play.

A separate sensory space offers textures, lights and sounds, as well as a quieter setting for exploration. Its value is the choice it adds to the day: active garden play and calmer sensory experiences can meet different interests and moods.

Explorers also has a connection with its immediate working community. Many children and parents have links to the nearby Ordnance Survey. This describes the families using the nursery, rather than a formal educational partnership or programme.

Relationships and Communication

Settling is tailored to the child and family, with staff taking time to learn about individual needs. Parents receive observations and updates about their child's experiences. For a family beginning nursery care, that combination links the settling process with continuing communication, rather than treating settling as a single preliminary event.

In December 2022, children sought comfort from familiar key persons, including reaching for a cuddle when tired. Everyday routines also encouraged independence: children removed shoes and extra clothing before resting and put their belongings into their own baskets. These small tasks gave children opportunities to do things for themselves with familiar adults nearby.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that the special educational needs coordinator worked with children's key persons to tailor support, helping those with SEND make progress. Expectations of behaviour were adjusted to the child, and staff helped families find additional support. The useful detail is the mechanism: adults knowing the child and adapting their response.

Staff supervision was another December 2022 improvement point. Coaching and support sessions had been introduced, but these needed to become more firmly established so that differences in teaching practice could be identified and addressed. Families should read that alongside the positive assessment, rather than assume every aspect of practice was equally consistent.

On-site cooks prepare the food, with menus varied each week and dietary requirements discussed with parents. This makes individual food needs part of the planning for meals.

Sessions and Attendance

Explorers opens from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Families can book morning, afternoon or full day sessions, and flexible sessions are also offered. These are attendance choices; the opening window describes the nursery's operating day.

The nursery operates across the year, closing on bank holidays and during the period between Christmas and New Year. Advance booking is part of the attendance arrangement. This matters for families whose childcare needs continue through school holidays, while the Christmas closure still needs to fit their plans.

Getting There

The address is Adanac Drive, Nursling, Southampton, SO16 0AS, just off the M271, with parking on site. Enquiries can be made directly on 02380 731448.

Funding and Paid Extras

Stretched Early Years Entitlement Funding is offered for three-year-olds from the term after their third birthday, spreading funded childcare across the year. Private childcare is also offered, with fees set at the same rate across ages and payment by standing order at the start of the month. Families should obtain current prices in the nursery's written quotation.

The distinction between attendance and funding matters: a stretched funding arrangement describes how entitlement is spread, while morning, afternoon and full day sessions describe the care a family books.

• Speech sounds and teaching consistency. December 2022 improvement priorities covered speech-sound activities and staff supervision. During a visit, ask how these are now handled, especially for children approaching school age.
• Active and quiet spaces. The garden has a climbing frame and giant sandpit, while the sensory space offers calmer exploration. A visit is an opportunity to see how your child's interests and need for quiet fit those spaces.
• Your attendance quotation. Morning, afternoon, full day and flexible sessions are offered alongside stretched funding. Request a written breakdown for your chosen pattern, including how meals and consumables are treated.

Explorers suits families seeking morning or afternoon sessions as well as full day or flexible attendance, with care continuing through school holidays. Its strongest current physical features are straightforward: a substantial garden, varied play equipment and a separate sensory space.

The December 2022 assessment gives useful reassurance about relationships, inclusion and education, tempered by specific work needed on speech sounds and consistency of teaching. For parents who value both active play and individual settling, Explorers offers a practical combination, with those improvement priorities deserving attention when choosing.