URN 2858734 · Inspected 2026-08-25 · Published 2026-09-28 · Inspector: Loretta Murphy
Heritage House Unique reference number (URN): 2858734 Address: 19-20 St Mary's Place, Southampton, SO14 3HY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 02/10/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR Registered person: Living Heritage School LTD Inspection report: 25 August 2026 Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard Needs attention Urgent improvement Safeguarding standards met The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe. How we evaluate safeguarding When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes: Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Expected standard Achievement Expected standard Overall, children make expected progress from their individual starting points across the areas of learning. Typically, children develop communication and language skills appropriate to their age and stage of development. For example, younger children babble and experiment with sounds, while older children generally respond to familiar words and simple requests. Children who may face barriers to learning make suitable progress from their starting points. Children develop physical skills through movement and play, including strength, coordination and balance. Children make typical progress in their personal, social and emotional development. They develop confidence in familiar routines and learn to seek reassurance when needed. For example, staff support children to recognise and manage their emotions. Children develop increasing independence in daily care and begin to make choices. Generally, children develop the knowledge and skills needed for their next stage of learning. For instance, they develop early mathematical understanding as they listen to adults count and explore quantity. Children become increasingly confident, independent and able to communicate their needs. Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard Overall, leaders have established familiar routines that help children know what to expect during their day. Staff use calm and respectful approaches to guide behaviour. Children typically develop positive relationships with staff and respond well to praise and encouragement. Young children receive sensitive support when they are tired or unsettled. Staff work with parents to understand children's routines and individual needs. This supports continuity between home and the setting. Children typically show positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy exploring resources and playing alongside others. Children who may face barriers to learning receive appropriate support to take part in routines and manage their emotions. Staff encourage children to make choices and develop independence during their day. Leaders monitor attendance through the register and promote the importance of regular attendance with parents. Generally, staff use reminders and explanations to help children understand rules and procedures. For example, at times, they remind children to use resources appropriately and support them when moving around the setting. Occasionally, interactions do not consistently help children understand why rules are important. This is particularly evident when managing risks, such as running indoors or climbing up the slide. As a result, children do not always develop a secure understanding of why some rules and procedures are needed. Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard Overall, leaders have arrangements in place to support children's health, safety and wellbeing. Staff provide freshly cooked, nutritious meals, which children generally enjoy. They understand safe-food preparation and handling practices to minimise the risk of incidents. Children follow hand-hygiene routines before meals and after activities. Staff work with parents to maintain consistent care practices, including sleep and intimate care arrangements. This helps children to feel comfortable and well cared for. Children typically receive caring and attentive support. Young children receive support with their individual care needs. They encourage children to develop independence in familiar routines. For example, during sleep routines, staff supervise children closely and provide gentle physical reassurance, such as stroking their heads, when needed. This helps them to settle and regulate their emotions. At times, staff support children to manage everyday risks. For instance, adults provide hand-holding support when children use the stairs and encourage them to hold handrails. Although children generally receive appropriate support to manage risks, staff do not always help children to understand the boundaries needed to keep themselves safe. As a result, children do not always develop their understanding of safe practices. Despite this, staff respond when safety concerns arise and take account of children's individual needs. Children develop independence as they take part in their daily routines and experiences. Curriculum and teaching Expected standard Overall, leaders have developed a curriculum that reflects children's ages and stages of development. They provide experiences across the areas of learning. They use children's interests to shape activities. For example, children explore colours through creative activities and develop muscle strength through dough play. Outdoor experiences support physical development through running, climbing and balancing. Staff support children's personal, social and emotional development through familiar routines and calm support. Staff typically provide warm and responsive interactions. They generally talk with children during play. For example, staff introduce words, such as 'stingray', 'dolphin' and 'octopus' during water play. They support children to listen and respond to simple requests. At times, staff do not consistently extend children's learning through their interactions. For instance, staff sometimes name objects and describe what children are doing without developing the interaction further. This means that children do not always have opportunities to develop their vocabulary further, express their ideas and extend their thinking through sustained interactions. Staff's knowledge of how babies and young children learn and develop is not yet consistently reflected in practice. Children generally enjoy the experiences provided and show curiosity as they explore. For example, children investigate what happens when they splash water and use resources for filling and pouring. They have some opportunities to listen to staff count during play. This supports early mathematical understanding. Children develop confidence and independence through making choices and taking part in familiar routines. Furthermore, they explore the world through experiences, such as learning about ocean animals and seasonal changes. Inclusion Expected standard Leaders know children and families well. They use information from parents, observations and progress checks to identify children's individual needs and plan next steps. They work with families to understand their routines and interests. As a result, children experience continuity between home and nursery and are supported to feel secure. Leaders seek advice from professionals, when concerns arise. This helps children receive support at an early stage. They understand how eligible families can access additional funding and how this can be used to support individual needs. This helps children to access the resources and experiences they need to make progress. Although no children with identified special educational needs and/or disabilities currently attend, leaders know how to access specialist advice when concerns arise. They understand their responsibilities towards children who are known, or previously known, to children's social care and how to work with relevant agencies to support them. Leaders use information from families and professionals to understand children's needs and consider how these may affect their learning and wellbeing. They use this information to adapt support. This helps children to feel secure and engaged in their learning. Children generally enjoy their experiences. They develop positive relationships with staff and their peers. Children who may face barriers to their learning, engage when activities reflect their interests. At times, staff do not consistently support these children to participate in purposeful learning opportunities or sustain their engagement when they move away from an activity. As a result, some children miss opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through the experiences available. Leadership and governance Expected standard Leaders have appropriate arrangements to manage the setting and monitor children's progress. They know children and families well. They use information from parents, observations and progress checks to evaluate children's development. Leaders and staff complete mandatory training to maintain their knowledge and meet their responsibilities. Leaders complete additional training and share relevant learning with staff to support their practice. Staff have some opportunities to develop their professional knowledge further. However, this is not yet consistently focused on their individual roles, specifically supporting young children and developing high-quality teaching interactions. As a result, staff do not always extend children's learning and understanding as effectively as possible. Staff receive appropriate day-to-day support from leaders, who consider their wellbeing and workload. Leaders work positively with parents and other professionals to support children's needs. For example, they seek advice from early years advisory teachers when appropriate. They signpost parents to health visitors. Leaders work with parents to identify children's starting points and keep them informed about progress and next steps. Parents speak positively about leaders and staff. They report that children enjoy attending, have developed positive relationships and make progress. Leaders plan to develop partnerships with local schools to support children as they move on to their next stage of education. Leaders understand how to support disadvantaged children and how additional funding can be used to meet individual needs. They understand how to access specialist advice for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They understand their responsibilities towards children who are known, or previously known, to children's social care. Leaders evaluate the setting and identify areas for improvement. This includes recognising where staff practice can be strengthened to support children's learning and development. Compulsory Childcare Register requirements This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare Register When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes: Met Not met What it's like to be a child at this setting Children separate from their parents and carers with ease. They settle quickly into the nursery. Warm relationships with staff and familiar morning routines help children feel safe, secure and ready to start their day. Children seek reassurance when needed and respond positively to calm, caring support. They enjoy attending the nursery and develop a strong sense of belonging. Children attend regularly. This helps them to develop familiar relationships and routines. Children generally enjoy exploring the environment. They demonstrate curiosity about resources that interest them. They explore sensory materials, such as dough and water. They enjoy physical experiences outdoors. Children develop their strength, coordination and balance through running, ball games and using climbing and sliding equipment. They increasingly make choices about resources, follow familiar routines and develop confidence in exploring their surroundings. Inspector: Loretta Murphy About this setting Overall, children make progress from their starting points. Young children develop emerging communication and language skills as they listen to adults, respond to familiar words and begin to use sounds and words to communicate. Furthermore, children who may face barriers to their learning and development make appropriate progress. They build relationships with staff and sustain their attention when experiences reflect their interests, such as water and ball play. Children develop independence through experiences, such as feeding themselves, drinking from cups and taking part in hand-hygiene routines. Children typically behave well and enjoy their experiences. They respond positively to nurturing support. They generally develop an understanding of routines and expectations. Children enjoy playing alongside others and demonstrate emerging social skills, such as taking turns during ball play. Families are welcomed and their knowledge of children's routines, interests and needs contributes to children's care and experiences. Children feel valued as individuals, develop confidence, independence and a sense of belonging. This supports them to achieve, belong and thrive. Next steps Leaders should further strengthen support for children who face barriers to learning and development to be included in purposeful learning opportunities. Leaders should strengthen adult-child interactions so that they consistently extend children's learning, including supporting children to engage in purposeful activities and develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Leaders should strengthen professional development so that staff develop the knowledge and skills needed to provide consistently effective interactions that support children to engage in learning, extend their understanding and develop their awareness of how to keep themselves safe. About this inspection The inspector spoke to leaders, staff, children and parents during the inspection. We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. Unique reference number (URN): 2858734 Address: 19-20 St Mary's Place Southampton SO14 3HY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registration date: 02/10/2025 Registered person: Living Heritage School LTD Register(s): EYR, CCR Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00 Local authority: Southampton Facts and figures used on inspection This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. This data is from 25 August 2026 Children numbers Age range of children at the time of inspection 1 to 3 Total number of places 31 Our grades explained Exceptional Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it. Strong standard The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them. Expected standard The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them. Needs attention The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements. Urgent improvement The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. 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