Hythe
Nursling
Basingstoke
Southampton
HytheAbout Us
At Little Shipmates, we believe every young child deserves a joyful, safe and inspiring start in life. Across our family of nurseries in Hampshire, we create warm, welcoming environments where children are encouraged to explore, build confidence and develop a lifelong love of learning.
We know choosing a nursery is an important decision, so we work closely with every family to build trusting relationships and provide the reassurance that comes from knowing your child is cared for, encouraged and celebrated as an individual.
We began more than 25 years ago when our founders, Helen and Clive, both experienced educators and parents with deep roots in Hampshire schools, set out to create something special. Drawing on their own experiences, they wanted to create a place where children would feel safe, inspired and truly at home.
Driven by the belief that every young child deserves a joyful, safe and inspiring start in life, they re-mortgaged their home, secured a business loan and opened the very first Little Shipmates Day Nursery in Hythe with just 30 places.
As more families placed their trust in us, we gradually grew into the Little Shipmates family of nurseries you see today. While each nursery has its own unique character, they all share the same values that inspired the very first one: professionalism, enthusiasm, recognition, belonging and achievement.
Those values continue to guide everything we do. We create warm, welcoming environments where children can explore with confidence, build meaningful relationships and develop a lifelong love of learning. We work closely with families, recognising that the strongest outcomes come when parents and practitioners work together in partnership.
One of the things we are most proud of is the continuity within the Little Shipmates family. Several members of our team have been with us since our early years, and we now have former Little Shipmates children who have returned as valued members of staff, including in leadership roles. For us, that is a wonderful reflection of the relationships, trust and sense of belonging that have always been at the heart of Little Shipmates.
Looking back, we're incredibly proud of how Little Shipmates has grown. Looking ahead, our purpose remains exactly the same as it was on day one: giving every young child a joyful, safe and inspiring start in life.
Our Story
Little Shipmates began more than 25 years ago, when parents Helen and Clive, both experienced educators with deep roots in Hampshire schools, set out to create something special - building on their own experiences, a place where children would feel safe, inspired and truly at home. Drawing on those personal experiences and a belief that every child should have a joyful start in life, they re-mortgaged their home, took a business loan and opened the first Little Shipmates Day Nursery in Hythe with just 30 places
From that cosy beginning, the Little Shipmates Family has grown to over 350 places with the support of its local communities, continuous investment in extensions, inside and outside environments and adding a further four unique nurseries across Southampton, Hythe and Basingstoke. Each one, though unique, reflects the same values that Helen and Clive set out with - professionalism, enthusiasm, recognition, belonging and achievement - and aims to nurture children through meaningful relationships, playful learning and lots of encouragement.
Today, The Little Shipmates Group Ltd is known not just for quality childcare and early education, but for the sense of family and connection that runs through every nursery. It’s a place where children can explore with confidence, parents feel listened to, and staff are valued as part of a shared journey - all rooted in the founders’ original belief that every young child deserves a joyful, safe and inspiring start in life.
As Little Shipmates celebrates 25yrs, we are proud to be welcoming the next generation as well as some of our ‘pioneering’ child as valued members of team!
Full steam ahead!!
‘Giving every young child a joyful, safe & inspiring start in life’
Every young child deserves a joyful, safe and inspiring start in life. It's a simple belief, but one that shapes everything we do. From the relationships we build and the environments we create, to the way we work alongside families, we want children to feel safe enough to explore, confident enough to try new things and supported to develop in their own unique way