Canoe Lake Nursery
Outstanding★ 4.0 on GoogleBirth to 8+Long established
A day nursery in Southsea for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in August 2023. Open since 2015, with 56 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Portsmouth
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Portsmouth from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
PO4 9RFWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 7 August 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children thrive at this inviting and idyllic nursery. They arrive with excitement, happily waving goodbye to their parents and involving themselves in the many interesting activities set up for them. Children feel safe and secure. Superbly attentive staff welcome babies and young children into their rooms with big smiles and reassuring cuddles. They ask children what they would like for breakfast and support them closely as they settle in for the day. This fully supports children's emotional well-being.
Staff provide learning-rich experiences that all children benefit from. They play together in the garden, talking about the different vegetables they have grown this year. Children immerse themselves in their activities. They dig in the soil and carefully examine the roots of the potato plants. Staff extend children's knowledge and discuss how the roots absorb nutrients from the soil. Children listen carefully.
They become excited about eating the potatoes and carrots they have picked for tea.
- 7 August 2023Outstanding
- 2 November 2017Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Canoe Lake Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.