Dolls House Nursery
Outstanding★ 3.4 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Portsmouth 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 April 2023. Open since 2007, with 55 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
PO6 2JDWhat 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, 18 April 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff listen to children at every opportunity. They notice and respond to the little things that children say. For example, staff pause story time when children express their feelings, and they help to expand children's vocabulary. They also respond quickly when children suggest ways to extend a task, such as helping them find interesting containers to hold sand. Staff have very high expectations for how children can contribute. As a result, children learn that what they say and do matters. This helps them feel valued in an exceptionally nurturing environment.
Staff use their in-depth and precise knowledge of each child to very successfully capture children's imaginations and inspire them to investigate. Children brim with excitement as they become engrossed in their freely chosen play. Toddlers count with coloured buttons, which they then use as characters in their nursery rhymes.
Older children cook and season 'food' in the role-play area. Babies explore interactive objects and musical instruments in the sensory room, wide eyed and smiling. Children are fully engaged with the curriculum at all times as they talk, play and explore.
- 18 April 2023Outstanding
- 15 June 2017Outstanding
- 29 May 2015Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Dolls House 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.