Gateway Elson
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Long established
A pre-school in Gosport for children from birth to 5, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2022. Open since 2013, with 28 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
Free funded places for eligible 2 year olds; Free 15 hour funded places for 3 & 4 year olds; Free 30 hour funded places for working families of eligible 20 month to 4 year olds.
What childcare usually costs in Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire 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
PO12 4BNWhat 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, 12 July 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are safe, happy, and enjoy their time at nursery. Staff are warm, caring and nurturing. Children form close attachments to staff and feel confident to play and explore the environment. They play cooperatively with their friends. For example, they style the hair of staff and other children as they play hairdressers.
Children are well behaved; they know the nursery routine and the simple rules that are in place. As a result, children play well together.
Children benefit from a fun and inclusive curriculum. They enjoy the activities on offer and there is a strong focus on outdoor play. Children build and balance with tyres and wooden planks. They have many opportunities to test out ideas, which helps to develop their self-esteem. Children run freely and chase friends outside in the garden as they learn to negotiate space safely. Children enjoy sensory activities that support their play and exploration. For instance, they have fun investigating different materials, such as mud and vegetables. They talk about the cakes that they have made. Staff skilfully ask questions to encourage children's thinking skills and extend their vocabulary as they discuss different recipes. This helps children learn new words such as 'scrape' and 'ingredients.'
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen support for children to learn about healthy eating and good oral health n improve the organisation of adult-led activities to ensure staff support the needs of all children and avoid unnecessary interruptions.
- 12 July 2022Good
- 21 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 2 graded inspections.
Still missing for Gateway Elson
- What it costs
- 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
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.