Highbury Nursery & Day Care
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Portsmouth for children from birth to 5, open 8am to 6pm. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024. Open since 2005, with 10 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 2RZWhat 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, 2 May 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children flourish in this warm and welcoming setting. Staff know the children well and develop secure and nurturing relationships with them. They give the children lots of cuddles and reassurance when needed to help them to settle.
Staff support children to be curious. For example, they encourage the children to explore resources as they play with play dough and ice. Staff use their teaching skills effectively to help the children think about what else they could do with the resources. For instance, they extend the children's learning by showing them how the water from the melted ice 'pitter patters' when dripping from their fingers. This supports children's learning and development.
Staff provide children with daily opportunities to develop their physical skills and enjoy the outdoor space. For example, children enjoy running in the field and forest areas and learn how to balance as they walk along the logs.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen staff's skills in giving children enough time to think and respond to questions asked, to best support their learning.
- 2 May 2024Good
- 25 September 2019Good
- 3 June 2015Outstanding
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Highbury Nursery & Day Care
- 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.