Little Spinnakers Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Portsmouth for children from birth to 5, open 08:00 to 15:30, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2024. Open since 2010, with 40 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 8PHWhat 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 June 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children arrive happy, they leave their parents with ease and settle quickly. Staff understand the importance of building strong relationships with the children and families. For example, they plan detailed inductions, where they spend time getting to know each unique child. This supports children's individual needs and enables them to form strong attachments with staff.
The managers and staff ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and that it provides an exciting range of experiences for all children. Children take part in projects such as, hatching their own chicks. They learn new language such as, 'incubators' and
'hatching', as they watch the daily changes that take place. Staff identify gaps in children's communication skills, they work with external professionals to provide targeted support. For example, they organise one-to-one activities to promote twoway conversations. This supports children's learning and development.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff working with the younger children to provide engaging activities that support children's next steps for learning n strengthen the behaviour management strategies to support children to learn more about feelings and how their behaviour impacts others.
- 12 June 2024Good
- 16 January 2024Inadequate
- 29 March 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Little Spinnakers Pre-School
- 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.