Portland Bill Pre-School Regina Road Community Centre
Good★ 4.8 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in South Norwood for children from birth to 8+, open sessions in term time, often mornings. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in October 2023. Open since 2008, with 45 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 Croydon
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Croydon 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
SE25 4TWWhat 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, 31 October 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
This setting makes a difference to children. It is extremely warm, welcoming, and inclusive. All children are happy and feel secure. Children are confident to explore the activities that have been set out with care by attentive staff. Children benefit from a calm and nurturing environment, and all children are valued and loved by the devoted team. Parents feel supported and have good relationships with the staff and manager.
Staff create activities to reflect the needs and interests of the children. Children enjoy accessing attractive and enticing activities designed for all abilities, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children are given autonomy and choice. For example, children can access a snack at any point. They know to wash their hands and help themselves.
Children carefully select magnetic shapes to make a tower. Staff support them by using language for thinking, encouraging the children to consider where to put the shapes. Children work through the problem collaboratively to achieve their goal.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to consistently use high quality, open-ended questioning to maximise learning opportunities.
- 31 October 2023Good
- 18 January 2018Good
- 14 November 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Portland Bill Pre-School Regina Road Community Centre
- 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.