Puffin Pre-School
GoodBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Portsmouth for children from birth to 5, open 09:00 to 15:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in July 2023. Open since 2009, with 14 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
PO2 9PNWhat 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, 5 July 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children and their parents receive a warm welcome by the friendly manager and her team. Children have strong bonds with their key person. They cuddle their key person and enjoy spending time with them. Staff foster a sense of belonging and happiness at the pre-school.
In this small and friendly pre-school, children make their own choices, move between rooms and participate in activities that spark their interests. Older children explain to staff how to mix purple from red and blue paint. Staff and younger children follow these instructions and paint their hands and create purple handprints. Staff praise the children's painting, and they compare the size of their hands with each other's hands. These opportunities support the children to learn early mathematical concepts, such as size.
Children show good behaviour. When younger children struggle to control their emotions, staff support them and children learn how their behaviour affects others.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- support staff to understand how to better organise and deliver group activities to ensure that all children can participate and learn.
- 5 July 2023Good
- 13 November 2017Good
- 13 October 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Puffin 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.