Rainbow Corner Nursery School
Good★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Southsea for children from birth to 8+, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023. Open since 1990, with 60 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
PO5 1PXWhat 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, 10 March 2023 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are treated with kindness and respect at this friendly and nurturing nursery. They are greeted by the cheerful staff who know all children and families well. Staff take time to listen to children's news and allow children time to respond and share ideas. Children feel valued and have their needs met quickly, which makes them feel happy to learn.
Children are encouraged to work together and support each other in their learning and play. For example, they learn how to bake following a recipe in a group. They explore the ingredients, follow instructions, and take turns smelling the vanilla extract. They have a go at whisking and mixing, and learn how to measure while using words such as 'more' or 'less'. They share their own experiences of baking from home and listen to each other respectfully.
Children enjoy nursery. They play with familiar friends and happily explore the variety of sensory resources available. They busily discover oats and flour in trays alongside staff, who introduce new language, such as 'flaky' and 'powder'. Children marvel at the sounds they make using the metal pans and utensils. They benefit from a wide variety of opportunities to develop their communication and language from the positive and engaging staff, who bring songs and stories to life as they all sing animatedly together.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - support staff to consistently recognise opportunities to build on children's learning and further extend their interests n teach children the knowledge they need to help them to use and apply their selfhelp skills independently.
- 10 March 2023Good
- 23 August 2017Outstanding
- 17 October 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Rainbow Corner Nursery 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.