NurseryWise Childcare in England
Day nursery in Waterlooville

Squirrels Nursery

Ofsted report card Apr 2026Takes funded hoursBirth to 8+Long established

A day nursery in Waterlooville for children from birth to 8+, open 07:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. £9.50 an hour for under 2s, and they take the funded hours. Inspected under Ofsted's new report card in April 2026. Open since 2013, with 68 places.

Call 02392 263 270Their website

Cost

What it costs

Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.

AgeHourly
Under 2sbirth to 2y
£9.50Under 2s
Ages 2-52y to 5y
£8.50Ages 2-5
Ages 5+5y to 5y
£7.50Ages 5+

Where this came from

The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.

The fees as published on squirrelsnurseryltd.co.uk/fees-funding
squirrelsnurseryltd.co.uk/fees-fundingread 26 September 2026

Funded hours

15 Hours Universal - 3-year-olds; 30 Hours Extended - 3-year-olds (working parents); 30 Hours for 9-month+ (from September 2025).

What childcare usually costs in Hampshire

£6.50an hour, typical for a 2 years old
£6.20an hour, typical for a 3 and 4 years old

This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.

The basics

Places, hours and the day

Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.

Who they can take
Birth to 8+Registered from birth. Whether there is a baby room is a question for the call.
When it's open
07:00 to 18:00, 5 days a weekFrom their Google listing
Funded hours
Takes them
How many children
68 placesLarge for England
How long open
13 yearsLong established
Address
The Acorn Centre, 3 the Kestrels, Waterlooville, PO8 9GX

Where it is

PO8 9GX
Ofsted URN EY471265On the register since 16 December 2013
Inspected 22 April 2026

What Ofsted found, area by area

Since November 2025 Ofsted gives a standard in each of seven areas rather than one overall grade. Expected standard means it is doing what it should.

Keeping children safe
Met
Including every child
Expected standard
What and how they teach
Expected standard
How children get on
Expected standard
Behaviour and routines
Needs attention
Welfare and wellbeing
Needs attention
Leadership
Expected standard
Ofsted

What 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.

  • 22 April 2026Report card seven areas graded separately Safeguarding: Met
  • 24 January 2023Good
  • 16 February 2018Outstanding
  • 22 January 2014Good

Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.

Still missing for Squirrels Nursery

  • 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.

Before you ring

What to ask them

Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.

  • Is £9.50 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
  • How do you apply my funded hours? 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.
Compare

Day nurseries within a couple of miles

This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.

Squirrels Nursery

Day nursery · The Acorn Centre, 3 the Kestrels, Waterlooville, PO8 9GX

Report card Apr 2026Takes funded hours£9.50 an hourBirth to 8+07:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week68 placesLong established

Hart Plain Daycare

Day nursery · Hart Plain Infant School, Hart Plain Avenue, Waterlooville, PO8 8RZ

GoodBirth to 8+Open all day, usually 8am to 6pmOpen a few years
0.6 mi
12 min walk
07805876755

Queenswood Lodge

Day nursery · 223 London Road, Waterlooville, PO8 8DA

GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 8+Babies from 9 months07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 6Long established
0.8 mi
17 min walk
02393077148Their website

Padnell Pre-School

Day nursery · Padnell Infant School, Padnell Avenue, Waterlooville, PO8 8DS

GoodBirth to 508:50 to 14:55, 5 days a week★ 5.0 Google, 530 placesLong established
0.9 mi
18 min walk
02392 253758Their website

Pick two or three to compare.

Everything here comes from Ofsted's published childcare register, under the Open Government Licence. Ratings are quoted exactly as Ofsted gave them, with their dates. Read the full Ofsted reports · How we put this together.

All childcare in Waterlooville