YMCA Little Whale Day Nursery
Good★ 4.7 on GoogleBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Portsmouth for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 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 They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask.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 2024. Open since 2006, with 62 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 8ERWhat 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.
- 20 July 2026 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 19 March 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Staff warmly welcome children and their families into this inclusive nursery.
Children arrive happy and settle quickly. Babies receive plenty of cuddles and reassurance. Older children seek out their friends to play with. Staff know the children well and plan activities that they know they will enjoy. For instance, babies enjoy using musical instruments. They show their delight as they giggle and bounce up and down to their favourite songs. Older children are keen to take part in bug hunts. They use checklists of minibeasts and distinguish between the different bugs they find. This promotes children's curiosity and motivation to learn.
There is a strong focus on teaching children to develop a love of books. This is evident across the whole nursery. Babies snuggle up with staff to listen to their favourite stories. Older children listen carefully to the books staff read to them.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- improve the development of children's language and communication skills by using questioning more effectively.
- 19 March 2024Good
- 11 April 2023Needs improvement
- 1 August 2019Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for YMCA Little Whale Day Nursery
- 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.