Nursery Advice
Claim Your Nursery

St Jude's Church Nursery

Ofsted: Good
(Jan 2024)
·
4.4(7 parent reviews)
·Silver Street, Portsmouth, PO5 3BW · Portsmouth
Number of places
95 places
Age range
2–5 yrs
Last inspected
Jan 2024
Local authority
Portsmouth

About this day nursery

St. Jude's Church Nursery is a nurturing early years setting situated in Silver Street, Southsea, functioning as a vital part of St. Jude's Church's outreach to the local community. The nursery proudly offers subsidised places to children from two years of age up to school age, providing a secure and supportive environment for play, learning, and growth.

With a capacity to accommodate up to 60 children, it operates under the regulation and good rating of OFSTED and maintains a close affiliation with St. Jude’s Primary School. The nursery embraces a multicultural ethos, welcoming all children regardless of their religious background.

It operates 51 weeks a year, Monday to Friday, between 8 am and 6 pm, offering flexible session options including morning, afternoon, and full-day care. The dedicated team, led by Nursery Manager Tash Whittle and nineteen NVQ3 Level trained staff—many with over a decade of experience—focuses on fostering each child's social, intellectual, and physical development.

The nursery is thoughtfully designed with five colour-themed rooms and an outdoor garden, allocating children to groups like Stars, Sunbeams, or Rainbows based on their age. Additionally, a Sparkles group is available for children requiring extra support, such as those with SENDIF+.

Snacks and drinks are provided during morning and afternoon sessions, with parents requested to supply packed lunches for children attending full days.

What it's like

Children are happy and settle well in this nursery. Staff quickly get to know them and their unique personalities, developing secure, nurturing bonds with all children. The manager and her team have worked hard to make the necessary improvements since the last inspection, resulting in children having access to a broad and varied curriculum that incorporates their interests.

Charity-runSubsidised placesExperienced staff

Pricing & funding

Fees are structured around morning, afternoon, short day, and full day sessions. All listed rates apply to children aged 2 to 4 years, with new prices taking effect from September 2025.

Funding accepted

15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)15 hours — working parents (9 months–2 yrs)

Good to know

  • All listed prices apply to children aged 2-4 years.
  • Prices are effective from September 2025.

Key facts

Opening hours

8am - 6pm, Monday to Friday, 51 weeks a year

Session types

Morning session (8am-1pm), Afternoon session (1pm-6pm), Full day session (8am-6pm)

Food

Snacks and drinks provided; parents to provide packed lunch for full day

Age range

2 years to school age

Term time / All Year

All Year

Staff

19 NVQ3 Level trained staff

Established

1992

Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted rating for St Jude's Church Nursery

Last inspected 18 January 2024

Safeguarding effective
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What it's like to attend

Children are happy and settle well in this nursery. Staff quickly get to know them and their unique personalities, developing secure, nurturing bonds with all children. The manager and her team have worked hard to make the necessary improvements since the last inspection, resulting in children having access to a broad and varied curriculum that incorporates their interests.

Inspector highlights

  • The manager and staff have worked together to ensure the curriculum consistently meets the needs of individual children.
  • The manager has strengthened processes for regular staff supervision sessions to support ongoing professional development.
  • Children's communication and language are well promoted with staff narrating play and introducing new words.
  • All staff value diversity and offer an inclusive environment, supporting children who speak English as an additional language very well.
  • The support in place for children with SEND is excellent, with personalised support plans and close work with external professionals and parents.

Areas to develop

  • 1strengthen the coaching and mentoring of staff further, especially those working with the younger age group, to ensure that all interactions and experiences for children are of equally high quality
  • 2support staff to consistently recognise when children need more time to explore and develop ideas for themselves to challenge their thinking skills even further.
Inspection #10279520 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report

What parents say

Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection

Parents speak highly of the nursery and staff, reporting their children are happy and making good progress.

Inclusion & environment

How they support every child

SEND provision

Staff working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are given Picture Exchange Communication System training to enhance their knowledge and confidently support children attending. The support in place for children with SEND is excellent, with staff ensuring children get the support they need early on, working closely with external professionals and parents to create personalised support plans, leading to superb progress for these children.

EAL / language support

Children who speak English as an additional language are supported very well by staff. Staff who share children's home languages use them throughout their day, skilfully using English alongside their home language, contributing to children quickly beginning to use English words to communicate.

Parent Reviews of St Jude's Church Nursery

4.4
(7)
Amber Cox
a year ago

All 3 of my children have been to this nursery and they all loved it ! Lovely nursery with love staff always feel welcome! My youngest boy love it here !

Read on Google

Reviews from Google for St Jude's Church Nursery. See all on Google Maps

Inspection history
Improved from Requires improvement → Good in 2024

Date: November 2010

  • January 2024Good
  • February 2023Requires improvement
  • April 2017Good
  • May 2015Good
  • November 2010Good

Frequently asked about St Jude's Church Nursery

Nearby day nurseries in Portsmouth

Other Ofsted-registered day nurseries close to St Jude's Church Nursery.

Are you the owner of this nursery? Claim this listing to manage photos, hours and contact details.

Claim listing

Share this nursery

Send to a partner, friend or family member.

This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more