Top Tots Day Nursery John Pound Centre

A community centre gives this nursery more than rooms for childcare: an onsite library, sports halls and outings to Victoria Park and The Historic Dockyard extend children's experiences beyond their usual play space. Top Tots Day Nursery John Pound Centre occupies the first floor of the John Pounds Community Centre in Portsmouth. Its setting is a substantial part of its appeal.

The nursery has 53 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 60 months. At its June 2025 inspection, Ofsted rated it Good overall. The practical choice includes a full day and either a morning or afternoon half day, allowing families to match attendance to different working patterns.

The strongest detail is the connection between indoor play, garden time and the surrounding community. Babies have a section within the room shared with toddlers, while children aged three and above use a larger room. That arrangement gives younger children contact with toddlers while retaining their own space.

Rooms and Ages

Two light, airy rooms organise the nursery day. The younger room combines babies and toddlers, with a separate section for babies that allows them to see and interact with the older children; the larger room serves children aged three and above, with space for further learning opportunities.

Babies and toddlers share the younger room, with babies occupying their own section. For parents weighing that choice, the useful distinction is how the baby's own section works alongside contact with toddlers. The older children's room provides a different stage of provision as children grow.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: play and everyday routines become opportunities to practise communication, relationships and practical skills. In June 2025, the curriculum gave particular attention to emotional and social development and to language, with increasing challenge as children moved through the nursery.

Learning was woven into ordinary activities. In June 2025, younger children explored size using spoons during water play, while older children worked with the idea of adding another item. Songs, stories and adults naming equipment added opportunities to hear and use vocabulary. These examples matter because learning happened through activities children were already engaged in.

There were also two clear weaknesses in June 2025. Some less experienced practitioners did not understand the curriculum intentions securely enough to use them consistently when planning children's next learning steps. Adults sometimes moved to another question or instruction before children had enough time to answer. The nursery's educational strengths therefore sit alongside a need for more consistent teaching practice.

Outdoor and Community Life

Garden time is organised separately for each group. Children can ride trikes and bikes, explore planting and use the mud kitchen, with outdoor activity included in both morning and afternoon attendance. The practical benefit is that a half-day booking still includes opportunities to play outside.

Babies use a six-seater buggy for regular local outings, including Victoria Park and The Historic Dockyard. Those destinations give their day a connection to Portsmouth beyond the nursery rooms.

The onsite library adds another place to explore, and the sports halls provide activity space during poor weather. They are also used for parent craft mornings and Christmas celebrations. These shared facilities make the community-centre location useful throughout the year, rather than simply providing the nursery's address.

In June 2025, children and practitioners had close relationships, and staff planned activities around children's interests. Visual schedules helped children understand the sequence of the day. For a young child, that combination of familiar adults and understandable routines can make participation easier.

At the June 2025 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and good progress for children, including those with SEND and those learning English as an additional language, with preparation for their next stage of learning. The detail behind that judgement is useful: in June 2025, staff used recordings of relatives saying familiar words in children's home languages, alongside objects that helped children connect words with meaning.

For children with SEND, June 2025 practice included collaboration with other professionals and activities adapted to individual needs. Bubbles were used to encourage attention, listening and communication through gestures. Additional funding had also paid for a garden sand box to address a gap in fine motor development. These were concrete adjustments to activities and resources.

Current support includes a SENCO role available for conversations about children's development, and a designated safeguarding lead role. These provide identified responsibilities within the team, rather than a general promise of support.

Independence was part of everyday care in June 2025. Children practised handwashing and toothbrushing, and older children helped prepare fruit for snack. Such tasks gave children opportunities to manage personal care and take part in food preparation themselves.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 23 Queen Street, Portsmouth, PO1 3HN. Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Full-day attendance runs from 7.30am to 6pm; half days run from 8am to 1pm or from 1pm to 6pm. The morning half day therefore begins later than the full day, a useful distinction when planning work commitments.

The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Enquiries can be directed to the John Pounds Centre team on 023 9289 2020.

Getting There

The first-floor location puts the nursery within a community building. The Gosport/Isle of Wight Ferry entrance and Portsmouth's main bus routes are a short walk away; the HMS Nelson entrance is within a 5 minute walk of our front door. That last description is the nursery's stated walking connection and may be useful for families working nearby.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded attendance includes 15 hours TTO and 30 hours TTO, alongside 20 hours stretched all year and a 30 hours stretched package described as 25 hours per week for the academic year from September to July. Term-time and stretched arrangements are therefore different choices, with the latter package following an academic-year pattern rather than simply repeating the term-time weekly hours.

Additional paid sessions can supplement funding. Breakfast and snacks are included without a separate charge, as are nappies, wipes, sun cream and toothbrushing consumables, including within the funded package table. Additional voluntary services, including swimming and local outings, are also listed without a charge; this establishes their charging position, rather than a regular swimming timetable.

Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. The useful comparison for families is the attendance package together with any extra sessions, rather than the opening window alone.

• Teaching consistency. In June 2025, less experienced staff needed a clearer understanding of curriculum intentions, and children sometimes needed longer to answer questions. At a visit, ask how these two points have been addressed in everyday activities.
• Babies alongside toddlers. Babies have their own section within the shared younger room. Ask how play, rest and movement between the two age groups are organised for your child's stage.
• First-floor access. The nursery uses the first floor of a community centre, alongside shared facilities. How would access work for your family's buggy or mobility needs?
• The stretched package. One funding pattern runs from September to July with 25 hours each week. Match that calendar to the care you need across the year before choosing attendance.

This nursery suits families choosing between morning half days, afternoon half days and full-day attendance who value a community setting. Garden play, the onsite library and regular baby outings give that setting practical substance. The June 2025 Good judgement is balanced by specific teaching improvements to pursue, especially adults' understanding of learning intentions and the time children receive to respond.