Woodside Nursery School

A former family estate gives Woodside Nursery School its character: the main house and stable buildings sit within 1.5 acres, with Marrelsmoor Coppice along the northern boundary. The woodland setting is more than a backdrop. Planting, bird feeding and watching minibeasts give children concrete ways to explore the natural world.

Woodside takes children from three months to five years and has capacity for 90 children in total. Its three departments separate babies, toddlers and preschool children, with play spaces and outdoor access arranged for each stage. At its February 2023 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment, rather than a description of every aspect of today's provision.

The strongest practical combination is space outdoors, separate sleep provision for younger children and a key person arrangement that starts before attendance begins. Full-day bookings and morning or afternoon sessions form the attendance offer, with session-only bookings restricted to the youngest age band.

Rooms and Ages

Bunny Room, for three to 18 months, combines sensory activities, a book corner and ball pool within two large play spaces, alongside a separate sleep room and two outdoor areas reserved for babies. That separation gives rest and active play their own spaces, rather than asking one room to serve every purpose. The baby-room ratio is one adult to three children.

Hedgehog Corner, for 18 months to two and a half years, has two large play spaces for messy activities, books and role play, together with its own sleep room and outdoor area. Familiar types of play continue as children move beyond the baby department, while the room arrangement introduces a different stage of nursery life.

Owls, for two and a half to five years, has four large play spaces for books, role play and messy activities, with free-flow access outdoors. Children can move between indoor activity and outside play within that arrangement. Orchard and grassed areas also feature in the departments' shared outdoor provision.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework provides the basis for the day: children learn through play, with activities planned around their interests and development. Adult-led experiences sit alongside activities children choose themselves. This is the common early-years framework, rather than an additional branded curriculum.

In February 2023, babies explored objects that responded to pulling, turning and pushing, while toddlers drew with chalk on large blackboards. Older children used giant dice to explore numbers. These examples show how movement, mark-making and counting could become practical experiences rather than separate formal lessons.

The curriculum was still being established across the nursery in February 2023. Work on emotions and personal development had received attention, but the improvement priorities covered making the curriculum consistent across all areas of learning and directing staff development more precisely towards teaching. Families should weigh the engaging examples alongside those unfinished tasks.

Outdoor and Community Life

Planting and digging sit alongside trikes, scooters, bird feeding and wildlife observation. The estate setting gives these activities a clear physical context, although the neighbouring woodland should not be mistaken for an organised woodland programme.

In February 2023, outside play included making pictures with shadows, exploring mud and riding bikes on the playground. Babies used their own garden for sand play and slides; other children experimented with water from an outdoor tap. The emphasis was on doing things with their bodies and materials, with different opportunities for younger and older children.

Relationships and Communication

Settling starts with a relationship, rather than simply a first booked day. Woodside recommends at least two preliminary visits and a further visit with the child's key person. That practitioner is assigned to the child and family, and the introductory discussion covers routines, food requirements, preferences and development. The settling period can take weeks, and staff work with parents through it.

A welcome pack arrives about a month before the planned start. Communication then differs by department: Bunnies and Hedgehogs receive daily accounts of activities, while Owls families receive a weekly booklet about their child's circle-time activities with their key worker. A cloakroom whiteboard adds daily information about general activities and snacks. These give parents several ways to connect nursery experiences with conversations at home.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Sleep has a defined arrangement. Babies are encouraged to lie on their backs, with checks every 10 minutes; both younger departments have separate rooms for sleep. Their sleep provision includes Sweet Dreamers products, including ewan the dream sheep. Breastfeeding mothers can visit to feed their babies or send their own milk in a labelled bottle.

In February 2023, children practised managing coats, personal care and snack-time pouring, while babies began feeding themselves: small daily tasks were part of developing independence.

Preparation for the next stage also appeared in February 2023 through children choosing materials, handling scissors and making models. However, adults did not consistently reinforce behaviour expectations, especially at lunch and during small-group activities. Consistency between practitioners was therefore another improvement priority.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, across 51 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays and the Christmas-week closure. A full day runs from 08:00 to 18:00; morning sessions run from 09:00 to 13:00 and afternoon sessions from 13:00 to 17:00. Session-only bookings are restricted to children aged three to 18 months.

Minimum attendance is one day or two sessions for Bunnies, and one day for each of Hedgehogs and Owls. This matters when matching nursery attendance to work: the shorter patterns belong to the baby-stage offer, rather than being interchangeable options throughout the nursery.

Enrolment forms can be emailed as digital documents or completed on paper and posted. Photographed forms are not accepted. Telephone and email contact are both available for enquiries.

Getting There

The address is Woodside House, Purbrook Heath Road, Purbrook, Waterlooville, PO7 5RT. Access is along a private driveway off Purbrook Heath Road, giving families a specific access point to identify when planning their journey.

Funding and Paid Extras

Government childcare funding is accepted for children aged nine months and over, subject to eligibility. Private childcare is also offered, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Age-related pricing changes take effect from the term after a child's third birthday, so the relevant term matters when discussing a booking.

• Shorter sessions are age-limited. Morning and afternoon bookings are restricted to three to 18 months. Families seeking shorter attendance should match that restriction to their child's age rather than assume the same pattern continues into Hedgehog Corner or Owls.
• Teaching and behaviour consistency. The February 2023 priorities included embedding the curriculum, sharpening staff development and applying behaviour expectations consistently. A visit is an opportunity to discuss how those priorities now shape everyday practice.
• The youngest children's routines. Separate sleep spaces, timed checks and introductory key person visits provide concrete points for discussion. How will the nursery fit your child's feeding and sleep routine into the booked day?

Woodside suits families who value outdoor activity and clearly separated stages of care, with full days for older children and a choice of morning or afternoon sessions for babies aged three to 18 months. The estate grounds, baby outdoor areas and separate sleep rooms give that offer substance.

The February 2023 Good judgement supports a positive assessment, but the curriculum, staff development and behaviour priorities deserve attention too. For parents, the decision turns on how those practical arrangements and attendance restrictions fit their child's stage and family routine.