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Nursery at Ark Ayrton Primary Academy
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Inspection data and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. Contact the nursery directly to confirm current arrangements. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
A garden attached to every room gives outdoor play a place in the everyday routine at Ark Ayrton’s nursery. Children can move between indoor activities and the garden, with storytelling and play they choose themselves shaping their learning.
The nursery belongs to Ark Ayrton Primary Academy on Somers Road in Southsea, Portsmouth. It caters for ages 2–5, with provision for up to 140 children during term time. Families can choose shorter sessions or a full day, so the same nursery accommodates different weekly routines.
Choice runs through the day. Rooms support movement between indoor and outdoor play, while adults organise activities around children’s interests and development. Some activities are planned; others grow from what children are doing. Staff join play, demonstrate ideas and ask questions with several possible answers, encouraging children to explain their thinking rather than simply supply a correct response.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework. In parent terms, this means learning to communicate, move confidently, build relationships and explore the world alongside early reading, maths and creative activities. Storytelling gives children opportunities both to listen and to contribute their own ideas. Daily literacy and phonics sessions sit alongside maths activities; art, movement, music and role-play provide other ways to express themselves.
Each room’s adjoining garden extends those choices outdoors. Exploration of nature and activities that develop movement skills are part of nursery learning. Experiences also reach beyond the site: children in Start Point have visited Southsea Fire Station, connecting their learning with a place in their local community.
Breakfast brings children together in the main nursery between 7:30 and 9:00am, before they separate into room groups. Staff encourage a goodbye wave to help children understand that their parent will return. An early-years key worker model uses staff observations to follow children’s development, giving adults a way to track individual starting points and progress.
Food punctuates the play. Around 10:00am and 2:30pm, children have fruit, water and milk. Lunch is at 11:45am for those staying, with adults supporting children at the table and encouraging them to try unfamiliar foods and practise social skills. Children staying beyond 3:45pm are offered a freshly prepared light tea at 4:00pm.
The nursery team includes a manager, room leaders and practitioners, with a nursery SENCo role. Staff are trained and qualified in early-years education. Parents must share medical conditions, allergies and safeguarding concerns before their child starts, helping staff prepare appropriate arrangements. Packed lunches must exclude nuts because the academy is Nut-Aware.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. It also gives no priority for September 2027 entry: allocation follows the school’s oversubscription criteria, which do not include nursery attendance. Choosing the nursery and applying for Reception are separate decisions.
Families must apply again through the normal Reception process. Portsmouth residents apply online through Portsmouth City Council; families living elsewhere use their home local authority. For September 2027 entry, the application deadline is 15 January 2027. Put that date in the diary even if your child is already attending nursery.
Term-time opening runs Monday to Friday, 7:30am–5:00pm. Bookings can cover a full week, full days or morning and afternoon sessions. The longer morning session runs 7:30am–12:45pm; afternoons run 12:45–5:00pm.
Eligible children aged 2, 3 and 4 can use up to 30 funded hours weekly. The core 15-hour pattern uses 8:45–11:45am mornings or 12:45–3:45pm afternoons; the core 30-hour pattern runs 8:45am–3:45pm across the week. Funded hours can also be arranged flexibly around work and education.
Fully funded places carry no registration charge. Additional hours can be purchased, and funded-session lunch can be bought or supplied as a healthy lunchbox. Paid-session charges include meals, nappies, wipes, nappy cream and sun cream. Fees are invoiced monthly in advance; extra sessions depend on capacity. Contact the nursery for current charges.
To request a registration pack or arrange a show round, email nurserymanager@arkayrtonprimary.org or call 02392 829 899. Permanent session changes and leaving nursery require at least four weeks’ written notice.
The provision caters for children aged 2–5, with places for up to 140 children during term time.
Yes. Every room has an attached garden, and children can choose activities indoors and outdoors.
The routine includes breakfast, fruit with milk and water, lunch for children staying, and a light tea for those attending after 3:45pm. Funded-session lunch can be purchased or brought from home as a healthy, nut-free lunchbox.
Eligible children aged 2, 3 and 4 can use up to 30 hours weekly. Additional hours can be purchased, and funded hours can be used flexibly to support work and education.
No. Nursery attendance neither guarantees a place nor confers priority for September 2027 entry. A separate application is required through Portsmouth City Council for Portsmouth residents, or the family’s home local authority elsewhere, by 15 January 2027.
