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Nursery at Beacon View 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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Rhymes, clapping rhythms and Squiggle while you Wiggle give Beacon View’s pre-school a distinctly active introduction to reading and writing. Painting, construction and imaginative play sit alongside these early literacy activities. Play is the nursery’s stated route into learning, with children encouraged to experiment and discover.
This is Beacon View Primary Academy’s own pre-school in Paulsgrove, Portsmouth. Children can start in the term following their third birthday, and provision includes funded places for three and four year olds. At the Ofsted inspection on 15 and 16 July 2025, early years provision received an Outstanding judgement. That judgement covers the school’s early years provision, rather than a separately inspected nursery.
Sound comes before formal reading. Children explore sounds made by instruments, voices and their surroundings, alongside alliteration, rhyme and body percussion. Singing, rhyming stories and clapping games turn listening practice into something children can join in with. Sand moulds provide another way to investigate letters through play.
Short group activities bring these experiences together, while daily books give children repeated encounters with rhymes and opportunities to contribute familiar phrases. During the spring term, pre-school children begin more formal phonics through the RWI Nursery programme. The progression is clear: first listen and experiment, then begin more structured work on sounds.
Writing starts with movement, too. Squiggle while you Wiggle develops pre-writing shapes through work on core strength and larger movements. Elsewhere in the session, children paint, build, jump and make marks. These are concrete ways to practise expression and physical skills before pencil work becomes more demanding.
In July 2025, early years teaching matched children’s needs closely, with skilled practitioners and plentiful learning resources supporting carefully designed activities. Nursery phonics teaching was highly effective, and children needing additional reading help were identified promptly and given activities to address difficulties.
Professionally qualified staff provide care that the nursery describes as tailored to each child’s strengths and development. Open discussion with families is part of its approach: parents are encouraged to raise questions and concerns. For additional needs, the school’s SEND co-ordinator can be contacted through the office, giving families a clear starting point for that conversation.
Lunch requires a separate decision for full-day children. Families can supply a packed lunch or choose a school meal; nursery meals are charged unless the child qualifies for Free School Meals. Taylor Shaw provides the catering, with a three-week menu rotation that changes twice yearly. Medical diet requests need supporting medical evidence, so families should complete that process when an adapted meal is required.
Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Transfer is not automatic, and families must make a separate application through Portsmouth City Council, which coordinates Reception admissions. Treat that application as a distinct task even if your child already attends Beacon View’s pre-school.
The nursery aims to help children prepare for Reception. Its sound activities, early writing movements and spring-term phonics programme belong to that preparation; they do not replace the separate admissions process.
Morning sessions run from 8:40am to 11:40am, afternoons from 12:15pm to 3:15pm, and full days from 8:40am to 3:15pm. Families can request any session pattern, but an offered place may come with a different session from the one requested. That matters when arranging work and childcare.
Three and four year olds receive a 15-hour funded entitlement, while full-time places are offered to families eligible for 30-hour funding. If eligibility for that funding ends, remaining fees become payable. Ask the school for current charges.
To apply, obtain a pre-school application form from the school and return it to the office with a copy of your child’s passport and proof of address. Tours can be arranged by emailing school@beaconviewprimary.co.uk with your contact details.
Children can join at the beginning of the term following their third birthday.
Morning sessions are 8:40am to 11:40am, afternoon sessions are 12:15pm to 3:15pm, and full days are 8:40am to 3:15pm. Your requested session is not guaranteed when a place is offered.
A full day does not automatically include a free lunch. Children can bring a packed lunch or have a school meal, which is charged unless they qualify for Free School Meals.
No. Families must apply separately through Portsmouth City Council; transfer from pre-school is not automatic.
Children explore rhyme, voices, instruments and environmental sounds before beginning the RWI Nursery programme during the spring term. Squiggle while you Wiggle supports pre-writing shapes through movement.
