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Nursery at St Swithun's Catholic Primary School
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 If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
Story-based creativity, yoga and small-world play give Sunbeams its character. This is the pre-school at St Swithun’s Catholic Primary School on Taswell Road, Southsea, with children able to join from their second birthday. Its term-time pattern makes it a choice for families whose childcare can follow school holidays.
Leadership combines a qualified teacher heading early years with a deputy pre-school manager and a lead nursery practitioner. Nursery practitioners complete the team.
Play takes several forms here. Small-world activities and exploration using tuff trays sit alongside creative work linked to the story of the week. Music and movement include dancing and yoga, while nursery rhymes bring singing into the day. These give children different ways to take part: through movement, imaginative play or a shared story.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guides care and learning. Sunbeams aims to help children grow in confidence, enjoy relationships with others and become more independent. Secure bonds with parents and a key person support that independence. Play reflects individual interests and needs, while families help staff shape care and education around each child’s experiences. Secure relationships and an environment that supports learning are central to that approach. Children develop at different speeds.
Adult planning and freely chosen play both have a place. Activities respond to individual interests, giving children opportunities to explore while staff plan their next learning experiences. In February 2025, Ofsted found that the pre-school provided learning opportunities of high quality for every child.
Each child has a key person who acts as their main carer during their time at Sunbeams. That adult follows development, plans learning and discusses progress with parents. For families, this provides a specific person to talk to about how their child is getting on, rather than leaving communication solely to a general team contact.
SEND expertise includes the deputy manager’s accredited Level 3 SENDCO qualification. The nursery’s EYFS approach includes children with special educational needs and disabilities, and its stated aim is to tailor education and care to individual needs. The deputy pre-school manager also holds a safeguarding officer role within the school’s safeguarding team.
Lunch offers a practical choice: children can bring food from home or have a hot school dinner, which carries a charge. Morning and afternoon snacks are free. Lunch falls between the two core learning sessions, so families choosing attendance across that interval should include the meal arrangement in their planning.
Attending Sunbeams does not guarantee a Reception place at St Swithun’s. Families must make a separate school application through Portsmouth City Council’s normal admissions route by the deadline for their entry year. An online application is available, and a Catholic Primary Supplementary Information Form can support the application. Treat this as a separate decision and application process when planning the move to school.
Core sessions run from 8.45am to 11.45am and from 12.45pm to 3.45pm; lunch occupies 11.45am to 12.45pm. Provision is term-time only, with options across 38 weeks. Additional hours can be purchased on an ad hoc basis as families need them.
Funded options comprise 15 or 30 hours for two-year-olds and for children aged three to four. Funding begins from the term following the relevant second or third birthday, and can be used within either core session. Discuss the applicable funded option with the pre-school manager when arranging attendance.
Chargeable extras include hot lunches, extra hours and summer-term sun cream. A contribution to the Diocesan Schools Building Fund is voluntary. Families who prefer to supply their own consumables can discuss that arrangement with pre-school. Ask the school for current charges.
For enquiries, call 023 9282 9339 and speak to the business team. Pre-school tours can also be arranged by contacting the team, giving families an opportunity to consider the provision before choosing their attendance pattern.
Children can start from their second birthday.
The morning core session is 8.45am to 11.45am; the afternoon is 12.45pm to 3.45pm. Provision is term-time only.
Yes. Children can bring a packed lunch or order a chargeable hot dinner. Lunch runs from 11.45am to 12.45pm.
No. Families need a separate school application through Portsmouth City Council’s normal admissions process.
Yes. Contact the pre-school team to arrange a tour; the school telephone number is 023 9282 9339.
