Little Whale Nursery

Give your child the very best start in life

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Welcome to Little Whale Nursery!

Located in the grounds of HMS Excellent, convenient for the M275, the nursery provides excellent quality childcare for service families and the local community in Portsmouth. We’re proud to have been rated Good in our latest Ofsted visit.

The nursery is on a naval base, offering your child a unique sense of safety and freedom. Your child will access a wide range of activities enabling them to learn and develop through play. Each day brings a different adventure: exploring shoreline nature trails, watching helicopters land, or listening to the Royal Marines Band.

All food at the nursery is freshly prepared daily, to ensure your child has healthy, tasty and nutritious meals.

Give your child the very best start in life at YMCA Little Whale Nursery.

Call us: 02394 218321
Email: [email protected]
Virtual Tour
Ofsted: Good
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Baby room

From when they turn 5 months old, we work closely with you to understand your baby’s interests and emerging personality, and help with big steps such as weaning and walking. New experiences are introduced as your child develops, such as treasure baskets and heuristic play sessions.

Toddler & Pre-school room

A stimulating and exciting area for young minds aged 2-5 to grow, experiment and explore. The outdoor space is an important element, providing a natural environment. Your child will have adventures exploring all corners of the island, plus off-site trips to experience the wider world.

Toddler & Pre-school room

A stimulating and exciting area for young minds to grow, experiment and explore. The outdoor space is an important element, providing a natural environment. Your child will have adventures exploring all corners of the island, plus off-site trips to experience the wider world.

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Meet the team

Sarah H

Nursery Manager

Sarah H

Nursery Manager

Qualifications:
  • Level 4 Early Years Developing Practice
  • Early Years SENCo Level 3
  • DSL
  • Paediatric First Aid
"Hi, my name is Sarah, I am fortunate enough to have worked in early years for 23 years. I am very passionate about children’s development and how crucial these years are for our children’s learning and experiences. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is to see children happy in their education, having lots of fun whilst learning valuable skills."

Shannon

Admin

Shannon

Admin

Qualifications
  • Level 3 in Early years and Education
"Hi I’m Shannon and for the last 10 years I have worked in childcare. After gaining my Level 3 qualification I took a year out to have my own child before returning with the same passion. I find working with parents, supporting families and helping to organise very rewarding, which led me to be a nursery administrator at the YMCA. I am friendly, approachable and love a good chat, so our door is always open to discuss any queries and questions over a cup of tea."

Emily M

Baby Room Lead

Emily M

Baby Room Lead

Qualifications
  • NVQ Level 3 Early Years Care and Education
  • DSL
  • Paediatric First Aid
"Hi, My name is Emily and I have worked in childcare for over 10 years, starting as an apprentice where I gained my level 3 qualification. I have always been so passionate about looking after children and babies since a very young age and always knew I wanted to work in childcare. I am currently the room leader of the baby room at Whale Island Nursery and work with a great team. I have built a strong bond and relationship with all of the babies and their parents and feel it very rewarding at the end of the day watching our babies grow and develop while in our care."

YMCA Little Whale Nursery, Portsmouth

My Son hasn’t been attending for very long, but I’ve never seen him so tired—and that’s a good thing! He spends so much time outside, getting messy, and loving life! The food provided is great, and he eats everything. The staff are so approachable and very transparent about his care and future goals and are so friendly; nothing is too much trouble. I’m so pleased we made the choice to move here!
Nikki, 2024

YMCA Little Whale Nursery, Portsmouth

My 2-year-old twins have been attending YMCA Little Whale Nursery for 3 months and they love it. They call the nursery staff their best friends and love playing in the big adventure play park attached to the nursery. They get lunch and tea provided which saves me so much hassle while working and the menus are fantastic. We are very happy here.
Hannah, 2024

YMCA Little Whale Nursery, Portsmouth

My child has attended the nursery for the last two years, and I have been so pleased to see how much she has grown in that time, thanks to the wonderful staff at Whale Island. It is a smaller setting, but with such wonderful and unique surroundings that the children get to explore. The children are
encouraged to learn through involvement and gain so much confidence in their own abilities. I was so happy with the children’s involvement in nature learning to grow and harvest their own food in the nature garden. The staff are all so lovely and supportive and encourage the children with their adventures and crazy imaginations. I would thoroughly recommend Whale Island to anyone.

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Mother of child, 2022

YMCA Little Whale Nursery, Portsmouth

My little boy has attended since he was 11 months old and he’s loved his journey. Amazing staff with so much heart and caring mindset. The teachers really make an effort to engage the kids and develop them in a very individualised way. The management is really committed to providing a safe, fun, and
loving environment and we’re very thankful to the whole team at the nursery!

Mother of child, 2022

YMCA Little Whale Nursery, Portsmouth

Our youngest son is just about to finish his time at Whale Island. He originally attended another nursery pre-Covid and was then transferred to Whale Island as we were no longer commuting to work.
We have seen how much he’s developed over the last 23 months, from his confidence, his vocabulary and
articulation, to being able to ride a bike without stabilisers! Following his progress on the app has been great too.
Being one of the bigger kids this year has meant he had to be more of a role model for his younger friends, and hearing how he looks after the smaller children are great.
He has had an amazing time attending the nursery, and he is already saying how much he’s going to miss his friends and “his grown-ups”.
We can see that he’s definitely ready to start school in September, but we have to accept this with a heavy heart as he’s loved it so much. It’s going to be very strange not making the trip over to Whale Island every morning to drop him off.

Father of child, 2022

YMCA Little Whale Nursery, Portsmouth

My child has been going to the nursery for the last 8 months. It’s the best decision I have made. The nursery is so good. My child thrives there. The outside space is amazing, and having the extra room on the island to explore is an added bonus. All the staff there are so friendly, hard-working and
amazing people. They keep you updated with things my child has done throughout the week, and the handovers are very detailed. The resources they have inside are great; they get children to think and learn whilst having fun. My child looks forward to going there every day and even wants to go there at weekends, which must say something for the setting.

Mother of child, 2022
Tel: 02394 218321

Perfect Location

Find us at YMCA Nursery Whale Island, HMS Excellent, Whale Island, Portsmouth PO2 8ER.

Enquire today

Call: 02394 218321
Contact: [email protected]

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    FAQs

    YMCA Nursery Whale Island is based on the Royal Navy training ground, HMS Excellent. Therefore to access the nursery, all parents need to be DBS-checked and sign in at the front gate. If you're just visiting the nursery you will need to sign in and be escorted to the nursery.
    We support wrap around care, as we are open Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 6pm, all year round.
    Please view our sessions and fees here.
    Find out more about our Childcare Policies and Procedures here
    Childcare Prospectus is available from your Nursery, please contact them for more information.
    Childcare Terms and Conditions are available here.
    YMCA Nursery Whale Island is available for children from 4 months to 5 years.