Day Nurseries Owned by YMCA Fairthorne Group

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Group Review Score

YMCA Fairthorne Group operates a number of nurseries across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and supporting children and families has always been at the heart of what it they do. YMCA Nurseries are Safe, nurturing nurseries encouraging children to grow in confidence, curiosity and belonging.

Everything they do is guided by a holistic approach to development, supporting children to grow in mind, body, and confidence. They focus on wellbeing,...  

YMCA Fairthorne Group Locations (5)

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5 Day Nurseries owned by YMCA Fairthorne Group
YMCA Nursery, Whale Island
HMS Excellent, Whale Island, Portsmouth PO2 8ER
"I can't recommend YMCA Whale Island nursery enough. It is a wonderful place for your child to learn and grow. The location is fantastic and..."Read all 12 reviews

58 Places

Location Type: Day Nursery

Discover YMCA Whale Island Nursery! Located at HMS Excellent, the nursery is ideally placed for military families and members of the wider armed forces community, while also providing a warm and inclusive... Read more

Type of Nursery
  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care
YMCA Nursery Andover
Dairy Road, East Anton, Andover SP11 6UL
"Absolutely adore this nursery and the staff. Both my children attend here and even though they are very different children the nursery is..."Read all 27 reviews

121 Places

Location Type: Day Nursery

Discover YMCA Andover Nursery! Located in a purpose-built setting in East Anton, Andover Nursery offers a bright, welcoming environment designed entirely around children’s development. With dedicated... Read more

Type of Nursery
  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care
YMCA Nursery Newport
St Mary's Hospital, Parkhurst Road, Newport PO30 5TG
"My little boy has been attending YMCA Newport Isle of Wight since he was just over 10 months old. He has learned so much in the time he has..."Read all 38 reviews

86 Places

Location Type: Day Nursery

Discover YMCA Newport Nursery! Situated in the grounds of St Mary’s Hospital, YMCA Newport Nursery provides excellent quality childcare for the local community. With dedicated rooms for babies, toddlers... Read more

Type of Nursery
  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care
YMCA Nursery Fairthorne Manor
Fairthorne Manor, Botley Road, Curdridge, Southampton SO30 2GH
"Brilliant nursery I could not fault it. The staff that have looked after my children genuinely care and are such kind people. I've..."Read all 29 reviews

128 Places

Location Type: Day Nursery

Discover YMCA Fairthorne Nursery! YMCA Fairthorne Manor Nursery and Forest School is situated near Botley and is an inspiring place, with fantastic facilities matched by the warm and generous welcome... Read more

Type of Nursery
  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care
YMCA Nursery Eastleigh
29 Whieldon Way, Eastleigh SO50 9SB
"Can't speak highly enough of the staff and care given to our daughter at the YMCA Eastleigh. The learning style and focus on letting kids..."Read all 14 reviews

95 Places

Location Type: Day Nursery

Discover YMCA Eastleigh Nursery! Conveniently located in North Stoneham, Eastleigh Nursery combines a modern, purpose-built setting with a warm and welcoming community feel. With dedicated rooms for... Read more

Type of Nursery
  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

YMCA Fairthorne Group Reviews (120)

7.8

YMCA Fairthorne Group has a Group Review Score of 7.8 (7.818) out of 10.
The Group Review Score is calculated using the average from all locations with a Review Score, and in addition 75%+ of all locations belonging to YMCA Fairthorne Group must have a Review Score.

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Showing 120 reviews matching selected criteria
Review of YMCA Nursery, Whale Island from Hannah M (Mother of Child) published on 10 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My twin girls have been attending nursery at YMCA, Whale Island for two years and have absolutely thrived there. The staff put so much effort into fun and engaging activities which my children love. There is a large outdoor area for play and the children regularly get taken on little walks or to watch interesting things that are happening nearby.

Alot of care and attention is taken to develop my girls individually (e.g. regulating emotions, encouraging interest in letters) and I get regular updates through reports and parent evenings.

They are given lunch and tea and the food is varied and balanced. It takes a lot of pressure out of having to make a pack lunch and snack.

The staff are fantastic with my girls and so patient, I will genuinely be upset when we have to leave for School this September.

Reply from Ross, Communications at YMCA Nursery, Whale Island
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this - what a wonderful thing to read! It means the world to the staff to hear that your girls have thrived so much over the past two years.

Moments like little walks, outdoor play, and those individual milestones - whether that's managing big...  

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Review of YMCA Nursery Fairthorne Manor from N P (Mother of Child) published on 10 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
We have had a mixed experience with fairthorne, if you had asked me a year ago this would have been a 5 star review as my son had the most rounded and wonderful time there. He even got to go on the zip wire as a pre school leavers treat and the let him come back the next day, his day off and do it 2 more times.
My daughter however in the last 14 months she was there she barely ventured outside of the nursery gardens. The updates once in the preschool room were impersonal and minimal. I felt like the positive changes that the preschool room lead had made had been lost with her on maternity leave.
The staff seemed to be leaving in floods and the ones left seem disillusioned.
In the end we felt that the price and the traffic wasn't worth it and have moved my daughter to a nursery we can walk to.

I only wish my daughter could have experienced fairthorne in the same way my son did. I hope that they can turn things around before yet another childcare setting is lost.

Reply from Ross, Communications at YMCA Nursery Fairthorne Manor

Thank you for leaving such a considered review. We're glad your son had such a wonderful experience with us - moments like those are exactly what we strive to create for every child.

We're genuinely sorry that your daughter's experience didn't match that standard, these are important concerns,...  

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Review of YMCA Nursery, Whale Island from Carina D (Mother of Child) published on 5 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Our son has been at this nursery for nearly 3 years now and has thrived here. The baby room is caring and does lots of sensory exploring. In the toddler room they have plenty of space indoors but an amazing outdoor space with so much for them to do, they spend a large proportion of each day outdoors. They encourage children to be independent and I feel they have really helped get my son ready for school. My only criticism would be that communication regarding things like closure days should be better and the app isn't great. However overall a very good experience and the staff that look after the children are wonderful.

Reply from Ross, Communications at YMCA Nursery, Whale Island

Thank you so much - your kind words about our staff mean everything to us, and we'll make sure the whole team hears them!

Nearly three years is a wonderful milestone, and it has been a privilege to be part of your son's early years. We're so pleased to hear he has thrived with us and is heading...  

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Review of YMCA Nursery, Whale Island from Laura B (Mother of Child) published on 4 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

I can't recommend YMCA Whale Island nursery enough. It is a wonderful place for your child to learn and grow. The location is fantastic and your child will have more opportunity to be around nature and learn about nature than any other nursery around. My daughter has attended this nursery for 5 months and she loves it! She has excelled! The staff are so lovely and friendly and my husband and I trust them wholeheartedly. Thank you YMCA Whale Island Nursery.

Reply from Ross, Communications Manager at YMCA Nursery, Whale Island

Thanks, Laura. We will pass on your kind comment to Sam and the whole Whale Island team. We're so pleased that your daughter feels so happy and that you and your husband have placed your trust in the team.

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Review of YMCA Nursery Fairthorne Manor from Victoria P (Mother of Child) published on 4 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
Brilliant nursery I could not fault it.

The staff that have looked after my children genuinely care and are such kind people. I've noticed this even more in Rabbits the baby room. Liv, Kat, Heather, Esme especially.

Reply from Ross, Communications at YMCA Nursery Fairthorne Manor

Thank you Victoria. We will give a shout-out to our Superstars: Liv, Kat, Heather, Esme. We're so proud of the whole Eastleigh team. Thanks for trusting us and making us your first choice.

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Review of YMCA Nursery Andover from S M (Mother of Child) published on 4 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
My daughter has been attending YMCA Andover since she was 10 months old and is now 3.

The staff at this nursery are second to none. I know they truly care about the wellbeing of my child. They are supportive and approachable and will always help where they can. I know I can trust them to meet my daughter needs and keep her safe whilst encouraging her to learn and grow.

The children spend lots of time outdoors playing and in any given day do a list of fun activities. I'm always amazed by how much they do and the ideas they come up with.

My daughter is very happy at the YMCA and she enjoys every day that she is there. She is happy to go in each day and is full of smiles at home time with stories about her day.

I am thankful to have found such a wonderful nursery that has helped my daughter thrive since she was a baby. I would highly recommend YMCA Andover to anyone.

Reply from Ross, Communications at YMCA Nursery Andover

"Supportive and Approachable". We will pass on your kind comments to the Andover team, yours is a great testament to their hard work and love they have for all the little ones. We can't believe that the last two years with your little one have gone so quickly.

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Review of YMCA Nursery Andover from Jessica B (Mother of Child) published on 4 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

I have experienced nothing but positive things during my daughter's time at YMCA Andover. She started at 9 months old, very attached to us as parents and it was a difficult transition but staff really eased us all through.

Daughter is now in toddlers, thriving, chatty and extremely active, beyond her age. I can attribute this to the influence of staff on her development and would not hesitate to recommend to other prospective parents. The staff are not just carers to my daughter, she considers them family.

Reply from Ross, Communications at YMCA Nursery Andover

Jessica we understand that those early transition days can be difficult all around. However, the whole Andover team are experts are ensuing both Adults and Children feel welcome, and we're so glad you feel part of our family.

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Review of YMCA Nursery Andover from Katherine H (Mother of Child) published on 4 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Absolutely adore this nursery and the staff. Both my children attend here and even though they are very different children the nursery is perfect for them. Every day my children come home happy and thriving. All the staff know the name of every child not just their key children, they all chat and interact with everyone. Even when we went on holiday my children wanted to buy presents for all the staff in their rooms. We love this nursery and their staff.

Reply from Ross, Communications at YMCA Nursery Andover

" Happy and Thriving" that is what we love to hear. No need to buy us holiday presents, hugs and stories are enough. The whole Andover team love having you as a part of our community.

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Review of YMCA Nursery Eastleigh from Jamie O (Father of Child) published on 4 June 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Can't speak highly enough of the staff and care given to our daughter at the YMCA Eastleigh. The learning style and focus on letting kids explore and interact with the indoor and outdoor world has given our daughter the confidence to navigate her environment and has massively helped in her early development. She comes home from nursery using words we haven't taught her, singing nursery songs we don't at home and is a very happy child.

All of the staff we've had the pleasure of dealing with are polite and go out of their way to make sure our daughter enjoys nursery. The only negative I can flag is that the staff move around quite a lot and onto other roles, not a complaint against the staff themselves as career progression is natural but there is frequent change.

Reply from Ross, Communications at YMCA Nursery Eastleigh

Thanks, Jamie. So pleased to hear this fantastic review of Eastleigh. Nikki and the team work hard to ensure that it's the best possible place for our little ones to develop and grow. We do try to maintain a stable environment for all our little ones, but it's something we have to balance with our staff's development.

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Review of YMCA Nursery Eastleigh from B M (Father of Child) published on 22 May 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
We had a very disappointing experience with the YMCA nursery and ultimately felt unable to trust them with our daughter's care.
Unfortunately, we experienced several serious safeguarding concerns during her time there. On more than one occasion she came home unclean, including once with dried poo still on her. She attended breakfast club but was apparently not given any breakfast during the session. There was also an incident where she was put down for a nap without a nappy and woke up completely wet.
Collection times were also poorly managed, with parents often left waiting outside in the rain for long periods without any shelter or communication.

Most concerning of all was the impact it had on our daughter emotionally. She regularly came out distressed, traumatised, and would cry for hours afterwards. Despite raising concerns, we did not feel listened to or reassured by management.

Reply from Ross, Communications Manager at YMCA Nursery Eastleigh

Thank you for taking the time to post this review online. As you will know, we have referred this situation to the relevant authorities, as we felt this was the appropriate course of action.

Despite your decision to raise this matter again in a public forum, we do not feel it would be...  

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Review of YMCA Nursery Eastleigh from T M (Grandmother of Child) published on 22 May 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My Grandaughter always came home from Nursery unhappy, frustrated, sometimes dehydrated, I feel that she wasn't treated as an individual with specific needs and her care wasn't always met. It wasn't the most supportive environment for her, when her parents raised valid concerns they didn't feel listened to.

Reply from Ross, Communications Manager at YMCA Nursery Eastleigh

Thank you for taking the time to post this review online. As you will know, we have referred this situation to the relevant authorities, as we felt this was the appropriate course of action.

Despite your decision to raise this matter again in a public forum, we do not feel it would be...  

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Review of YMCA Nursery Eastleigh from J M (Mother of Child) published on 22 May 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
We initially had high hopes for this nursery; however, our experience became deeply concerning whilst trying to advocate for our daughter's SEN needs and wellbeing.
We raised repeated concerns regarding safeguarding, hygiene, communication, medication administration, consistency of care, and record keeping, but often felt unheard and dismissed. We were also concerned by the lack of understanding around neurodiversity and masking behaviours in girls.
Following a formal complaint and Subject Access Request, issues were identified regarding the handling of records and nursery procedures. We found gaps and inconsistencies in safeguarding documentation despite concerns being raised on multiple occasions.

Overall, we lost confidence in the nursery's safeguarding processes, professionalism, and ability to appropriately support children with additional needs. Based on our experience, we would not recommend this setting to other parents.

Reply from Ross, Communications Manager at YMCA Nursery Eastleigh

Thank you for taking the time to post this review online. As you will know, we have referred this situation to the relevant authorities, as we felt this was the appropriate course of action.

Despite your decision to raise this matter again in a public forum, we do not feel it would be...  

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Review of YMCA Nursery Eastleigh from E E (Mother of Child) published on 22 May 2026 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

We moved our son here, from another nursery, in January 2025 and we couldn't be happier with the move. He was in the toddler room last year and has moved into pre-school this year. He loves going and the staff are caring and provide fun and enriching activities for the children.

Reply from Ross Owen, Marketing at YMCA Nursery Eastleigh

Thankyou for your glowing review. The Eastleigh team love having your little one as part of our community, seeing him develop.

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Review of YMCA Nursery Newport from Beth R (Mother of Child) published on 19 May 2026 Submitted via Website
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My little boy has been attending YMCA Newport Isle of Wight since he was just over 10 months old. He has learned so much in the time he has been there, his confidence has grown, his social skills, and he is learning new skills academically as well! He has a great time every day he goes, he especially loves the big outside space that they have, often spending most of his time in the garden every day! He always comes home happy and the staff always hand over what a great time he has! 100% reccomend YMCA Newport!

Reply from Ross Owen, Marketing at YMCA Nursery Newport
Thank you so much for this wonderful review - it genuinely made our day!
It's hard to believe how far your little one has come since joining us at just 10 months old - watching him grow into the confident, sociable little chap. Moments like these are exactly why we do what we do.

We love that...  

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Review of YMCA Nursery, Whale Island from Daniella F (Mother of Child) published on 6 October 2025 Submitted via Website
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I've used YMCA Whale Island nursery for all three of my children now. The staff are fantastic. They're friendly, passionate and my children have all thrived here. My youngest has been with the nursery for a year and absolutely loves it! The facilities are second to none and the outdoor nature of the nursery is its biggest appeal. Can't recommend this nursery enough.

Reply from Ross Owen, YMCA Team at YMCA Nursery, Whale Island

Thank you so much for sharing such a lovely review. It means the world to us that all three of your children have been part of our YMCA Little Nursery. We're very proud of our staff and outdoor space, as we know they make a great difference to our little ones' development. Your kind words about the...  

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Review of YMCA Nursery Newport from I M (Mother of Child) published on 20 May 2025 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

My son has attended since he was 17 months old and I can't fault them. He has additional needs, and they've gone over and above to understand his needs and accommodate for them. The outdoor space, especially the grasshoppers garden, is huge and such a great place to play. The staff are friendly and warm, and develop genuine relationships with the children. My son has been so happy there and I wish he didn't have to leave to start school in September!

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Review of YMCA Nursery Eastleigh from Mark M (Father of Child) published on 2 October 2024 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Our daughter went to YMCA Eastleigh first in Toddlers and then in Preschool. The staff were fantastic from the start, helping to ease her in gently as she was very nervous at first. She soon made really good connections with the staff, who clearly put in time and effort to get to know her. The staff were very helpful and communicative, letting us know what our girl had been up to, and giving detailed feedback at parent's evenings and via the app. The resources and activities were great - she received a lot of stimulation, and in particular, was helped with a speech impediment, and became much more chatty over time. The meals were good, too, and it's a lovely, new, purpose-made, small-and-cosy setting: just three rooms - babies, toddlers, preschool, with a shared garden full of toys and adventure equipment. To top it all, they put on a lovely 'graduation' ceremony for the leavers. Such an excellent nursery, we wholeheartedly recommend it!

Reply from Ross Owen, YMCA Team at YMCA Nursery Eastleigh

Such a beautiful review, Thank you so much. We treat all our little ones with the love and care they deserve and love having her as a part of our YMCA Family. We wish her all the best in her next 'big girl' steps.

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Review of YMCA Nursery Fairthorne Manor from Kim W (Mother of Child) published on 7 August 2024 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience
My son has been here since he was 11 months old, he has absolutely thrived due to the care he receives from the outstanding staff. He has additional needs which have been met at every stage, the girls who have looked after him have always gone above and beyond to make sure his needs are met and that he is happy. He gets so excited when we arrive at nursery and I think would happily stay with them longer if he could. He loves the outside space and the walks they go on, along with the variety of activities which take place inside too.

I really can't thank the team enough for the hard work they put in to make the children happy!

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Review of YMCA Nursery Andover from Oliver H (Father of Child) published on 25 March 2024 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Excellent staff, they all do incredible work at the nursery. They have helped my son transition and manage him perfectly from babies to the toddler group. I have seen him grow and develop amazingly and forever thankful to the staff.

Reply from Sophie Packer, Digital Marketing Co-ordinator at YMCA Nursery Andover

Thank you, Oliver, for your lovely review for the Andover team.

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Review of YMCA Nursery Newport from J A (Grandmother of Child) published on 20 December 2023 Submitted via Website
Overall Experience

Although we are incredibly happy with the Nursery and the staff are lovely. My Grandson loves going to Nursery. The thing that is most frustrating to nearly all parents I meet waiting is the time it takes to drop off and pick up. 1 child taken and brought out at a time is ridiculous. Each time I have picked my Grandson up I have waited for on average 20 to 25mins. Parents get frustrated especially when a child is brought out then the staff stand and chat with the parent for several minutes before going for another. Can this please be looked into? Many Thanks.

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News (1) & Events (0)

News
  • Posted: Friday 24 Apr 2026tarting school is a big milestone – for both children and parents. At YMCA Fairthorne Group, we believe school readiness is about so much more than letters and numbers. It’s...
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