ELY, Early Learning Years Nursery

A swift recovery defines ELY, Early Learning Years Nursery's recent record. Ofsted judged the Finchley setting Good in July 2024, four months after an Inadequate judgement, and found that leaders and staff had addressed the earlier actions. Safeguarding arrangements were effective. This is full day care on non-domestic premises for children from three months to five years, with 52 registered places.

The strongest evidence is specific to children's daily experience. Inspectors saw early literacy, creativity, movement, independence and self-care woven through activities indoors and in the garden. Staff knew children well, supported behaviour and helped them recognise emotions. The two development points concern consistency: adults should use open-ended questions more effectively and explain new vocabulary so that children's thinking and communication stretch further.

The Early Years Foundation Stage gives the day its educational structure: play, conversation and routines build children's communication, physical development, personal growth and early understanding rather than separating learning into school-style lessons. In July 2024, babies joined songs, rhymes and number songs while staff modelled correct pronunciation. Toddlers' interest in cars led to walks exploring different forms of transport, with risk assessments completed shortly before each outing.

Books and mark-making ran across indoor and outdoor provision. Children gave meaning to drawings of turtles and dinosaurs on mark-making walls in every room. A tea party based on The Tiger Who Came to Tea extended imaginative play, while younger children made animal patterns with finger paint and explored colour mixing. These examples show a curriculum responding to interests, though the inspection's language recommendations matter because adult questioning determines how far an absorbing activity develops thought.

Relationships were a clear strength in July 2024. Children were happy, staff knew them well, and adults responded supportively when children needed help with feelings or friendships. Mealtimes built independence progressively: the observed practice moved from spoon-feeding for younger children towards open cups and self-service. Physical activity took place both indoors and in the nursery garden. Children could also read in either environment, making literacy part of more than one area of the day.

Ofsted found safeguarding effective in July 2024. Staff understood how to report concerns, while revised induction and supervision helped them feel supported. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities were included in the ambitious curriculum and made good progress. Parents also described being well informed; opportunities to join celebrations and share multilingual stories connected home experience with nursery life. Inspectors also recorded that children behaved well and that diversity was celebrated. Together, those findings point to a socially attentive setting where emotional understanding sits alongside creative and physical development.

ELY is at 19 The Grove, Finchley, London N3 1QN. The registered age range is three months to five years and the setting has 52 registered places. Database information records full-day care, weekday opening across the year, with closure for three days over Christmas and New Year. A provider-specific quotation will set out the current booking pattern.

Funded entitlement, meals, consumables and notice terms can materially change a family's cost and routine. These points belong in the nursery’s current quotation and terms.

• Language development. Ofsted asked leaders to make open-ended questioning and explanations of new words more consistent. Ask how coaching since July 2024 has changed everyday conversations.
• Current terms. Review funded-hours delivery, meals, consumables and notice arrangements before committing.
• Recent improvement. The July 2024 Good judgement followed an Inadequate inspection in March 2024. Leaders had completed the required actions by the later visit, so families may want to discuss how those improvements are monitored.

ELY's recent inspection story is unusually compressed but encouraging: required action was followed by a Good judgement, effective safeguarding and detailed evidence of children enjoying books, songs, art, movement and imaginative play. The remaining challenge is sharpening adult conversation so curiosity becomes deeper thinking and richer vocabulary.

It best suits families seeking full-day, weekday care across the year for a child aged from three months to five years, especially those who value multilingual family involvement and learning built around children's interests. Families needing partial-day or flexible patterns will need the current booking terms before deciding.