Hampden Nursery

Hampden Nursery is a 40-place full-day-care setting at 80 Polygon Road, London NW1 1HQ. A full Ofsted inspection in December 2018 judged it Outstanding across every assessed area. This is strong but dated evidence: it describes the nursery at that inspection rather than its present-day routines.

In December 2018, children made excellent progress from their starting points. Managers closely monitored practice and children's development, then used training, support and additional funding to address gaps. The result was an ambitious setting with unusually detailed attention to individual progress.

The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the educational programmes and areas of learning for English early-years settings. In practical terms, learning should run through play, conversation, physical activity and guided experiences rather than operate like formal school lessons.

In December 2018, Hampden's curriculum was rich and varied in December 2018. Children developed physical skills and early writing, while a kindness cat puppet gave social learning a memorable focal point. These practical experiences mattered because children made excellent progress from their individual starting points.

Relationships with families were a major inspection strength in December 2018. Home visits and settling sessions helped children and parents become familiar with the setting and their key person. Staff established children's starting points jointly with parents, identified support needs promptly and worked with relevant professionals.

Self-care was made tangible through nose-wiping stations in each room and toothbrushing demonstrations. Safeguarding was found effective at that inspection, with staff consistently applying policies and procedures intended to keep children safe.

The setting is at 80 Polygon Road, London NW1 1HQ and has capacity for 40 children. Families should request a current nursery-specific written quotation directly from the provider.

• Inspection date. The Outstanding judgement and practice detail come from December 2018. Families should use a visit to understand how the current team and daily experience compare.
• Attendance fit. Ask for the current age range, session patterns, clock times and minimum booking commitment before assessing whether the setting works around family routines.
• Everyday costs and care. Request a current breakdown of funded entitlement, meals and everyday charges so the full arrangement is clear before joining.

Hampden Nursery's strongest evidence is an exceptionally positive, detail-rich inspection: home visits, key-person settling, parent support and practical self-care all show what made the 2018 provision work. The age of that evidence matters. This setting will best suit families prepared to test those strengths against the current offer and obtain firm practical details before committing.