Nordic Star Nurseries Islington

Finnish play-based learning, daily park outings and a weekly child-led recycling role give Nordic Star Nurseries Islington its character. Individual learning plans sit alongside spaces for messy play, movement and rest. The combination puts children's interests into the learning programme while giving families several ways to follow their development.

At its June 2023 inspection, Ofsted judged the nursery Good and found safeguarding effective, with targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. That judgement is dated.

The nursery has capacity for 100 children and accepts ages from 3 to 60 months. Full-day, morning and afternoon attendance are offered, alongside wraparound care.

Learning and Activities

The EYFS provides the framework for children's learning, development and care: here, learning happens through play, conversation and practical activities. Alongside it sits the group-wide FinlandWay® programme, a play-based approach that gives children a say in their learning and uses projects spanning different kinds of skills. Children's ideas are heard at a level appropriate to their age, rather than treating the day's activities as something adults simply deliver to them.

Each child has a learning plan and a portfolio tracking development. Family consultations help review those plans, while a mobile app shares learning topics and goals. For parents, this provides a connection between the activities their child enjoys and what practitioners are helping them learn next. The curriculum page explains this combination of participation, projects and individual planning.

In June 2023, play included pretending to be firefighters, communicating through walkie-talkies and counting cars on a track. Songs and stories supported language, while a climbing frame and soft-play equipment provided opportunities for movement. These examples show how an ordinary play choice can bring together speech, number knowledge and physical practice.

Outdoor and Community Life

Daily outings include the playground at Shepherdess Park. Trips also take children into the neighbourhood to explore libraries, markets, museums and the fire station. Outdoor time is therefore part of the routine, with community experiences extending learning beyond the indoor spaces.

Eco-Warriors gives environmental care a practical role: once a week, a child in the Järvi room wears a sash and helps others conserve resources. Recycling, turning off taps and avoiding unnecessary lighting make the idea concrete. It is a responsibility children can practise, rather than simply a topic adults discuss.

Indoors, the baby sleep room, messy play exploration area and soft play area provide spaces for different needs. Light-filled classrooms have themed learning areas, while a private consultation room gives family discussions their own setting. These physical details matter more than broad claims about a Nordic atmosphere: they identify where rest, active play and conversations with parents can happen.

Settling sessions introduce families to their key carer and the daily routine. Individual profiles and learning plans are paired with digital updates and regular family consultations. The Nordic Edu-Care approach places emotional, physical and social wellbeing alongside learning; its practical expression includes sensory play, hands-on projects and movement activities.

Parents can join Play and Stay sessions during an activity or mealtime. Coffee mornings, classes and expert talks run through the year, with advance sign-up for the latter sessions. A parents' lounge and coffee bar provide another space for family involvement. These arrangements offer different ways to participate, from sharing an ordinary part of a child's day to attending a discussion with an early-years specialist.

In June 2023, children were sometimes left waiting with too little to do while outings were organised. Communication also needed improvement, including clearer updates about staffing changes; both the organisation of routines and transitions required attention. Those findings matter because an appealing programme depends on how smoothly staff manage the moments between activities.

Meals are cooked by an on-site chef using seasonal ingredients, and weaning arrangements are agreed with parents. The nursery operates a no-nut kitchen policy while explicitly allowing that contact with nuts cannot be ruled out.

Sessions and Attendance

Children can attend full days, mornings, afternoons or half days. Early wraparound runs from 7.30am to 8am; the later period runs from 6pm to 6.30pm. Wraparound is included for children attending five full days a week and charged separately for part-time attendance.

Enquiries go through the nursery's enquiry form, followed by an appointment arranged by the Parents' Relationship Team; tours can also be booked. When a place is offered, families have three days to accept it. This is an acceptance rule, rather than an indication of current vacancies.

Getting There

The address is Unit 5, 7 Wenlock Road, London N1 7SL. Angel and Old Street tube stations are nearby, giving families two named transport points to consider when planning their routine.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered for children aged two, three and four, and funding can be applied to full-day or half-day bookings subject to availability. Current prices come in the nursery's written quotation, with the fees page explaining the charge structure.

Meals are included in the fees, as are formula, nappies, wipes and sun cream; parents supply nappy barrier cream, so the consumables arrangement combines included items with an item brought from home. Indoor shoes and a winter jacket also come from home.

A non-refundable registration charge and a deposit apply when a place is confirmed. The deposit is refundable on departure if outstanding fees are paid and the required notice is given, but both payments are forfeited if a family accepts and then withdraws before starting. Leaving requires at least one full calendar month's written notice, and fees remain payable during illness, holidays and designated closures.

• Operational terms. Session boundaries, minimum attendance requirements and annual opening and billing periods conflict, while contact details also use Unit 13 rather than Unit 5. Before accepting, request one written agreement covering the exact entrance, session times, minimum booking, closure dates and billing basis.
• Transitions and communication. In June 2023, preparation for outings could interrupt children's play, and families needed clearer updates about staffing changes. Ask how children stay occupied during transitions and how changes affecting their care are communicated.
• Funding and dietary needs. Funding can be applied to full-day and half-day bookings, while the no-nut kitchen policy does not guarantee freedom from contact with nuts. Ask for the funded-hours charge breakdown and, where relevant, confirmation of current allergy arrangements.

Nordic Star suits families interested in participatory, play-based learning who want full-day attendance or morning and afternoon sessions. Daily Shepherdess Park outings, individual learning plans and Eco-Warriors give the offer concrete substance. Family participation is another useful part of the model.

The choice needs care, however. The Good judgement dates from June 2023, and conflicting operational terms need resolving before commitment. The strongest decision will rest on both the learning offer and a clear account of how everyday care is organised.