Be Me Day Nursery Highbury

A trip to the local greengrocer became a fruit-smoothie lesson here, while World Oceans Day prompted preschool children to investigate sea creatures. Those are dated examples from June 2022, but they capture an ambitious, experience-led approach rather than activity for activity's sake. Ofsted rated the setting Outstanding at that inspection, when it traded as Monkey Puzzle Highbury, with Outstanding judgements in every graded area.

Be Me Day Nursery Highbury now provides full day care at Loxford House, 85 Highbury Park, London N5 1GF. It has 71 places for children from three months to five years and operates all year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas.

The Early Years Foundation Stage gives the educational structure: practitioners build communication, physical development and personal, social and emotional growth through play and everyday routines, while preparing older children across the wider areas of learning. In June 2022, the curriculum followed children's interests, challenged their learning and was judged exceptionally rich.

Age-specific examples make that judgement useful. Babies explored lemons and limes through sensory trays, learning words including sweet, sour and crumbly. Toddlers took pride in being helper of the day and setting the lunch table, then connected a greengrocer visit with making smoothies and developing vocabulary. Preschool children held sustained conversations, made mud castles outdoors and explored sea creatures for World Oceans Day.

Educational outings were a prominent part of the inspected curriculum. They gave children first-hand experiences beyond the nursery and then brought those experiences back into purposeful play and language work.

Relationships were a major strength in June 2022. Children formed secure emotional attachments, while practitioners encouraged babies and asked their consent before tummy time. That combination of warmth and respect helped babies develop confidence as well as physical skills.

Support was also strong in June 2022 for children with special educational needs or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language. Practitioners used key words from children's home languages, and work with external professionals kept individual targets consistent. An emotion dice helped children discuss happiness and sadness, while older children learned to consider how their actions affected others.

Parents reported twice-daily updates about activities and learning. Safeguarding arrangements were effective at the inspection: staff understood reporting procedures, undertook regular training and first aid, and carried out health, safety and risk checks for activities, equipment and outings.

The setting is in Loxford House on Highbury Park in Islington. It operates throughout the year apart from bank holidays and one week at Christmas.

Current nursery-specific prices should come from a written quotation. In June 2022, the setting provided funded early education for children aged three and four; families should discuss the present entitlement arrangement alongside their preferred attendance pattern.

• Attendance pattern. The setting's current hours cover a full working day, but families should establish which full-day or shorter booking patterns are sold and whether a minimum weekly commitment applies.
• Inspection date and name change. The Outstanding judgement dates from June 2022 and was issued under the former name Monkey Puzzle Highbury. Families can use a visit to understand how the current Be Me team carries forward the inspected approach.
• Daily practicalities. Ask what families need to bring each day and how food is organised, because the answer materially affects preparation and budgeting.

Be Me Day Nursery Highbury has an unusually strong inspection account: rich first-hand learning, respectful care for babies, purposeful language work and thoughtful emotional support all stood out in June 2022. The age of that evidence matters, as does the later name change. This nursery will suit families who value first-hand learning and close attention to language and emotional development, and who are prepared to test those strengths against current practice. The 71-place setting has a compelling inspected foundation.