Be Me Day Nursery Melody Lane

An aquarium between the baby rooms, a rooftop garden and a performing arts specialism give Melody Lane a recognisable character. Physical play, music and opportunities to investigate food shape its offer. At its June 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Outstanding, with the same judgement across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership.

Be Me Day Nursery Melody Lane has capacity for 120 children, accepting ages from 3 months to 5 years. Its address is 7-9 Melody Ln, London N5 2BQ, beside the top entrance to Highbury Fields. Floor-to-ceiling windows bring daylight into the classrooms, while an indoor soft play area adds space for movement.

Full days and morning or afternoon sessions give families different ways to organise attendance. The practical details matter, but the strongest reason to consider this nursery is the combination of physical space and creative activity.

Learning and Activities

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for children's learning, development and care, covering how they communicate, explore and develop through their early years. Alongside it, the group-wide Be Me Curriculum centres on values including individuality, resilience and kindness. These values shape an additional approach that complements the EYFS.

In The Moment Learning is another group-wide approach used here: children's interests provide starting points for exploring ideas. For parents, the useful distinction is between a framework that sets expectations for development and an approach that responds to what interests an individual child. The latter allows curiosity to help shape the learning experience.

Performing Arts Specialism is Melody Lane's own emphasis, with music, performance, drama and dance supported by visiting teachers and members of the nursery team. It gives creative expression a clear place in the offer. This is more concrete than a general promise of creative learning: the activities and the adults who deliver them are identified by their roles.

In June 2024, younger children used signs at mealtimes to communicate requests and politeness, while older children exchanged ideas, invented stories and discussed experiences. Communication therefore extended beyond adult-led conversation. Weekly yoga and music also featured that June, giving children ways to express themselves and practise managing their emotions.

Outdoor and Community Life

Soft Play & Rooftop Garden Terrace combines indoor and outdoor play on the top floor. Children can develop movement skills in a space designed for physical activity. In June 2024, climbing, sliding and balancing were part of how children used these areas, making movement an active part of their learning.

Highbury Fields sits next to the nursery, with local shops also nearby. That position creates opportunities to connect learning with the surrounding neighbourhood. The roof terrace adds a different perspective, while the indoor play space gives physical activity a place within the building too.

Community learning had a practical thread in June 2024. Through pre-school guests, an initiative bringing local people in to talk with children, a postal visit led to a post-office outing and letters to pen pals at a nursery in Ireland. Police, fire-service visitors and a retired guide dog with its owner also featured. These encounters connected unfamiliar roles with people and experiences children could discuss.

Recycling was another part of that June's daily life. Families brought unwanted toys and clothes for weekly charity collections, giving children a concrete example of reuse and helping others. The emphasis was on participation, rather than simply talking about caring for the world.

A Fresh Water Aquarium sits in the wall dividing the two baby rooms, housing African Cichlids from Lake Malawi. It gives the youngest children's surroundings a specific point of interest. The aquarium belongs to the baby area; the rooftop and soft play provision add a separate setting for more active exploration.

At the June 2024 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and SEND provision exceptional, highlighting early identification, collaboration with parents and other professionals, and staff willingness to undertake training proposed by families. That judgement matters because it describes how support worked, rather than relying on a broad assurance of inclusion.

During June 2024, staff also helped parents with weaning, potty training and developmental milestones. Leaders sought family feedback and acted on suggestions. The relationship extended beyond exchanging information about a child's nursery day, with practical advice for changes that also affect life at home.

Children's care for one another was visible that June too: toddlers offered toys to babies, and children helped friends find belongings or responded when someone was hurt. These small interactions give substance to the emphasis on kindness. They describe everyday relationships, rather than a slogan.

The Children’s Cooking Counter provides another connection between care and learning. Children can take part in food preparation and cooking alongside the chef teams, making food something to investigate as well as eat. The counter turns an everyday need into an opportunity for conversation and participation.

Sessions and Attendance

Melody Lane opens Monday to Friday, with its standard day running from 8am to 6pm. Morning half days run from 8am to 1pm; afternoon half days run from 1pm to 6pm. These are separate booking patterns, so a family can consider a full day or a shorter session around its routine.

Standard plans cover two, three, four or five days, while half-day plans cover three, four or five sessions. Ad hoc hours, days and half days are also offered. Those options give occasional additional care its own booking structure, alongside regular attendance.

The nursery opens for 51 weeks each year, excluding bank holidays and inset days. It also closes for a week at Christmas. Enquiries can be made through the Melody Lane enquiry route or by calling 020 3149 2430.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare is offered alongside private paid care. The Melody Lane plans include 30h 9 Month Funding, 30h 2YO Funding, 30h Extended Funding and 15h Universal Funding. Funding starts from the relevant term after the applicable age threshold, subject to application approval, with January, April and September identified as term starts.

Full-day and half-day plans both have funded options. Families should obtain a current written quotation for their intended attendance pattern, so the cost of paid care can be considered alongside the applicable funding arrangement. The Melody Lane fees and funding tables set out the different plan structures.

• Baby-room arrangements. The aquarium divides two baby rooms within a nursery with 120 places overall. On a visit, ask how many babies share your child's room and how their sleep routines are organised.
• Creative learning. Music, drama, dance and performance are part of the branch's specialism. Discuss how these experiences are adapted for your child's age and interests.
• Attendance and closures. Morning sessions end at 1pm and afternoon sessions begin then; bank holidays, inset days and the Christmas closure also affect childcare planning. Match the whole pattern to your family's routine.

Melody Lane suits families choosing between full-day care and morning or afternoon attendance who also value creative activity and space for physical play. Its performing arts emphasis, cooking counter and rooftop play provision give that choice substance.

The June 2024 Outstanding judgement adds weight to the offer, while the practical decision remains personal: whether this sizeable setting's baby-room arrangements, attendance patterns and creative emphasis fit your child. Its character comes through in concrete experiences, from watching the aquarium to taking part in cooking and performance.