CurioCity Childcare

Curiosity is more than a name here. CurioCity Childcare builds projects from children's interests through its In The Moment Planning, while a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach connects child-led exploration with nature and sustainability. That gives this 45-place Islington nursery a clear identity.

Ofsted rated the setting Good in May 2022, with Good judgements across education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. Children were happy and secure, but leaders were asked to extend learning more consistently during adult-led work and make group activities work better for younger children. For parents, warm relationships and purposeful learning were strengths, while the precision of some teaching still needed work.

Care runs from three months to five years. Families can choose a standard day or a longer extended day, and the nursery opens for 51 weeks of the year.

Learning and Named Experiences

The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the statutory base, which means play and daily routines develop communication, physical skills, personal and social development alongside early literacy, mathematics and understanding of the world. CurioCity adds its own layer through In The Moment Planning. Projects begin with what catches a child's attention, rather than requiring every child to follow the same pre-set activity.

Its Reggio Emilia-inspired approach is child-led and connected to sustainability. The practical expression is stronger than the label alone: children grow ingredients and use them in cooking, while hands-on experiences build care for nature. Spanish, Mandarin, yoga and mindfulness, cooking, sports and forest school broaden the published programme further.

Weekly outings are a major part of the offer. The nursery names museums, London attractions, theatres, farms, zoos and walks as possible destinations. This matters in an inner-London setting because the learning environment reaches beyond one building and gives children repeated contact with cultural, natural and community spaces.

In May 2022, preschool children confidently used gymnastic rings, while babies explored tunnels with their key person nearby. Singing and stories formed part of daily routines, and older children played sound games as an introduction to phonics. These were active, concrete experiences rather than worksheet-led preparation for school.

There was room for sharper teaching. During a water-and-sea-animal activity in 2022, staff did not build sufficiently on children's emerging interest in measurement. Some group times also held younger children for too long. The question now is how practitioners decide when to step in, deepen an idea and adapt a shared activity by age.

Relationships were a clear strength in 2022. Children formed secure attachments with staff, key people helped them settle, and babies relaxed to sleep with familiar support close by. Personal care was also handled by the child's key person. For a baby or a child new to group care, that continuity can make routines feel predictable.

Independence was woven through ordinary moments. Children filled their own water bottles and served rice and curry at lunch, waiting as bowls moved around the table. Older children modelled turn-taking for younger peers, including how to use sand timers at popular activities. The result was not independence as an occasional lesson, but practice built into eating, drinking and play.

Communication and inclusion had practical foundations. In May 2022, staff tracked development, identified next steps and worked with external professionals when children needed additional support. Visual aids and repeated language helped children learning English, while home languages were welcomed during group time. Parents were kept informed and the partnership helped families support learning at home.

Safeguarding arrangements were effective in May 2022. Staff understood how to respond to welfare concerns and concerns about a colleague, and children learned about everyday risks. The current team, key-person arrangements and response to the two teaching recommendations are important points for a visit.

Fresh meals are prepared daily by a trained cook, with organic ingredients used where possible. The package includes meals and drinks, as well as nappies, wipes and formula, which removes several supplies from the daily nursery bag and makes the practical cost structure easier to understand.

Sessions and Attendance

CurioCity Childcare is at 55 Tealby Court, Georges Road, London N7 8HY. The standard full day runs from 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday. An extended day runs from 07:30 to 18:30 and carries an additional charge.

The nursery opens for 51 weeks each year. It closes from Christmas to New Year and publishes a 13:00 finish on Christmas Eve. Families whose work continues through that period will need a separate plan for the closure.

Funding and Paid Extras

The provider record covers children from three months to five years and 45 places in total. In May 2022, the nursery provided funded early education for children aged two, three and four. The fit between eligibility, funded hours and a chosen weekly pattern is a point for the nursery quotation.

The published package includes nappies, wipes, formula, meals, drinks, activities and outings. The extended day costs extra. Current nursery-specific prices are supplied in the provider's written quotation, so parents can compare the standard pattern, any extended hours and funded provision on the same basis.

• Teaching improvements. Leaders were asked to deepen children's learning during adult-led activities and adapt group work more effectively for younger children. Ask for examples of what changed after May 2022 and how leaders check that those changes are consistent.
• Room journey. The setting accepts children across a broad three-month-to-five-year span. Ask which room your child would join, how transitions between groups work and what the current room routine looks like.
• Weekly outings. Trips can include museums, theatres, farms, zoos and walks. Ask how destinations are chosen for each age, how travel is organised and what happens when weather or staffing changes the plan.
• Christmas closure. The nursery runs for 51 weeks rather than every week of the year and closes from Christmas to New Year. Check the exact annual dates against your family's work calendar.

CurioCity Childcare will appeal most to families who want child-led learning with a substantial programme beyond the nursery walls. In The Moment Planning, weekly outings, home-grown ingredients and named language, movement and cooking activities give the offer real definition. The 2022 inspection also found secure relationships, confident children and effective safeguarding.

The trade-off is equally clear. The 2022 findings asked for more skilful extension of children's ideas and better-pitched group work. The nursery best suits families choosing between its standard full-day pattern and extended day, while valuing exploration, regular outings and an inclusive package of care essentials. Current teaching practice and room routines deserve close attention during a visit.