Maryam's Nursery Tower Bridge

A built-in cooking station and a day that reaches into the streets around Tower Bridge give Maryam's Nursery Tower Bridge its character. At 44 Curlew Street in Shad Thames, the indoor play area has an environmental design emphasis, while local shops, libraries and museums extend children's experiences beyond the nursery. This is an urban setting where the surrounding community becomes part of the learning.

There are 47 places in total, for children aged 6 to 60 months. At its 18 October 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good, found that children were making good progress and judged safeguarding effective. That is a dated assessment rather than a judgement on today's practice. The improvement point concerned helping older babies develop greater physical confidence.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and practical experiences contribute to their learning rather than sitting apart from it. Alongside that foundation, the group-wide Maryam’s Approach uses shared experiences and community activities, with children exploring through touch, observation and imitation. Its practical value lies in connecting learning with things children can experience directly.

Child-led play includes construction areas, reading areas and indoor gardening. Adult-supported activities add cooking, music, literacy and maths, with Mandarin, yoga and sign language also part of the nursery day. Activities can take place individually or in groups according to children's needs. This gives the day different scales of participation rather than making every activity a whole-group exercise.

In October 2022, children used paint and chalk, explored messy materials and took part in pretend play. The baby room had space for crawling and early walking, but older babies did not consistently receive enough help to attempt more demanding movements, including climbing and sliding. For a family choosing care for a mobile baby, the distinction matters: space to move and support to try something harder are separate considerations.

Outdoor and Community Life

Tower Bridge and the river Thames give outings a recognisable local setting. Visits also take children to the library, nearby fire station and shops, making everyday community places part of their experience. Indoor and outdoor gardening connect these explorations with growing food and caring for plants.

Monthly day trips reach further afield, with destinations including theatres, museums, zoos and the seaside. A minibus carries small groups, and parents are encouraged to join some outings. In October 2022, the nursery had no outdoor space of its own and children went out daily to local green spaces; leaves examined with magnifying glasses and puddle play made those walks opportunities for discovery. Families who value outdoor learning should weigh the outing model as carefully as the indoor facilities.

Individual relationships shape care. In October 2022, key persons planned around each child's needs and shared those plans with colleagues, so support did not depend solely on one adult being present. Children also practised sharing equipment and taking turns. These were concrete parts of the daily routine, rather than separate lessons in behaviour.

At the October 2022 inspection, Ofsted found that staff worked with parents to identify speech and language concerns across children's languages and used visual prompts to help children, including those with SEND, understand changes between activities. For families raising a child in more than one language, that finding concerns communication across languages rather than English alone.

The Famly app lets parents follow daily activities, providing a connection between the nursery day and conversations at home. Sleep arrangements use rooms that convert into rest areas with soft mats and sensory ceiling lights; children who no longer nap have a dedicated place to play. The distinction allows rest and wakeful activity to be planned together.

Meals are cooked by an in-house chef, with menus changing weekly and nutritionist input. The nursery's dietary policy accommodates allergies, intolerances and religious requirements.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 44 Curlew Street, London, SE1 2ND. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays and inset days; the nursery operates across the year with a Christmas holiday closure.

Paid attendance requires at least 3 full days each week, including either Monday or Friday. That minimum does not apply to families using only Free Early Education Entitlement provision. These are materially different attendance routes: the paid arrangement involves a substantial weekly commitment, while funded-only hours are arranged with parents to fit working hours as far as possible.

Funding and Paid Extras

The funded entitlements offered are 2 Year Old Free Entitlement (subject to eligibility), 3 and 4 year old Universal Free Entitlement, and 30 Hours Free Childcare Entitlement (subject to eligibility). Funding is stretched across 52 weeks, with fewer hours each week; it is not delivered as a term-time-only entitlement.

Meals and snacks are included in the fee on privately paid hours. For funded-only attendance, food and non-food consumables, including nappies, wipes and creams, are separately charged optional extras. The Maryam’s Ethos package is also optional for funded-only families: it covers trips, additional activities and access to Famly, among other services. For funded-only attendance, families wishing to provide their own food and snacks must collect their child and feed them off site; the nursery's policy prohibits bringing food or snacks into the setting.

A registration form and deposit are required. The non-refundable registration charge applies to paid attendance and mixed paid-and-funded hours, but not to funded-only attendance, for which the deposit is refundable. The difference between funded hours and the extras matters more than a headline description of free childcare.

• A mobile baby's next steps. The October 2022 improvement point concerned extending babies' physical skills. During a visit, ask how staff now support climbing, sliding and growing confidence beyond crawling and walking.
• The weekly commitment. Paid attendance requires 3 full days, including Monday or Friday, while funded-only attendance is exempt. Discuss which of these arrangements matches your working week before joining.
• Outdoor learning through outings. In October 2022, daily trips supplied outdoor time because there was no nursery garden. Ask to see how the current outing routine works for your child's age and mobility.
• Food alongside funding. Funded-only families wishing to provide their own food and snacks must collect their child and feed them off site. Confirm current allergy practice and consider whether that arrangement is workable for your family.

Maryam's suits families who want community outings, practical activities and food prepared on site, with a clear distinction between regular paid full-day attendance and standalone funded attendance. The cooking station, local explorations and monthly trips give the offer substance. The Good judgement from 2022 supplies a useful historical assessment; for parents of babies, the physical-development improvement point deserves attention alongside the wider offer.