Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School

Coffee grounds became painting materials and food scraps fed a wormery in February 2022. Those small, practical experiences give Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School its clearest character: children learnt about caring for the environment by doing things themselves, rather than simply hearing about them.

At its 2 February 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good overall. The setting accepts children from birth to five at 86 Carlton Hill, Maida Vale, London NW8 0ER. In February 2022, children explored environmental ideas and the outdoors, while staff sometimes gave too little thinking time in conversations and missed opportunities to help children understand strong feelings.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children’s learning, development and care. In parent language, this means education and everyday care belong together: play, conversation and physical exploration sit alongside learning to manage routines and relationships.

In February 2022, sustainability had concrete expression. Children made models using discarded food packaging, painted with coffee grounds and put fruit and vegetable leftovers into a wormery. They connected the worms’ work with the soil needed for their garden. These were opportunities to understand reuse and natural processes through familiar materials.

Different ages explored different ideas. In February 2022, babies investigated fresh herbs and vegetables in a pretend kitchen, using smell, texture and colour; toddlers tested toy cars on a ramp, putting blocks in the way to change their movement. Older children acted out characters from a broomstick story. The examples span sensory exploration, simple experimentation and imaginative storytelling, rather than one activity repeated across ages.

Outdoor and Community Life

In February 2022, the garden supported daily exercise and exploration. Babies practised moving and climbing the slide steps, while older children climbed trees and learnt to judge risks. Watching wildlife and growing plants connected physical play with an interest in living things.

Community experiences also made abstract ideas tangible that February. A charity-shop visit linked donating with helping other people, and preparing lettuce wraps accompanied discussion of Chinese New Year. These examples show how cooking and outings could become conversations about people beyond the nursery.

In February 2022, key persons used their knowledge of individual children’s development and personal needs to select activities. Children who found separation difficult received comfort from familiar adults, while everyday tasks included clearing toys and dealing with their plates after lunch. Care and growing independence worked together.

Communication with families had a practical form that February: weekly newsletters carried additional photographs and information while pandemic restrictions limited parents’ access. This helped families understand what children had been doing, rather than receiving only a general account of the day.

At the February 2022 inspection, Ofsted judged safeguarding effective, with staff understanding how to recognise concerns and take action. That is a dated judgement, and it belongs alongside the improvement points: in February 2022, staff sometimes moved conversations on before checking understanding or allowing children enough thinking time, and missed opportunities to explore strong feelings and the effects of behaviour on others.

Health learning also used play that February. The dinosaur tooth hunt introduced different teeth and their purposes, giving children a concrete reason to talk about brushing.

Sessions and Attendance

Full Days run from 8am to 6pm. The all-year booking plans cover two, three, four or five days a week, with a minimum of two consecutive days that includes Monday or Friday. That condition matters for families arranging care around a working week: a midweek-only pair does not meet the standard full-day booking rule.

The nursery opens Monday to Friday and closes for bank holidays and Christmas. Its address is 86 Carlton Hill, Maida Vale, London NW8 0ER.

Funding and Paid Extras

Funded childcare and private paid hours are offered. The funding options include Working Parent funding, the Two Year Old Offer, Universal funding and Extended Entitlement, subject to the relevant eligibility requirements. For all-year bookings, funded entitlement is spread over 51 weeks: the 15-hour schemes provide 11 hours a week, and the 30-hour scheme provides 22.

A valid eligibility code is required for Working Parent funding, and families receiving funding must complete a parental declaration before the term begins. These requirements matter because funding depends on the paperwork as well as the child’s booking.

Breakfast, snacks, lunch and tea are included in the quoted booking-plan fees, including the plans combining funded and paid hours; fully funded sessions carry an optional separate food charge, with opt-in and opt-out choices. Private-place offers carry a non-refundable registration charge and a deposit; cancellation at least six weeks before the agreed start allows the deposit to be returned, while later cancellation does not. At the end of attendance, the deposit is credited to the fees account. Current prices come in the nursery’s written quotation.

• Conversation and emotions. The February 2022 improvement points concerned thinking time, checking understanding and helping children reflect on behaviour. During a visit, ask how practitioners now build those moments into play and disagreements.
• Your working week. The standard full-day minimum is two consecutive days including Monday or Friday. Match that requirement against your intended attendance before committing to a plan.

Carlton Hill suits families interested in practical environmental learning and outdoor exploration, with its February 2022 examples offering more substance than a broad educational slogan. The wormery, reused art materials and tree climbing give that character a clear shape.

Its all-year plans suit both families booking two consecutive full days and those needing five weekday days, provided the booking conditions fit. The Good judgement provides a dated quality reference; the questions about conversation and emotional support deserve equal attention when assessing the nursery today.