Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre takes its name from the celebrated Victorian children's book illustrator whose warm, child-centred imagery defined an era. That same spirit of nurturing creativity and childhood wonder infuses this maintained nursery school in the heart of King's Cross, where children aged 6 months to 5 years enjoy an outdoor space that belies its central London setting. Operating across 49 weeks annually from 8am to 6pm, the nursery serves families across Islington through a distinctive model that combines early education with integrated family support services. Having achieved Outstanding Ofsted status across four consecutive inspections between 2010 and 2019, the nursery received a Good rating at its most recent inspection in June 2023. Located at Yorkway Court on Copenhagen Street, the setting is managed by Islington Council, with places allocated through local authority admissions criteria rather than a traditional waiting list. The nursery's commitment to child-directed learning, extensive outdoor provision, and specialist programmes including Forest School sessions at nearby Camley Street Natural Park distinguishes it among Islington's early years settings.
Founded in 2004, Kate Greenaway operates as both a nursery school and a designated Children's Centre, reflecting Islington Council's integrated approach to early years provision and family support. The setting's mission centres on providing "a friendly, safe and inclusive space for the local community," working respectfully and responsively with families as genuine partners in children's learning journeys. The nursery's four core values—Play, Exploration, Learning, and Growth—underpin a philosophy that views young children as active agents in their own development rather than passive recipients of adult-led instruction.
This child-centred ethos manifests in the nursery's free-flow approach, where children spend the majority of each day engaged in self-directed learning, moving fluidly between indoor and outdoor spaces according to their interests and developmental needs. Adult-facilitated activities complement rather than dictate this exploration, with practitioners following children's leads and building learning experiences around observed interests. The atmosphere is one of purposeful activity rather than structured routine, with qualified teachers, nursery education workers and support staff maintaining close supervision while respecting children's autonomy.
The setting's identity as a Children's Centre extends its reach beyond traditional nursery education. Integrated family services include employment support through the iWork programme and clinical psychology services to help parents understand their children's development. This wraparound model acknowledges that children's learning cannot be separated from family wellbeing, positioning the nursery as a community hub rather than simply an education provider.
The nursery's location just behind Copenhagen Street, a short walk from King's Cross St Pancras station, serves a diverse catchment in one of London's most rapidly changing neighbourhoods. Despite the urban setting, the outdoor provision remains a defining characteristic—a testament to thoughtful design that preserves space for nature and physical play even in a dense metropolitan context.
As a nursery school serving children from 6 months to 5 years, Kate Greenaway does not participate in formal national testing or performance league tables. The setting's educational approach aligns with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, emphasising holistic development across the seven areas of learning through play-based pedagogy.
The nursery organises provision across three age-appropriate sections. Explorers, serving babies and toddlers aged 0-2 years, maintains a 1:3 adult-to-child ratio with activities including sensory play, storytelling and early communication development. Navigators (ages 2-3) and Pioneers (ages 3-5) share combined indoor and outdoor spaces, with mixed-age interaction providing opportunities for social learning and peer modelling.
The curriculum incorporates several specialist programmes that extend beyond typical nursery provision. Forest School sessions at Camley Street Natural Park introduce older children to extended outdoor learning, with activities including mud painting, den building and nature exploration. A dual-language music programme supports the linguistic diversity of the intake, while yoga and woodwork sessions offer unusual enrichment for the early years phase. These specialist activities run alongside core provision rather than replacing it, expanding rather than narrowing children's experiences.
Staff qualifications include qualified teachers alongside nursery education workers and support staff—a mixed staffing model that balances pedagogical expertise with continuity of care. All practitioners receive regular safeguarding training and maintain current DBS clearance, with professional development supporting the implementation of current early years best practice.
The nursery's SEND provision reflects its inclusive ethos, with support integrated into mainstream practice rather than operating as a separate strand. The setting's experience as a Children's Centre with access to clinical psychology services provides additional resources for children with emerging developmental needs.
Outcomes are tracked through ongoing observational assessment and documented through the Famly online platform, which enables parents to contribute their own observations of learning at home. Termly development reviews with families ensure regular dialogue about each child's progress and next steps.
Children's daily experience at Kate Greenaway centres on the interplay between indoor and outdoor environments. The free-flow model allows children to choose their location and activity throughout most of the day, with indoor provision offering creative areas, small-world play, construction, books and mark-making, while outdoor spaces support physical development, natural play and exploratory learning.
The outdoor garden has been recognised on specialist early years websites for its quality and design. Despite the nursery's urban location, children enjoy substantial outdoor space that includes opportunities for climbing, digging, water play and quiet observation of nature. This provision extends through the Forest School programme, which takes children beyond the nursery site to Camley Street Natural Park—a local nature reserve that provides richer biodiversity and wilder spaces than most inner-city settings can offer.
Nutrition receives close attention, with all meals prepared on-site by Caterlink, a specialist education caterer. Daily fruit and crackers supplement main meals, with breakfast and tea provided for children attending extended-day sessions. The nursery's recognition as an Islington Healthy Early Years setting and recipient of the Healthy Early Years London Bronze Award reflects this focus on health and wellbeing.
Regular themed family events strengthen the nursery's community role, bringing parents together beyond formal parent-teacher meetings. The termly development reviews incorporate parental input, while governance structures include parent representatives, embedding family voice in decision-making.
The setting's operating hours—8am to 6pm across 49 weeks—accommodate working families more fully than traditional term-time provision. Parents can access school-day places, extended-day places, term-time-only places or year-round places, providing flexibility to match varied employment patterns.
Recognition of the nursery's work includes the 2014 Rolls-Royce Science Prize for Science in the Early Years, acknowledging an often-overlooked aspect of early education. This award reflects the nursery's commitment to enquiry-based learning and the integration of STEM concepts through play.
Kate Greenaway operates under Islington Council's admissions policy rather than controlling its own intake. Applications are submitted via the nursery rather than through a centralised council portal, with forms available for download from the school website and submitted by email or post.
The nursery employs what it describes as a "criteria list rather than a waiting list," meaning places are not allocated strictly by application date. Instead, the nursery matches available day and hour combinations with family requests, attempting to align the pattern of places becoming available with the patterns families require. This system prioritises practical fit over seniority, meaning families whose requested hours align with available capacity may secure places more quickly than those who applied earlier but require less readily available patterns.
Eligibility for funded places follows standard criteria. Eligible 2-year-olds can access free early learning through Islington Council's scheme, while families with children aged 9 months and above may access up to 30 hours of free childcare per week during term time, subject to eligibility criteria. The Tax-Free Childcare scheme provides additional support for working families. A charging schedule for non-funded hours applies from September 2025, available from the nursery office.
Tours run weekly on Wednesday mornings (10:30am-11:30am) and Wednesday evenings (4:30pm), pausing during half-term and school holidays. Prospective families are encouraged to attend tours to understand the setting's approach before applying. Tours can be requested by emailing kategreenaway.eyc@islington.gov.uk or calling 0207 527 4850.
The nursery's King's Cross location serves a mixed catchment spanning established Islington communities and the increasingly transient population drawn by major regeneration around King's Cross St Pancras. Proximity to the station cluster enhances accessibility for families commuting to work, potentially extending the effective catchment beyond the immediate neighbourhood.
As a maintained nursery with council-employed staff and council-set fees, Kate Greenaway occupies a middle ground between fully state-funded nursery classes attached to primary schools and private day nurseries charging commercial rates. This model provides relative affordability while maintaining longer operating hours than traditional school-attached nurseries.
Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre exemplifies the maintained nursery school model—publicly funded settings with qualified teachers that offer longer hours and integrated family support beyond standard nursery class provision. For Islington families seeking early years education that balances professional pedagogical expertise with extensive childcare hours, the nursery presents a distinctive option.
The setting's primary strength lies in its commitment to child-directed learning within a rich, well-resourced environment. The emphasis on free-flow play, substantial outdoor provision and specialist programmes including Forest School creates learning experiences that honour children's agency while maintaining structure and safety. This approach suits families who value exploration and creativity over formal early academics, understanding that play is the foundation for later learning.
The integrated Children's Centre model extends support beyond the child to encompass the whole family. For parents navigating employment transitions or seeking advice on child development, these wraparound services add significant value. The nursery functions as a community hub where families can access multiple forms of support through a single trusted relationship.
The June 2023 Ofsted rating of Good, following four consecutive Outstanding judgements between 2010 and 2019, merits acknowledgement. While Good remains a positive rating indicating quality provision, the change in status may prompt questions from families familiar with the nursery's previous track record. Prospective parents should review the most recent inspection report to understand specific areas identified for development.
The criteria-based admissions model introduces unpredictability. Families cannot rely on application date alone to secure places, instead requiring flexibility around timing and hours. This system may advantage families with adaptable working arrangements while disadvantaging those with fixed patterns of need. Early contact with the nursery to discuss typical availability patterns is advisable.
The setting's urban location and maintained nursery status shape its character. Families seeking a village nursery atmosphere or private nursery amenities will find a different experience here—one rooted in public service, community integration and urban resourcefulness rather than exclusivity or rural tranquillity.
For families who value play-based early education delivered by qualified staff in partnership with parents, who need flexible hours spanning most of the year, and who appreciate access to family support services alongside children's education, Kate Greenaway warrants serious consideration. The nursery offers depth of provision that extends beyond childcare toward genuine early years education, within a framework that acknowledges families' practical realities of work and urban life.
Kate Greenaway is a maintained nursery school rated Good by Ofsted at its most recent inspection in June 2023, having achieved Outstanding in four previous inspections between 2010 and 2019. The nursery offers qualified teachers, extensive outdoor provision including Forest School sessions, and specialist programmes including yoga, woodwork and dual-language music. Families value the child-directed learning approach, long operating hours (8am-6pm across 49 weeks), and integrated family support services through the Children's Centre model. The nursery serves children from 6 months to 5 years in a central London location with strong outdoor space.
Download the application form from the nursery website and submit via email to kategreenaway.eyc@islington.gov.uk or by post to the nursery address. The nursery operates a criteria-based system rather than a waiting list, matching available places with family requests for specific days and hours. Application date does not solely determine placement—practical fit between available capacity and requested pattern matters. Attend a Wednesday morning (10:30am) or evening (4:30pm) tour before applying, booking through the email above or by calling 0207 527 4850. Funded places for eligible 2-year-olds and up to 30 hours free childcare for eligible families with children aged 9 months and above are available.
The nursery operates from 8am to 6pm across 49 weeks annually, offering more extensive hours than traditional term-time settings. Parents can choose school-day places, extended-day places, term-time-only places or year-round places depending on family circumstances. This flexibility particularly supports working parents who require childcare beyond standard school hours and holidays.
Yes, the nursery features substantial outdoor space despite its central London location, with a garden recognised for its quality on specialist early years websites. Children enjoy free-flow access between indoor and outdoor environments throughout most of the day. Additionally, older children participate in Forest School sessions at nearby Camley Street Natural Park, extending outdoor learning beyond the nursery site into a local nature reserve.
The nursery accepts children from 6 months to 5 years, organised into three sections: Explorers (0-2 years) with 1:3 adult-to-child ratios, and Navigators (2-3 years) and Pioneers (3-5 years) sharing combined spaces. This age range spans from baby room provision through to pre-school preparation, allowing siblings to attend the same setting across early childhood.
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