Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre: Nursery Review

Movement gives Kate Greenaway its character: sand and water play, sloping outdoor surfaces and Forest School extend learning beyond the room. This Islington nursery school and children’s centre offers places from six months to five years, with Explorers, Navigators and Pioneers organising provision by age. The setting occupies a single-storey building at York Way Court, Copenhagen Street.

The youngest children have their own care-led rhythm, while older children combine planned activities with time to choose their play. For families, that means comparing the routine of the relevant room rather than assuming one timetable suits everyone.

Play and shared gatherings give the day its shape. Pioneers alternate activities chosen by children with planned learning indoors and outside; tidying together and Gather Time punctuate the morning and afternoon. Navigators have a similar pattern, with sleep after lunch for most children. Explorers have scheduled nappy changing and a longer period for sleep, followed by play as children wake.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), supported by Development Matters, guides learning. In parent language, this brings talking, movement and relationships together with early number work, books, creative expression and discovering the world. Weekly Developmental Movement Play draws on Jabadao principles, giving children opportunities to explore movement spontaneously.

Physical detail matters here. The outdoor area includes uneven ground, slopes and steps, alongside sand, water and opportunities to ride bikes. Indoors, neutral colours are intended to reduce sensory overload. Forest School takes small groups to Camley Street Natural Park each week to dig, build and climb; the programme includes children in their final year before primary school.

At the January 2025 ungraded inspection, Ofsted found that learning was organised into small, connected steps, with language development a priority. Adults introduced vocabulary through role play and movement, while songs brought early mathematical ideas into everyday activities. Children could choose a book and have an adult read it to them. These are practical ways to make conversation, stories and number work part of play.

A Key Person gets to know each child, supports settling and acts as the family’s main contact. A Co-Key Person usually provides continuity when shifts or leave take that adult away. A home visit is offered before children start, giving parents an early opportunity to discuss worries and preferences. Comfort objects can accompany children during settling or help them sleep.

Famly carries room updates, observations and progress information, alongside reviews with families each term. Breakfast, lunch and a light tea depend on attendance hours, with fruit snacks during the day. Food contains no pork products, but is neither Halal nor Kosher; families should share allergies and dietary preferences. Parents provide nappies, wipes and formula where needed.

SEND support includes jointly agreed Short Term Plans, Crocodile Language Groups and Attention Builders. A class teacher works with qualified early years practitioners, including an additional practitioner supporting children with SEND. The January 2025 inspection found that teaching was adapted successfully for children with SEND and safeguarding arrangements were effective. Families can therefore discuss both everyday classroom participation and targeted support with the team.

Nursery attendance does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through the normal admissions process and meet its deadline. Choosing Kate Greenaway should be a decision about the nursery years, with the next school application treated separately.

For children with SEND, preparation can include visits to the receiving setting with a parent and Key Person, photographs and a meeting with the new team. Some children have personalised transition books. These help make the change more familiar; they do not determine admission.

Opening hours are 8am to 6pm across 49 weeks. The application form offers all-year places on two, three or five consecutive days, alongside term-time funded patterns and morning or afternoon attendance. Days, hours and the attendance calendar are agreed in a contract. Allocation matches available places to requested hours rather than time spent waiting.

Funded options include universal hours for three- and four-year-olds and working-parent entitlement, subject to eligibility. Food sits outside government childcare funding. Council-set charges apply according to the place; ask the nursery for current charges and check the contract’s meal arrangements.

Email kategreenaway.eyc@islington.gov.uk to enquire or book a Wednesday tour. Collection is restricted to authorised people, and parents should allow time for a handover. Travel. There is no nursery parking, and estate spaces are reserved for residents. Plan the journey around public transport or permitted street parking.