Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services
GoodTakes funded hoursBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in London for babies from 6 months up to 5 year olds, open 08:00 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They take the funded hours. They do not publish prices, so ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in February 2024. Open since 2006, with 36 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 hours for eligible working families will expand to 30 hours, meaning eligible working parents can now apply for 30 hours of childcare from the term after your child turns 9 months until they reach school age. Free Early Education for two year olds - fifteen hours a week free childcare for your two year old.
Worth knowing. The rate charged for additional hours is based on an assessment of income.
What childcare usually costs in Islington
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Islington from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
N7 9QJWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 6 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children enjoy warm, close relationships with staff who take time to get to know each child well. They help children to feel secure and highly valued, for example, by using children's likes and dislikes to provide enjoyable activities. Staff have high expectations of children and manage their behaviour in positive ways. For instance, they use praise to encourage children to behave well and talk about acceptable ways to behave. Children learn to share and to take turns well, such as when they play organised group games.
The curriculum is wide, varied and supports good progress for all children. Children gain good early mathematical skills. For instance, staff use mathematical language to describe quantity, such as 'heavy' and 'light' as children scoop pasta into containers. They sing number songs and rhymes to support children's counting skills. Children learn about the world around them effectively. For example, staff teach children about the life cycle of a butterfly and how they grow from caterpillars. They plant and grow beans with children to teach them how things grow. Children learn about difference. For instance, staff provide children with soft toys, dolls and books that reflect different races and cultures. Staff discuss special religious and cultural events, such as Diwali and Chinese New Year. Staff support children's learning in the out-of-school club well, for instance, by linking activities to their interests.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- consistently give children more time to think and respond to questions to support their thinking skills further n help children to understand what is happening throughout the day to support their understanding more securely.
- 6 February 2024Good
- 8 February 2018Good
- 8 October 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School Services
- What it costs
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
Some of this is above, from the setting or from parents, and it can go out of date. The rest is in no dataset anywhere. Either way it is worth ten minutes on the phone.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- How do you apply my funded hours? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Do you have a place for a child of my age now? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.