Sam Morris Centre Nursery
GoodTakes funded hours★ 5.0 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Islington 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 They do not publish prices, so ask.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 May 2025. Open since 1996, with 40 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
Funded hours
15 or 30 hour entitlements, 15 hours Early Learning for 2 year olds.
Worth knowing. Allocated over 38 weeks per year or over a stretched offer of 49 weeks at £0; voluntary lunch contribution of £3 for over 3's; funding does not cover extra curricular activities, trips or food.
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 7JGWhat 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.
- 21 December 2025 — Concern: actions taken what Ofsted published
Ofsted inspector, 29 May 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children show great confidence and enthusiasm as they arrive at nursery. Staff take care to get to know each child and their family so that children can settle in successfully. They pay close attention to enabling children to build attachments so that they feel safe and secure. The well-established staff talk to children so that they know what is happening next and what is expected of them. This means that children show consistently good behaviour. Staff focus on what children can do and their changing interests. This helps staff to plan an ambitious and inclusive curriculum that supports all children to make timely progress, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Staff are skilled at adapting activities with clear awareness of how they can involve children in all aspects. They engage with children as they play. They plan a creative environment that promotes independence. Children make choices and fully engage in their play and learning. They try new activities and receive praise for their achievements. They use tools to create necklaces with leaves, reinforcing what they have learned previously from the activities at forest school. Staff extend children's mathematical skills and thinking as they encourage them to problemsolve. They support children to count, recognise assorted sizes and name shapes as they build. They provide a commentary, give demonstrations and ask meaningful questions. Children sit together with staff, who use the opportunity to listen to children and encourage them to talk. This promotes children's language and social skills, with high importance given to their emotional well-being.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: - strengthen staff communication for planning and preparation of activities, including preparation for outdoor play and communal areas.
- 29 May 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
- 30 October 2019Good
- 18 March 2016Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Sam Morris Centre Nursery
- What it costs
- 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.