St Mary's Preschool and Playscheme
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A pre-school in London for children from birth to 8+, open 09:00 to 16:00, 5 days a week. £25.00 an hour. Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2025. Open since 2023, with 27 places.
What it costs
Prices change without notice. Treat these as what to ask about, not a quote.
| Age | Session | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | £60.00JOHNSTON ROOM COURTYARD | £25.00JOHNSTON ROOM COURTYARD additional hour |
Before you start
One-off charges to take a place.
- £100.00 damage and additional cleaning depositrefundable
Extras
Charged on top of the session rate.
- £15.00 LITTLE KICKERS SPORTS
- £15.00 LITTLE KICKERS SPORTS per child
Where this came from
The outlined line is the one the price was taken from.
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
N1 2TXWhat 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, 19 September 2025 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children flourish in this caring and supportive setting. The staff warmly welcomes each child upon arrival, creating an inviting atmosphere. Children are excited to begin their day and have plenty of choices, both indoors and outdoors as they explore alongside their friends. Those who need extra support receive comforting cuddles and reassurance from the kind and attentive staff. Children are happy, confident and feel safe. The leaders ensure that the curriculum is ambitious, motivating and challenging. Children make good progress in their learning, including those in receipt of additional funding.
Staff know the children very well and use ongoing assessments, observations and effective planning to support their learning. Children benefit from a diverse range of activities that cater to their interests and address their next steps in learning. For example, children eagerly pair up to engage in a throwing and catching activity using a large scoop, discussing various ways to catch the ball together. This promotes skills for teamwork, concentration and agility.
Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. As part of the routine circletime activity, they remind children about the rules at the start of the day. Older children recall these rules wonderfully and explain why it is important not to run inside and to tidy toys away after play. The staff demonstrate respect and manners in their interactions with the children, consistently praising them. This helps children develop high self-esteem and behave in a well-mannered way.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- develop staff's skills further in recognising how to include all children in planned and small-group activities n increase opportunities for children to manage simple routine tasks, to further support their independence skills.
- 19 September 2025Good Safeguarding: Yes
Still missing for St Mary's Preschool and Playscheme
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- 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.
- Is £25.00 an hour still the rate? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? 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.
Pre-schools within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.