Full-day nursery in Unity Place, Waltham Forest
Early Education Centre
1A Northcote Road, Walthamstow, E17 7DT · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted inspection, before November 2025
Good
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
What does this mean?
This grade is from before November 2025, when Ofsted replaced single grades with report cards. The nursery's next inspection will give a report card, with a separate grade for each area instead of one overall grade.
What Ofsted says it does well
“Staff plan learning for their key children that is based on their knowledge of what children can do already and what they would like them to do next.”
“Children are proud of their achievements.”
“Staff use a colour system across the setting to help children express their emotions.”
What Ofsted says it should do better
“improve staff monitoring so that all staff retain a secure understanding of all the agreed procedures shared during their induction”
Exact words from the Ofsted report of 17 August 2022. Read the full report on Ofsted.
Official records
Fees
Funded hours: From 9 months, 30 hours
Fees and ages: not published yet
Thanks. We count every request and show the nursery how many parents are asking.
Nurseries in Waltham Forest that publish fees charge £56–£110.75 a day for under-2s (6 nurseries). This is the area's range, not this nursery's.
Hours and ages
- Monday to Friday
- 07:45–18:00
- Weeks open
- 51 a year
Ages: not published yet.
Getting there
1A Northcote Road, Walthamstow, E17 7DT · More nurseries in E17
Stations
- St James Street (London)8 min walk · 0.3 miles
- Walthamstow Queens RoadNo step-free access8 min walk · 0.3 miles
- Walthamstow Central11 min walk · 0.4 miles
Buses
11 bus stops within 400 m, including Church of St Michael & All Angels, Walthamstow Market / High Street and Carisbrooke Road.
Parks and playgrounds
- Stoneydown Park6 min walk
- Playground6 min walk
- Playground9 min walk
- Greenleaf Playground9 min walk
- Playground9 min walk
© OpenStreetMap contributors, checked 13 November 2026 · Powered by TfL Open Data, checked 13 November 2026. Walking times are rough, from straight-line distance.
Places and next steps
Spaces: not published yet. Nurseries often fill months ahead, so ask early.
In Waltham Forest there are about 3.5 children under 5 for every registered nursery place. Places are how many children nurseries may care for, not free spaces, so this is a guide to demand. Source: ONS Census 2021.
What parents say
Reviews on Toddly
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Write a reviewAbout Early Education Centre
Early Education Centre is a full-day nursery at 1A Northcote Road, Walthamstow, E17 7DT, in Unity Place, Waltham Forest. It is registered for 71 children. It opens 07:45–18:00, Mon–Fri, 51 weeks a year. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection in August 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It offers funded hours from 9 months and the 30 funded hours for 3 and 4-year-olds. It has a Google rating of 4.7 from 14 reviews (November 2026). It is run by Early Education Centre Ltd.
Run by Early Education Centre Ltd (company), which runs 2 nurseries.
A day here
Our summary of the nursery's website and Ofsted reports. Each feature links to where it came from.
Learning
At its 2022 Ofsted inspection, the nursery was rated Good for overall effectiveness and Good for quality of education.
Outdoors
Its website says the nursery has its own garden and offers local outings and trips.
- Own gardenSource: nursery website
- Local outings and tripsSource: nursery website
Settling in
Its website says staff are sensitive to children who are reluctant to separate from their parent, and respond quickly, offering extra support to help them settle. The nursery uses a key person system.
- Key person systemSource: nursery website
- Separate baby roomSource: nursery website
Safety
Ofsted's 2022 inspection found safeguarding to be effective.
Getting a place
Its website says to complete the registration form on the Join Our Nursery page, including all relevant details, and to update the nursery if anything changes. The nursery accepts government-funded hours for working parents of children from 9 months, the universal 15 funded hours for 3-4 year olds, and 30 funded hours for eligible 3-4 year olds.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Education CentreThis nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:45–18:00 | not shared yet | This nursery |
| 1st Stepping Stones Nursery SchoolFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 1–5 yrs | 0.2 miles |
| Sugar Plum Tree NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:30–18:30 | 3 mo–5 yrs | 0.2 miles |
| Little DiamondsFull-day nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 6 mo–5 yrs | 0.3 miles |
| Crazy 4 Kids Frederic StreetFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | not shared yet | 0.4 miles |
| Sugar Plum Tree NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 07:30–18:30 | not shared yet | 0.4 miles |
| Harvey House Nursery BeechFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | not shared yet | 0.4 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
- All nurseries in Unity Place3
- All nurseries in Waltham Forest95
- All nurseries in E1741
- Nurseries near St James Street station
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Mission Grove Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected July 2023 0.1 miles
- Stoneydown Park School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected February 2023 0.3 miles
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected June 2023 0.3 miles
- Greenleaf Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Report cardinspected June 2026 0.4 miles
- South Grove Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Outstandinginspected May 2024 0.5 miles
- Low Hall Nursery School Nurseryages 2–5has a nursery classOfsted: Outstandinginspected October 2023 0.5 miles
- Coppermill Primary School Primaryages 3–11Ofsted: School remains Goodinspected June 2024 0.5 miles
- Edinburgh Primary School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: School remains Good (Improving)inspected March 2024 0.5 miles
Straight-line distances. Places depend on each school's admissions rules. From the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Questions parents ask
Got a question? Ask and get an answer straight away.
Does Early Education Centre offer 30 funded hours?
Yes. Early Education Centre offers the 30 funded hours for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds.
Does Early Education Centre offer funded hours from 9 months?
Yes. Early Education Centre offers funded hours for eligible children from 9 months.
What are Early Education Centre's opening hours?
Early Education Centre opens 07:45–18:00, Mon–Fri.
Is Early Education Centre open all year?
Yes, Early Education Centre is open 51 weeks a year, closing only for short breaks.
What is Early Education Centre's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Early Education Centre Good at its inspection on 17 August 2022, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
How many children can Early Education Centre take?
Early Education Centre is registered with Ofsted for up to 71 children at any one time.
Who runs Early Education Centre?
Early Education Centre is run by Early Education Centre Ltd, which runs 2 nurseries.
Does Early Education Centre have outdoor space?
Early Education Centre lists: Own garden and Local outings and trips.
What is the nearest station to Early Education Centre?
St James Street (London) is the nearest station we know of, 0.3 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Early Education Centre?
You can call 020 3795 8425 and visit www.earlyeducationcentre.co.uk.
Tools for parents in Waltham Forest
- Childcare cost calculatorMonthly cost with funded hours
- Funded hours checkerWhich schemes you qualify for
- Funded hours start dateWhen your child's hours begin
- Tax-Free Childcare calculatorThe 20% top-up on your bill
- Visit checklist for this nurseryPrintable questions, pre-filled
- Cost of nursery in Waltham ForestFees by age in Waltham Forest
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Fees, hours and features: the nursery's website (www.earlyeducationcentre.co.uk) · 11 November 2026
- Rating and review themes: Google · 11 November 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Quotes from Ofsted inspection reports, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Department for Education data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Ofsted data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.
- © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Powered by TfL Open Data
- Source: Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Read reviews on Google
Last checked 11 November 2026 · Ofsted URN 2590923 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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