Full-day nursery in Islington
Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school
7-9 Esther Anne Place, London, N1 1UL · 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.
Official records
Fees
Fees: not published yet
Thanks. We count every request and show the nursery how many parents are asking.
Nurseries in Islington that publish fees charge £77–£180 a day for under-2s (4 nurseries). This is the area's range, not this nursery's.
Hours and ages
- Monday to Friday
- 08:00–18:00
- Ages
- 3 months to 5 years
Getting there
7-9 Esther Anne Place, London, N1 1UL · More nurseries in N1
Stations
- Essex Road8 min walk · 0.3 miles
- Highbury & Islington12 min walk · 0.5 miles
- Angel13 min walk · 0.5 miles
Buses
18 bus stops within 400 m, including St Mary's Church, Cross Street / Dagmar Terrace and Theberton Street / Gibson Sq.
Parks and playgrounds
- Gibson Square3 min walk
- Andersons Square4 min walk
- Islington Green5 min walk
- Lonsdale Square Garden5 min walk
- Pleasant Place Garden5 min walk
- Pocket Playground2 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 Islington there are about 2.6 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
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Write a reviewAbout Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school
Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school is a full-day nursery at 7-9 Esther Anne Place, London, N1 1UL, in Islington. It is registered for 60 children and takes children aged 3 months to 5 years. It opens 08:00–18:00, Mon–Fri. Ofsted rated it Good at its inspection in January 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. It has a Google rating of 5.0 from 6 reviews (November 2026). It is run by Dicky Birds Pre School Nurseries Limited.
Run by Dicky Birds Pre School Nurseries Limited (school), which runs 25 nurseries.
A day here
Our summary of the nursery's website and Ofsted reports. Each feature links to where it came from.
Learning
Its website says the nursery uses the Curiosity Approach, a play-based EYFS curriculum, Hygge in the early years and a nature-based approach. Ofsted's 2025 inspection rated overall effectiveness Good and quality of education Good. Its website names language classes, sports coaching, dance and movement, and library visits as activities.
- Curiosity ApproachSource: nursery website
- Play-based EYFS curriculumSource: nursery website
- Hygge in the early yearsSource: nursery website
- Nature-based approachSource: nursery website
Food
Meals are included in the fees. Its website says meals are cooked on site, vegan options are offered, the kitchen is allergy-aware, and breakfast is provided.
- Meals cooked on siteSource: nursery website
- Vegan optionsSource: nursery website
- Allergy-aware kitchenSource: nursery website
- Meals included in feesSource: nursery website
- Breakfast providedSource: nursery website
Outdoors
Its website says the nursery has its own garden and a mud kitchen. It also says the nursery makes regular park trips and local outings and trips.
- Own gardenSource: nursery website
- Regular park tripsSource: nursery website
- Mud kitchenSource: nursery website
- Local outings and tripsSource: nursery website
Settling in
Its website says the nursery manager gets in touch before a child starts to book settling-in sessions, so the child can get familiar with the nursery before their first full day. It also lists a key person system and settling-in sessions as part of its care.
- Key person systemSource: nursery website
- Separate baby roomSource: nursery website
- Settling-in sessionsSource: nursery website
- Sibling discountSource: nursery website
Safety
Ofsted's 2025 inspection rated safeguarding as effective.
- Parent app with daily updatesSource: nursery website
- Near public transportSource: nursery website
Extras and activities
- Language classesSource: nursery website
- Sports coachingSource: nursery website
- Dance and movementSource: nursery website
- Library visitsSource: nursery website
Getting a place
Its website says families visit the nursery and meet the team first. The team then guides them through the registration process and explains what information they need.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-schoolThis nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 3 mo–5 yrs | This nursery |
| St Mary's Preschool and PlayschemeSessional pre-school | Good | not shared yet | 09:00–16:00 | 2–5 yrs | under 0.1 miles |
| Les Petites Etoiles Bilingual Montessori – AngelFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 1–4 yrs | 0.1 miles |
| Be Me Day Nursery AngelFull-day nursery | Outstanding | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | not shared yet | 0.2 miles |
| MEplace IslingtonFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 9 mo–5 yrs | 0.2 miles |
| Beckett House Montessori Nursery SchoolFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | 2–5 yrs | 0.2 miles |
| Packington Children's CentreFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | not shared yet | 0.3 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
- All nurseries in Islington9
- All nurseries in Islington79
- All nurseries in N130
- Nurseries near Essex Road station
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- St Mary's CofE Primary School Primaryages 4–11Ofsted: School remains Goodinspected March 2023 0.1 miles
- William Tyndale Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding; Personal development: Outstanding; Leadership and management: Goodinspected November 2024 0.2 miles
- New River College Primary ages 5–11Ofsted: School remains Goodinspected June 2023 0.3 miles
- Richard Cloudesley School ages 2–19has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Outstandinginspected October 2023 0.3 miles
- Thornhill Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected November 2022 0.3 miles
- St John Evangelist Catholic Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected April 2024 0.3 miles
- Laycock Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected June 2024 0.4 miles
- Canonbury Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected October 2022 0.4 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.
What are Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school's opening hours?
Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school opens 08:00–18:00, Mon–Fri.
What ages does Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school take?
Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school takes children aged 3 months to 5 years.
What is Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school Good at its inspection on 7 January 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
How many children can Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school take?
Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school is registered with Ofsted for up to 60 children at any one time.
Are meals included at Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school?
Yes. Meals are included in the fees at Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school.
Who runs Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school?
Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school is run by Dicky Birds Pre School Nurseries Limited, which runs 25 nurseries.
What approach does Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school follow?
Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school's website describes its approach as: Curiosity Approach, Play-based EYFS curriculum, Hygge in the early years and Nature-based approach.
Does Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school have outdoor space?
Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school lists: Own garden, Regular park trips, Mud kitchen and Local outings and trips.
What is the nearest station to Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school?
Essex Road is the nearest station we know of, 0.3 miles away in a straight line.
How do I contact Islington Square Day Nursery and Pre-school?
You can call 020 3985 1939 and visit www.grandiruk.com.
Tools for parents in Islington
- 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 IslingtonFees by age in Islington
About this information
- Registration and inspections: Ofsted · 30 June 2026
- Fees, hours and features: the nursery's website (www.grandiruk.com) · 11 November 2026
- Rating and review themes: Google · 12 November 2026
- Schools: DfE Get Information about Schools · 4 November 2026
- Contains Ofsted data 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 12 November 2026 · Ofsted URN 2686900 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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