Full-day nursery in Lower Holloway, Islington
The Gower School
18 North Road, London, N7 9EY · Getting there
Is it good?
Read the Ofsted reportOfsted inspection, before November 2025
Outstanding
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- 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
| Age | Full day | Per hour | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2s | £171£17.10 an hour | not shared yet | £2,805.25 |
| 2-year-olds | £175£17.50 an hour | not shared yet | £2,544 |
| All ages | not shared yet | £16.50 | not shared yet |
From nursery website, November 2026 · see the fees page. Price per hour is the day rate over a 10-hour day, from the nursery's opening hours.
- Charge on funded hours
- £10 half day
- Charge on funded hours
- £200 per month
- Charge on funded hours
- £160 per month
- Charge on funded hours
- £120 per month
- Charge on funded hours
- £20 half day
- Charge on funded hours
- £400 per month
- Charge on funded hours
- £320 per month
- Charge on funded hours
- £240 per month
- Charge on funded hours
- £20 half day
- Charge on funded hours
- £400 per month
- Charge on funded hours
- £320 per month
- Charge on funded hours
- £240 per month
- Registration fee
- £100
- Deposit
- £1,000
Funded hours: From 9 months, 2-year-olds, 30 hours
Hours and ages
- Monday to Friday
- 08:00–18:00
- Ages
- from 3 months
- Weeks open
- 48 a year
- Sessions
- Full day and per hour
Getting there
18 North Road, London, N7 9EY · More nurseries in N7
Stations
- Caledonian RoadStep-free access6 min walk · 0.2 miles
- Caledonian Road & BarnsburyStep-free access12 min walk · 0.5 miles
- Holloway Road14 min walk · 0.6 miles
Buses
16 bus stops within 400 m, including Goodinge Health Centre, North Road / Goodinge Health Centre and North Road / Pleasance Theatre.
Parks and playgrounds
- Caledonian Park1 min walk
- Market Road Garden6 min walk
- Cantelowes Gardens8 min walk
- Camden Square Gardens9 min walk
- Penn Road Gardens12 min walk
- Playground1 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
Reviews on Toddly
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Write a reviewAbout The Gower School
The Gower School is a full-day nursery at 18 North Road, London, N7 9EY, in Lower Holloway, Islington. It is registered for 120 children and takes children aged from 3 months. It opens 08:00–18:00, Mon–Fri, 48 weeks a year. Ofsted rated it Outstanding at its inspection in March 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025. Its published full-day fees range from £171 to £175 (nursery website, November 2026). It offers funded hours from 9 months, funded places for 2-year-olds and the 30 funded hours for 3 and 4-year-olds, and accepts Tax-Free Childcare. It has a Google rating of 4.6 from 52 reviews (November 2026).
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 Montessori and Forest school approaches. The Ofsted inspection in 2025 rated overall effectiveness Outstanding and quality of education Outstanding. Its website names music classes, children's yoga, language classes, sports coaching, dance and movement, drama and cooking activities.
- MontessoriSource: nursery website
- Forest schoolSource: nursery website
Food
Meals are included in the fees. Its website says meals are cooked on site and healthy snacks are provided.
- Meals cooked on siteSource: nursery website
- Meals included in feesSource: nursery website
- Healthy snacks providedSource: nursery website
Outdoors
Its website says the nursery offers local outings and trips.
- Local outings and tripsSource: nursery website
Settling in
Its website says full fees are charged from the child's first settling-in day.
- Late pick-upSource: nursery website
- Half-day sessionsSource: nursery website
- Nappies and wipes providedSource: nursery website
- Sibling discountSource: nursery website
- Holiday clubSource: nursery website
Safety
The Ofsted inspection in 2025 rated safeguarding effective.
Extras and activities
- Music classesSource: nursery website
- Children's yogaSource: nursery website
- Language classesSource: nursery website
- Sports coachingSource: nursery website
- Dance and movementSource: nursery website
- DramaSource: nursery website
- Cooking activitiesSource: nursery website
Getting a place
Its website says to visit the nursery admissions page for details on joining, and that a non-refundable £100 registration fee and a £1000 deposit apply. The nursery accepts government-funded hours for working parents of children from 9 months, funded hours for 2-year-olds, the universal 15 funded hours for 3-4 year olds, 30 funded hours for eligible 3-4 year olds, and Tax-Free Childcare.
Compare nurseries nearby
| Nursery | Ofsted | Full day from | Hours | Ages | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gower SchoolThis nursery | Outstanding | £171 | 08:00–18:00 | from 3 mo | This nursery |
| Goodinge Early Years CentreFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | not shared yet | 0.1 miles |
| Robert Blair Children's Centre and Extended School ServicesFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.3 miles |
| T-House NurseryFull-day nursery | Not yet inspected | not shared yet | not shared yet | not shared yet | 0.3 miles |
| Curiocity ChildcareFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | not shared yet | 0.4 miles |
| Montessori Garden Nursery SchoolFull-day nursery | Good | not shared yet | 08:00–18:00 | from 3 mo | 0.5 miles |
| CCN Montpelier NurseryFull-day nursery | Good | £66.40 | 08:00–18:00 | 2–5 yrs | 0.5 miles |
A dash means the nursery hasn't published it yet. Distances are in a straight line.
- All nurseries in Lower Holloway7
- All nurseries in Islington79
- All nurseries in N718
- Nurseries near Caledonian Road station
Nearby areas
Schools nearby
- Hungerford School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected October 2022 under 0.1 miles
- The Bridge School ages 2–19has a nursery classOfsted: Standards maintainedinspected July 2025 under 0.1 miles
- Brecknock Primary School Primaryages 2–11has a nursery classOfsted: Goodinspected March 2023 0.1 miles
- Robert Blair School and Children's Centre Primaryages 0–11has a nursery classOfsted: Standards maintainedinspected November 2024 0.3 miles
- Torriano Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Outstandinginspected July 2024 0.4 miles
- Tufnell Park Primary School Primaryages 2–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected October 2022 0.5 miles
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Goodinspected October 2022 0.5 miles
- Kentish Town Church of England Primary School Primaryages 3–11has a nursery classOfsted: School remains Outstandinginspected July 2024 0.6 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.
How much does The Gower School cost?
The Gower School publishes these fees: full day £171 for under 2s, per month £2,805.25 for under 2s, per month £2,529.25 for under 2s, per month £1,952 for under 2s, per month £1,403 for under 2s, full day £175 for 2-year-olds, per month £2,544 for 2-year-olds, per month £2,357.50 for 2-year-olds, per month £1,831.75 for 2-year-olds, per month £1,357.50 for 2-year-olds, per hour £16.50 for all ages and per hour £21.50 for all ages (nursery website, November 2026). Funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare can reduce what you pay.
Does The Gower School offer 30 funded hours?
Yes. The Gower School offers the 30 funded hours for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds. It charges £10 half day on funded hours for extras such as meals and activities.
Does The Gower School take funded 2-year-olds?
Yes. The Gower School offers funded places for eligible 2-year-olds.
Does The Gower School offer funded hours from 9 months?
Yes. The Gower School offers funded hours for eligible children from 9 months.
What are The Gower School's opening hours?
The Gower School opens 08:00–18:00, Mon–Fri.
Is The Gower School open all year?
The Gower School is open 48 weeks a year.
What ages does The Gower School take?
The Gower School takes children aged from 3 months.
What is The Gower School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated The Gower School Outstanding at its inspection on 19 March 2025, before report cards replaced single grades in November 2025.
How many children can The Gower School take?
The Gower School is registered with Ofsted for up to 120 children at any one time.
Are meals included at The Gower School?
Yes. Meals are included in the fees at The Gower School.
Does The Gower School accept Tax-Free Childcare?
Yes. The Gower School accepts Tax-Free Childcare payments.
Is there a registration fee or deposit at The Gower School?
Yes. The Gower School lists a registration fee of £100 and a deposit of £1,000.
What approach does The Gower School follow?
The Gower School's website describes its approach as: Montessori and Forest school.
Does The Gower School have outdoor space?
The Gower School lists: Local outings and trips.
What is the nearest station to The Gower School?
Caledonian Road is the nearest station we know of, 0.3 miles away in a straight line.
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.thegowerschool.co.uk) · 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
- From the nursery's website, with the page link and date checked
Last checked 12 November 2026 · Ofsted URN 131690 · Plain-text version · Report a mistake
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