We sent our son to Hornsey Day Nursery for three years, from when he turned one until he entered reception. The first year was at the baby site, the last two at the toddlers’ room in Arkansas House near the top of Hornsey Rise.

We loved it at Hornsey Day. Our son developed more into himself there, and he learned how to interact with other children and made friendships that we hope will last. We’ll always cherish our memories of his time there. We highly recommend it.

* Every staff member we talked to at both sites was lovely, without exception. Our son still talks about how much he appreciates them. They’re caring and thoughtful, taking both educational and safeguarding seriously. The combination of loving staff and thoughtful leadership made it a very positive experience.
* You’ll periodic updates on how your child is progressing that are quite detailed but don’t feel overbearing, letting you know what you can do more of at home
* There’s ample opportunity for parental participation by doing story time, or in the toddler room designing a unique and age-appropriate activity.
* The toddlers site has its own private outdoor space for the children to run around in, including a garden and a few trees that feel nicely shaded. At the baby room, they’re routinely taken to the nearby Grenville Road Gardens down some quiet side streets. Both feel very safe. (That being said, the toddlers’ site main gate opens downhill onto a busy estate car park, so make sure to watch your little ones!)
* We found it quite easy to form a community with other parents.
* Communication is good: while pickup-time discussion can sometimes be rushed, they will always inform you of everything important, and the site leads were always responsive during email.
* Staffing was consistent while we were there, which I gather is uncommon in the industry. (A few of my son’s favourite carers were moved to a related nursery, which was a personal disappointment, but that was more of a one-off thing)
* They give you amazing scrapbooks of everything your child has done: keepsakes to treasure forever, that say so much but don’t take up too much space.
* Our son has specific dietary and allergy needs. Staff were mindful of this while also making sure he received appropriate nutrition. They made it all extremely easy.

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication