Opening hours
Mon - Fri, 8am to 6pm (excl. bank holidays)
Partou Merchant Square Day Nursery & Pre-School
Ofsted: Good
(Sept 2025)
Number of places
69 places
Age range
1–3 yrs
Last inspected
Sept 2025
Local authority
Westminster
About this early years setting
Partou Merchant Square Day Nursery & Pre-School, located in Paddington, offers high-quality childcare within the vibrant Merchant Square residential and leisure area. This purpose-built nursery designs its programmes to cater to each child’s individual background and potential, fostering confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning.
The educators at Partou Merchant Square extend learning beyond the classroom by incorporating daily walks around the square, along the canal, and to the local post office, encouraging children to connect with their community and explore the world. Inside, the neutrally decorated and well-resourced learning environments spark imagination and support sensory and physical development through a "Discovery Room" for exploration and calm reflection.
The nursery prides itself on building strong relationships with both children and their families, ensuring excellent learning outcomes. Families consistently note their children's happiness and increasing confidence.
Partou Merchant Square emphasises nurturing relationships, meaningful play, and strong family partnerships to create a safe, stimulating, and inspiring environment for every child.
Our ethos
At Partou Merchant Square, we believe every child carries a unique backpack filled with their experiences, culture, and endless potential. Our role is to walk beside them as they unpack their world, adding confidence, curiosity, friendships, and a love of learning along the way. Building strong bonds with children and families alike is important to us and our warm and engaging team work with families to create these strong relationships to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for children.
What it's like
Leaders have taken steps to make the necessary improvements since the last inspection, strengthening staff's safeguarding skills. Children learn through play in a thoughtfully arranged environment, enjoying a wide range of experiences such as exploring autumn leaves. Positive relationships with children and parents are built through a robust settling-in process, and the curriculum is individualised to help children learn based on their interests, fostering independence and a positive attitude to learning.
Purpose-built facilityCommunity integrationStrong family partnershipsDiscovery Room
Pricing & funding
Fees are structured to cover care, meals and snacks, and daily consumables separately. Charges are applied across all 52 weeks of the year, including bank holidays. Sibling and Blue Light Card discounts are available.
Funding accepted
15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)Tax-Free Childcare
Good to know
- A registration fee or deposit is required to reserve a place.
- Fees are charged across 52 weeks of the year, including Bank Holidays.
- Fees cover care, meals, snacks, and daily consumables like nappies, wipes, and sun cream.
- A 5% sibling discount is available for the eldest child.
- A 5% discount is available for Blue Light Card holders.
Key facts
Term time / All Year
All Year
Registered with Ofsted
2014
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Partou Merchant Square Day Nursery & Pre-School
Last inspected 15 September 2025 · Jacqueline Halpin
Overall effectiveness
Good
What it's like to attend
Leaders have taken steps to make the necessary improvements since the last inspection, strengthening staff's safeguarding skills. Children learn through play in a thoughtfully arranged environment, enjoying a wide range of experiences such as exploring autumn leaves. Positive relationships with children and parents are built through a robust settling-in process, and the curriculum is individualised to help children learn based on their interests, fostering independence and a positive attitude to learning.
Inspector highlights
- Leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to ensure that staff's safeguarding knowledge has been strengthened through training and continual updates.
- Staff help children to become effective communicators, including children who speak English as an additional language.
- Staff support children to build their physical skills well, using various resources to develop core strength, gross motor skills, and fine motor skills for early writing.
- Leaders ensure children have well-balanced and nutritious meals and staff remind them to wash their hands, supporting good hygiene practices.
- Leaders have established a robust staff supervision process and ongoing professional discussions to help identify staff's strengths and training needs, leading to a strong curriculum and staff feeling valued.
Areas to develop
- 1ensure that all staff, including cover staff, have a full understanding of children's needs to support their behaviour further.
Inspection #10409037 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
What parents say
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
Parents speak positively of leaders and staff.
They appreciate the daily communication and regular updates on their children's care needs and development.
Parents share that staff work closely with them to support milestones, such as toilet training.
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
The report doesn't explicitly mention 'special educational needs', 'SEND', 'SENCo', 'EHCP', 'additional needs', 'tailored support', 'targeted intervention', 'speech and language', or 'early help'.
Outdoor space
Children take walks along the local canal, picking leaves and singing nursery rhymes, which helps them build an understanding of the world around them and make links in their learning. They also use resources like tricycles and climbing equipment to build core strength and gross motor skills.
Google Reviews of Partou Merchant Square Day Nursery & Pre-School
4.4
(19 Google reviews)
Nadia
3 months ago
The nursery has been transformed under new leadership of Graziela - Manager. Her approach has introduced some empowering, educational practices for the children. From the children’s graduation ceremony, theme days, to their adventures out into the community, all while helping the children understand how to express & regulate their emotions. Graziela’s has brought focus on these fundamentals, encouraging children to create meaningful imaginative moments. Her natural reassuring presence adds comfort and structure to the nursery. The nursery drives to nurture children’s self-confidence while motivating their passion to explore and learn. The team are friendly, compassionate and all hold unique talents that provide the best playful educational environment for children to thrive in. My children have really benefited in attending. Thank you Graziela for reshaping our nursery.
Read on Google
Danielle Dixon
4 months ago
Graziela and the team are incredible! Our boy started off shy and nervous over his first few weeks but then immediately settled in. He now wakes up and can't wait to come to nursery! Since attending merchant square his speech has come such a long way, he is now able to count, express his wants and needs & engage in a conversation. I can't thank the staff enough, they have been an absolute pleasure. I have no doubt my sons speedy progress is due to the love, care and teachings of the fantastic team at merchant square nursery. Our son is so fond of the team he often discusses them at home, if he doesn't see them in a session he tells us they're on holiday. I would 100% recommend this nursery!
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Dounia Rashid
4 months ago
I have had a long-standing experience with Merchant Square The Nursery. My son attended first, and because of the positive experience, I later registered my daughter when she was around one year old. Over the years, the nursery has continued to improve and grow from strength to strength. This is largely thanks to Grizella and the way she leads and manages her team. The environment is caring, well-organised, and supportive, and both of my children have been happy and well looked after. I would highly recommend Merchant Square The Nursery to other parents looking for a high-quality and well-managed nursery.
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Ameerah
3 months ago
Our daughter has absolutely thrived at Merchant square day nursery. The staff are warm, caring, and incredibly accommodating, and the manager Graziela goes above and beyond to make every child feel valued. She has made wonderful friends, is developing socially and emotionally, and is truly enjoying her time there. It’s amazing to see her blossoming so happily in such a supportive environment. We couldn’t recommend the nursery more highly!”
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yie sheen
4 months ago
Sending your first child to nursery so you can go back to work can be incredibly daunting but this nursery has been so supportive and understanding, they made the transition so much easier for me and my son. The team are full of knowledge and share this in such a considerate way. The manager Graziela and the team has given me so much confidence in leaving my son in their care. She is so compassionate and has truly made us feel like our best interests are always put first.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for Partou Merchant Square Day Nursery & Pre-School. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Improved from Inadequate → Good in 2025
Date: June 2016
- September 2025Good
- May 2025Inadequate
- March 2020Good
- June 2016Good
Frequently asked about Partou Merchant Square Day Nursery & Pre-School
About the setting
Partou Merchant Square Day Nursery registered in 2014 and is situated in the London Borough of Westminster. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, all year round, from 8am until 6pm. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff, with five holding qualifications ranging from level 2 to level 6, and provides government-funded childcare.
- URN
- EY481188
- Registered person
- Merchant Square Day Nursery Limited
- Day care type
- Full day care
- Register
- Early Years Register
- Establishment type
- Childcare on non-domestic premises
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This listing has been compiled from official Ofsted records, the nursery's own website, details provided directly by the nursery where available, and other trusted public sources. We regularly review and update listings to keep the information as accurate as possible. Learn more