Opening hours
Breakfast Club: 8:30am-9am; Morning: 9am-12pm; Afternoon: 12pm-3pm (except Fridays); All Day: 9am-3pm (Friday 9am-12pm)
Polkadots
Ofsted: Good
(Jun 2021)
Number of places
25 places
Age range
2–4 yrs
Last inspected
Jun 2021
Local authority
Camden
About this day nursery
PolkaDots Nursery, located in Cresswood Hall on Gillies Street in London NW5 4DP, offers a stimulating and nurturing environment for young children. The day nursery operates on a term-time basis, providing flexible session options including morning, afternoon, and all-day care, with a minimum requirement of three sessions per week to foster strong relationships between children and staff.
PolkaDots emphasises holistic development, focusing on speech, socialisation, and physical growth. The day nursery is committed to inclusivity, welcoming children and families from diverse backgrounds.
They also offer a range of enriched activities and experiences beyond basic care, funded through an optional Childcare Service fund, which includes specialist classes in Spanish, sport, and music, outdoor learning, local trips, creative play, and nutritious snacks. Parents are encouraged to contribute to this fund to enhance the children's daily experiences.
The nursery ensures a smooth transition for new children with play visits and a supportive settling-in period.
What it's like
Children enter the nursery with big smiles, and demonstrate that they thoroughly enjoy themselves there. They behave very well. Staff skilfully support them to understand boundaries and to develop respect for their peers. Children are curious and eager to learn, enjoying activities and excited to discover new things, such as finding out where worms and insects live in the garden.
Term-time nurseryFlexible sessionsOptional Childcare Service Fund for enriched activitiesFocus on holistic developmentInclusive community
Pricing & funding
Fees are billed monthly or termly, with flexible payment options and sibling discounts available. Charges are based on booked sessions, with the option to request pre-arranged extra hours. An enrolment fee is required to secure a place, which is refundable for children on government-funded places.
Funding accepted
30 hours — working parents (3–4 yrs)15 hours — eligible 2-year-olds15 hours — universal (3–4 yrs)
Good to know
- Invoiced at the start of each month or term.
- Sibling discount is available.
- Accepts childcare vouchers and work-based schemes.
- Enrolment fee is refunded after one month for government-funded places.
- Extra hours must be organised in advance.
Key facts
Session types
Morning Session, Afternoon Session, All Day Session, Breakfast Club
Term time / All Year
Term Time
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted rating for Polkadots
Last inspected 25 June 2021 · Sarah Crawford
Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
What it's like to attend
Children enter the nursery with big smiles, and demonstrate that they thoroughly enjoy themselves there. They behave very well. Staff skilfully support them to understand boundaries and to develop respect for their peers. Children are curious and eager to learn, enjoying activities and excited to discover new things, such as finding out where worms and insects live in the garden.
Inspector highlights
- Leaders have an ambitious vision to provide high-quality care and education to all children and use additional funding very effectively.
- Staff develop strong relationships with children and their families.
- The curriculum is well planned, and staff have a clear idea of what children need to learn.
- Staff support each child sensitively, encouraging them to explore at their own pace and solve problems.
- The nursery is inviting with exciting resources, and children have access to learn outdoors each day.
- Staff confidently help children to learn and use new words during small-group activities.
- Leaders ensure that all staff undertake safeguarding training and regularly discuss situations which may cause concern.
Areas to develop
- 1review ways that staff share books and stories with children, so as to ensure they are all fully engaged and deepen their learning
- 2help staff to implement their teaching skills more consistently, to support children's communication skills during their self-led play.
Inspection #10191466 · Source: OfstedView full Ofsted report
What parents say
Verbatim quotes recorded in the Ofsted inspection
Parents speak very highly of the nursery. They say that staff are extremely caring and supportive, and help them to extend children's learning at home.
Inclusion & environment
How they support every child
SEND provision
All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make very good progress due to personalised, targeted plans and specialised small-group sessions each day to support their social and communication skills. Staff work closely with other professionals where needed.
Outdoor space
Children have access to learn outdoors each day, which supports their health and well-being. They enjoy being active and use a range of apparatus to develop their physical strength and coordination. They enjoy discovering new things, such as finding out where worms and insects live in the garden.
EAL / language support
All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make very good progress.
Google Reviews of Polkadots
5.0
(56 Google reviews)
Annie Bowmaker
5 months ago
Polkadots Nursery has been an wonderful place for my child. My 3-year-old attended and genuinely enjoyed every single day she spent there, which speaks volumes about the nurturing and engaging environment the team creates. It’s clear a lot of care and thought goes into setting up interesting, creative, and stimulating activities for the children and learning through play is at the heart of everything they do. I also really appreciate the additional support and resources they provide for parents, which makes it so easy to continue and reinforce my child’s learning at home. The team are communicative, approachable, and passionate about caring for and supporting young children. I always felt informed and confident that my child was in safe, caring hands. I couldn’t recommend Polkadots Nursery more highly as a nursery setting and we felt very lucky to have found them!
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E A
5 months ago
This is now my second daughter to attend Polka Dots, and I honestly couldn’t be happier with our experience. Once again, the team have been incredible. The care and attention they show my daughter is so genuine — she’s happy, settled, and excited to go in each day, which says everything. Watching how much she’s grown and progressed since starting has been a joy. Her confidence, social skills, and learning have all come on leaps and bounds, and it’s clear how much effort the staff put into nurturing each child as an individual. Communication is another real standout. I always feel kept in the loop and reassured, and there’s a real sense of partnership between the nursery and parents. Polka Dots isn’t just an institute — it feels like a community. I couldn’t recommend Polka Dots highly enough. My sincerest of gratitude to you all @ PD!
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Katie Bovingdon
5 months ago
I couldn't of picked a better nursery for my daughter, it's a wonderful warm & friendly space for the children & my daughter has really thrived being there - she often sings the whole way home with the nursery rhymes she's learnt throughout the day. Wonderful space & Wonderful nursery staff. I really like the fact her allocated key worker updates me with photos of the activities my daughter is doing during the day. She is very happy at polkadots
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claire callaghan
6 months ago
The nursery is amazing my nephew love it there. He always comes out with a smile and tells me how he’s days been. The staff are wonderful people and very supportive.
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Natisha Bussue
10 months ago
This is my child’s second year here and he absolutely enjoys it. I’ve noticed his confidence grow since starting and the staff are all lovely. We’ve reached the end of our journey in this lovely nursery after 2 years. My son loves it and adores the staff and the friends he’s made here. He has been privileged enough to learn Spanish, dance, visit the elderly and have a football coach teach him. He goes in happy and leaves happy at the end of the day and I can’t recommend them enough. Well done to all the staff on your high standard of care and learning, we will miss you.
Read on GoogleReviews from Google for Polkadots. See all on Google Maps
Inspection history
Most recent inspection
25 June 2021
Only one graded inspection on record — a trend chart will appear here once a second graded report is published.
View full Ofsted reportFrequently asked about Polkadots
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