Independent Place Nursery

26-27 Independent Place, Shacklewell Lane, London E8 2HE
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9.2 73 Reviews
  • Independent Place Nursery, London
Independent Place Nursery is part of an award-winning outstanding nursery group awarded Ofsted Outstanding again in their recent November 2021 inspection. They are a private nursery which is uniquely situated in the heart of a safe gated complex just an 8 minute walk from Dalston Kingsland station.

The nursery has two fantastic secure outdoor spaces to offer, with the addition of a unique high specification sensory room, dedicated to providing a breadth of experiences for all children.

The main nursery garden boasts a garden oasis with a dedicated water play area which is filled with an incredible array of open-ended play resources, to ensure that children can explore through awe and wonder. The vegetable planting bed means that throughout the year children are able to observe and learn about healthy eating and growing their own vegetables and herbs to use within their weekly cooking sessions with the nursery cook.

The nursery offers three age-appropriate rooms which are equipped with natural age-specific equipment to meet all children's developmental needs. With a natural approach using a range of loose parts and upcycled materials and equipment, they incorporate the Curiosity approach throughout the nursery. Children discover and learn through their explorations of the range of open ended play opportunities with the teaching and learning of the fundamental British values through the incorporation of the Early Years Foundation stage.

The long-serving team ensures consistency for children’s development and strong familiar bonds are made through a key worker system, which supports partnerships with all parents and carers. The online EyLog learning journal allows parents and carers to track children's nursery life and development and share key information.

The nursery employs daily specialist teachers as extra curriculum activities to support children in their earliest years.

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Care Provided by Independent Place Nursery

  • Type of Service
  • Day Nursery – Privately Owned
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Good to Know

  • Person in charge
  • Lisa Delamere (Nursery Manager)
  • Number of Childcare Staff
  • 18
  • Total Places for Children
  • 49
  • Age Range
    • from 0 years 3 months
    • to 5 years 0 months
  • Opening Times
  • Monday 08:00-18:00
    Tuesday 08:00-18:00
    Wednesday 08:00-18:00
    Thursday 08:00-18:00
    Friday 08:00-18:00
  • When Closed
  • Bank Holidays & Christmas

Funding & Fees Guide for Independent Place Nursery

  • £92.50-£102.50 per day
    Discounts for 5 days a week
    Sibling discount offered

  • The nursery offers bookings to include breakfast and evening care. 8am-6pm opening hours.

Independent Place Nursery Reviews (73)

Total of 73, showing 41-60
9.2

Independent Place Nursery has a Review Score of 9.2 (9.237) out of 10, based on 8 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time Independent Place Nursery has 73 reviews.

Overall Experience

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Review from Gemma H (Mother of Child) published on 9 September 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

We've loved our time at Independent Place - such a vibrant, happy and caring environment. Would wholeheartedly recommend.

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Review from A D F (Mother of Child) published on 29 April 2019
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son attended Independent Place for a little over two years until we moved away, from 5 months until 2.5 years old. He absolutely loved it there. Staff was kind, caring, and involved in his learning and wellbeing. It’s a small nursery, so everyone knows everyone, and my son built up close bonds not
just with his key worker, but also with the other staff and children. Activities are varied and well thought out and there are a lot of great ways to get involved as a parent (if you want to). We were heartbroken to leave, but would heartily recommend this nursery to anyone.

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Review from Vicky B (Mother of Child) published on 13 December 2018
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Both of my children (3 and 1) attend Independent Place and have done since they were 6 and 8 months respectively.
It's an extremely nurturing environment with very caring staff, who dote on the children and give them plenty of opportunity for educational and emotional development.

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Review from Florence (Mother of Child) published on 18 August 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The staff are caring and wonderfully attentive to the needs of the children.
They were very helpful in establishing a routine for our daughter.


The meals are healthy and varied.


Activities are diverse (messy play, painting, going for walks, reading, singing, with specialist classes like yoga

and music). The rooms are very clean and tidy, even more so since the facilities received a makeover!


We were kept informed of our daughter's development thanks to photos and videos and there were regular parents meeting.


There is also a weekly newsletter to inform parents as to what their children as a group have been up to and what they will be exploring the following week.


The manager at the time (June 2017) did an incredible job.
Our emails were always answered promptly and our requests dealt with effectively.


Any issue with the child is discussed in private and any incident, no matter how small, is duly reported to the parents.


I highly recommend the nursery to any prospective parents!


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Review from Jamie B (Father of Child) published on 8 August 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My daughter attended Independent Place Nursery four days a week for two years. It's generally very well run and offers a high-quality provision of care.


Although the nursery is on the small side compared to a previous nursery my daughter attended, they make the most of the space, the facilities are

good and there have been a couple of refurbishments and upgrades over the last two years. The outside space, in particular, was improved dramatically and the children really enjoy it.


The nursery has freshly cooked food every day, which was a vast improvement on my daughter's first nursery (and one of the main reasons I moved her).


They also try to have different activities every day such as music, yoga and French to keep the children stimulated.

The biggest attribute of the nursery is the excellent staff. Although there's a high turnover rate of staff, the level of care is very good. Most of the staff members are genuinely lovely and form close bonds with the children.


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Review from Lisa S (Mother of Child) published on 2 May 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5

Independent Place is a safe, warm and friendly place that my son enjoys. He has learnt and tried lots of new things, that I may not have done which I love. There is a lot of thought into activities suitable for each age group and the food is great.

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Review from Edward M (Father of Child) published on 2 February 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our daughter has been at Independent Place for over three years now, both she and we are very happy, and we would not hesitate to recommend it. We will be sending our new arrival within the next year.

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Review from Karen (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son is very happy at this nursery. Excellent manager and caring staff. After some resistance, he now eats all the food. He gets taken out on outings and does lots of art. There are several parents evenings per year where you can discuss your child's progress.

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Review from H H (Mother of Child) published on 2 February 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The care and attention our daughter receives at Independent Place is amazing. We are so happy with all the great staff and management but most importantly our daughter truly loves being there. She is engaged in a huge variety of activities and is challenged in a very nurturing way to develop a wide
range of social, physical and communication skills. Our son also attended Independent Place for 4 years prior to starting school in September 2016 so we have first-hand evidence of how well the staff helped prepare him over a long period of time for this important transition. I could not recommend Independent Place highly enough.

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Review from D M (Father of Child) published on 1 February 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Independent Place is a warm, friendly, and stimulating environment that my child absolutely adores. Staff are attentive and caring, and the children have real bonds with them. The nursery's director runs an extremely tight ship. The facilities are great, especially the garden. Overall, this is a very
special place.

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Review from Lucy (Mother of Child) published on 1 February 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The Independent Nursery Place is a really friendly nursery. They have excellent staff who love doing what they do and a very good manager leading the whole team. I would highly recommend this nursery as my son is very happy there :)

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Review from Claire M (Mother of Child) published on 1 February 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

The nursery is absolutely fabulous. The staff are warm, friendly and kind. My daughter loves being there and is always very happy and content when I pick her up. There are lots of activities for the kids and it is very child led so the kids are enabled and encouraged to find and follow their own interests.
It is a wonderful place, with great management, and I feel very fortunate that my daughter goes there. A place to play and have fun as well as perfectly preparing them for school life and they are have also been very supportive to me when I have had questions about behaviour, potty training or whatever comes up at home with a toddler. They are always there to offer great advice and support. Absolutely wonderful, I would definitely recommend to anyone.

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Review from Lauren F (Mother of Child) published on 1 February 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

This nursery is fantastic - I am constantly impressed with how lovely all the teachers are and how happy all the children are! My daughter always speaks so fondly of her teachers and her time spent in the nursery. I had full support through potty training and find they are always supportive with any
questions/issues I have. Could not fault this place!

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Review from Val B (Mother of Child) published on 17 January 2017
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My little girl went to Independent Place from 10 months old. Being our first child, Independent Place was amazing at helping us feel at ease and all of us to settle in quickly. Throughout our time at Independent Place, they have always been there to support and provide fantastic advice on illness and/or
ways to advance development. The activities that they set up have also been fantastic and I've often seen my little one doing yoga moves unprompted at home! The staff are extremely kind and clearly enjoy their time with all the children. My little girl was super happy there and made many friends. I would highly recommend Independent Place to any parent.

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Review from Pete (Father of Child) published on 25 November 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

If you are a parent considering where to send your little one in this area, then I cannot recommend Independent Place Nursery enough!


My daughter has been going here for almost 2 years and I could not be happier with the genuinely loving care that she receives. All the staff there deserve praise,

but both of my daughter's key workers have been particularly excellent. Also, the manager is just the best! She is constantly improving things, a great mentor for her staff and a trusted adviser for first-time parents like myself.


Another huge plus is the extra daily activities for the kids, which are just fantastic. But the best part is that you can even watch little videos of your little one doing things (like yoga) through the super cool eyLog app. It's brilliant!


Well done everyone at Independent Place Nursery for creating such a wonderful environment for our kids.


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Review from Laura D (Mother of Child) published on 26 September 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son has just left Independent Place as we are moving out of the city but we were very sad to go and as someone else mentioned in a review, the nursery is one of the reasons we haven’t moved sooner! He started attending when he was 13 months and has progressed through all the rooms (he’s now 3) and
we have been so happy with the experience. All of the staff are lovely, so kind and caring and have really encouraged him.
He was never very happy at the morning drop off and in each room the staff took the time to cuddle him or distract him until he was settled. They sorted out his naps, encouraged him to eat things he would never try at home, helped with potty training, taught him to count and gave him a very mixed scottish/hackney accent!


The manager is excellent, really on top of things and very good at communicating with parents and encouraging feedback. I would highly recommend the nursery and really hope our new one lives up to their high standard.


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Review from Amanda S (Mother of Child) published on 29 July 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

My son has been at this nursery since he was 4 months old. So, he has been in all of the rooms and with a variety of carers. I have been really impressed with the high quality of care in all of the rooms. My son has always found a carer who he has grown attached to and really understands his personality
and needs. He has always been involved in a variety of activities, including singing and yoga. He even shows us new tricky moves when he gets home. The management is impeccable and very responsive to feedback. Overall, I cannot think of a better nursery.

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Review from C C (Mother of Child) published on 11 July 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

I can only find good words to describe this nursery. My son has been with them for about 6 months and he is SO happy! I visited nearly all nurseries in Hackney, since waiting lists were so long in most places and I needed to go back to work after 1 year. Independent place gave me the best feeling after
visiting and I am now amazed with how well it has turned out. It surprises me to see how many different activities the staff can come up with, how lovely the atmosphere always is, staff engages sweetly with the children, children seem happy, excited, kind and are very well behaved. The food must be great as my son sometimes has four portions of it!! All organic and sometimes even home baked scones for tea... Lots of creative play, cuddle, singing and fun it seems at least from a parents perspective.

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Review from Claire L (Mother of Child) published on 11 April 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

All 3 of my children have been to this nursery and have been very happy. My smallest child is still there, his sisters enjoy going back to pick him up – they'd love to attend in the school holidays! There is a core of loyal staff who we've known for years. All my children have had the same lovely key-worker
and this continuity has made it easier e.g. when changing rooms, my son was told stories about when his sisters were there, making it feel less scary. Yes, the nursery has great facilities, resources, interesting activities and an organic menu but the bottom line is that I have never had any concerns about welfare – all staff know the children well and are warm and caring towards them. The manager is excellent; approachable, pragmatic and willing to try new ideas and consult with parents. My children have thrived at nursery; finding it interesting and enjoyable – a great start to their early development, making some long-term friendships. I have recommended the nursery to friends.

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Review from Sonia (Mother of Child) published on 4 April 2016
Submitted via Website • Report

Overall Experience  Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5

Our son started at this nursery at 11 months. Although nervous at first, he now loves it and comes home happy every day he is there.


The nursery is very well equipped with water play, sandpit and a lovely sensory room. The outdoor garden has just been redone and looks a lot of fun. Staff are caring

and attentive. Our son enjoys all the activities on offer including the music man (who comes and sings songs with guitar one day a week) and Yoga bugs. We get a written report each day on what he's done, eaten etc.


I have often asked for extra days/breakfasts etc to fit in with last minute changes to my work as a hospital doctor and have found the nursery extremely helpful and accommodating.


Would highly recommend.


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Current Review Score: 9.2 (9.237)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.2 (9.237) out of 10 for Independent Place Nursery is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  • a) The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 8 Reviews in the last 24 months.

  • b) The score for the number of positive Reviews is 4.4 out of 5 from 7 positive Reviews in the last 24 months.

Detailed Breakdown of Review Score

The maximum Review Score for a Day Nursery is 10, which is made up from the Average Rating of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) and the Number of Reviews (maximum of 5 points) in the last 24 months:

  • a) 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months.

    The Average Rating of 4.823 for Independent Place Nursery is calculated as follows: ( (84 Excellents x 5) + (9 Goods x 4) + (2 Satisfactorys x 3) + (1 Very Poors x 1) ) ÷ 96 Ratings = 4.823

  • b) 5 Points are available for the number of Positive Reviews in the last 24 months. A Positive Review is defined as any Review with an 'Overall Experience' of '4' or '5' (out of a max rating '5').

    The 4.414 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Independent Place Nursery is based on 7 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    • i) 4 points are available for the first 10 Positive Reviews in the last 24 months; 3 points for the first Positive Review, and then 0.125 Points for each of the next four Positive Reviews and then 0.1 Points for the next five Positive Reviews. (1st = 3.000, 2nd = 0.125, 3rd = 0.125, 4th = 0.125, 5th = 0.125, 6th = 0.100, 7th = 0.100, 8th = 0.100, 9th = 0.100, 10th = 0.100) 3 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.125 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 3.7

    • ii) 1 point is available for the number of Positive Reviews reaching 20% of the number of registered child places in the last 24 months. If this number is partially reached, then that proportion of 1 point is given. eg a Day Nursery registered for a maximum of 50 child places has to reach 10 Positive Reviews to receive 1 point, if it has 7 reviews it will receive 0.7 points. 20% of the 49 number of registered child places is 9.8. 7 Positive Reviews ÷ 9.8 = 0.714

  • When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.

  • If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

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Awards / Recognitions (3)

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Meet the Team (7)

Lisa

Lisa Delamere

Job Title: Nursery Manager

Joined: 2016

Lisa is the Nursery Manager. She has been working with the Children-First company for over five years and is the company lead SENDco and Independent Place Nurseries Designated Safeguarding Lead.


Lisa is qualified to Level 3 and amongst her other qualifications, she is Makaton trained. Lisa has an exceptionally sound knowledge of development with ages 3 months to 5 years and puts this into practice on a daily basis. Lisa’s passions are early years learning and Parent Partnership.


Semiha

Semiha Sinmaz

Job Title: Floor Manager

Joined: 2018

Semiha is the Nursery Floor Manager and is the nurseries lead health and safety coordinator. Semiha is dedicated to providing exceptional activity ideas for all ages in the Nursery using her breadth of knowledge, understanding and research. Semiha is supernumerary in Nursery, so is able to support and mentor the team across the setting.


Stacey

Stacey Watson

Job Title: Room Leader/Third in Charge

Joined: 2011

Stacey is the preschool room leader and nursery third in charge. Stacey has worked at Independent Place Nursery for over 10 years and leads the preschool room supporting school readiness and transitions for all children.


Claire

Claire Fairman

Job Title: Room Leader

Joined: 2015

Claire has worked at Independent Place Nursery for six years and has experience working with all age groups and is our Baby room leader. Claire supports children in their settling in sessions in the baby room adapting and supporting children routines. Claire enjoys planning a wide range of messy play activities for children to explore their five senses.


Chelsea

Chelsea Mecoy

Job Title: Room Leader

Joined: 2015

Chelsea is the Toddler Room Leader and has worked at Independent Place for over six years. Chelsea is caring and supportive and supports strong partnerships with parents to support children's experiences and interests with key links to home.


Nikki

Nikki Lovell

Job Title: Deputy Room Leader

Joined: 2018

Nikki has worked for the Children First company for over three years and has worked with both the preschool rooms at our sister nursery and Independent Place Nursery. Nikki is the nursery events coordinator and enjoys creating and researching new experiences for children to explore and learn new life skills.


Bernadette

Bernadette Bardouille

Job Title: Nursery Cook

Joined: 2020

Bernie is the Nursery Cook and prepares the organic food menu freshly on site. Bernie supports children through their weaning process and dietary needs working closely with all families. Bernie enjoys leading on cooking sessions with the children in each room and making fresh bread for the children's breakfast.


Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Independent Place Nursery to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Independent Place Nursery has a Platinum Service – more info.