Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School

86 Carlton Hill, Maida Vale, London NW8 0ER
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9.7 42 Reviews
  • Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School, London
Rated Good by Ofsted (February 2022), Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School provides childcare and education to children from birth to 5 years old.

They're in Maida Vale, close to the tube. The Nursery is based in a beautiful period building with a spacious garden.

The experienced staff plan the day’s ‘free play’ and ‘focused activities’ with the children. They might make wooden toys and props, cook in the home corner, take part in science experiments like 'Fizzy Balls', climb trees, grow fruit and veg, or spot insects in the ‘jungle’... there are so many ways to learn!

The children eat well too. The on-site chef prepares all meals using healthy recipes from LEYF’s menu.
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Type of Service

  • Day Nursery
  • Open all year
  • Full Day Care
  • Sessional Day Care

Group/Owner

Person in Charge

  • Selamawit Ghebreisus (Manager)

Number of Childcare Staff

  • 33

Registered Charity Number

  • 299686

Total Places for Children

  • 72

Age Range

  • from 0 years 0 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

Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School Reviews (42)

9.7

Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.731) out of 10, based on 14 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School has 42 reviews.

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Reviewer Connection to Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School
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Total of 42, showing 1-20
Review from Lara S (Mother of Child) published on 24 September 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are exceptionally grateful for the extraordinary care my daughter received at Carlton Hill. She started at Carlton Hill when she was a baby and stayed there for 4 years till she transitioned to school. The teachers and management are exceptional. They are so loving, caring, kind and professional.
My daughter was always very happy and secure which gave us immense peace of mind. The nursery also has a big garden, which is extremely well utilized and quite rare for London. We cannot recommend this place highly enough it's a truly excellent nursery.
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Review from Maria T (Mother of Child) published on 21 August 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
My daughter started going to Carlton Hill preschool last April. From the very first moment, we felt the sense of family and unity, that everyone is trying to create for the children and the parents.
Everybody, from the lovely director to the very last teacher, is very attentive, thoughtful and is
trying really hard to ensure the children's safety, which always comes first. Our child is looked after really well by everyone working at the school.
The teachers are very aware of the children's development, they are documenting their progress and are always happy to address any concerns the parents have.
My daughter is looking forward to going there every day. Since starting attending preschool, she has made many friends and is constantly learning new things. Lots of activities are taking place daily, as well as outings to the park, library and the theater.
The huge garden helps the kids discover nature.
I would definitely recommend Carlton Hill for its great and secure environment.
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Review from Mihaela S (Mother of Child) published on 19 May 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
So impressed with this nursery! It has given my daughter a great start for the early years education, especially since English is not our first language. In the words of a teacher she had this spring, my daughter "has bloomed under our eyes" during these first 2 terms spent at Carlton Hill Nursery.
The facilities are amazing for a central London location, complete with a big garden in which children have gardening and physical activities x2 a day. The teachers and the educational resources are of top quality but the "intellectual effort" is not pushed on children or forced - rather there is a sense of ease and joy of being together, in their small groups, rotating from room to room and teacher to teacher throughout the day. I wish the same experience of fulfilment, connection and growth that my daughter and I had to all children and parents who will come to this nursery after reading my review! It was definitely worth the financial effort to pay the fees as a single parent.
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Review from M Y (Mother of Child) published on 17 March 2025 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
I am generally satisfied with our experience here. All the staff are friendly and welcoming, which left a great impression on me. The large garden space for the children to play was also a wonderful feature. I feel that my child truly enjoyed their time at the nursery.
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Review from R W (Mother of Child) published on 23 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for the wonderful care and support you have provided our child.
From the moment we first stepped through your doors, we were greeted with warmth and kindness. Your dedication to creating a nurturing and stimulating environment for all the children
in your care is truly commendable. The love and attention that our child has received during their time with you has been invaluable, and we are incredibly grateful for the positive impact you have had on her development.
All of you have gone above and beyond to ensure our felt safe, happy, and supported every day.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for everything you have done for our child. We will miss you all dearly, but we will always carry the memories we have shared with you in our hearts.
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Review from Justine G (Mother of Child) published on 11 September 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Carlton Hill has truly been a second home for my not-so-little one. From the day she started at 10 months old in the midst of Covid, to her last day after 4 years, she has enjoyed every minute of her time at the nursery. Carlton Hill has provided a place for her to thrive, to grow, to laugh, to challenge
herself, to learn, and to make friends. The manager and the entire team have been the absolute best at making all the children feel loved, safe, and happy. The wonderful teachers and staff always went out of their way to make the parents feel part of the community and reassure us that our children were doing great. We could not ask for a better nursery. Thank you to everyone at Carlton Hill. We will truly miss you all!
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Review from Raisa M (Mother of Child) published on 27 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are so thrilled with Carlton Hill and the care and love they have given our child since he was 13 months old. The nursery staff are all very caring, loving and respectful of parents and children. There is truly a family vibe, and I am astonished at how they remember all the names of the children
and the parents throughout the nursery. My son has flourished and become very independent, kind and curious thanks to the learning and development at Carloton Hill. Thank you to the manager for everything!
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Review from N K (Mother of Child) published on 12 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Carlton Hill has been a second home for our family. The management is very committed, giving their all! It has a very big garden for central London, which is a big plus and children spend plenty of time outdoors. My kids come home very happy, always singing new songs and telling new stories about the
nursery. Fully recommend!
Reply from Selamawit Ghebreisus, Manager at Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School
Hello, thank you for taking the time to write this lovely review. It was a pleasure having the children at the nursery.
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Review from H A (Mother of Child) published on 5 August 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
My daughter enjoyed her time at the nursery. The teachers were lovely and she acquired amazing social skills thanks to the preschool teacher. She loved the huge garden and being able to explore the outdoors.
We were very happy with the nursery overall, I think that when it comes to preparations for
reception there's more that could have been done.
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Review from Soma H (Mother of Child) published on 17 July 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We are absolutely thrilled with the care and education our daughter receives at Carlton Hill Nursery. From the moment we first visited, we knew this was the perfect place for our little one.
The staff at Carlton Hill Nursery are nothing short of amazing. Two teachers, in particular, have been incredibly
nurturing and attentive. They genuinely care about each child's well-being and development, creating a warm and loving environment that our daughter looks forward to every day.
The facilities are clean, safe, and well-maintained. The classrooms are bright and inviting, filled with age-appropriate toys and learning materials. The outdoor play area is a particular favourite of our daughter, providing ample space for physical activities and exploration.
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Review from Nikoletta P (Mother of Child) published on 10 April 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Carton Hill Nursery really stands out compared to other nurseries that we visited or attended. The building is beautiful with a lot of natural light and a big garden which is like a small oasis. The staff is very caring and the activities are very inspiring and thoughtful. From painting and decorating
to messy play, cooking, role-playing, science experiments, dressing, celebrating different cultural traditions and many more. We are very happy to see our daughter’s skills continuously advancing. We also love that on certain days they are organising activities for parents to participate in so we have the chance to play there with her and meet other families. We would definitely recommend Carton Hill Nursery.
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Review from A B (Mother of Child) published on 27 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 4.0 out of 5
Overall, we are happy with the nursery, and the staff are taking care of our child, who has learnt a lot over the past months! However, there is room for improvement, considering the fees paid.
Kids love the spacious garden in the summer!
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Review from A N (Mother of Child) published on 27 March 2024 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Since day one, at six months old, my son has loved attending this nursery. He is now in preschool, and my daughter will be starting in the baby room, like her brother. From day one, his confidence and capabilities grew and continue to grow, above average. The staff are all friendly and caring and familiar
with all the children. The outdoor space is exceptional, where children explore, plant and build curiosity. Meals are well balanced, a mix of flavours and cultures, and nutritional. This nursery is a community of which our family is happy to be a part.
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Review from H F (Mother of Child) published on 12 December 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Our son absolutely loved his time at Carlton Hill - as a very active boy, he benefitted immensely from the access to the garden (they spend most of the day outside in the summer months), bikes, and learned a lot more than he would have at home about plants and gardening! The staff are patient and attentive.
The nursery also invited parents every few months to come in for a themed event which allowed us the opportunity to see the children interact with their friends. They excel at small personal touches - for example, when I gave birth to our second child, they sent my son home with some art and a lovely little card to welcome the baby home. We all teared up, it was so sweet. Even though our son has gone on to school, we continue to see some of the great friends he made there for play dates on the weekends. We loved the nursery so much that our baby will be starting there soon! Highly recommend.
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Review from T H (Father of Child) published on 24 October 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
All staff are compassionate, structured and hard working - very impressive.
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Review from A C (Mother of Child) published on 23 October 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We chose this nursery because of its spacious garden and the food service for those who has food allergy at the beginning, but we found we did the right choice not only for the trustworthy service as expected, but also the quality of the fantastic staff.
Our daughter started at two years nine months
old, without enough English skills as we’ve moved from Japan several months ago.
It took time to get used to the new place, but after she got settled she called the staff and friends' names and told us what she found, ate and learnt in nursery everyday.
And when she draws something at home, she says 'I’m gonna show this paper to (staff name)'. She knows that they would like it and say something good to make her happy and more confident, which shows they always do this for their children at the nursery.
I appreciate your staff for being her very first warm society outside of family. It’s very difficult thing to find for foreigners like us.
Reply from Selamawit Ghebreisus, Manager at Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you very much for your kind words and taking the time to do the review, Manager.
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Review from Kim M (Mother of Child) published on 16 October 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We have 3 children and all of them have been, or still are, at Carlton Hill Nursery. Our kids have always loved being there because of - among others - the caring staff, the great facilities, the lovely garden and the yummy food. The staff are very professional and we trust them 100% with our children.
Every day new activities are set up for when the children arrive, which gives them every time an opportunity to explore new things together with their little friends. The management team and key workers for our kids have always been like family.
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Review from S B (Mother of Child) published on 26 September 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
We couldn’t be more happier with Carlton Hill Nursery to be honest. They’ve put us at ease from day one. They take such good care of our daughter and she loves it there. The ladies are amazing and the nursery manager is simply great when it comes to being on top of things! She keeps everyone in check
and knows every baby/child by name and she is always hands-on.
Reply from Selamawit Ghebreisus, Manager at Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School
Thank you for your kind review. We really appreciate it.
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Review from Ioanna M (Mother of Child) published on 17 August 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Carlton Hill has been a wonderful nursery for us. Our son joined when he was a baby and through the guidance, love and support of his teachers gained the confidence to develop a strong and loving personality. The place is beautiful, the garden amazing but most of all it was the people who made the difference;
the unique, caring, professional and personable personnel who were there for him and us throughout all stages. We love the nursery and would love to return at some point.
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Review from I G (Mother of Child) published on 17 August 2023 Submitted via Website • Report
Overall Experience 5.0 out of 5
Two of our children went to Carlton Hill and both went on to excellent schools. The outdoor space is second to none and the staff is caring. The management is excellent and we have noticed continuous improvements to the nursery and the program they implement over the seven years our children were there.
The nursery could do with a refurbishment, but everything is kept clean. We feel that the comprehensive program really contributed to our children’s development.
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Current Review Score: 9.7 (9.731)

Overview of Review Score

The Review Score of 9.7 (9.731) out of 10 for Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School is based on a) the Average Rating and b) the number of positive Reviews.

  1. The Average Rating is 4.8 out of 5 from 14 Reviews in the last 24 months.
  2. The score for the number of positive Reviews is 5.0 out of 5 from 14 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:

  1. 5 Points are available for the Average Rating from all Reviews in the last 24 months. The Average Rating of 4.759 for Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School is calculated as follows: ( (129 Excellents x 5) + (34 Goods x 4) + (3 Satisfactorys x 3) ) ÷ 166 Ratings = 4.759
  2. 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 4.972 Points relating to the number of positive Reviews for Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School is based on 14 positive Reviews in the last 24 months and is calculated as per below:

    The 5 points available are broken down as follows:

    1. 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 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.1 = 4
    2. 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 72 number of registered child places is 14.4. 14 Positive Reviews ÷ 14.4 = 0.972
  3. When a Review is submitted by someone who has previously submitted a Review, only the latest Review will count towards the Review Score.
  4. If a Day Nursery does not have a review in the last 24 months, then it will not have a Review Score.

Child Vacancies

Please contact us for latest vacancies.

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Awards / Recognitions (0)

Meet the Team (1)

Selamawit

Selamawit

Job Title: Nursery Manager Joined: 2009

Hello, my name is Selamawit and have I been at Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School since 2009. I took over as manager in 2014. My favourite memory during my time at Carlton Hill is helping a child with special needs secure extra hours to match his one-to-one sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions about Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School

What is the Age Range of Children that Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School accepts?

Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School accepts Children aged from 0 years 0 months to 5 years 0 months.

What Days & Hours is Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School Open?

Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School is open: 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.

How many Children does Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School have capacity for?

Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School has capacity for a total of 72 Children.

How far is Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School to the centre of London?

2.7 mile(s) as the crow flies, distance by road may be significantly further.

Information on this page is displayed without responsibility for its accuracy on the part of daynurseries.co.uk. Please contact Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School to verify any information. View our terms and conditions. Carlton Hill Nursery & Pre-School has an Enhanced Service - more info.